Show #12, Add some spark and fun into your couple vacations. Enjoying food and treats in different places will give you an experience to be remembered together. In this show’s episode we try crepes at La Creperie in Dubrovnik Croatia, kumquats in Corfu Greece, Cannoli at the Pasticceria Cristo Re in Messina Sicily Italy, Rice dish in Rome Italy, and Pizza at Punto Pizza in Venice Italy.

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Show #11 A visit to beautiful Delft and Schiedam Holland Netherlands. Debbie Gerber takes you to a Delft Blue Pottery Factory “Delftse Pauw” to watch them hand paint the pottery in the original style. In Delft we see “New Church, Delft Square, Blue Glass Heart, rising of the draw bridge, Delft restaurants, Billy Bear restaurant, and the Hotel De Koophandel pictures.  In Schiedam do the walking tour of the 5 tallest Windmills in the world. “De Walvisch (whale) De Noord (the north) De Palmboom (The Palmtree) (De Drie Koombloemen (The Three Cornflowers) and De Vrijheid (The Freedom.) My favorite thing to do is have ice cream and Freeze (fries)

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Volendam Holland Netherlands is one of the places that we wanted to visit because my husband remembered going there about 30 years ago. He still remembered the very shop where he and some friends dressed up and had their photos taken in native costume with the harbor as the background.

Volendam is famous for a place that you can see people in native traditional dress and for its harbor bursting with boats. We found people dress in costume mostly only in the shopping area until on our way back to our parked car we were surrounded by locals getting ready for some type of celebration. Many were in native dress. There was a band, singers and drummers. We later found out that they were there for a funeral procession. It was a fascinating thing to be able to see. I will never forget the troupe of drummers.

The local traditional dress for the women is a high pointed lace bonnet, a black skirt, a stripped apron and of course wooden shoes. The men’s were kind of baggie shorter pants with big gold buttons at the waist. Usually they wear a double breasted jacket with gold buttons or shirt with a neck tie, sometimes competed with a pair of suspenders and of course….wooden shoes.  You will see this on most post cards that depict the Netherlands. Each province in Holland had its own unique traditional dress. You can even take a picture with bronze statue of a fisherman or fisherwoman.

The boats dance on the water as they are crowded together in the harbor overlooked by the distinctive architecture of the surrounding buildings. This is truly one of the beautiful places in Holland and in the world.

On the board walk you can find what I would deem the “weird to see in Holland.” It is very traditional for them. Something we were told you should try. I took one look and it was just too much for me. They eat a raw fish called “herring or Hollandse Nieuwe.” They hold the herring by the tail, slather the herring in onions and pickles, tip their head back and then swallow the fish. It must be an acquired taste!

A food that I loved in Volendam was the waffles you could buy at the street stands. They call them poffertjes. They are served as a dessert with every kind of topping that you can imagine. They are not like our pancakes. They are a delightful treat. You must try.

At every town we stopped in I think we sought out the Freetz or “Frites” and an Ice cream cone. These French fries are served in a paper cone with a mayonnaise dipping sauce that has a unique and distinct flavor.  It will ruin eating fries back in the USA as nothing quite equals that taste.

As you walk along the boardwalk at the top of the dyke it is a tourist’s jackpot. Restaurants are situated to overlook the view of the harbor that fishing families waiting for their loved ones to return have stared out over the water from this vantage point for centuries. You get a real feel for this fishing village as you relax and contemplate the view from a street restaurant.

You can’t miss the many souvenir shops interspersed between the restaurants and the bars. We found a lot of the souvenirs in Volendam that we brought home. They were priced right and had a wide selection. We even found the very photo shop that my husband had had his photos taken in.

Fun, unique and weird things to see and do in Volendam Holland:

• Take your picture with a bronze statue of a fisherman or fisherwoman.
• Visit the Volendams Museum to see traditional costumes, learn of fishing and cigar making, art, etc.
• Walk on a dyke.
• Eat herring or “Hollandse Nieuwe”
• Eat waffles or “poffertjes”
• Savoring a paper cone of Frites or “Freetz”
• Dress in traditional costumes and have you picture taken
• Take a boat tour of the region
• Have dinner or drink overlooking the harbor
• Shop for souvenirs

I have had so much fun traveling and sharing the fun, exciting and weird places I have been but I have never stopped to map out where I have been. Today I did that on Trip Advisor. I thought in order to better serve my audience I would share it with you. If there is a place I have been that you would like to hear about or need details for a trip that you are planning you can ask in the comments or email me and I will share that info with you. I have put down some of my favorites but there are so many because each place I go I find something unique and interesting to see or do. I hope that I can help you to do the same.

Holland Netherlands

Cairo Egypt

Beijing China

London England

Rome Italy

Florence Italy

Venice Italy

Paris France

Dubrovnik Croatia

Dominican Republic

Jamaica

Costa Rica

Tahiti

South Africa

Utah

Yellowstone Park

California

New York

Atlanta Georgia

New Orleans

• Create your own travel map or travel blog
• Search for vacation rentals at TripAdvisor

Don’t miss  Volendam and Edam, Holland, Netherlands when you plan your couple vacation. Shop for souvenirs, see boats and eat a variety of Holland treats as you are transported back in time in these romantic cities. You might even want to try eating herring like a true Hollander.

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