Plain Jane

Sunday Sept 21 

Bundling up as much as we could we headed out for a full day of sightseeing. And what would be sight seeing without visiting some windmills? The streets were fairly vacant as we made our way up to Amsterdam Centraal [much like our central station hubs].

This sign had us thinking of home

The door style dates far back in Dutch history. The top door was the main entrance used by the owners and guest. The lower door was a servants entrance. 

We purchased our tickets and boarded the metro. After getting a little lost because we got off too early, we finally made it to Zaandam. Walking thru the town both me and Sarah smelled something in the air. Was it stinky socks? Something burning? Looking around we couldn't figure it out until we looked up and saw this sign. 

A local chocolate mill 

Crossing the river Zaan we could clearly see the windmills as their large shapes spotted the horizon.

There where several 'trourist trap' places, but we stuck to the free things and enjoyed the outside :) We stopped for lunch at some benches by a windmill. The leftover carrots and pesto went well with the bagel we had. There were sheep in the nearby pastures and chickens running everywhere. Pastures and dykes filled the landscape everywhere you looked. 

The cold eventually pushed us into the warm shoe shop. There were clogs from floor to ceiling, all beautifully painted. Sounds of wooden shoes on a wooden floor also filled our ears as the store clerks each wore a pair.  The afternoon was winding down when we left this beautiful country side.

Getting back to Amsterdam we enjoyed the last few hours of day. Joining up with a group from our hostel we went to a nearby church. Amsterdam 50 was the closest thing to a church at Starbucks. The cozy atmosphere and coffee bar made me think more of a cafe then anything. The 'pews' where made of small tables and several couches.

Zaandam

After getting our warm drinks we sat down. Each table had a bowl of candy, Dutch chewy candy. We nibbled on these yummy treats as we listened to the pastor.  He was the perfect example of typical Dutchman, a quiet demeanor with care and concern for people.

After the service, we decided on a different eatery for dinner. Cafe de Oude Wester specialized in the famous Dutch pancake that we wanted to try. The rain started to come down as we ordered our food. The small diner filled as more people came in from the rain. The savory pancake filled the dinner plate the waitress set down in front of me.  Melted cheese was spread over the spinach, bacon and tomato pancake.

I would describe the pancake as a even mix of a crepe and typical pancake thickness.  The warm goodness however could not be completed as there was so much. Sarah tried her best at the wiener schnitzel, but that also could have fed 2 people. Our hostel was 3 blocks away so we hurried thru the rain to the warmth of our room. Packing the last bits up, we got ready for our early flight the next day.