I spend all day every day at home covered in SOMETHING from Callum. And while I love being a mom and wear the spit and drool like a badge of honor, actually leaving home let alone the country, is quite a treat these days. Roman spends his week days at work while working on his MBA usually fills up his weekends. With time together being so limited these days, the one thing I really wanted for my 1st Mother’s Day was some quality family time… just me, my husband, and our baby with no distractions of any kind. Roman pulled through by planning a wonderful long weekend in a place neither of us had ever been before, The Netherlands!! This also happened to be Callum’s first international experience as it was his first time leaving German borders.
We set off on our journey on Thursday afternoon. Roman planned for us to stay in Aachen, Germany Thursday night. While it isn’t Holland, this was very special to me. Back in 2010, before Roman and I were even married, before we had a baby, and before I even moved to Germany, Roman lived in the Aachen area for a few months while writing his Bachelor thesis with a company located there. While he and I were still in a long-distance relationship, I actually flew into Cologne, Germany and stayed with Roman in Aachen for a few weeks. My trip was only supposed to be for three weeks, but the volcanoes that erupted in Iceland in 2010 prevented flights from traveling over the Atlantic giving me an extra two weeks with my German beau. This apartment (in Würselen specifically) was my first living experience in Germany. While Roman worked during the day, I spent hours walking around the village, going to the grocery store trying to learn German words at the supermarket and how to easily use the Euro without looking like the tourist I so obviously was. I remember trying to cook Roman German meals in that apartment (and failing miserably). That time together was the first solid chunk of time we had ever spent together and solidified our relationship enough for me to make a huge leap of faith and actually move to Germany a few months later. Roman interviewed for jobs while in that apartment ultimately finding one that brought us to Baden-Württemberg to set up our “home” where we live today. Lots of memories were made in that apartment for us, so it was really special to drive by and see the apartment and stay in that area for the night.
The top two floors were our apartment in Würselen
Driving through Würselen
Aachen
The next morning (Friday), we woke up and set out for the first stop of our Dutch adventure- Rotterdam! Rotterdam is such a fantastic city. Home to Europe’s largest port, the city is incredibly modern and industrial just oozing with innovation and creativity wherever you turn. The city is just covered with harbors receiving and sending freight around Europe. Rotterdam is also known for having unique architecture, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. We saw very interesting buildings and bridges every time we turned a corner. For being the second largest city in The Netherlands, we were also impressed by how clean the city was. It was very difficult to find litter anywhere! We visited what is now called Hotel New York which is located in the old head offices of the Holland American Line, the former cruise ship that went directly to America. Many immigrants left Europe to begin a new life in America on that ship! We did quite a bit of walking, so when we got hungry, we looked for a place to sit, rest, and get a bite to eat. Callum was having none of that. He refused to lay down in his stroller, and he woke up crying in the baby carrier if we weren’t constantly walking. Needless to say, sitting down and enjoying a quiet meal just didn’t happen on this trip… Maybe next time!! My favorite part of the trip was visiting the area of Rotterdam called Delfshaven. Delfshaven is one of the only parts of Rotterdam that avoided German bombings when German forces took over Holland in 1940. Everything in Delfshaven kept its original shape and form, a rare gem in such a modern city like Rotterdam. We enjoyed the area, and we even met a wonderful Dutch couple who invited us into their restaurant for some homemade food. They were so kind and didn’t mind Callum’s fussiness. That was the only chance we had to sit down and eat in a restaurant the entire trip. Later that evening, we stopped at a local supermarket to pick up some staples, then went to the hotel for “dinner” while Callum stretched out his legs and played, played, played!
