Files Are Not Our Friends

In America we have "traffic jams" - in the Netherlands we have "files" (pronounced feel-ah). A file is what started our day on Friday as we set out for a big circle from Zevenhuizen to Hattem, Staphorst/Rouveen, Hoorn, then returning to Zevenhuizen. The file near Utrecht meant that it took an hour longer than we anticipated to reach Hattem. It even included waiting for a drawbridge. Thankfully, our car came with a navigation system, but it would  be great if we could understand the announcements (in Dutch) on the radio that tell us where and how long the files are.

The Nederlands BakkerijMuseum in Hattem shows how commercial baking in the Netherlands has changed over time. Baking is a special interest because Linda bakes and because my grandfather was a baker in Utrecht before he came to the U.S.A.

 Like the sign says - "Bread is Life" - but man cannot live by bread alone, he needs toasters so he can have toasted bread (with butter and hagelslag).

Staphorst is a very traditional town. Although things have change a lot in just the few years since we've visited, it is still a town where women wear traditional outfits. We happened to arrive at the local toy store just when the church bells started ringing. We were able to witness a traditional funeral as the mourners walked from the church to the cemetary.

Stegeman's in Rouveen is always a favorite place to stop. It is chock full of fabric, but they specialize in the fabrics for the traditional dress of the area.

To reach Schouten Handwerken in Hoorn required driving across the Houtribdijk, which crosses the middle of what used to be the Zuider Zee. After the morning "file", we were running late and arrived at the shop at 5:25 (they close at 5:30). Paul and his son Wilbert welcomed us none the less, and insisted that we stay and shop. Paul is 84 years old and remembers well the experiences of World War II and being liberated. He's expresses his thanks to Americans who weren't even born yet for the role that "Ike's soldiers" played in liberating the Netherlands.

Schouten's is on a wonderful pedestrian shopping street. In all the excitement of getting to the shop so late, I forgot to take a photo until we were well down the street. If you look carefully, you can see the Pfaff sewing machine sign on the right side.

Everyday seems to have at least one unusual car that we encounter on the road. Today's was this Citroen DS.

The drive home included this spectacular sunset.