Brussels, Belgium

On our way to Brussels today but we had most of the day to take in some last sights of the Netherlands. Headed out to the historic Zaanse Schans to see the windmills. Very much a tourist site but well worth the visit. Caught the train to Zaandijk and made the short walk (with lots of others) through the small village and out to the centre. Along the picturesque River Zann are a collection of wooden houses, small fields with sheep, geese and chickens and eight windmills, and small museums. The windmills were gathered from across the below sea level, Zaanstreek or Waterland region, which was once a major industrial region where in the 17th century it supported shipbuilding, paper and food industries, with its more than 1000 mills. It was a lovely sunny day and we enjoyed our time wandering along the paths and through some of the buildings. An overall feel of a model village and market.

After a lovely day of sightseeing, we headed back to Amsterdam mid-afternoon to catch the train to Brussels. Green fields and greenhouses until we arrived at the outskirts of the city. Eventually finding our way to our hotel, after coping with confusing signage, cobble footpaths and building sites, we deposited our bags and headed off to the international train station to meet Elise.