"My Holland Saga" continued, Part 4

 What follows are more tips and observations about traveling in the Netherlands, based on my ten-day trip last month. (I can't believe I was there seven days ago!) Photos of Amsterdam follow.  Edit added 8/10: Holland is geographically the western side of the country, more or less. I was there, so I am safe using "Holland." I know the name of the nation state is The Netherlands, so please do not feel the need to correct e. 

1. Go to the grocery store (Jumbo, Albert Heijn) and buy food rather than eating out every meal. You will save a lot of time and money.
   
2. Service in restaurants is slow.  As my brother said, somewhere between leisurely and glacial. You don’t have to tip, and you will not want to due to the slow service. The food is pretty good, though.
3. You won’t have one server. You might have five, who do different things. When you are ready to pay, just flag down one of them.
4. A cup of coffee is tiny. You do get a little snack with it (a chocolate, a mini-stroop waffle), which is very nice but I would rather have had more coffee. It is strong, too, which is a good thing since there is so little of it, and it’s still expensive.
5. Everything costs.  Prices vary. Grocery store prices are not that bad (see advice on going to one), restaurants can be pricey. You have to eat in  a restaurant to use the toilet (not restroom, toilet, which is direct; the Dutch are direct).  Not very many public toilets, and those cost.
6. There aren’t public water fountains. I saw one outside the Van Gogh Museum, and it was more of a faucet than fountain.

7. There is no such thing as air conditioning. 

   8. Environmentalism is the primary value, which is understandable; if the water levels rise, the low-lying cities are threatened, and it’s a very small country. All land is really used productively. 

   9. All these things sound negative; look at my earlier posts on this blog for the positives. I had a lovely time and highly recommend traveling there. Just prepare early if you want to tour Corrie ten Boom's or Anne Frank's homes.
   

    

   
   Holocaust Memorial
   
   
   
   
   

   
   
   Outside of Rijksmuseum
   
   
   
   
   Botanical gardens
   
   
   Yes, water. Much like Venice but cleaner.
   
   
   South Church. where bodies were stored during the Winter of '44 when there was starvation.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   The boat was too big, so they lifted the concrete bridge!
   
   
   
   Lobby of Rijksmuseum
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
    The Atlantic City of the Netherlands. Scheveringen.
   

    

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Corrie Ten Boom's home and museum
   
   
   
   
   
   A Houseboat for rescue cats. Unfortunately I cannot rotate it.
   
   
   
   Tourists will buy anything, I guess.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

    

    

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Yes, Dunkin' is everywhere.
   
   
   Van Gogh copying Rembrandt--maybe not?
   
   
   Ah, my favorite?
   
   
   I don't think this one worked.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   This one did.