Wanderlust by Steph

14/10/2026

🇳🇱 AMSTERDAM: 750 YEARS OF HISTORY, HIDDEN STORIES & A FEW BICYCLES UNDERWATER! 🚲😂
Amsterdam celebrated its 750th birthday in 2025, and what better way to explore this historic city than from its famous canals! ❤️
We hopped aboard an adorable little open boat with Lovely Cruises, and our guides were fantastic! Our captain was only 18 years old and knew so much history! The best part? Their smaller boats can squeeze through narrow canals the big tour boats can't reach!
And boy, did we learn some fun things! 👇
🚲 Bicycles EVERYWHERE… even underwater! Our guide told us thousands of bicycles are pulled from Amsterdam's canals every year! He joked that Amsterdam is the only city where you can get hit by a bicycle while WALKING or SWIMMING! 😂 The canals are generally around 10 feet deep, and swimming in busy boating areas is dangerous. Pat and I even watched a salvage boat pull an old, rusty boat from the canal the next morning!
🏠 Crooked Houses & Dancing Buildings! Ever wonder why Amsterdam's houses lean forward? Those hooks sticking out of the rooftops were used to hoist furniture through the windows because the staircases were too narrow! Some houses were deliberately built leaning forward. Others have shifted over time as their foundations settled. We even saw the famous Dancing Houses, whose crooked appearances make them look like they're swaying!
🔔 Silly Jack Tower! Our guide shared the funny legend of a man named Jack who supposedly drank a little too much and rang the tower bell at the wrong times, confusing the neighborhood!
💰 The Rich & Famous! We cruised down the Herengracht, or Gentlemen's Canal, historically one of Amsterdam's wealthiest addresses. Our guide explained how house taxes and property widths influenced the city's architecture. We saw a tiny narrow-fronted house and the gorgeous Waldorf Astoria, spread across historic canal mansions. One luxurious room was reportedly €6,400 A NIGHT! 😳
🏛️ A House With a Fake Front! We even saw a building where, according to our guide, a wealthy gentleman disliked the view across the canal so much that he bought the property and changed its facade! Now THAT is having money to burn! 😂
🌊 Controlling the Water! Amsterdam's canals have locks and water-management systems to regulate water levels. We passed the historic De Sluyswacht, once associated with the lock keeper who helped oversee the waterways.
🌉 Seven Bridges & a Lover's Kiss! One of my favorite sights was looking straight through SEVEN bridges perfectly lined up along a canal! We also passed the romantic Lovers' Bridge, where legend says couples who kiss while sailing underneath will stay in love forever. Naturally, that's a tradition worth keeping and one we took advantage of, stealinga kiss as we passed under! ❤️
✨ The Stones That Make You Stumble With Your Heart. One of the most meaningful things I've discovered on this trip is the Stolpersteine, or Stumbling Stones. Thousands of these small brass memorials honor victims of N**i persecution, Amsterdam alone has over 4,500. I visited Amsterdam in January and never noticed them. Now I see them everywhere. They're not meant to trip your feet, but to make your heart and mind stumble—to stop, reflect, and remember. ❤️
TWO MORE AMSTERDAM EXPERIENCES YOU SHOULDN'T MISS!
🌷 THIS IS HOLLAND! If you've ridden Disney's Soarin', you'll LOVE this! It's a breathtaking flying experience over the Netherlands. We visited outside tulip season, but still got to soar over gorgeous tulip fields, complete with special effects that bring the experience to life!
🕊️ The Dutch Resistance Museum. WOW! This museum explores WWII, N**i occupation, resistance, collaboration, and the difficult choices ordinary Dutch citizens faced. Online estimates suggested about 90 minutes. HA! We spent THREE HOURS and could easily have spent two more! So much fascinating, heartbreaking history that my brain was officially FULL!
Amsterdam is so much more than pretty canals and crooked houses. Every bridge, building, and cobblestone has a story to tell. And you know how much I LOVE uncovering those stories! ❤️

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14/10/2026

🇳🇱 A MILL, A MEDIEVAL KNIGHT, A CRUSADE… AND A LITTLE PIE! 🥧⚔️

Only in Maastricht, Netherlands, can you stumble upon a bakery with nearly 1,000 years of documented history and discover that its former owner helped lead the First Crusade! 😲

While exploring the charming streets of Maastricht, we discovered De Bisschopsmolen (The Bishop’s Mill), one of the oldest working watermills in the Netherlands. Some historians believe a mill existed on this very spot as far back as the 7th century!

