what's shakin' bacon? hop on my bike and i'll take us for a spin through a dutch wonderland!
edam (founded in the 14th century!) in north holland is picturesque beyond anything you can imagine. you'll want to spread out your quilt under a weeping willow tree beside a canal and eat some cheese. 
it was curiously empty on the day we arrived. we wandered around for over an hour before we started seeing other peeps. there were people working in their gardens, cats sunning themselves, and cafes with outdoor tables that were only half-full. i wandered into a museum slash tourist information center and saw a brochure with a boat. a boat?! holy hell!
"can i rent one of those?" i asked pointing to the brochure.
i zipped out of the tourist office and headed straight to melinda with the good news. she looked dubious about my boating skills, but as she's a good sport, agreed to come along for the ride.
just think of it! me piloting a boat through edam's canal filled center!
we made our way to the boat man's house. he very patiently explained how to maneuver the boat. he started out by telling me about steering and gas and braking and what to do if the boat stalled. but soon he could see that i would need more in depth tutoring so he climbed in and then the real fun began. for me i mean, not for him. try as i might i just could not follow his directions. uh oh. melinda was getting worried. i could tell because she opened the bag of chocolates she had just bought for her daughter and started eating them.
i was concentrating really hard and melinda told me later i had a v. nervous expression on my face. i think i told her not to speak. which, now that i think about it was probably better than what i told her once we were out on the canal. "lay down and don't get up because you're in the way and i can't see to steer!" i may have said this in a bossy voice with a bit of a panicked tone.
the lesson continued. i could tell the nice man usually doesn't take more than 5 minutes to get peeps out on the water. but i've never been on a boat with a motor before. that you have to twist to accelerate and turn a rudder to go in the opposite direction than the one you want. never!
he had me practice going up the canal a bit. i was an utter failure, but remained resolute in my mission. boat man let me know that i didn't HAVE to go on. i could just abort the mission. "oh no, i'll figure it out!" in between bites of chocolate, melinda mentioned something about him just taking us up the canal himself, but he was watching an infant and couldn't. finally he got out of the boat and gave me a long look and a laminated map. i told him not to worry, but that if we didn't return in an hour could he please come looking for us. he suggested we call if we ran into trouble. "we don't have a phone," melinda and i both replied in unison. i don't remember what he said after that, but in a few minutes there i was…on my own and managing just fine.
the hand attached to the arm you can't see in the picture below is tightly grasping the rudder/gas.
there's poor melinda trying to sit up again. "permission to sit up captain?" she said when she wanted to take a picture.
"permission granted! but hurry it up and lay back down!"
somehow i followed the map, made several wide turns, jumped down in the boat bottom when we went under a LOW bridge while still steering, and managed to get us parked on the side of the canal. i did all that. it really happened. last week.
promise me that if you go to edam you will rent one of these boats and glide down the canals. it is extremely fun and you will feel like a sea-faring genius when you finally get back to the starting place. and the truth is, if a chimp like me can do it, so can you! it's not nearly as difficult or complicated as i make it seem. plus it's lots of fun to wave at people in their gardens as you go by.
I’m impressed with how comfortable you look… if I spoke the lingo I probably would deem you seaworthy. May I inquire about the purpose of the small white buildings along the canal? They have a slight gazebo feel to them even though they appear to be enclosed… are those for rent? They are much more my speed.
My first impulse upon reading your story about the boat was to laugh, but suddenly I pictured all the times I had to turn the radio off and tell everyone to BE QUIET just so I could parallel park, and then I just nodded sagely at your cleverness 🙂
That really is pretty amazing – of all the blogs, in all the world…. here’s to you, MaryAnn
OMG! Just noticed my sweet neighbor Ginny posted right b/4 me! Hi Ginny! You have great taste in blogs!
Way to go, MaryAnn!!!! I love your enthusiasm and “get up and go!” The pictures are nearly too enchanting for words. I felt nestled in to a place that must go on my bucket list. Your watercolors of the houses capture the essence of Edam and should bring you back with a quick flip of the page in the future b/c I am sure you don’t ever want to let that vacation go.
OMG, MaryAnn. You are simply awesome, inspiring and thank you SO MUCH for the great pics, inspiring prose and the whole damn it you can do it attitude. All while not being model thin, under 30 or beholden to any. CHEERS TO YOU, really!!
Oh Sea Capt., MY sea Capt….Thank you with your wonderful art and craftsmen-like words creating a picture of our journey which will remain indelibly etched in my mind forEVAH! xox
Chuckling at your boating adventure. Oooohing and aaahing at the scenery! I especially love the tiny houses/buildings/gazebos along the water.
