Amsterdam and our Farmhouse!

After visiting the tulips we decided to have dinner in Amsterdam. This was our first introduction to the incredibly beautiful and crazy city.  We enjoyed the views of so many spots but were totally freaked by all the bikes.  Poor Nick was having heart palpitations...driving a standard (stick) midsized SUV on the tiny streets of Amsterdam was straight up heart failure.  He didn't enjoy the view like I did. 

 

Before heading to dinner we took a canal sunset cruise to view the sights of Amsterdam.  Very cool and a MUST if you go.  The kids loved it...not sure the other passengers loved our kids though :) 

After dinner we were off to another Rick Steeves recommendation, Toscana!  It was delish!

  

check out chuck's calzone!

 

On our way back to the car.  

Nick with 3 kids in tow along side a canal.

So one of the best parts of our trip was our friends and the farmhouse we rented as our home in Holland.  The house was about 30 minutes from everywhere we wanted to go. Great location for relaxing but still enjoying the busy streets of Amsterdam and the Dutch culture.

Check it out...

Seriously there was a mote around our house!  Well, every house!

 

 I wanted to live there forever! It was the most perfect vacation home!

 

Our kids were in heaven and so were we...since they were in the loft upstairs! 

Thatch roof...no kidding around!   

The view on our drive out.  

It was like a postcard...mostly just what you might expect Dutch countryside to look like.

Pass through the quaint little village closest to the farmhouse.