Venice of the North

Our visitors left just days ago, but already it seems surreal that they were here in the first place.  We crammed about as much activity as we could into the time that they spent here, but I wish that we could have spent even more time together!  Now, it's just us again...but only for 4 more weeks!

Jim and I were grateful to have had the opportunity to have some time to ourselves while our guests took care of the twins.  We traveled to the beautiful city of Utrecht, enjoyed two delicious meals at local restaurants, and spent a morning in the charming and peaceful village of Giethoorn (pronounced "heat horn"), where cars are prohibited and people must access the homes, shops, and cafés that line the canals by foot, bicycle, or canoe.  The village had been on our list of places to visit ever since it was recommended to us last fall, and I am so glad that we were finally able to make a stop there!

Having visited Venice, Italy with my German host family about 18 years ago (Yikes!), I don't know that I would necessarily draw a comparison between the bustling city of Venice and the quiet, quaint village of Giethoorn.  Yes, vehicles are prohibited in both cities, but I think that's where the similarities end!  While Jim and I walked along the quiet canals of Giethoorn, we felt as though we had the tiny village to ourselves...until the old folks showed up by the boatload!  Even then, though, we found our visit to be calming.  I don't remember feeling very relaxed in Venice. 

Perhaps we visited Giethoorn at an off-time of year; I'm sure that it gets crazy busy in the summer.  Maybe it was quiet because we were there on a cloudy weekday.  Whatever the reason for the quiet village, Jim and I enjoyed our visit and forever remember the charm of Giethoorn. 

Though they didn't have much time to explore the village, Jim's parents had driven to the village on their way back from Keukenhof Gardens on the day prior to our visit.  They had provided us with a map and gave us the information that we needed to find our way to the canals of the village. 

About 2,500 people live in the village of Giethoorn.  They are proud of their characteristic homes with thatched roofs overlooking the canals. 

The canals are centuries old, and were dug for transporting peat extract.

Initially, we saw just a few other visitors walking along the canals or taking self-guided boat tours.  Jim and I had agreed that we were better off on foot than attempting to navigate through the village in a boat.  We don't have the best track record for boating.

I'm sure that the village is beautiful in summertime, or even in wintertime under a fresh coat of snow.

We did pass several homes that were for sale.  I'm sure it's a lot of work to maintain the homes for visitors...plus there's the whole issue of not being able to drive a car in the village.  Then again, most Dutch people seem to prefer bicycles to automobiles. 

More signs of life

Restaurants and small shops are scattered amongst the homes that line the canals. 

As we walked through the village, we wondered about its inhabitants - who they are, what they do, why they've chosen to live there, and if they enjoy thousands of tourists walking past their front doors each year, gawking at and snapping pictures of their houses and yards.



I couldn't get enough pictures of the houses, canals, trees, and reflections!  I only wished for just a *bit* of blue in the sky!

Most pedestrian traffic was restricted to one side of the canal, with many of the bridges leading to private homes gated and locked.  Mailboxes could be found on the pedestrian side of the canal, where they are easily accessible for delivery.

We passed a resident who appeared to be doing some kind of yard work.  He was pushing a wheelbarrow filled with supplies for his project across one of the village's bridges.  We assumed that he had pushed it all the way from his vehicle parked somewhere outside of the village.  Can you imagine?  What a pain that would be!

The canals lead to lakes that lie to the east and south of the village.

We got a kick out of watching the garbage man as he collected the bags of trash that had been placed along the side of the canal.  He skewered them with a spear and lifted them into his boat.  I had to take a picture to show Will, who is just obsessed with garbage trucks.  I think he would have crapped his pants to see a garbage boat in person!

After about an hour of exploring the village, we felt as though we had seen it all!  We certainly did not need a long time to walk from one end of the village to another - even with the amount of pictures that I took!

This church greets and bids farewell to visitors at the entrance to the village.

After a stop for lunch at a nearby café, we left the quiet village of Giethoorn to return to the not-so-quiet Little Dutch House, where our two little monsters were keeping Mimi and Papa busy!  (Actually, they were napping when we came home.  They always nap so well for Mimi and Papa!  We don't always have such luck!)