Hees Town

Most people go to Amsterdam for, well, a lot of things.  But this weekend, the Voorhees went to Amsterdam to return to the Mother Country!  Yep, we rented a car and drove to the town where the Voorhees ancestors lived before they immigrated to America in 1660.  

It is still farm land, just like it has been for about 1000 years.  We also went to the nearby town, Ruinen, where the church is still standing that the original Voorhees family attended.  They actually had to pay rent for use of the farm land to the church prior to the reformation.  After the reformation, they had to pay the government.  The church then became the Dutch Reformed Church and this is where the family worshipped.  So apparently, our forefathers were Presbyterian.  I am not making this up!!Check the website, www.vanvoorhees.org.

This was a memorial outside the church remembering the Jewish members of the community who were taken and killed by the Nazi's in World War 2.

Speaking of which, we also took a very sobering tour of the Anne Frank House, the home where the Frank family lived and hid before they were discovered by the Nazis and taken to concentration camps where they all, except the father, eventually died.

And here is Jackson, eating traditional "Voorhees" food at the McDonalds where his ancestors actually ate over 400 years ago.  It was delicious.

We did lots of other really fun things in Amsterdam,

Like drink Starbucks

And visited the Van Gogh museum, where there was a bar and live music, of course. 

This is our ship! Can you see the name?

We had a great dinner at the Hard Rock and got to join in the excitement as the city got ready for Holland verses the Danish in the Euro Cup.  Sadly, they lost-but it was fun to see everybody in their orange spirit wear!

We are certainly getting excited about eating American food again!

We certainly enjoyed this beautiful city, but I am a little relieved to say that the next time we get on a plane, it will be headed to the good ole US of A!