Ameland, Netherlands

One of my favorite trips last year was to a small chain of islands called the Wadden Islands off the coast of the Netherlands. The chain is compromised of five dutch islands, and you can remember them in order with the acronym TVTAS: Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland and Schiermonikoog.

Richard and I decided to stick with one of the five islands for a quick 3-day vacation. He had already been to Terschelling and I was afraid of having to pronounce "Schiermonikoog" correctly more than once a day, so we decided to try out Ameland. A relaxing 45-minute ferry ride from the mainland gives you an idea why these islands are so attractive for those in search of tranquility. When was the last time you didn't touch a computer or cell phone for 3 days? Not that internet access or cell phone access isn't available, but being in Ameland just makes you want to be outside, enjoy the scenery and try out all of the great food and drinks unique to this little island. Here's some of my favorite things to do.

Where to stay:

Any one of the 4 towns on the island seemed great but we were happy to have picked Hollum. It's a little smaller than Nes, which is located in the center of the island, but it still has plenty of places to eat and is ideally located near the lighthouse and The Sunset Restaurant and Bar. You can catch amazing ocean sunsets while you're eating dinner or grabbing a drink. We stayed at a B&B called "De Blauwe Pastorie". I still have fond memories about the breakfast there; fresh bread, cheese and orange juice...yum...but more about food later.

What to do:

Rent bikes and explore the island. On one side of the island you can ride through the dunes. One the other side you can ride along the dykes and get a great view of the "waddenzee". If the tides are right, you can walk out on the sandbanks left by the receding tides. You can make your way from one side of the island to the other by biking through the different towns. We stopped in Ballum to try out a local liquor called Nobel. At the very end of the island is a wonderful nature reserve and bird sanctuary called "Het Oerd". Just a warning that you can't get to this by car, so having a bike to explore this area is key. We didn't realize this and ended up having to walk to get there. By the time we made it we were so tired we didn't have the energy to take in the scenery. One other thing we didn't get to do was take a walking tour on the "wadden". Because the water recedes so far at certain times during the day, local guides will take you walking on what is normally the sea floor. We did a little bit of walking like this during one of our bike rides and it was amazing to be surrounded by seaweed and marine plants that are normally submerged. Definitely get a guided trip for a longer walk since these paths appear and disappear with the changing of the tides. Nothing like getting stuck on a sandbank to ruin your vacation :).

What to eat:

hhmm..all the food we had in Ameland was delicious but here's a few favorites. Try out the Mustard Soup. Because Ameland makes its own local mustard at the windmill in Hollum the soup is particularly worth trying! For a delicious and low-key meal , try out Il Vulcano in Hollum. They have a wide range of pizzas and pastas. If you love cheese (who doesn't?), check out the cheese farm on a small road called Miedeweg near Hollum. Finally, don't forget to try Nobel, a local liquor that's made on the island. You can have it in coffee, known as "Amelander Koffie", or sip it on its own as an after dinner drink.

I'd go back to the Wadden Islands any time. Each of the five islands has its unique feel so we'd probably try a new one. Some have more nightlife, some offer complete isolation from the rest of the world. We picked Ameland because it had a combination of both, enough restaurants and sights to keep us busy, but enough non-touristy spots to make us feel like we were getting a glimpse of local life...we made a good choice!