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| Picturesque dutch Village |
From Germany our next destination was Holland. There are enough bus routes from Frankfurt to
Amsterdam. It takes 5 hours to travel to
Amsterdam from Frankfurt by bus. We were tired yet excited to see another
European country. Known for world class cheese and other dairy products- we
were simply overwhelmed to be in the cheesy land.
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| Eateries near the hotel |
It was almost evening when we reached our hotel in Hofdoorf. It was a comfortable 4 star accommodation and
with lot of eateries around the neighborhood.
The homes were beautifully decorated with flower gardens outside. Summer
evenings are always enjoyed by people by handing around the vegetable garden
area or cooking outside. It was a fun filled environment. The hotel lobby was
vivacious with music and dance. It was a vivacious atmosphere with people from almost
all corners of the world.
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| Zaanse Schans- the greatest tourist attraction |
The next day morning we were driven to Zaanse Schans which
is a Dutch village and a great attraction for tourists situated at the neighborhood
of Zaandam, near Zandijk in Netherlands. The first sight of the wind mill set me mind
boggling. It is a great technology that is used to create electricity. They are
used for grinding spices, pumping water and sawing wood. They are called wind turbines and are even
used to grind flour to make bread. The information desk is open between 9:00
hrs to 17:00 hrs. Verkade pavilion is known for exhibiting the history of biscuit
and chocolate makers. The entrance fees are 10 Euros for an adult and for
children 6 Euros.
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| Shoes in process |
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| The shoe factory- demonstrating |
We were taken to the shoe museum and we had a demonstration
of how traditional Dutch shoes are made from soaked wood. The shoes are then
allowed to dry in sun and become ready in 2 months. The size of shoes even
matters. These shoes are often seen
displayed near traditional Dutch houses. Beautiful shoes were being sold starting
from 50 Euros a pair to 5000 Euros a pair. A wooden shoe studded with precious
stones was something that caught my attraction. There are various souvenirs price range
starting form 3 Euros , sample shoes ,
fridge magnets and key rings which can be carried back home as gifts for family n friends.
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| Fishermen village |
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| Beautiful neighbourhood; attractive decor |
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| Souveneirs for sale |
Next we were taken to fishermen’s village. It is a chic village where the houses appear
to be in a competition to win the award for best decoration. We were taken to a
cheese factory. We were demonstrated on cheese processing. The factory visited
by us was called ‘Volendum’. The hostess dressed in traditional Dutch attire
was looking attractive and was demonstrating on cheese preparation. Various flavors of cheese were on display
and the tourists were asked to try samples of each. We went around the village
and tried some fish dishes. The dishes were truly excellent. ''Volendum'' has recorded the highest number of
tourists each year.
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| Replica of Kohinoor at Coster Diamond |
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| Diamonds for sale |
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| Explaining the texture and properties of diamond |
Next we were taken to the town where we had a view of
Coster Diamond showroom. A
replica of the Kohinoor caught my attraction which was displayed in the
entrance. The guide took us around the museum where we were demonstrated on the
processing of diamond. The precious stones were carefully preserved and the
tourists were allowed to have a look and even try the beautiful stones. They
offered attractive price for the tourists after educating them on diamond buy.
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| Van Gogh Museum |
Van Gogh museum is a great attraction. It is the home to more
than 200 paintings, 700 drawings and more than 700 of his letters all by
Vincent Van Gogh. It was opened in 1973 and was modernized through all the
years.
There are various city hopping bus meant for the tourists
who can avail the chance to go around the city at a nominal price of say 30
Euros per person.
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| City Hoppa bus - Amsterdam |
There are various other things to do in Amsterdam apart from
sight- seeing. Sex tour of the red light area is the greatest attraction for
both married and unmarried couples. The
beautiful and exotic sex workers will truly take you off your knees. The sex
tours can be availed by foot and a guided tour will cost 35 Euros per person.
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| Amsterdam red light area- a view at night |
We were taken for a canal tour organized by the tour
company. The cruise was truly attractive
one with an audio guide. There were separate arrangements for cruise with on
board dinner.
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| Canal cruise view |
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| Viewing the city from the vessel |
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| Memorable Amsterdam; view form the cruise |
In one word, 2 days was not enough to view this beautiful
city. Amsterdam, a beautiful city having lot of opportunities, ports and other
industries, the hub of flower business can be the city of your dreams. To live
your dream needs a little money and opportunity. Money can be earned by anybody
and everybody but everybody needs to look for opportunity to holiday. There’s
nothing like exploring unknown places, getting acquainted to their culture.
Next day morning we left Amsterdam for Brussels, Belgium.
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