The Netherlands is where I had the privilege of visiting most recently thank you to my dear friend Carla, owner of Simpel-Scrappen in Den Helder, Holland. Without a doubt, this was one of my most amazing travel experiences thus far. It is no secret that I LOVE to travel and I love just about every destination but there is something magical about Europe. YUP! The history, the architecture, the culture, the people. There is nothing else like it. Although my visit was too short, Carla was kind enough to play tour guide and share with me some of her beautiful country in the short week I was there.
After picking me up Thursday morning at the Amsterdam Airport, Carla took me back to her beautiful little city. On out way she even stopped to see a real windmill built in the 1600's! I am having trouble uploading those pics for some reason so you will have to use your imagination but trust me when I tell you that it is super cool! The one thing I found really neat is how there are so many canals and waterways throughout Holland. The above photo was taken in Den Helder early in the morning and I think it looks so pretty:)
Anyways, after dropping my stuff at the store, we went to Carla's mother's home where she was a wonderful hostess (thanks again!) We enjoyed a fabulous barbeque as relaxed in her lovely garden. Carla's sister Sonya joined us too! It was great seeing her again:)
Carla and her mother were cooking up a storm. Unfortunately, after travelling all those miles and with the jet lag, I had to crash by 8pm and I slept a full 10 hours!!!! That was good though as i was able to switch my clock over relatively easy this time:)
Anyways, Friday morning we headed into her store so I could begin to prepare. Another lovely shot of a canal started my day! After I organized my class stuff, I took off to explore her little shopping district. LOTS of fun there:) I loved the quaint little shops in the marketplace. All of te buildings were so much different from here in North America. I could have spents days exploring but alas, I only had a few hours. I did thoroughly enjoy myself though! I love to explore new places at my own pace and fortunately I found my way back to her store without getting lost! I had wandered further tan I realized though...lol!
Anyways, over the course of the weekend, I taught several classes to Carla's wonderful customers. These are a couple of pics from the Family Canvas class using predominantly My Mind's Eye and Tattered Angels goodies with a touch of Prima and Riff Raff Designs goodies thrown in for good measure:) It was a tight squeeze throughout the weekend as the classes were at maximum capacity but we managed just fine. Thank you to ALL the ladies that came out to participate. I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as I did!
Anyways, after our classes on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, we went back to the adorable little beach house that Carla rented for us to stay in for the weekend:)
Her friends Claudia and Karin stayed with us too and it made for a FABULOUS girls weekend! So many laughs and giggles... these girls were a riot! I still get a grin when I think of some of our craziness that weekend:) You girls totally rocked and I feel so lucky to have been able to stay with them there rather than in a lonely hotel... it truly made for a GREAT weekend! Thanks again:)
By the end of the weekend, we were both exhausted but that did not last long as we were heading into Amsterdam for the day Monday! We woke bright and early and boarded the train for a day of adventure.
I knew that as soon as I stepped off te train I was in for an incredible day! The architecture is what caught my attention at first. STUNNING! Each building is a work of art... something that we do not see here on this side of the pond as we obviously do not go back in time as far. It's unbelievable to me that they could construct such phenomenal buildings without the so- called technology of today. They truly were craftsmen back in those days and their structures are standing proof:)
So while exploring the sights of Amsterdam, Carla ensured that I got to play tacky tourist on occasion too... hence the lovely pic of us in this big wooden shoe! Getting in was fine, but getting out required some assistance...lol!
Then we went into a few shops and imagine my surprise when I entered an entire store filled with wodden clogs! WOW! I was surprised to learn that they are not just for decoration and people apparently still wwear tem today (usually when working on the farms). Interesting... I wonder how comfy they are....
Karin, Carla and CLaudia were troopers and let me stop in all the fun little shops that caught my eye but were sweet enough to make sure I saw as many of the hidden little jewels that this amazing city had to offer too. Carla too us to this beautiful little closed in cluster of houses that used to be similar to a convent (but the ladies living there did not take their vows... they just serviced the church). It was such a peaceful gem in the midst f the hustle and bustle of massive city.
