Luckily, Brenda, we live close to your lovely country. We have been in Europe for about 9 months; we work in southwestern Germany. By taking advantage of Germany's national holidays and our ample vacation time, we have traveled in Germany and to nearby countries. It has been wonderful and we have had only good experiences.

Since the weather was good during our April trip to the Netherlands, we spent much time outside. We missed the ocean/seaside (we are from northern California); therefore, we stayed 2 nights in Noordwijk and we enjoyed the university town atmosphere of Leiden (2 nights).

Our next trip to the Netherlands will also be short (about 5 days). This winter (maybe December or February), we want to do some indoor activities such as touring the Rijksmuseum, and the van Gogh collection, or perhaps the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.

In addition, we would like some suggestions for interesting activities or sights in the smaller towns and perhaps out in the countryside also. Jane (of Stuttgart)