The lighthouse of Ameland/ de Amelandse Vuurtoren

Only a tiny number of all Dutch lighthouses might be visited. The lighthouse of Ameland (together with the one on Vlieland) is one of them. On the way up several small exhibitions (about the marine life of the island, the different lighthouses architecture around Europe or about the history of ligthouses in Holland, old naval maps) are greeting the visitors.

The "Amelandse vuurtoren" was built in 1880-1881 and is 55 meters high (15 floors and 236 steps to get to the top). Since 2005 the lighhouse is open for tourists. In the summer months even til 22h! Here you may find an extensive list of all (active, deactivated and demolished) "vuurtoren"/ lighhouses of the Netherlands.

A very good overview of all 5 Watt-island-lighhouses plus their building year is on the drawing below of a newspaper article.

Ameland

Last weekend I had the chance to visit one more from the 5 Dutch "Waddeneilanden": Ameland. This is the fourth island (north of Amsterdam) and it is not carfree (as island 2 and 5: Vlieland and Schirmonnikoog). However biking on Ameland is still pleasant (be prepared for some tough wind though-its the Netherlands).

We went to the local "kaasborderij"(=cheese farm) and tasted the local organic cheese too. Next to this we said hi to the tons of sheep there, enjoyed the lovely old houses, climbed the lighthouse (next entry will be more detils on it) and breathed some fresh sea air:-)

Tulip fields in Flevoland 2011

Last weekend, on the way to the island Ameland I was really impressed to see tons of colourful tulip fields from the highway driving in the Dutch province Flevoland, (passing by Lelystadand Noordoostpolder). This part of the Netherlands was literally added to the country in the 1960-ies....

Flevoland consists of two areas, both under the sea level, up to minus 14m. This area has been gained by draining the Zuiderzee once after the Afsluitdijk had been created and finished in 1932. The land in Flevoland is mainly sand and what grows best on sand ground: flowers!:-) Enjoy the amazing colours and geometric forms...

Palingrokerij in Zoutkamp

My friend Tony showed me once pictures from this old-fashioned smoked fish factory located in the north of the Netherelands, in the Dutch province Groningen. In Dutch "palingrokerij" indicates the place where the fish (in the case above the eel="paling") gets smoked.

Actually one may buy plenty of different smoked fish: eel, sole and others, but also fresh "Hollandse garnalen" or also sun dried soles. I directly fell in love with the cute colourful wooden houses at the harbour of Zoutkamp. In front of the houses one may also admire the fishing boats...

Above all dried soles are dispatched in sets of 5.

Below fresh not peeled Dutch shrimps ("Hollandse garnalen", which are much tinier than normal shrimps) are delicious, but time-consuming occupation...And dont forget to try all the yummy smoked fishes:-)))

Dutch flower fields 2011 and baby pigs...

It is again flower fields time! Last weekend one could enjoy tons of colourful flower fields: tulips, hyacinths, daffodils....btw its me in the picture above, posing in the middle of the hyacinths:-) It was pretty busy as you can see in the back: tons of people doing the same as me...

While enjoying the tulip fields, in the garden in front of a house in Noordwijkerhout, I saw a pair of baby pigs...They were really cute and curious and having fun with all the people passing by.