Amsterdam

We decided to head to Berlin for the weekend, to see some art and visit this dynamic, historic city before heading northwest to the German ports of Bremen and Hamburg on Monday. We found a cheap flight from Amsterdam to Berlin Saturday at 6am, which means we get to spend a day in Amsterdam (and a night at the Amsterdam airport). Sweet.































beautiful, fairytale Amsterdam









Joe had a hankering for herring. This is the first of two broodje haring. Simple deliciousness--pickled herring, pickles, chopped white onion, hot dog bun. Makes you feel alive.










Bikes, bikes everywhere. We particularly noticed the happy family biking, with mom or dad plus one, two, three kids, heading home from school or off to dinner via Vondelpark. Couples holding hands while biking was pretty darn cute too. Check out the sweet bike designs, wish Seattle were flatter...































































those slanted platforms across the canal are bike racks for....a 1000 bikes?









Work bike styles










If you know what you want, you will find it...









...mussels












Happy times









Check out our first video


off to the airport....dank u wel Holland!

Holland-Amerika Line

Rotterdam has the largest port in Europe, stretching from the city @30 miles inland to the English Channel (google image this, it's astounding). Today, cruise ships leave from the same pier that Europeans left from starting four hundred years ago, heading to America because of poverty and/or religious persecution. Mathias Nafzger (Lesley's great x 7 grandfather on her mom's side) left for these reasons as well, a Swiss Mennonite from the German states of Wirtembug and Palatinate. Mathias sailed with his two brothers to Philadelphia on September 15, 1749 on the Phoenix, a sailing bark (think revolutionary way-era ships, pre-steam by almost 100 years).

The pier


















Over a hundred years later (in 1873), ships began sailing regularly to the States from Rotterdam. This Holland-Amerika line became the now famous cruise ship company. Their old terminal has been converted into a beautiful old hotel called Hotel New York, in the Nooder Island neighborhood that is currently being revitalized (with Calatrava-inspired bridge et al.).
























































































The Hotel New York recommended the Maritime Museum for info on people sailing before the Holland-Amerika line was started. Their research library held a few treasures...









The museum librarian connected us with this compilation of passenger lists, 30,000 names.









Passenger list of Mathias' boat












A painting of a ship from c. 1749 in Rotterdam, showing the cathedral that still stands in the background.












This being only our second stop on our family heritage tour, we already feel so rewarded for embarking on this journey.

Hoek von Holland and Rotterdam arrival

Arrived in Hoek van Holland Wednesday morning, greeted by mixed industry (manufacturing, shipping, power, and wind turbine)










and a beautiful little Dutch port town on a blustery day


















Twee koffie, alstublieft (nee slagroom)









We headed to Rotterdam because 350+ years ago, Lesley's great great great great great great great grandfather, Mathias Nafzger, left here for Philadelphia. Already we are finding that there is something incredibly invigorating about traveling with a mission---we are letting our family guide the way, with few expectations, leading to happy surprises all along the way. Admittedly, we didn't plan our itinerary before we left the States (except the big loop) and the making-it-up-as-you-go has been an excellent way to explore a place.

Joe loves boats

Large sailing barge









An eighty foot boat with a twelve foot leeboard!









A twelve foot boat made of steel, riveted!









I've read about it before...it is true...there are amazing similarities between the Dutch and the Chinese (boatwise)

Rotto

Rotterdam is the second city that we can see ourselves living in...(we felt this way about Golders Green too)...

Crazy cool art and architecture

Zalm sandwich and kroketten (think fried gravy ball, spread on toast)

Stainless steel skate park, an award winning public space in the center of town









Lesley's pointing at the slide rail installed on park benches









Rotto is the same size as Seattle (@600,000), and has a tram, metro, buses, bike paths, and a well-signed walking rotterdam path that takes you all over without having to think about it. People are out and about all day and night. It's a diverse new city, almost entirely rebuilt after WWII and with over half the population from outside the Netherlands.



























Our home in Rotterdam, the Room hostel