Kristin, Chelsea and I went to Amsterdam on Saturday with intentions of checking out some tattoo shops and the Richard Avedon exhibit at FOAM, the Fotomuseum Amsterdam.
We had no idea that there was a big football game going on in Amsterdam: the Scotland vs. Netherlands qualifier for the World Cup. We found out from some Scots that 15,000 people flew over from Scotland to watch the game. So, that's 15,000 men walking around in kilts, Scottish flags, and painted faces (like Braveheart). Plus, all the Dutch who were wearing orange, and Dutch flags, and clogs. And some guys were even wearing kilts plus the Dutch colors. One dude was even wearing a kilt, with one clog and one regular shoe.
One man in a kilt tried to eat my ice-cream cone, then offered to trade me the ice cream for his beer.
So basically, our plans to hit up the museum went right out the window.
People were drinking everywhere: on the streets, and outside the pubs. When we wandered over to Dam Sqaure, it was just a sea of people, and stacks of Heineken bottles and cans everywhere. Some guys even had shopping carts full of beer. I think it was about 2pm when we went to Dam Square, and already most of these guys were rip roaring drunk. The police actually barricaded the streets off around Dam Square so cars couldn't drive down the streets.
There was one group of guys we met that were around our age, so we went to this pub with them, and it was really hilarious to just watch them get drunker and drunker. The pub was so packed that most of them had to hang out on the street (there was about 75 people hanging out in the middle of this little side street next to a canal), and they all kept singing these Scottish jigs. Every time a car would try to pass on the street, they would all start singing and slapping the cars. They turned every song into a big thing... like they even all started singing "Doe a deer" at one point (that one I actually knew, so I could join in).
Once everyone started heading to the game, we headed back to Dam Square where the entire area was just littered with bottles and cans.
We decided to stay to wait for our friends who were coming to Amsterdam for drinks, so we went to this pub in Dam Square. It was absolutely packed with Dutch and Scottish football fans, and the pub kept playing traditional Dutch and Scottish songs that everyone sang and danced along to.
Once Adam and Tom and their friends got to Amsterdam we we went to this really chic gay/lounge/cocktail bar. Then we ended up going to play pool til 3am at this pub called "Balls."
So, even though we got back to the Hague pretty late, we still got up early to go on our bike trip. There were 8 of us this time, and our plan was to head to Honselersdijk, Naaldwijk, and Hoek van Holland, then ride along the coast on the way back.
Our first stop was the house my dad was born in. Once we got to Honselersdijk, we found the house pretty easily. I knocked on the door, but no one answered. An older couple a few doors down peaked their head out the door to see what was going on, so I asked them if they knew who lives in #11. Turns out they own the block of townhouses and had just moved out so it could be renovated. As soon as I told the man my dad was born in that house, he grabbed his keys and gave us a tour.
I didn't get many photos because the house still has some of the couple's stuff in it, and I felt like I'd be invading their privacy by taking photos. But the house was actually bigger than I imagined it would be. Two floors, with an attic, a fairly large living area with a small kitchen off to the back, very steep Dutch stairs with worn carpeting leading to the second floor, a couple bedrooms and a bathroom.
I think this old man lived on the same street all his life. He told us that he had 15 brothers and sisters, and they all lived in a townhouse just like that. I can't even imagine where they all slept. Luckily, my dad only has 4 brothers and sisters!
After giving us all a tour, he took me to the townhouse on the end of the street, and introduced me to an old man who had lived on the street since I believe 1913. He didn't speak any English, so the man who gave us the tour acted as translator, and told me that the old man remembers my Oma and Opa, and knows of other Baljeu's living in Honselersdijk. I might go back sometime and see if I can find the other Baljeu's living there.
So, after that was all said and done, we all headed to a pub in the center of town and had some beer and pub grub, and rested up before continuing our journey.
(From left to right, a bit of an introduction: Kristin from New York, Kasey and Emily from North Carolina, Yan from China, Tom, Adam, and Ian from England)
Once in Hoek van Holland, we stopped at a skate park so everyone could play on the ramps with their bikes, and play on the slides. Then we came across a petting farm with goats, sheep, birds, guinea pigs, rabbits, and peacocks. Of course we stopped to pet them, and go "awww" over all the newborn animals. I also had some quality time with a cat that I found. It really made me miss my cats back home.
On the way back to Den Haag we took the North Sea route through the dunes, past rows and rows of greenhouses, and through Kijkduin, a beach suburb of Den Haag.
We were all pretty famished after our trip, so we went to an Italian restaurant near Kijkduin at Emily's suggestion, then to a pub in the center for some more beer. All in all, it was a about a 12 hour day, and I was completely exhausted by the time I got home. But I can't wait to do it all again on our next bike trip.
