The next day, Uncle Jean took me to Groet, where another of my sisters lives with her family. This part of the Netherlands has a very rural feel and its charm is in the small communities that dot the landscape and wide open spaces. When blooming, the fields around Groet apparently rival Keukenhof’s tulip display. I’m sad because the timing for this trip doesn’t coincide with the tulip season. But there are crocuses and daffodils already, so there’s some comfort!

Two things were most striking about the area (didn’t take many pics here because I focused on enjoying them with my family). The Dutch have always been extraordinary engineers, especially when it comes to reclaiming land from the sea. If I understand correctly, a year ago, around a seven mile long stretch of beach and dunes was created near Camperduin using a new sand transfer technique. Very impressive!