Delfshaven- my favorite spot in Rotterdam
With my baby bear in Delfshaven
Delfshaven, my favorite spot in Rotterdam
The next morning (Saturday), we drove to Schiedam which wasn’t far from our hotel. Schiedam houses the five largest windmills in the world. I was just blown away at how amazing these things are! All of the windmills sat along a river making it a really nice walk and chance to explore the city a bit. We stepped into one windmill, and inside was a bakery where they were selling flour made from the windmill. After visiting Schiedam, we drove to Kinderdijk to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring the most concentrated number of windmills. Can you tell we were all about some windmills? Kinderdijk was fascinating especially since we got to go inside and take a tour of one that a family actually lived in. Baby Bear Callum slept in his baby carrier the whole time, so the visit was extra peaceful for Mom and Dad. After Kinderdijk, we were on our way to Amsterdam!!
Schiedam
Schiedam
Schiedam
My family ❤
Kinderdijk
Worried about the hustle and bustle of the city with the baby, Roman booked two nights for us in this adorable bed & breakfast in North Amsterdam, just a ferry ride away from the city. It was quaint and peaceful, and the owner of the B&B gave plenty of details about the property. It was a former doctor’s villa. The doctor would live in the main home then practice medicine in the connected studio, which is the room we actually stayed in. The owner’s husband was the final doctor in residence before he passed away. The wife fulfilled their dream together and turned everything into a nice B&B. If you are interested, it is called B&B Kwint. (http://www.bbkwint.nl/index.html). The owner just adored Callum, and he seemed to really enjoy hearing her speak Dutch to him since he would just smile and smile every time she addressed him. We had a lovely stay.
Hanging out at the B&B
Our first full day in Amsterdam was a bit stressful. I think this was the day both Roman and I probably could have packed up the car and just drive home. Traveling with Callum is just totally different than any of our other adventures together. Without being on an actual schedule, I think I realized how scheduled Callum really is. He loves nursing himself to sleep which is fine when we are home with nothing else to do. But when we are out and about, I can’t just sit in the same place for an hour to let him nurse himself to sleep and stay asleep. We planned downtime at the B&B for him to rest, but when we were there, he just wanted to play since he could really stretch out and move those legs. Sleeping? Of course he waited until the moment he absolutely could NOT nurse himself to sleep. Our first day in Amsterdam was really just a lot of walking around and taking in the scenery. Roman and I were so tired, and neither of us really had the energy or patience to actually DO stuff. Walking around was perfect, and we decided to find a store to get some things to bring back to the B&B for dinner. Remember, Callum refused to stay calm anytime we sat down to attempt to eat in a restaurant. We just decided not to push our luck and keep trying since it just ended with us getting frustrated every time. So Roman found a grocery store chain location in Amsterdam that we liked in Rotterdam and decided to get some food there. They served a lot of fresh things as well as warm things, so we still could get somewhat of a glimpse of Dutch cuisine. The only problem is that we were so far away from the store that we never actually found it! Getting close to Callum’s bedtime and knowing we still needed to catch the ferry, we picked up food at the main train station and went on our way. Unfortunately, we missed the ferry by less than a minute, and we had to wait 30 minutes for the next one to take us. Luckily, Callum stayed calm for awhile. I nursed him while we waited, and he happily waited the 30 minutes until the next departing ferry. He found some French tourists to stare at that seemed to intrigue him. Perhaps he’s an avid France lover like his mother? 🙂 Callum also stayed awake and pleasant on the ferry ride. He loved watching the big boats come and go, and while he was perfectly sweet, I knew in my gut that this was his final gust of energy before he just totally loses it with exhaustion. It was when we got off the ferry that Callum started to melt down. Like scream so loud people probably thought we were kidnapping him melt down. He was so tired, but we couldn’t stop. We needed to walk 20 minutes back to the B&B. We just needed to get him home. So Callum screamed the whole way home. It was horrifying actually. People were looking at us from inside of their homes. We were just at a loss as to what to do other than just hurry and get him to sleep. I was so upset because nothing we did calmed him down. So I ran. I just ran home to the B&B. Looking back at it, I am sure we looked absolutely ridiculous. Me running with Callum in my arms just wailing with Roman following behind with a stroller full of stuff. Once home, Callum was wide awake and ready to play…. The kid just wanted to stretch out and play.
