The Netherlands
Who: Leroy and Irene Jones of Aurora and daughters Kathy Santana of Parker and Carol Wasson of Las Vegas.
Where: Kinderdijk. These are all working windmills that require the people living in them to be “millers” and maintain them. There is a waiting list of people to live in them.
Best meal: Da Giovanni restaurant in Antwerp; the plate-size pizza is wonderful. It is near the center of town, so you can sit outside, watch the people and listen to the church bells.
Best deal: Shopping in Volendam; they have everything you might want to bring home. The area is beautiful and should not be missed. Be sure to get food from the venders in the market and sit on a bench watching the boats on the water. If you are lucky, you might see the choir sing on the street.
Best time to go: Late March to mid-May. The Keukenhof Gardens, with 7 million bulbs planted, bloom at this time. It is open only two months of the year and should not be missed. We were there the last week in April and had unusual weather; no rain and temperatures in the mid-70s.
Best travel tip: Everyone in Holland speaks English, and the signs are written in English, so you should have no trouble getting around. We were on a river cruise that had local guides at every stop. They were a wealth of information.
