Zaanse Schans (Zaandam, The Netherlands)

Zaanse Schans is a neighbourhood of Zaandam, near Zaandijk in the municipality of Zaanstad in the Netherlands.” That sentence from this village’s Wikipedia page cracks me up! Those locations sound made up- like they’re from a fairytale story or something.

Maybe that’s kind of fitting since the place looks like this…

DSCF7424

so many windmills!

DSCF7439

The girls studying the plants and insects- their favorite activity.

IMG_9943

DSCF7374

IMG_9877

DSCF7383

DSCF7377

DSCF7397

DSCF7421

IMG_9951

DSCF7415

DSCF7464

general store

IMG_3636

The shop workers were dressed in traditional Dutch clothing. Wish I’d gotten better pics of them.

IMG_3615

Dutch Stroopwafel

IMG_3622

Gevulde Koeken (Dutch almond paste filled cookies)

IMG_3624

the inside

crazy trashcan / Cannabis Energy Drink? Isn’t that an oxymoron?!

IMG_3583

IMG_3581

DSCF7432

The bakery goods must not have filled them up because the girls kept eating this edible plant (Taubnessel) that was everywhere. Quinnie has learned a surprising amount about plants this year at school.

IMG_9995

IMG_0028 1

more Taubnessel- they can’t get enough!

DSCF7406

IMG_3594

Quinnie spotting the ducks. There were also some farm animals there. She even got to hold quite a few of the chickens (her favorite).

DSCF7404

IMG_9945

IMG_3571

back at the parking lot..

..where they had these vintage spinning advertisements

DSCF7457

Here’s more info on Zaanse Schans