Travelling is always magical, so to end 2024, I’m celebrating by sharing the details of my fall trip to the Netherlands. Then, it’s on to 2025 and new adventures exploring the world! On my recent Girls Trip, we enjoyed a string of moments I hope I never forget. They were special and unique to our Netherlands adventure. Girls trips are important to me for many reasons. It’s quality time with my sisters who live far away. Though we have done video chats weekly since the pandemic, the fun of exploring new places and having great adventures together is precious to me.
While we did have an itinerary and had discussed in general what we wanted to see and do on our Netherlands trip in September, we remained flexible and pivoted based on how we were feeling each day and the weather. Sure delays happen and other issues can crop up but if you take these bumps in stride, take a deep breath and enjoy the journey, then the travel magic will unfold. One special day, we jumped on a tram in Den Haag aka The Hague going in the wrong direction, so we enjoyed seeing Delft a day early and then got on the tram going in the “right” direction to walk the beach at the North Sea. It all worked out and was a lovely day. Go with the flow! As Patti and I wandered around The Hague, we tried out new names for a girls trip blog. This was the winner: Ladies Who Get Lost (but have fun).
We enjoyed a wide variety of global cuisines in this expat friendly city where many international folks work at the nearby Peace Palace (take a tour here, either in the building or in the garden-both are special and only available at certain times of the year) and International Peace Court. One rainy night we looked out our hotel room window and saw the lights shining bright at a Filipino restaurant so out we went. Entering the festive place, the host informed us that a private party had taken over most of the restaurant for a buffet and karaoke night but, if we didn’t mind, we could still be seated and eat. Party on! We had a blast listening to all the singers take turns, though we declined when invited to join in, preferring to be the audience vs. the talent. This is an evening I won’t soon forget and it would have been so easy to go somewhere a little quieter but we had a blast. We also had great Italian close by our hotel and an amazing Chinese dinner in the largest Chinatown in the Netherlands.
My favorite liquids in the Hague varied from locally brewed liquors to the fresh mint infused tea served almost everywhere. At the Van Cleef distillery in business since 1842, we ordered one liquor tasting with multiple shots and, after quickly tasting that one, we ordered another. Heaven on our palates! From apple pie to salted caramel and raspberry and cherry infused liquors, we were sad to hear that they didn’t ship to the US. So we bought a few bottles, got some plastic travel bottles from the dept. store Primark to put the liquor in vs. the glass bottles they came in, and safely transported our liquor home to enjoy! I love that Patti kept her liquor in the spritz container and gave herself a quick spray into her mouth when she needed a shot.
Our other favorite liquid beverage on our trip was their very special mint tea. Imagine our surprise when we ordered mint tea only to have actual huge mint leaves come in the hot water. It was really a herbal infusion, like drinking a mint garden in your mouth. This wasn’t just a house specialty-it was available almost everywhere we went. Back in the US, I have never seen it done like this-probably too many rules about randomly serving fresh leaves. Does every café have a mint garden out back or on the roof? Fresh mint delivered daily? I would travel there again just to have this specialty. Oh, and I’d probably grab some of that booze too while I was there and take it back.
Having passed by a crystal spiritual store, Ananda Spiritual Living, on one of our jaunts, Patti and I went back to shop for some souvenirs. They had a huge variety of crystals and all things spiritual. Their tarot reader was available (only $15 each-very reasonable!) so we each took a turn to see what the cards would tell us. Mine was spot on, affirming all the changes that would soon be happening in our lives as our whole generational family moves from Boise to Baltimore in January. Whether you believe in Tarot or not, it was a unique experience and isn’t that what travel is all about? Do what you wouldn’t normally do back at home!
Having heard about the Hague forest on our walking tour, we decided to strike out and try to find it one morning. After a quick smudge on a park bench for my new crystal gifted to me by Patti, I looked up and saw a herd of deer in the close distance. WTH! Right across from the train station in Den Hague is a deer preserve where a large herd roams and the bucks bellow. We watched as they were fed by the park employees and saw the bucks try to assert dominance with a few well placed head butts. Oh fellas, chill out!
