We came across a horse carriage during our walk in Amsterdam and decided to go for a horse carriage ride.
Horse Carriage in Amsterdam
The name our carriage man was Gerald and he was very pleasant and helpful.
Gerard helping us into the horse drawn carriage
We climbed aboard and enjoyed the slow ride through the streets of Amsterdam.
View from the horse drawn carriage
Gerard took us along some less traveled areas and would stop at times and explain the history of the area.
Gerard explaining some history of Amsterdam on our route.
We came across some beautiful views along our travels.
View from the horse drawn carriage when we stopped on one of the canal bridges.
We asked Gerard if he could recommend a good restaurant for us. He recommended a Restaurant called “Five Flies”. We asked him to drop us off at the restaurant when we were done and he was happy to accommodate us.
The hallway in the Five Flies Restaurant
We entered the restaurant and were immediately amazed by the uniqueness of the restaurant. The building was full of character and had five different separate areas. We were brought down a small hallway and to our table.
View from our Table in the Five Flies Restaurant
Our meal was extremely delicious and tasty. We enjoyed a great meal, fabulous atmosphere and a great bottle of wine at the Five Flies Restaurant.
We were invited by our friend Felipe to go and see the Moors and Christians Fiesta parade in Villena with him and his mom. They had front row balcony seats for the parade. The parade is one of the most famous and spectacular Moors and Christian parades in Spain.
We arrived in the quaint town of Villena at around 4 p.m. There were vehicles parked everywhere and it was difficult to find a parking spot. We parked around five blocks from the center of town and walked slowly towards the main street of Villena.
Shelley and Carmen-Maria walking towards the center of Villena
As we walked along the streets there were large crowds of people all heading towards the center of town.
Crowds of people walking towards the center of town.
As we walked through the streets we came across groups of people participating in the parade. They were dressed up, some were in very elaborate costumes. We stopped to have our picture taken with one group of “Moors” dressed up for the parade.
Bev, Shelley, Carmen-Maria, and Ray with parade participants in the Moors and Christian Festival in Villena, Spain
We arrived at the center of town and met Felipe’s friend, José Luís Valero. José had seats at the very front of the parade route for us.
José was a famous “Cabo” for comparsa andaluces group. He won many awards and in fact, there was a song composed for him which is used in the parade every year. José was a great host and was very energetic and fun.
José, Bev, and Carmen-Maria at the parade
José treated us like family and provided drinks and made the parade even more enjoyable. We had the best seats to see the parade up close.
Shelley, Ray, and Carmen-Maria sitting at the front watching the parade
The parade was massive with over 12,000 people who participated in it. There were seven groups that represent the Moorish, and seven groups which represent the Christian. Each one of these groups was made up of several hundred male and female participants. We watched as groups representing the Moors marched by wearing beautiful and ornate costumes.
Female parade participants dressed in Moorish costumes.Males dressed in Moorish costumes in the parade
Each group of “Moors” marching in the parade had their own specific costume design. They also had bands following behind each group playing choreographed music. It was an impressive display by the participants of the parade. At the front of each section, there was a head person called a “Cabo” leading the group. They strutted in elaborate and deliberate moves making the march quite impressive.
“Cabo” leading the group in the parade“Cabo” doing different moves throughout the parade
There were horses, camels, and donkeys in the parade as well. Some of the horses would stand on their hind legs and perform along the parade route.
One of the many horses in the paradeParade participants on horseback“Cabo” on horseback leading a group in the paradeOne of the camels in the parade.Cabo on a camel leading a group in parade
We watched the different groups march in the parade, each group with their own unique and beautiful costumes. Some of the costumes cost over 15,000 euros for each one.
A group of “Moors” in the paradeParade participants in Moors and Christian ParadeA Cabo leading a group of females in paradeCostume with skulls and bones in paradeOne of the amazing costumes in the Moors and Christian paradeA costume with feathers and gold material
Some of the costumes were very detailed and stunning to see. Some of the costumes were pieces of art adorned with feathers or with other unique items.
Costumes with blue feathers in parade
Costumes with beautiful yellow feathers
Even the back of the costumes had very ornate and beautiful decorations.
View of the rear of some of the costumes.
The Parade started at 4:30 p.m. and we stayed until 8:30 p.m. and the Moors section of the parade was still going on. The entire parade last in excess of six hours. There were so many beautiful costumes and great music from the many different bands. Below is a small collection of photos from the Moors section of the Parade.
The many bands that played specific songs for each group were also very enjoyable. We watched and listened in awe as the parade just continued for hours. We put together a short video of some of the parade.
It was a very surreal feeling being able to be so close to the parade. We had front row seats with a well-known “Cabo” José, which made the event even more memorial. To say that the parade was amazing would be an understatement. It was spectacular and beautiful, something we will remember for a long time.
We came to Canada for a visit with family and friends. During that time we were able to find time to go whitewater rafting with three of our grand children and my daughter Jennifer.
We started our day with registration and an orientation at Wilderness Tours explaining the safety requirements and equipment.
After orientation, we waited for our bus to take us to the starting point of the whitewater tour. The drive on the bus took about 20 minutes. The guides played some Abba music and sang songs. It helped everyone get into a great mood for the day.
