Waking up to a bright warm sun was a great start to our day. We made our breakfast and got ready for the day as we planned out what we exactly wanted to do. We had many suggestions from our host and we knew we wanted to check out the countryside a bit alongside the De Lek. Kinderdijk was the goal we decided, it is famous for their windmill farms. I had the honors of being the navigator for this mini trip so I decided to stick with the old road maps and direct us to the windmills. We took the route along the river and passed through many cute towns and basked in the cute architecture. I think half of the girls wanted to move to these towns because of how amazing they looked.
It was beginning to get cloudy but we wouldn't let that put a damper on the day. When driving up to Kinderdijk it was lush with farm fields and waterways. There was even a whole bike/ walking path that guided us to the windmills. I thought that was really neat and unique for their town. You can pay for tickets to walk in some of the windmills otherwise you can continue on the designated path and walk the trails. The whole walk through the fields was just serene and beautiful. I was so fascinated with the people that lived in them. How cool would that be if you could say you lived in a WINDMILL! The interior designer in me was freaking out and itching for a tour of them.
After the windmills, I directed us to the town of Delft. Famous for having the best cheese in the Netherlands. The streets of Delft reminded me a lot of Amsterdam. There were canals going through town and buildings similarly built like the ones in Amsterdam. The town was filled with boutiques, coffee shops and quaint restaurants. The people there were also very nice and helpful. If you ever find yourself there, make sure to go to Cortado Espresso Bar and order yourself a latte and homemade banana bread grilled with butter. It is delicious!
We hit up the city center which is where the town hall is located as well as the Nieuwe Church. There were a couple more shops we lingered in until we wanted to head up to the coast and check out Katwijk. This area is booming with beautiful homes and views of the ocean. We ate at a restaurant called Tulum which was right on the beach. Never did I think during this trip that I was going to dip my feet in the sand and see the ocean but I did and although it was a chilly and windy experience, it was worth it! At the restaurant we all fell in love with the interior. Kallie and I came to the conclusion that it was a boho beach house vibe they pulled off and we didn't want to leave.
We all decided to order something different on the menu, and since all the choices I wanted were already ordered I settled with a cesar salad with chicken in it plus bacon so I was pleased. Kallie had a steak that melted in your mouth which was my top pick. I think the one who enjoyed their experience here the most was Kallie as she raved about how good the food was, the fact that they were on the beach and how cute the interior was. She loved it so much she wanted to personally thank the chef. She was so happy. She would've moved there in a heartbeat if fact.
Afterward we headed back and spent the rest of the evening in the Airbnb. I face timed Alex and caught up with him a bit before falling asleep super excited for our big adventure tomorrow. All I can say is that we will be traveling like true locals in Amsterdam!