Thanksgiving in Europe: Aux Pays-Bas (in the Netherlands)

For Thanksgiving we got to go to Rotterdam to visit our good friends Nicky, John, and their new baby. They were kind enough to let us have a real Thanksgiving dinner with them. Then they were so nice to be our guides for the weekend, even though they have probably seen these things over and over. It was so nice to just be with good friends.



We went to Delft and saw the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church – built in the 1500’s) where William of Orange and the rest of the Dutch Royal family is buried.


There is also a monument to the founder of international law, Huig de Groot (or Hugo Grotius). So Robert was pleased.


We went to the Royal Delft factory and got to see artists painting the designs on actual Royal Delft china. Of course, we had to try some of the local delicacies: French fries with mayonnaise or peanut sauce and pannenkocken (like a thick crepe).

Then we went to The Hague. Robert was excited to see the Peace Palace, even though we couldn’t go inside.





We went to Het Mauritshuis, a museum that has Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” a bunch of great Rembrandt, and a lot of other neat Dutch painters. We went through the Binnenhof, where the Dutch parliament is.


Robert’s favorite place was probably Kinderdijk (pronounced “kinder- dike”). It is this great place with about 19 windmills. We felt like we were in a Vermeer painting: blue and gray sky, golden fields, windmills in the background. It was incredibly picturesque. Thanks to Nicky and John for the wonderful visit.