I could barely sleep with excitement about our trip today.

We were booked onto the 'Charms of Holland Bus Tour' ... there was a slight nervous tension in the morning getting our luggage to the tour office...and making sure our tour would return in time to catch our flights back to Southampton that evening. In spite of all our worries it turned out fine and we made the flights on time. If only there was a crystal ball it would have saved a bit of worry.

So...we boarded the bus and took off into the countryside....I am not sure if its because I'm a country girl... but I always love the days spent out of the cities and out in the countryside.

Our first stop was the beautiful town of Edam... with its beautiful canals...architecture...and cobbled streets.

Then on to Voldendam...a short drive from Edam... we visited the cheese factory... wandered the shops before boarding the ferry to cross the lake to Markem.

We arrived in Markem for lunch...and enjoyed a delicious fish and chip lunch with some local beer and wine,


Thoroughly enjoyed the clog making demonstration...this guy was quite the character.

Next and last stop was Zaanse Schans  UNESCO World heritage windmill village...which still has well preserved and functioning windmills.  We were able to enter one called De Zoeker (built in 1672) ...and watch a demonstration of how flaxseed is milled into oil...still in use today. The climb to the top gave us a lovely view of the huge blades of the mill...and also the surrounding view.

Holland is just so beautiful with its lovely homes... dykes and traditions....and still to this day when I am asked of our favourite travel spots... Holland is on the list.


We arrived back into Amsterdam at around 6pm... luckily we had already pre-purchased our train tickets...so we grabbed our luggage from the locked room at the tour office and rushed to the train station to catch the airport shuttle train. We made it in plenty of time to catch our Flybe flight to Southampton.... it was a long and exhausting day....but thoroughly worth it.