Sunday, October 19, 2014

The Dutch Arrive in Traverse City!

Dutch Arrive 2014
On a beautiful autumn day, the Dutch have arrived safely to a warm Traverse City welcome! Tomorrow they will attend classes at Traverse City West Senior High School.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Leiden

Netherlands 2014 - Leiden
Our final stop on our Netherlands tour was Leiden, an old university town about a 15 minute train ride from The Hague. We visited and walked up to the top of the Burcht, the old citadel built in 1150. From there we had a beautiful view of the city. We then walked to the Antiquities Museum of Leiden where we saw Egyptian mummies, and ancient artifacts from Greek and Roman times. Many of the American pilgrims lived in Leiden for a while after they left England, and before they came on the Mayflower to America. We took a group photo at the church where many of those pilgrims worshipped in Leiden. Tomorrow we return to America on our own version of the Mayflower. See you all in Traverse City!

Monday, April 7, 2014

Delft

Netherlands 2014 - Delft
The morning began with a short train ride from The Hague to Delft, where we had a fascinating tour of the Royal Delft factory. We saw Royal Delft Blue pottery in the various stages of development, including the hand-painting of a plate. Students toured the New Church in Delft. New means 1300's, as the old church is from the 1200's. In the new church they saw the tomb of William of Orange, the "George Washington" of the Netherlands. Tomorrow the final city of our trip.... Leiden.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Keukenhof, The Hague and Scheveningen

Netherlands 2014-Keukenhof/The Hague/Schevinengen
Today we bid a teary and heartfelt goodbye to our Dutch friends in Doetinchem. We boarded a bus to the western part of the Netherlands for the final three days of our journey. We spent three hours walking through the beautiful grounds of the Keukenhof Gardens.... 79 acres of tulips, birds, ponds, and windmills. Our bus then deposited us off at our Hostel in The Hague. After a quick walk through the city center of The Hague, we took a tram to Scheveningen to walk the beaches of the North Sea. The evening concluded with a good dinner at the hostel. Tomorrow...... Delft, and a more thorough visit to parts of The Hague.

Friday, April 4, 2014

Kroller-Muller Museum in De Hoge Velluwe National Park

Netherlands 2014 Kroller-Muller Museum
After a fun but long day in Amsterdam yesterday, we all had a chance for a more leisurely pace at De Hoge Velluwe National Park today. Inside the 55 square kilometer park are miles of bike paths through heath lands, sand dunes, and wooded areas. Free white bikes are available for visitors to pick up and use all over the park. Also inside the park is the Kroller-Muller art museum, which includes the second largest collection of VanGogh paintings in the world, and a large sculpture garden. Students are with their Dutch families this week-end, and we leave Doetinchem for The Hague on Sunday. We will post again on Sunday night.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Amsterdam

Netherlands 2014-Amsterdam
After a painfully early start (at least for a vacation day!), we arrived in Amsterdam on the bus, beginning with a visit to the Anne Frank House. A moving visit to the museum was followed by a cross-Amsterdam walk along the Prinsengracht canal to the Rijksmuseum - following in our President's footsteps! (minus the security, of course) It was a quick buzz through the Honorary Gallery full of Rembrandts, like "The Night Watch", and then out into the Museumplein before whipping through the Van Gogh Museum. We ended the day with some free-time and shopping before an easy bus ride home. The beautiful weather is showing with all of the bicyclists and joggers out and about - our very own tropical holiday!

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Ulenhofcollege-Physical Education Day, Presentations, Banquet & Twin Photos

Netherlands 2014-PhysEd Day & Twin Shots
This morning, students went to Ulenhofcollege, and created a presentation on various Dutch topics to present to their fellow students. They also took and printed photos of themselves to enter into our photo contest. Students voted for their favorite self portrait. In the afternoon, students were involved in physical education classes in the Ulenhofcollege gymnasium. We ended the day with a banquet of Chinese food and ice-cream at the school. Tomorrow....... Amsterdam!