Welcome to The Cherry On Top.
Today, there's another travel addition on tap. We recently went to the north of The Netherlands known as Friesland. Wow! It sure was different. We had no idea what to expect. The trip was pretty great. The BnB was awesome. The sun even came out for just a bit. The nature was so different and there was even more fantastic things learned. Keep reading to find out more about Friesland in The Netherlands.
I'm a bit of a lazy traveler if you've not figured that out. This trip was a bit busy for me, but I survived. It was also the first time I traveled with a couple and their large-ish dog, pictured above in the cute little town of Workum. It was super cute and definitely a great place to check out. It is smaller and there isn't a ton of things to do, but it's quiet, clean and the architecture is a real treat. I totally dig the houses behind us.
I'd love to hear about your travel experience with others. My issue is that you are always at the mercy of everyone else. You might want to do something, but everyone else wants to do something else and ya don't want to be a whiner so you just follow along. This couple was really easy going and nice to travel with. They are the typical kind of tourist that likes to Go! Go! Go! I used to be like that, too. Now, I like to just go ... Hehehe... Slow and easy. Go back to the hotel or room late in the afternoon, have a nibble and some beer or wine, put my feet up then get dressed up for dins.
Let's also discuss travel with dogs. As you may know, we've got a very small, white, fuzzy dog that doesn't shed. Typically, we can take him just about everywhere around Europe. Each country is different and even businesses are different. In Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium, dogs are often welcome nearly everywhere. Oddly, Italian restaurants and other ethnic eating spots in these countries do not allow dogs and often in the southern European countries, dogs are not allowed in most places. You may not take your pets in to stores in Europe. If you've got them in a carrying bag, you might. It totally depends on the store. If you will be traveling by train or bus, you'll have to buy your pet a ticket and often pay extra fees for overnight stays. If you're coming from another country, make sure you know what kind of shots and laws are required for each country. Even seatbelts for your pets are sometimes required in some countries.
You will be very limited in places to stay if you have a dog. Personally, I didn't really enjoy traveling with a large dog, but I am not a dog person to begin with. If not taking the dog is a possibility, I'd go with it. Many cafes and restaurants are small and dogs are often in the way, barking at other dogs or sitting on your feet, under the table. Some people are even disgusted at the thought of a dog in a restaurant which I can respect. Let me know what ya think or what it's like by you.
Above is a mix of pictures from around The Netherlands including the neat bridge in Sneek. This town is a lot bigger. You can find just about anything except maybe parking. Hehehe...(I can't believe I spelled Friesland wrong in so many places.) There are a lot of restaurants, cafes, kebab shops, clothing stores, a theater and much more. It does have a bit of a city vibe. If you like things a little quieter, you may want to skip it. If you're looking for something maybe similar to Amsterdam, but smaller, then this place might be ideal for ya.
Before I go on about the BnB we stayed in, I'll clue you in a bit about the nature and landscape of Friesland. We didn't take a lot of pictures. It was pretty much the same thing all over. There is a whole lot of water in Friesland including a lot of cute, home lined canals. It was so cool to be walking through farmland and then POW! There was the beach and or a huge body of water. The area is very, very flat.
Again, we traveled in the winter. So, there was not a lot of people about, which I really enjoyed. It was rather cold and of course, when you go by the beach, ya get a lot of wind. Another fun part of the trip was a long walk through the woods that were right behind our BnB. We didn't have to walk long at all before we ended up on the beach. It was pretty fab.
Another amazing part of the trip was the birds. If you're like me and ya dig our feathered friends, boy oh boy will you enjoy this area. It could possibly have been a time when mass migration was in action. We went in January. There were thousands of swans, geese, cranes, gorgeous white egrets and more. As you travel down the world's most perfect roads free of cameras and flitz polls issuing tickets, most enjoyable, indeed, you pass through unending, green fields full of traveling birds hunting and resting in the ditches and canals that flank the roads.
If you're not familiar with a continental breakfast, allow me to remedy that. If you are ever given a breakfast at your lodging, it will resemble something like this. Most places in Europe do not even offer breakfast. So make sure you are prepared for that or that you book a place that really does provide breakfast.
Typically, there is an assortment of pastries and bread that you eat with sliced meats and a variety of cheeses. You may get some yogurt and museli if you're lucky and coffee and tea are also standard. Our breakfast, had everything and then some, including fresh squeezed juice, fresh fruit, chocolates, eggs and bacon more than we could possibly eat. Doesn't it look just the picture? I am a big fan of big breakfasts.
Here's the main meeting room in our gorgeous BnB. We were the only guests so we had the entire place to ourselves. We could pop down to breakfast in our pj's if we wanted to. I wore slippers! Hehehe...Can ya see the cozy fire burning? What do ya think? Pretty posh? Definitely one of the nicer places I've ever stayed. Cozy lighting, textures, greenery, blankets, cushions and thoughtful decor.
This place would be super for a romantic get away or a ladies weekend out.
Often, BnB's don't offer rugs. BnB Rijsterbosch was not full of broken appliances, cheap towels and lumpy pillows. What a relief! The mattress was very comfortable as was everything else. We had a large bathroom in our suite, gorgeous, huge picture windows, a lovely mantel, a pit couch and a table offering coffee, tea and water.
I'd say this stay was a luxury stay, though the price wasn't ridiculous. We had breakfast and dinner provided which is often called, "half pension" in Europe. The menu in The Netherlands is always a bit underwhelming for me, but that's just my opinion. It certainly is an adventure!
Overall, Rijs and Friesland is a pretty darn cool place to visit. It's quiet, natural and will provide a restful vacation. There are all kinds of water sports and swimming, in the summer. If ya like a more adventurous vacation in regards to sailing, kayaking, walking and hiking, you're good to go. What might be ideal is to hit up a huge city like Amsterdam (which I'll be writing about very soon), Rotterdam or the likes and then cruise north and relax and hit up nature to unwind.
The people in Rijs were absolutely amazing! I come from the super friendly, sunshine state and these people are giving us a run for the money when it comes to friendliness. That's a huge plus in my book.
Click on my preview for this fun, free design. When I wrap up the Netherlands travel blogs, I'll have this little digital scrapbooking kit available for ya, for free. So, come on back and get to know The Netherlands.
Thanks for visiting the travel blogs. I'll be talking about Amsterdam next and this darling of a freebie should be up and waiting for ya.
Happy travels!
