The Netherlands

Isabella and I went to the Netherlands this weekend for a quick trip to see the Keukenhof Gardens.  We also were able to visit a wonderful farm, Clara Maria, that makes the most fabulous cheese and typical wooden shoes.  It was so much fun to spend some one-on-one time with Isabella. 

All of the flowers were just coming into bloom and were gorgeous.  It's amazing to think that the over 7 million bulbs were all planted by hand, by volunteers!  Back in the 15th century the Keukenhof was little more than scrubland and dunes.  At the time, the area belonged to a Countess, who lived at Teylingen Castle.  In the castle courtyard herbs were collected for the kitchen.  That is how the site came to be known as Keukenhof (Kitchen Courtyard).  Besides the gardens and exhits the Keukenhof had a petting zoo for children, a play area and a working windmill. 

This years theme at the Kuekenhof Gardens was "United Kingdom - Land of Great Gardens."  It was interesting to see how they brought aspects of the English Garden into the exhibits.  Besides the English flair to the gardens, they also had a bagpiper and a double-decker bus.

From the Clara Maria farm:

Isabella ready for a yummy breakfast at
the Clara Maria farm.




Some of the beautiful shoes that they carve and
paint at the farm.



The milk that is used to make the yummy cheese on the farm
come from their very own cows!

From the Keukenhof Gardens:























Spring Break Day 8 - Arriving back in Venice

We arrived back in Venice on Sunday.  It was amazing to see all the terrific Venice sights from our ship.

Spring Break Day 7 - Dubrovnik, Croatia

On Day 7 we were hoping to visit Dubrovnik.  Unfortunately, we weren't able to get a pass to get on a dingy boat to take us to the city.  So, we enjoyed some fun at the pool.  The coast was a beautiful setting to enjoy a last day on the boat.

The beautiful Croatian coast:

I miss the cappuccinos!

One last swim:

Spring Break Day 6 - A Day at Sea

Steve's favorite day of any cruise is the day at sea.  It's a fun time to explore the ship, swim, and try to relax.  He was able to experience the F1 simulator, which he loved.  The kids went for a swim, we spent some time at the chocolate bar and all took naps.  We also had our last gala night, which included some singing and dancing.  Isabella and Charlotte loved it, but Jack was way too embarrassed to dance in front of everyone, so we found him under the table playing one of our Iphones.  I think Steve would have been under there with him if he could have.  :)

It was amazing passing so many beautiful little Greek islands as we sailed through the Aegean Sea making our way to Croatia.

The F1 simulator:

Yummy fruity drinks!

Some of the beautiful islands we passed.