I could have sat in there with a good book and coffee all afternoon had there have been more time. Buyt alas, there was not... so much to do in so little time so out we went to explore again.
We walked miles and miles that day I am sure but the one thing that blew my mind was the sheer number of bicycles in Amsterdam! Everywhere you looked, bicycles were being ridden, they were parked along every street in mass quantities. I had a giggle when I saw a gorgeous gal dressed in a beautiful dress, high heels, etc was riding a bike, weaving in and out of traffic while on a cell phone. CRAZY!!! People thought driving a car while talking on a phone is dangerous... well, let me tell you... that is nothing in comparrison!!! LOL!
I did not end up doing a lot of purchasing while there. With the exchange, things were extremely expensive and I really did not need a lot. I did enjoy checking out some of the shops and to all my stamper frineds, you would have LOVED this little store. It was picture perfect... hidden on a little street in Amsterdam full of some beautiful goods:)
The one thing I did treat myself to though was a Pandora bracelet. I went on a hunt to get it started and thanks to Claudia, Karin and Carla, I found one and bought a plethora of beads to get it started. My goal is to add a bead (charm) with each trip that I take as a souvenir of my travels. I back dated it one trip as that is when I first started really looking into one. So I bought the blue flower as a token from Alaska and ten the tulip for Holland, and several other beads to get it rolling. The girls bought me a beautiful hand painted bead tat works wonderfully on it too and that set the colour scheme for this bracelet (blue and green:). Once I fill this one, I will add another and another and another...lol! Don't tell Drew though... they are pretty expensive and when you add them up... oUCH but it is worth it... better than a bunch of cheap dorky tshirts that you will never wear, right?!
It's not as easy of a decision as one would think but fortunately, everyone had patience with me as I decided:)
So many beautiful choice... it was tough to decide!
Oh well... after awhile I made my decision and made my purchase and walked out of te jewelery store a very happy girl!
Then it was time to take a bit of a break. We decided a snack and drink were in order so we found a fab outdoor seating area serviced by multiple pucs and restaurants, etc. Here we sat, having a drink and snack while people watching a taking a bit of a break!
Those of you that know me know I like my girlie drinks but cocktails are not readily available in Europe:( I even tried beer... their beer and I am sorry to say I did not like it but I did try it so I am getting better at stepping outside my little comfort zone...lol! My kids would be proud...hahahah.
Oh well, we had a nice break, enjoyed some yummy food and drinks and had a blast people watching and just hanging out. What a cool life it would be to be able to do this regularly...aaaaahhhhhhh!
And I know yo are DYING to know... Amsterdam is notorious for their naughty side... for lack of a better teerm. Now I have always considered myself pretty liberal being from Canada and all but WOW! Even I was shocked a few times...lol! Coffee shops do NOT sell coffee... NOPE! No fancy cappucinos there... I will get to all of that later but there were a few that were not only in the Red Light District.
Okay, so then we took in a few more of the sights as we headed towoard one of the places to get on the boat for a canal tour. With all of those canals throught this massive city, I was looking forward to sitting and exploring from a different vantage point.
So we boarded one of these lovely canal boats and set sail for an hour long tour of a few of canals that make up Amsterdam. It was so nice and relaxing... just what the doctor ordered after a long day of walking all over the place:)
One cool thing I did not know about Amsterdam... there are over 1000 bridges in that city. Interesting, eh?
Apparently, this is the most popular bridge in Amsterdam and definitely the most photgraphed too. Again, something I did not know prior to going there so I am glad that I took yet another photo of such a famous bridge. Now I have to go and find out the name...lol! If anyone can help me, that would be great!
I had to take a pic of that car... thought it looked so cool:)
It was so peaceful out on the canals... I really enjoyed it.
Another cool sight on our journey:)
And then............. it was time! Oh yeah:) The famous RED LIGHT DISTRICT... I did not know what to expect. I had heard a few things so had at least prepared myself a bit. On the surface it just about looked lke any other street in Amsterdam.