We arrived at a beach area with a building which contained our safety equipment. Everyone was issued a life jacket, helmet, and a paddle. We then headed down to the boats to begin our adventure. Jordy, our tour guide, explained how we were to paddle and where to sit when going through the rapids.
We headed out on the water and slowly paddled towards a bend in the river. Just after the bend, we arrived at our first set of rapids and didn’t know exactly what to expect. It was an adrenaline rush and the kids thought it was “awesome”.
After surviving the first set of class 3 rapids we were completely wet. The waves crashed over the front of the boat soaking both Tyty and Ray. The water was warmer than we expected. We paddled along until the next set of rapids and would go through the process again. We stopped after one set of rapids and went to shore to have a photo opportunity. The boys took the time to look for crayfish with our guide.
Our guide Jordy with Tyty and Keenan along the rocks looking for crayfish.
We were able to stop at one set of rapids and get out of the boat and walk up the trail to do some body surfing through the rapids.
Rapids in the Ottawa River that we body surfed down
After body surfing the rapids, we stopped down stream for a BBQ along the river at the base of Garvin’s Chute, which is a 20’ waterfall. They had a cabin and benches set up with a BBQ already prepared for us. The kids had a chance to relax and take a break from all the paddling.
Tyty taking a break in the boat at lunch time.Shantaya enjoying a hot chocolate
We enjoyed hot chocolate and some tasty food before we headed back down river.
Jennifer, Tyty, and Keenan relaxing on shore after lunch
Once we were back on the water we did some floating in the current between rapids. The kids enjoyed this time to swim and splash around.
Floating in the current in the Ottawa river.
After we finished the last set of rapids we headed to shore, where they had a cold beer for the adults and juice for the kids.
Everyone having a cold drink before heading back to Wilderness tours
We enjoyed a cold drink before walking to the buses to head back to Wilderness tours. The day was very enjoyable and it was a day we will treasure forever.
We went to a small factory called “Cheese and Clogs” they make cheese and wooden shoes. This small factory in the rural area of Netherlands was quite interesting.
Cheese and Clogs factory in the Netherlands
We began our tour through the cheese area of the factory. A woman explained the process they used to make their cheese. She explained some of the different cheeses and how the process was done. They even had some large cows on display.
Ray with a couple of cows on display in the Cheese and Cclogs factoryWe then went to a different area of the building and we were met by a clog maker.
Clog maker explaining how clogs were traditionally made
He demonstrated the traditional way of making a clog and a was very entertaining while explained the history of the clog.
He kept everyone laughing and enjoying the demonstration. Afterwards, we went to the shop where clogs and cheese were available for purchase.
Wooden clogs for sale at the factory
Shelley couldn’t resist trying on a pair of traditional wooden clogs.
Shelley trying on a pair of traditional wooden clogs
There was also a great selection of cheeses available.
Assorted cheeses on display at the Cheese and Clog factory
We explored the store and tried several different samples of gouda cheese. They were very tasty and we decided to buy a few different types.
After exploring the store we walked around outside the factory. The outside of the factory was quite impressive, they had wooden carved tulips on display.
Wooden carved tulips on display at the Cheese and Clog Factory
We also came across two very large clogs on display outside.
Two large wooden clogs at the Cheese and Clog factory
It was an enjoyable time exploring the factory and seeing the making of a clog.
We went to Amsterdam for a few days and toured this wonderful city. We walked through the streets of Amsterdam and were amazed to see the number of bicycles being used. There were separate bike lanes on every sidewalk and if you were not careful you could easily be struck by a cyclist.
Cyclists on Amsterdam cycle lanes
There were bicycles parked and locked everywhere in the city.
Bikes parked and locked along the streets of Amsterdam
There is a saying in Amsterdam that there are more bicycles than people in Amsterdam. Bike theft is also a major problem, the police estimate that each year approximately 80,000 bikes are stolen.
We walked along the historic red district of Amsterdam. There were many coffee shops which sold Marijuana, sex related shops, and a few prostitutes displaying their wares along the way.
We went through the older section of Amsterdam where there were beautiful architectural buildings.
Anne and Shelley in historic AmsterdamAmsterdam Train Station
We came across a beautiful building that was converted into a high-end mall.
Historic building converted into a Mall in Amsterdam
We decided to go in and look around. The inside of the mall was very elegant and there was a large chandelier hanging in the center.
Crystal Chandelier in mall
We then came to an area of Amsterdam where there were old traditional style homes.
Old style building in Downtown Amsterdam
Some of the buildings were slanted from years of settlement on their foundations. It was interesting to see how slanted some of the buildings were.
Buildings settled over time and leaning on another building in Amsterdam
At the top of most of the older style buildings, there were cantilevered pulleys. These were used to hoist furniture and other items up to upper-level floors.
Pulley used for hoisting furniture to the top floor.Ray, Anne, and Shelley in downtown Amsterdam
Amsterdam was a very interesting and unique city. We enjoyed our time there and look forward to another visit in the future.
We went to Amsterdam for a few days and toured this wonderful city. We walked through the streets of Amsterdam and were amazed to see the number of bicycles being used. There were separate bike lanes on every sidewalk and if you were not careful you could easily be struck by a cyclist.
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