To get a taste of Dutch culture, travel beyond the big city.
When people discover that my parents were born in the Netherlands, many of them mention that they've been there.
"Which part", I'll ask.
"Amsterdam. What an interesting city."
Yes, it is quite a city and certainly worth a visit. It offers plenty of historic buildings, charming restaurants, museums, and parks. But on my visit there last summer, after scrambling through the busy streets for a few hours, I was ready to relax.
Small town life.
Just 15 minutes east of this world famous city lies the town of Weesp, home of Van Houten chocolate and my father's family. On my cousin's old "oma fiets" (literally, grandmother bicycle), I had the freedom to explore the cobblestone streets in local style.
A weekly open-air market outside the historic town hall brings everyone to the city center to purchase fish, flowers, and more. The smells of fresh bread and "amandelkoekjes" (almond cookies) wafted out of bakeries, beckoning buyers to come in.
At dusk, families eat together in their neat ground-level kitchens. Curiously, most homes don't have curtains. But the lack of privacy doesn't seem to worry anyone. Rather, it lends a familiar, comfortable sense of community to the whole town.
Surrounded by history.
Despite the steady pace of life, even the small towns of the Netherlands are bursting with reminders of the country's rich history.
In ways, the ??? river is part of the defense line of Amsterdam, a Unesco world heritage site featuring a ring of fortifications constructed 100 years ago. Standing near the old fortress, I gazed across the river at two 17th century windmills, their sails swooping from the sky, to the ground, and back again.
Just 4 kilometers away in Muiden, you can visit the medieval castle of Muiderslot. Once home to Count Floris V, this moat-surrounded fortress is now a museum. It offers a breath-taking armory, vast gardens, and daily falconry demonstrations.
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