European Road Trip--Belgium & Amsterdam

Beautiful Ghent, Belgium

After leaving Paris, we started our long drive north through France and Belgium. Our next overnight stay would be in Amsterdam, but we planned to stop for dinner and a little sight-seeing in Belgium. Belgium is another beautiful country to drive through. Green fields and unique Belgium-styled farm houses are scattered throughout. After several hours of driving we were ready for a break from the car, so we pulled off the motorway into Ghent, Belgium. This was such a delightful pit stop! 

On the bridge to the town square.

We drove into the center of town and parked so we could get out and walk around for a bit. Too hungry and tired to put much thought into dinner, we were happy to find a McDonald’s in the main square. Eating at a McDonald’s in Europe is somehow always more special than just fast food. This time, it was the three story “restaurant” feel and view of the town square that made the experience for us. (If only the bathrooms had been free, it would have been perfect!)

View from McDonald's third floor.

The architecture and style of the old buildings in Ghent are amazing! I was quite enamored by this brief exposure to Belgium and would love to go back another time.

Busy outdoor market in the main square.

As always, I loved the
picturesque side streets.

While walking through the streets, we found a shop for “Belgian Waffles” and couldn’t resist. Like good tourists, we sampled all the flavors--strawberries and chocolate, applesauce and whipped cream, and peaches with whipped cream. They were delicious! 

Next to the waffle shop was a quaint little chocolate shop. This became our most memorable part of Belgium because of the fun store owner. He teased Grant about how to properly suck on a sucker like it was intended to be enjoyed—rather than biting it like Grant was doing. He spoke Flemish to us and begged us not to try as we were sure to get it wrong. And he shared his passionate opinion about the wax he believes is sold as chocolate in the U.S.—as compared to his fine Belgian chocolate. He did all of this with humor and charm and was likely the best of what we experienced in Belgium. Oh, and his chocolate really is that  good!

We climbed back into the car well rested and cheered by our Belgium experience. We drove for several more hours and, just outside of Amsterdam, we found the third and final LDS Temple on our route. We pulled off the motorway in The Hague, Holland to take a few pictures. 

Love seeing these meaningful words
in different languages.

LDS Temple
The Hague, Holland

(I’ve learned that “Holland” and “The Netherlands” are used interchangeably just as the United Kingdom, Britain, and England are all used interchangeably. This discovery is significant as it puts to rest a long-standing family argument. We also learned on this trip that Dutch and Flemish, which is a dialect of Dutch, are the languages spoken in most of Belgium. There is a small area in southern Belgium where French is spoken.)  

Christmas decorations still in the hotel lobby.

Beyond tired of the car, we arrived at our hotel in Amsterdam around 10p.m. Thankfully, these accommodations were the nicest of our entire trip. We had found a great deal through Travelocity on a four star hotel—a level which doesn’t usually happen with a family of seven—and our two nights there couldn’t have come at a better time in the trip. We were tired of suitcases and cramped spaces by then, so the spacious hotel with its pool, fancy rooms, and extensive buffet breakfast felt luxurious. 

the hotel lobby

The next morning was a relaxing one. We really took our time getting into the day. We slept in, played all kinds of loud American games in the pool, and enjoyed a delicious breakfast. (The warm croissants we ate there will live as legend.)

Around noon we finally made our way out of the hotel. We rode the hotel shuttle to the airport and then took the train into Amsterdam. We had a really fun day! We first took a boat tour through the canals of the city. 

Amsterdam is such a beautiful city with its unique architecture and waterways. I never tired of admiring the buildings, bridges, and boathouses. Every street felt like a new discovery, as each one is quaintly different from the others. We learned on our boat tour that there are over 100 canals and over 1,000 bridges in Amsterdam, so there was plenty to admire!

Back on land, we had fun exploring by foot.

Ever our fearless leader, Trav was amazing navigating our way through any city.

Feels like Copenhagen with all these bikes around!

The less admirable side of Amsterdam, of course, is its extreme permissiveness. Throughout the city, we saw signs warning tourists to not trust drugs sold on the street. Apparently, cocaine was being sold as heroin and had caused some fatalities. Unfortunately, there were no warning signs against using drugs altogether. I suppose Kyle had a more complete cultural experience in Amsterdam than the rest of us because he was actually offered drugs. I guess an almost 40 year old mother of five doesn’t quite fit the profile for the market.

