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beelikejHad a very good night's sleep after all the walking (and eating) I did on my first day in Zaandam. For my second day I had nothing planned but reading and relaxing. But since I hadn't had a chance to go inside the main tourist attraction yesterday, I put that bit of sightseeing on the program as well. My main event however was a visit to the Wellness floor of the hotel... but let's start with breakfast. Twice!
Thursday August 12: Czar Peter's House & Wellness
Because of limited spaces for the breakfast buffet, my slot wasn't until 10:45 but I woke up much earlier and decided to walk to the nearby supermarket for a bun and some juice which I enjoyed in the bath with bubbles and a new book:)
After that I went down for the actual breakfast, which was more of a lunch for me, haha. Thrilled that they offered bagels, but also POFFERTJES! What a treat:)
Then I did my left-over sightseeing with a walk to Czar Peter's house, which is where Peter the Great stayed in 1697 when he wanted to study shipbuilding. Even though he was only there for 8 days, (and another week in 1717) the place became a must-visit for every important person who came to Zaandam.
The wooden building was eventually bought by King Willem 1 as a gift to his daughter in law Anna Pavlova, who decided to protect the little house by covering it with a stone house.
There's a bust of Anna Pavlova in the garden.
How cool is this gate with Dutch and Russian text? Both flags are up at the building as well.
Yes! Two more versions of pothole covers, both with the whales and weapon of Zaandam. One on the right reads 'Regenwater'; rain water.
Back at the hotel for my Wellness adventure. I had the swimming pool all to myself for a whole hour! Such a treat.
Look at my happy face, I love swimming.
I also loved my dinner: bread with Döner chicken and for dessert a slice of Red Velvet cake, mmmm.
In between and the rest of the day was spent reading in bed and I finished my book:)
Nice view at night too! I ended the day with more time in the pool; I managed to book another half hour from 22:30 until closing time, AWESOME!
Friday August 13: Zaanse Schans & Home
Last day of my mini-vacation trip to Zaandam.
Just like yesterday, I started with breakfast in bath and a new book:)
Of course I had Poffertjes at thebreakfast lunch buffet again, omnomnom.
Then it was time to say goodbye to my fancy hotelroom. *sighs*
Entrance to the busstation downstairs, where I got on the bus to get to another bus to Zaanse Schans.
View from the bus, it's so green here! Lovely day to be outside: cloudy, windy, but dry.
The Zaanse Museum with the Verkade experience (Verkade is our most famous chocolate and biscuit/cookie brand)
This is my first view of the Zaanse Schans: an area where they have conserved a whole bunch of old farms and windmills. You can walk around for free, there is a small fee to enter some of the buildings. People live and work there, but the buildings are also musea and souvenirshops.
Ahw, Nijntje (aka Miffy) with clogs in the clog maker's museum!
Very interesting displays of all sorts of clogs!
I returned to the Zaans museum for my appointed timeslot; display of old ads for all sorts of products that were made in the Zaan area.
Tiles from 1908 representing the Verkade fabriek in celebration of the visit of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Hendrik.
The logo of De Ruyter ("Horserider") the name of the first windmill at West Zaandam, where the flour for the Verkade bakery was produced. These days De Ruyter is still the Verkade brand for all their sweet sandwich toppings (chocolate sprinkles, anyone?)
A glimpse of the old Verkade chocolate factory in the Zaans Museum.
Another small museum: old fashioned box bed in the Weavery Mill; notice the boxes underneath the big bed; the baby of the family would sleep there!
So many windmills at Zaanse Schans!
Lovely houses across the river.
I climbed up one of the mills!
Very impressive mechanism and the view from the top!
Lots of nice views:)
One final look at the windmills before I get on the bus to Amsterdam.
In Amsterdam I met up with brotherdearest for dinner; we crossed the IJ river on the (free!) ferry and had donuts for dessert before I got on the train home.
Arrived back in my town at sunset: how cool is that iron artwork? (Tials of Gavin by Jason Myersand)
Cycled home (passed the old citywall with the moon <3)
The end.
J.
Thursday August 12: Czar Peter's House & Wellness
Because of limited spaces for the breakfast buffet, my slot wasn't until 10:45 but I woke up much earlier and decided to walk to the nearby supermarket for a bun and some juice which I enjoyed in the bath with bubbles and a new book:)
After that I went down for the actual breakfast, which was more of a lunch for me, haha. Thrilled that they offered bagels, but also POFFERTJES! What a treat:)
Then I did my left-over sightseeing with a walk to Czar Peter's house, which is where Peter the Great stayed in 1697 when he wanted to study shipbuilding. Even though he was only there for 8 days, (and another week in 1717) the place became a must-visit for every important person who came to Zaandam.
The wooden building was eventually bought by King Willem 1 as a gift to his daughter in law Anna Pavlova, who decided to protect the little house by covering it with a stone house.
There's a bust of Anna Pavlova in the garden.
How cool is this gate with Dutch and Russian text? Both flags are up at the building as well.
Yes! Two more versions of pothole covers, both with the whales and weapon of Zaandam. One on the right reads 'Regenwater'; rain water.
Back at the hotel for my Wellness adventure. I had the swimming pool all to myself for a whole hour! Such a treat.
Look at my happy face, I love swimming.
I also loved my dinner: bread with Döner chicken and for dessert a slice of Red Velvet cake, mmmm.
In between and the rest of the day was spent reading in bed and I finished my book:)
Nice view at night too! I ended the day with more time in the pool; I managed to book another half hour from 22:30 until closing time, AWESOME!
Friday August 13: Zaanse Schans & Home
Last day of my mini-vacation trip to Zaandam.
Just like yesterday, I started with breakfast in bath and a new book:)
Of course I had Poffertjes at the
Then it was time to say goodbye to my fancy hotelroom. *sighs*
Entrance to the busstation downstairs, where I got on the bus to get to another bus to Zaanse Schans.
View from the bus, it's so green here! Lovely day to be outside: cloudy, windy, but dry.
The Zaanse Museum with the Verkade experience (Verkade is our most famous chocolate and biscuit/cookie brand)
This is my first view of the Zaanse Schans: an area where they have conserved a whole bunch of old farms and windmills. You can walk around for free, there is a small fee to enter some of the buildings. People live and work there, but the buildings are also musea and souvenirshops.
Ahw, Nijntje (aka Miffy) with clogs in the clog maker's museum!
Very interesting displays of all sorts of clogs!
I returned to the Zaans museum for my appointed timeslot; display of old ads for all sorts of products that were made in the Zaan area.
Tiles from 1908 representing the Verkade fabriek in celebration of the visit of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Hendrik.
The logo of De Ruyter ("Horserider") the name of the first windmill at West Zaandam, where the flour for the Verkade bakery was produced. These days De Ruyter is still the Verkade brand for all their sweet sandwich toppings (chocolate sprinkles, anyone?)
A glimpse of the old Verkade chocolate factory in the Zaans Museum.
Another small museum: old fashioned box bed in the Weavery Mill; notice the boxes underneath the big bed; the baby of the family would sleep there!
So many windmills at Zaanse Schans!
Lovely houses across the river.
I climbed up one of the mills!
Very impressive mechanism and the view from the top!
Lots of nice views:)
One final look at the windmills before I get on the bus to Amsterdam.
In Amsterdam I met up with brotherdearest for dinner; we crossed the IJ river on the (free!) ferry and had donuts for dessert before I got on the train home.
Arrived back in my town at sunset: how cool is that iron artwork? (Tials of Gavin by Jason Myersand)
Cycled home (passed the old citywall with the moon <3)
The end.
J.