While Dennis and Henk took a flight around northern Holland, I took the ferry to Amsterdam city center where I visited The Canal House Museum (Het Grachtenhuis) which shows the development of Amsterdam and the canals through interesting multimedia exhibits.
From there I walked to the Begijnhof, a hidden courtyard dating back to the Middle Ages. It was originally home to a community of nuns known as beguines, and today it remains a peaceful retreat in the heart of the city. The courtyard is surrounded by historic houses, to include one of Amsterdam’s last remaining wooden buildings from around 1420. The English Reformed Church and a former clandestine Catholic Church are also located within the courtyard.
To my huge delight I came across a food stand selling herring rolls! Made my day!
It was quite a trek over to the Jewish Quarter where I planned to visit the Portuguese Synagogue but the hefty entry fee deterred me!
Tram back to Central Station and then train to Utrecht to meet up with the girls and Dennis!
A few shots of neighborhoods in Utrecht.
Though Dennis enjoyed the aerial view I would have loved wandering the streets. The canal house courtyard is lovely, and the delftware is gorgeous. Did you buy anything? I just learned about the beguines a couple of days ago. Did you see this article. I sent it to Barbara and Sue. Had I known where you would visit I would have included you. https://www.nastywomenwriters.com/the-wisdom-of-the-beguines-the-forgotten-story-of-a-medieval-womens-movement-by-laura-swan/