Not exactly sure what this sign is trying to say.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the Resistance Museum. This museum tells the history of Holland as it was invaded and then occupied by the Nazi army. It was a very interesting museum. Travis and I had been there before and really liked it but were surprised by how much the kids enjoyed it. The museum itself is not particularly mesmerizing as it consists of newspaper articles, pictures, and lots of plaques to read. But the history the museum teaches is what’s so interesting. I think that’s what held my kids’ interest. They were intrigued by the stories of Dutch resistance and bravery in the face of the brutality of the Nazi invasion. Even Ben stayed engaged because we all had a device that, when pointed at the displays, would verbally summarize the history. It was neat to see the kids engage in something so meaningful.

We ended the evening in Amsterdam with a dinner of hamburgers, gyros (oddly served without pita bread), and an omelet—well, it was called an omelet, anyway! After the train and shuttle back to our hotel, we spent a little more time playing in the pool and then enjoyed a chance to catch up with the world using the first consistent WiFi we’d had the whole trip.

Disappointed in his "omelet," Jared was a good sport and enjoyed it anyway.

A view, from the Dam square, of the beautiful city of Amsterdam.

We took turns resting on benches
along the way of the line. It kept
our sanity, but just barely.

We went to the Anne Frank house the next day. The line to get inside was ridiculously long. In fact, we waited for over three hours to get inside the house and museum! I think the kids were motivated because of their experience at the Resistance Museum the previous day, but we still got cold, hungry, and a little worn out while we waited. The consensus, though, was that it was worth it. Being inside the actual rooms where the Frank family hid during the holocaust brought this piece of world history to life for all of us. As parents, it was a fantastic experience for Travis and I to share with our kids.

The Anne Frank House

A little worse-for-the-wear, but we
finally got our turn inside the
Anne Frank house.

Who wouldn't want to live
in this cool red house?

Two last picture-worthy sights on our way out of Amsterdam.

After our visit to the Anne Frank house, we left Amsterdam and started the drive “home” to Denmark. We ate fish & chips and beef stew for dinner in a little city at the edge of The Netherlands, and stayed our last night in Bremen, Germany.

Enjoying a Hamburg hamburger!

We made two quick stops during our 11^th and last day on the road: the first for a hamburger in Hamburg (yes, we did that just so we could say we did), and the second to take advantage of our last chance to buy cheap groceries in Germany before crossing the border. We weren’t the only ones doing this. The store even had signs advertising prices in both Danish kroner and the euro. We filled what limited space was left in the car with food. We had peppers and ketchup in the glove box, chip bags under the seats, etc.

Welcome "home" to Denmark, and Scandinavia.

It felt good when we arrived in our neighborhood, something like coming home. It was New Year’s Eve when we returned. We had already learned that it’s tradition to watch the Queen’s speech—similar to a 'state of the union'—on New Year’s Eve, so we did. Of course, it was all in Danish but we still watched for a few minutes just to experience it.

Just before midnight, we drove to the shore. We were there as it became the New Year and watched across the water as the Swedish shoreline erupted with fireworks. All along the water’s edge in front of us were the lights and colors of the fireworks in Sweden, and all around and behind us were the explosions of the fireworks in Denmark. It was such a cool moment, a little surreal. In fact, as I stood there with my husband and all of my children it was, for me, a moment of gratitude, peace, and happiness. It was one of those moments when, as it’s happening, I knew it was significant and that I needed to consciously keep it in my memory. 

For the next hour, we drove around our little city searching for fireworks to watch. When we saw some, we would drive to that neighborhood and watch for a while, then drive to the next. We finally returned to our own neighborhood to find our neighbors were putting on an impressive display right outside our house. We stood out on the street and talked and watched with them for quite a while. These Danes really know how to celebrate the New Year! The fireworks went on for hours—the big ones, not little fountains. Families party until morning and even small children stay up until 4 or 5 a.m. on New Year’s Day. We didn't have it in us for that kind of longevity and were in bed around 2 a.m.

This firework display and New Year's celebration was the perfect end to our family European road trip. It was a rare opportunity that I am so grateful for! We tasted, observed, experienced, and learned of different cultures. What a Christmas gift! And making memories with these crazies was the best of all! 

Love these guys!