Amsterdam

After saying goodbye to Michele in Brussels, we took the train to Holland, where I had my nurse educator conference.  The conference was held at a hotel out in the middle of the tulip fields, which would be great if the tulips were in bloom, but we weren't there at that time of the year.  Still, we did get to do some fun stuff, like riding bikes and walking, other than just attending the conference.  Our last full day we took a bus and two trains and went to Amsterdam.  While there we visited the Riksmuseum, and the Anne Frank house, and of course walked, seeing the canals and beautiful houses of Amsterdam.

A field by our hotel.  The hotel is on the left (tower is part of the hotel grounds)

The train station in Amsterdam, with beautiful architecture, once again

A church near the train station

I don't know what this building once was, but now it is a mall!

Rachel with the Riksmuseum behind her

A painting of the crucifixion from the year 1260.  Blows my mind!!

And this one is from 1300

A self-portrait of my favorite Dutch artist--Rembrandt

Rachel in front of a Rembrandt

And another Rembrandt

This is one of Vermeer's famous paintings--The Milkmaid

Even the architecture IN the museum was beautiful

Musical Company by Van Rijn

The outside of the Riksmuseum--Beautiful like the art within

Across the canal is a group of girls waiting outside the hotel that One Direction was staying in--hoping to get a glimpse

And of course, the canals, which Amsterdam is famous for

Rachel and I waiting in line outside the Anne Frank House

So Belgium has chocolate, and what does Holland have?  Cheese!!

Our last train ride ended in Haarlem

Our new nurse friends from Malaysia and Indonesia that we met at the bus stop on our way home from Amsterdam

Rachel on the beach near our hotel at sunset (Noordwijk).  Goodbye Holland and Belgium!!  I have had a wonderful time seeing you with Rachel