The main place to explore art in The Hague is the Mauritshuis Museum: https://www.mauritshuis.nl/en/, where the famous Girl with the Pearl earring painting by Vermeer is their centerpiece. This museum is centrally located in The Hague and after visiting, you can stroll the wide path by the moat with the island. It’s a truly lovely museum with cozy rooms to view the art.
About those “bumps in the road” that can happen when you travel, we ended up in the Hague Emergency Room at the local hospital one night. Patti had gotten an infection in a cut on her finger and it was looking like it needed medical attention. Here is my advice if this happens to you when you are travelling. If at a hotel, go to your front desk and get their recommendation on closest pharmacy, doctor, hospital, etc. depending on what you need. There might even be possibility of doctor visiting you at hotel if your medical condition warrants it or calling an ambulance. We thought we might be able to get medicine at a pharmacy to help her. Many European pharmacists are able to talk to customers and prescribe medications without a doctor’s order. So off we went to the nearest pharmacy open in the evening which happened to be at a hospital. The pharmacist took one look at Patti’s wound and said we should go to ER and doctor would have to look at it and prescribe an antibiotic. So off we went! $300 and a few hours later, we just barely made it to the pharmacy to get our required drugs to take care of Patti before they closed. Quite an adventure! Make sure you travel with a list of any medications you are taking and any medical conditions (like high blood pressure) that might affect what a doctor might prescribe.
Once we left the Hague and went to Amsterdam, we had a more structured schedule-so many museums, canals, etc. to see! Our hotel, the Apollo Marriott, was right on a major intersection of canals and our room had a corner window eye level with the water. Lovely! While a bit out of the downtown core, it was a quick tram to all the sights. One highlight for us was going to a historic church for an art installation featuring Van Gogh and Rembrandt art projected onto the walls and ceilings while we lay on a big bean bag on the floor and took it all in. So. Groovy. We were probably the only ones attending who weren’t high but it was still mind blowing and I will never forgot the experience. Seek out these type of events when you travel-you won’t regret it!
Needing some immersion in nature, we sought out the big urban Vondelpark. With wide paths winding through the park and lots of forest and lake space, we enjoyed the beautiful day. We had a wildlife encounter with an array of different birds including a green parakeet flying around. We finally took a seat, took off our shoes and socks and felt the grass ourselves while the guys next to us enjoyed their cigar size joint blowing our way. Meditating and taking in the “fresh” air, we got our chakras aligned and well. We also got in touch with all the water that is everywhere in the Netherlands with canal tours and a trip to the Windmill Village, Zaanse Schans. We booked a tour to visit this scenic place through Viator and it included the bus trip (about an hour each way) plus a visit to a clog-making workshop and cheese farm. Once we got to the windmills, we got to go inside, climb up to the top and hear all about the history of the windmills. Well worth a half day visit if you have time.
Of course, when in Amsterdam, trips to museums are warranted as some of the best in the world are there. Get tickets in advance online for all visits. Start at the Van Gogh Museum to admire masterpieces by Van Gogh, The Museum about Vincent van Gogh in Amsterdam – Van Gogh Museum. Visit the Rijks museum and see iconic Dutch art, including Rembrandt’s works, https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en. Of course, you need to tour the historic Anne Frank House while in Amsterdam and learn about her life during WWII. Book your tickets the minute they become available for the date you want-this is a “must see” for all tourists and they sell out fast: Home | Anne Frank House.
Our last night of the trip warranted a fancy place for dinner so off we went to The Siren for good food, cocktails and great photos of the amazing interior featuring “the siren” the place is named after. Make reservations at: Home – The Siren and treat yourself to a night out in Amsterdam. Enjoy the journey!
Travels with Melinda 