But here's where the history gets REALLY interesting! 👀

⚔️ A KNIGHT, A CRUSADE & A MILL

Back in the 11th century, the mill belonged to Godfrey of Bouillon, a powerful medieval nobleman who became one of the leaders of the First Crusade.

In 1096, Godfrey needed money to finance his journey to Jerusalem. So what did he do?

He used his possessions, including this very mill, to help fund his expedition!

The mill was pledged to the Prince-Bishop of Liège. When Godfrey died in Jerusalem in 1100, the mill remained in the bishop's hands.

And THAT is how it became known as The Bishop's Mill!

🍺 FROM CRUSADERS TO B**R!

By the Middle Ages, the mill had become an important part of Maastricht's brewing industry. The local brewers used its powerful waterwheel to grind malt for making b**r.

Apparently, even 600 years ago, the people of Maastricht knew their priorities! 😂🍻

🔥 SURVIVING THE CENTURIES

The mill was destroyed by fire in 1577 and later rebuilt. The beautiful stonework at the back dates to 1609.

And that enormous waterwheel in our pictures? It was installed in 1924!

🥖 FROM B**R TO BREAD & PIE!

Today, the mill is still working, powered by the flowing waters of the Jeker River!

Inside, grain is ground into flour using traditional milling methods, and the adjoining bakery turns it into delicious breads and pastries.

One of their specialties is Limburgse vlaai, a traditional Limburg fruit tart. 🥧

We even got to peek inside the bakery and see the bakers at work!

❤️ MY FAVORITE PART?

Standing beside that giant waterwheel, knowing that nearly a thousand years ago, a medieval knight owned this very mill, and centuries of millers and bakers have kept its history alive.

From financing a Crusade to brewing b**r to baking pies… this little mill has certainly had an interesting life!

And THIS is exactly why I love wandering down the little side streets of Europe. You never know what incredible piece of history you'll discover!

📍 De Bisschopsmolen | Maastricht, Netherlands 🇳🇱

05/10/2026

🌊 Well… the river has once again put a bend in our plans! 😂

The water is SO low that you can see the rocks sticking out in the middle—and in some places, it looks like you could practically walk across! 😳

So… off the ship and onto the buses we go! 🚌

After about 2½ hours, we stopped in Koblenz, Germany, where we visited the incredible Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, grabbed some lunch, and stretched our legs before climbing back aboard the bus for another 2½ hours.

Our destination? Maastricht, Netherlands! 🇳🇱

Apparently, this is the first time Viking has stopped here, and they're considering adding Maastricht to future itineraries. So I guess we're helping test-drive a new stop! 😂 We saw tons of Castles on our drive and believe when I say only pictures of 1/4 of them. 🏰

And the best part? We get to sail again! 🚢🙌

From Maastricht, we'll continue through the waterways and eventually make a quick little jaunt out into the North Sea 🌊 before connecting back into the river system and sailing the rest of the way to Amsterdam! 🇳🇱

At this point, this trip has included ships, buses, ship swaps, low water, unexpected towns, and more itinerary changes than I can count—but that's travel! Sometimes the detours end up being part of the adventure. ❤️

Next stop… Maastricht! 🚢✨

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05/10/2026

🇩🇪 Our last night in Germany called for one final TASTE of Germany! 🥨🍺

For our last dinner, we celebrated with a Taste of Germany, and it was such a fun way to end our trip! The food was delicious, and I officially found a new favorite—pumpkin seed-crusted chicken! 😋🐓🎃 I loved it so much I'm going to try making it at home!

The staff got into the spirit too, dressed in traditional Bavarian-style Lederhosen and Dirndls, and they taught us the secret language of the Dirndl bow. 🎀

Apparently, where you tie your bow can say quite a bit:

🎀 Left: Single and available 😉
🎀 Right: Taken, engaged or married ❤️
🎀 Back: Traditionally a widow—or sometimes a waitress/server
🎀 Front center: Traditionally associated with young unmarried women, though these days it can basically mean “It’s complicated…or none of your business!” 😂

And remember—the left and right are from the perspective of the person WEARING the Dirndl. You definitely don't want to accidentally advertise the wrong relationship status! 😂

Great food, lots of laughs and one last little German cultural lesson. 🇩🇪❤️

Auf Wiedersehen, Germany! You were wunderbar! 🥨🍺

👇 And because I know I'm going to want this again, here's a recipe for pumpkin seed-crusted chicken to try at home!

https://www.cookforyourlife.org/recipes/pumpkin-seed-crusted-chicken/