Where else to start a Car Rally (Scavenger Hunt by car) for the British Society of Amsterdam than the Schiphol Airport planespotters
area? Yes, I know I'm not British, but I thought it looked like an interesting event when I saw it online, so I showed up and
had a "jolly good time" as they say. Here you can see one of the smaller planes landing at the airport. There were several tour buses
lined up in the large parking lot in this area, with people standing around just watching planes land. Sure, when I think of Holland and
Amsterdam, I think of...planes.
Img_3050
Anyway, there was also a nice food stand that had FRIES, well the British call them chips, and the
Dutch call them frites and eat them with mayo most of the time, but I got some with ketchup since I can't stand mayo to begin with
(or at least that's my defense...). QUITE the popular snack here as you can tell.
Img_3059
Ok, so we got our list of clues and rough directions and here was our first task, red berries, not so tough. Just before taking this
photo I jumped out and grabbed a handful and there we go, not even out of the area of the airport and already one down!
Img_3061
This is Susan, she was born in England and grew up in New York and now lives in The Netherlands, she's showing off two
more items, yellow and pink flowers.
Img_3064
We had to discover what they grew at this greenhouse...easy enough, white roses.
Img_3065
Here's William the other member of my team and the driver (I was the navigator and Susan was the "go get that quick!" person).
William is from Belfast and in this photo we were being nice to the horse while we plotted on HOW to get some hairs from it...we got a
few just from petting it, but nothing substantial. We figured it was a bit dangerous to approach the horse with scissors.
Img_3068
Chickens...nope, no reason it's here, just saw them...chickens...
Img_3070
Here, Bob the horse (ok, so that's not his name, but I feel like he needs SOME name) gleefully gnaws on a wooden post while a
big KLM plane heads directly for HIS HEAD! Ok, so it's actually landing a bit further away, but I was scared for a few moments there.
Ya never know about those terrorists...first the World Trade Center, then Bob the horse - symbols of our national pride. Good thing
Bob's hidden away in Holland!
Img_3072
Susan implored me to take a photo of this plane from Dutch Bird airlines since she thought it was cute...there ya go.
Img_3074
Next we had to find a specific numbered pole along the road and underneath it we would find some white stones, thus here they are...isn't
it magical how all these things happen to be laying around?
Img_3077
The next clue asked us to look around from the spot near the pole for a number having to do with strawberries, of course I can't
speak or read Dutch, but evidently the sign below the number 6 says something about strawberries.
Img_3078
Next, we had to describe two of the strange figures in this park. NO, not the children, the sculptures!
Img_3082
Susan proudly displays the reed she daringly plucked from alongside the canal.
Img_3083
Why look - the wooden lady announces this is the "Biological Dairy Products Farm House!" (ok, so it could mean organic, but I'm
sticking to my dictionary) Too bad it wasn't open, she seems so
pleasant.
Img_3088
If you live in this house be afraid, be very afraid, or go on a diet.
Img_3089
Ah, the classic image of the Dutch countryside, dikes, fields and flat land as far as the eye can see.
Img_3091
Moo (x6)
Img_3094
Another task was to figure out how much the Concordia barge/houseboat weighed, and luckily it was listed right on the side! There was also
a loud dog that barked at us incessantly as we drove by slowly.
Img_3095
Another nice barge/houseboat
Img_3096
Fancy bridges they've got 'round these parts
Img_3098
This is what real Dutch people do...silently row away their old age in the countryside.
Img_3101
If you're not already an expert on the non-urban parts of Holland, read on!
