Volendam

Our last day in country, DD1 and her boyfriend brought us to Volendam, the most "touristy" destination of our trip, but absolutely delightful. Volendam epitomizes the concept that the Dutch are out of space, do they use every inch as efficiently as possible. The homes were hard to discern from the shops, as many fronted the sidewalks directly, and decorated their picture windows accordingly, to give them some sense of privacy, while being pleading to the passerby's eye. Every possible inch of real estate was occupied. Once we wandered through town to the harbor, we were greeted with the quintessential fishing village vibe. Lots of open-air shops, food stands, boat rides and entertainment. We wandered around, buying souvenirs and sampling the food, then headed home via the grocery store, where we picked up equivalents to make a Dutch version of tater tot hotdish. We ate al fresco, enjoying the last sun of a gorgeous day, then reluctantly went inside to pack.
iPastor took most of the pictures today. I'll have to steal some and add them in later.