The canals of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
The next morning, we got up early and made the most of our day. We visited the Zaanse Schans, an old Dutch village, in the morning. It was here that we got to see Dutch clogs being made. This was a tourist spot, so we were able to buy all kinds of souvenirs and gifts here. We chose not to pay to go into the windmills since we had already seen the ones in Schiedam and Kinderdijk. We did buy Callum some little clogs for his first trip. They didn’t have them small enough for a baby of course, so we got him the smallest size that will fit him when he is 2 years old. After Zaanse Schans, we took a nap break at the B&B then hit Amsterdam one last time. Callum happily slept in the baby carrier allowing me and Roman the ability to just take in the city without worrying about the baby. With Callum sleeping, we wanted to walk through the Red Light District first to get it out of the way. I think the overprotective mother in me just wanted to shield him from whatever it was we might encounter.
Zaanse Schans
With my son at Zaanse Schans
Watching the animals at Zaanse Schans
Love my boys!
We stayed on main streets and didn’t really walk down many smaller streets, but it was very interesting nonetheless. Overall, it was rather calm when we visited. Many of the red curtains were closed. We visited in the early afternoon, and we were told that most of the people who “visit” here like to do so discreetly at night when they are less noticeable. Early afternoon isn’t the big money making time, so it was mostly closed. That was just fine for us. There were still women working, and it was really surreal to actually witness in person. This was the Red Light District in Amsterdam! What? I think it made my husband a bit uncomfortable, which I actually found quite enduring. He made the comment that it seemed very disrespectful, which in many ways, I agree with. I, on the other hand, was less “shocked.” Maybe it’s the New Orleans in me. Maybe it’s just the plain female in me. I didn’t find anything super shocking. I just found it a bit sad. One can never be totally sure if a woman is working out of her own free will or whether she was trafficked to work. No matter what, I feel that the female body should be praised and respected instead of objectified. And let’s face it, that’s just how it is there. It wasn’t long after that Roman started getting a headache from the fragrant “coffee” shops, and we decided to leave. It wasn’t more than a few minutes that we were there, but it was enough to say we had at least been. We had other things to see!
We spent the rest of the day just cruising the town. Amsterdam really is a beautiful city. I just loved the tall, skinny buildings that are so unique to the country. I loved the dark colors of building with brightly-colored shutters on the windows. I loved the canals that laced through the city making each street so incredibly intimate and romantic. The sound of the water trickling gave the entire city this sense of calm and easy going atmosphere. We loved watching the boats cruise along, and it was really impressive to see so many house boats with people actually living in them. More than seeing the attractions, I am most intrigued about how others live their normal day-to-day lives. Amsterdam certainly didn’t disappoint. Knowing this was our last day in Amsterdam and last day in The Netherlands, Roman and I just soaked everything in. We had a wonderful time, and even Callum woke up to watch boats cruise the canals with us. We went back to the B&B, and I am happy to report that going back this time was much easier with Callum than the night before. We got back to the B&B, tucked the baby into our bed, and we went to sleep happily satisfied with a few days well spent in Holland.
Beautiful architecture
The canals of Amsterdam
The next morning, we said goodbye to our wonderful hostess at the B&B and headed home for Germany. Callum wasn’t happy sitting in the car seat for long, which sadly seems to be the new normal these days. When we was actually quiet or sleeping, it was nice to have uninterrupted conversation with my husband on the road. We have traveled plenty over the course of our relationship, but this time was just different. We both commented on how so many of our conversations were about organizing the baby and making sure everything was in order for him. We also couldn’t spend a whole lot of time in museums and things knowing Callum’s personality the way we do. But nonetheless, it was a learning experience for us as first-time parents traveling to another country for the first time. Most importantly, it was solid togetherness as a family that I have been missing. What I wanted was time with my two dudes, so it was the perfect Mother’s Day present. And seeing windmills wasn’t half bad either… 😉
My German-American baby loving Holland!!
Head Full of Dreams. Road Full of Promise. 