It was a beautiful tree lined canal with shops and flats overlooking it. Not road persay... only foot traffic and the odd bike or scooter which was noice. It allowed for a nice leisurely stroll:)
UNTIL... you looked in the windows. Girls of all sapes and sizes with their "red light" on if they were open for business. Some were beautiful others were nasty but I guess there is someone for everyone...lol! Prostitution is legal in Amsterdam and seeing as this is the worlds' oldest profession... who am I to judge? What pleased me was that there are not the pimps and drug abuse associated with these working gals so that has to be an advantage. Anyways... not for me but I am not in their shoes and it's not up to me to pass judgement on them:) It was definitely interesting...
It came time to say goodbye to Claudia and Karin. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to get to know these gals. They truly were a highlight of my trip to Holland. So many great memories from our weekend together that will always put a little smile on my face:) Thanks girls for making it a trip to remember! After we said goodbye... Carla and I walked through the Red Light District a little more...
Moulin Rouge is apparently a very famous venue. Live sex shows everyday (multiple times a day) by a married couple (the same married couple... did I mention multiple times..... EVERYDAY???!!!) OMG! Again... who am I to judge???!!! LOL!
The coffee shops were busy all night long and NO I did not go in to try it out. Thanks but no thanks!
It was pretty though... as the sun began to set and the lights came on... it really was a pretty place. I liked it... XXX and all:)
Carla and I finished off our day and a nice little sidewalk cafe type of place with a glass of wine people watching and enjoying a bit of a rest. That is until the wind picked up out of nowhere and raindrops the size of water balloons began to fall from the sky! Oh yeah!!!! we had to run (and I do mean RUN!!!!) to the train station to get our train back to Den Helder. Needless to say, we got a wee bit wet! But it was fun... and then we literally had to run to our train too... ay ay ay I don't think I have ran that much in years...lol!
My last day (or the few hours I had before heading back to the airport) were pretty mellow. Carla took me to the beach (North Sea). Although the weather was very dreary, it was truly beautiful.
The beach had soooooooooooo many seashells! All different colours:) I don't think I have ever been to a beach with so many and I know my kids would have loved filling their pails with them:)
Then we did a bit of last minute shopping in this quaint little village. There were a couple of really cute shops and I could not resist a few fun purchases before heading out.
So there you have it. My epic post about my fabulous week in the Netherlands. I am the luckiest gal in the world to be able to do what I do. Not too many people get to live their dream. And what made this trip extra special is the company. Not only did I have a great time learning about a new country and meeting new people but a solid friendship was formed. THANK YOU Carla for a wonderful week:) You were the hostess with the mostess as my grandmother would say. I appreciate the opportunity to have been able to come and teach several classes to you and your customers and with any luck, perhaps I can return again some day! Now hurry up and book that flight here to Canada so I can try to reciprocate some of your hospitality because you went above and beyond:) Thanks again girlie!!!
So what is next? Assuming you actually made it through this entire post, I am now about to prep for Saskatoon! YUP! May not be quite as glamorous as Amsterdam but it is GUARANTEED to be a good time! A little bit of Canadiana is a darn good thing!!! I LOVE heading to Just Scrap It:) Ralna and Deb rock and are always so much fun! Their staff are wonderful and we always have a blast in class:) I hope to see many of you gals there on the 19 &20 of June.
Okay... this post has taken waaaaaaaaaaaaaay toooo much time to compose so I really do have to run! Be sure to check back soon as I am working on a few new projects:) Lots of new goodies are going to be coming your way!
OH YEAH! My Trinkets and Treasures class is running tomorrow (Tuesday) night at Scrapbook Memories and More in Sherwood Park. It features a tonne of Graphic 45 and a few other goodies not to be missed. It is full of pockets, flaps, nooks and crannies for all of your trinkets and tresures. You are sure to love it so call (780)449-0603 to register today!
Next up... TATTERED Angels! There is a cool giveaway going on over on their blog! You need to go and check it out there:) You could be one of the first to get a set of the NEW Winter colors in their BRAND NEW bottles! Check it out here...
