Waiting for the train

We had to wait for the train today. It was a very fast passenger train. The train was going about 130 kilometers per hour.

How fast is that in miles per hour?

 What do you think the word WACHT means on the blue sign?

Riding around Haarzuilens

The little village of Haarzuilens is close to the Castle de Haar. Only 210 people live in this little village. It's smaller than Nome, Texas.

Biggest Castle in Holland

My second stop was the Castle de Haar (sounds like HARD without the D). This is the biggest castle in the Netherlands. It has more than 200 rooms inside. I didn't go inside, but gave the castle a high five instead.

Learn more: Castle de Haar

My host family gave me some red wooden shoes to wear. My shoes were too big for me. I wore them anyway. I wanted to look like a real Dutch boy.

Why do Dutch people wear wooden shoes?

Learn more: Wooden Shoes

Hanging out at Ham Tower

 My first stop was Ham Toren or Ham Tower built in 1259. How old is this tower?

Somebody is living in Ham Toren and it has been considered private property for many years. It is supposed to have a brilliant view of the countryside, but no one really knows.

I wouldn't want people visiting my house every day and every weekend to climb my stairs and look around my room.

We couldn't find any English information about Ham Toren. So I will show you some magic.

Learn more: Ham Toren in Dutch

Copy the text and translate the Dutch into English in this translation program.

Playing Minecraft with boys from Holland

Kids in Holland love Minecraft, too. Adam is 9 and Julius is 8.
They go to school called Openbaar Vleuterweide Basisschool.

Meeting Austin's cousin from Holland

I arrived safely in Vleuten, the Netherlands on Friday, May 17, 2013. Some people call the country Holland and some people call it the Netherlands. It doesn't really matter to the Dutch people.

I will be staying with Austin's cousin Adam. Austin's great grandma Catherine and Adam's great grandma Lucy were sisters.

How far is it from Nome, Texas to Vleuten, the Netherlands?

1000 miles? 5000 miles? 10,000 miles?

Find out with this map. Put in the two cities.

 

My Name is Flat Stanley, Prince of Orange

My name is Flat Stanley. I am from Nome, Texas. My friend Austin sent me to Holland for a school project.

I came dressed in orange. The Dutch love orange because the last name of the King and Queen of Holland is Van Oranje (pronounced: fun Or run yuh) or 'of Orange'.

Today, I started my big adventure visiting another country.

I might become Prince of Orange some day. I already picked out a girlfriend here in Holland. She's a real princess.

Did you know that the youngest crowned princess in the world is from Holland? Her name is Amalia

and she is 9 like me.

Wish me luck or in Dutch 'geluk'.