Hahaha, fun! Never been to Edam… Maybe I should schedule a visit ;-).
Trust me, when you get old enough to go to The Home (and I’m waaaay ahead of you on entrance time heheh) be sure and have your blog made into a book so your caretakers know what kind of woman they are dealing with. The most daring and rambunctious 90yr old in the place!
I too want one of those gazebos AND the water to perch it on. Perhaps a trip to Edam will have to suffice as I don’t think it would have quite the same panache in my current backyard. Sigh…
I can picture that. YES, I can indeed. You a seafaring Captain of a very pretty blue boat, motoring through the canals as you’d been born on them. I can only imagine the grand time you had once you’d gotten started. I can’t get enough of those tiny, sweet gazebo’s. I can’t think of a nicer place to sit and read, nap, create, it would be hard to want to leave to go up to the house. It all looks so amazing and beautiful. You weave such a good story that I can almost feel the breeze on my face, hear the little chug of the engine as you pass those delightful gardens.
Mary Ann, your narrative of your boat ride is exactly the kind of story that just begs to be documented as soon as possible after you experience it so you can capture every golden moment! And you certainly did get the essence of the boat journey. In the future, when you read this story one dark night, you will light up the room with your laughter and pure joy at the remembrance of such a wonderful part of your stay in the Netherlands.
Those pictures you included are just wonderful and will transport you back in time effortlessly. Thanks again for sharing your trip with the rest of us folks stuck state-side….for NOW.
Marcia in Pensacola
serene,
i am quite certain that the windowed gazebo on the edge of the canal is my studio. and that when i go to edam to live this summer i will work out of there. and go for midnight rides along the canal each night. i am almost positively certain that is what it is. probably. maybe. i do not see what else it could be.
Permission to laugh out loud, Captain? This post is hilarious! Poor Melinda, hope she could still see all those pretty things in your photos from her perch on the bottom of the boat! Glad you both lived to tell this tale, much to our amusement!
Confined to armchair travel at the moment – but today my armchair is rocking with glee – Go Mary Ann – ahem, Captain.
As we say in my neck of the woods, “damn,Twanda-you go girl!” ( gotta love the movie Fried Green Tomatoes). and for you it
should be “EDAM,Twanda!!!!!! I must congrat Melinda on her support in this adventure as well!!!!!
Missy from the bayou
I could just picture you and Melinda in that tiny boat. You seemed to be having fun while Melinda looked like she was ready to jump off the boat. What a fun experience! Edam will definitely be included on my list of must sees. And, of course, the boat ride will be the first to do.
Thanks for sharing. What a story, and you look so proud of yourself! I love your photos, and now I am trying to find someone to go to Amsterdam with me. It is such a beautiful place.
This gave me a great chuckle this morning! I love all the Buck Moss cousins. You’re So brave!! Wonerful wonerful.
love love this story! felt like I was in the boat with you both 🙂
You brave traveler, you. Laughing myself silly (and wishing it was me). Every single picture you post is just breathtaking. I don’t want it to end.
Not only a beautiful looking place (add that to my list) but sounds like you had a blast. Happy motoring- I bet you’ll be finding another boat to motor soon. Ha-Ha!
Also wondering about the little gazebo buildings. So glad you didn’t HIT one of them! At first I thought perhaps you had rented a big houseboat…but by the end I was roaring with laughter at your commands to Melinda and the thought of you two in a motor boat! HILARIOUS. Bravo …..did it require a little “Dutch” courage afterwards???? Where’s the BEER!????
CRAZY =’s BRAVE, COURAGEOUS, FULL OF ADVENTURE … conquering each moment!!
OMGoodness!!! You CRAZY GIRL!! Just had to say that since I don’t know any crazy girls and now I do!! You look like someone in a movie steering the boat….can’t think where I’ve seen it!…I am gleefully laughing for you two!! You painted the picture in my mind and it was an experience not forgotten I am sure!! What a beautiful place….just incredible. Well, I just wrapped a few things I gleaned from our local junk shop…papers, a few pieces of sample fabric…some seeds from my garden..a beautiful vine if you like…and a bag…you’ll see….you may hate it all…ha! But have fun trying to decide and thanks for taking us on such a fabulous trip!!! Will be anticipating what comes of all that adventure in the way of a journal, art or whatever you come up with!
So beautiful! I love looking at all the travel pics. I was wondering what the purpose was of the small gazebo like buildings in the 5th picture from the top? Thank you and I look forward to your next post. 🙂