Day Before Departure 04/19/2025

 Travel with the Kearleys and the Hatfields as we embark on a new adventure.  Delta is ready when you are and we are ready.  I was asked what was needed to travel to Europe.  All you need is your passport, your credit card, and a sense of adventure.  

This trip was planned over the last six months.  We will leave tomorrow for Amsterdam.  We will travel overnight, arriving Monday around 1:00 PM.  We will pickup our rental car and drive to Abcoude, a village in the suburbs of Amsterdam.  While we are in Amsterdam our plans are to go to Keukenhof Gardens to see the tulip gardens.  We have tickets for the Anne Frank home and tour in Amsterdam, and the Corrie Ten Boom shop and home in Haarlem. While there we will explore the history of Dutch cheese, windmills, wooden shoes, and take a canal cruise.  Also on our itinerary is a walking tour of Amsterdam. The herring (slightly salted) is a Dutch favorite street dish and a must try in Amsterdam.  It is served with pickles, onions, and a toothpick as a utensil.  We will be here one week so perhaps we will try the herring.

After leaving Amsterdam, our next stop will be Bruges, Belgium. I will give a detailed history of Belgian chocolates, Belgian beer, and the art of lace making.  While in Bruges we will explore the surrounding villages.  After we leave Bruges, we will go to Ypres,  This town was prominent in the World War One Battle of the Somme.  It is said that this battle turned into the most bitter, deadly, and costly engagement in all of human history.  On the first day of battle, the British forces suffered 57,000 casualties , of this number 19,000 British soldiers were KIA.  This battle began on July 1, 1916 and continued 5 months, resulting in over 1,000,000 men on both sides either killed or wounded.  While there we will attend the "Last Post".  This is a rememberance tribute to honor the British soldiers who perished there.  It has been held 365 days a year, rain or shine since 1927 (It was paused for WWII during the German occupation).  More about this when we get to Ypres.

When traveling to Europe, never lose sight of the fact that you are in a foreign country, you are their guest.  The best advice I can give is to plan your trip, and research your destination as much as possible.  Don't load your schedule so much that you can't enjoy your trip.  Many people treat this as a one time trip and try to do too much. They return exhausted.  Embrace the culture and enjoy the cuisine. Be complimentary to your hosts and remember you are not in the U.S.

I will make a daily entry of our activities and invite you along on our journey.

The journal address is  www.Holland2025.blogspot.com

Headed for Europe 2025





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