Ede

It’s so good to spend time with friends! We spent out time in Holland exploring the country with my college roommate, Laura, her husband, Feike, and their two beautiful little girls. What a treat! Not only did we get to see good friends in a new place (which always helps you see other sides of the people) but we also got to see a new-to-us country with the help of a native (Feike is Dutch).

I can’t overemphasize how much it heightens the travel experience to spend time with people who live in the country. In this case, not only did we get to meet up with Laura and Feike, we also got to stay with Feike’s parents. So our experience of Holland included how houses look and feel, what people really cook, going to a local church, and how families share so much back and forth (cars, camping gear, schedules, etc). All of this in addition to visiting some very fun towns.

Laura and Feike took us to Leide (where Rembrandt was born and where there was a market and a festival celebrating his birth), Palais Het Loo (where their wedding photos were taken and where the Dutch royal family had a country home until recently), and Geithorn (a gorgeous town with canals for streets, affectionately known as the “Venice of Holland” but there’s not nearly as much marble).

All in all, we had a wonderful, relaxing almost 5 days playing with our friends and getting to know their always-growing daughters.