Decent and interesting museum. Good option on a rainy day or with kids.read more

Very nice modern museum covering local history. It's one of those history museums that will mean…read moremore to locals then international visitors as the exhibits are very local history oriented, but still well worth a stroll. There are no English translations on the exhibits but each room as an English explanation card for the room.

Going to a Dutch ice skating rink is somewhat of an adventure for the casual American ice skater…read more The average Californian has gone out ice skating maybe once a year, in a public rink, on skates roughly akin to European figure skates. In the Netherlands, the average ice skater has gone to the local outdoor rink, or pond, repeatedly throughout their childhood Winters. Their skates are basically speed skating skates. When asked if I could skate, my answer was, "Yes." It should have been, "No!" Or at least not at the level of the casual Dutch skater! Anyways, I figured a smooth ice surface was better for my inexperience than the pond nearby. So, off to Thialf! Not wishing to invest a lot in the endeavor, I planned to rent skates. Unfortunately, the rental shop doesn't open when the rink does, which is Thialf's only lost star. A search in Heerenveen failed to yield any reasonable alternatives. We then decided to sip snert (split pea soup) in the café until Thialf's rental shop came through. The rental shop actually had some used skates that were a great price, so I went with those. Laughably, the skates were speed skates, which are a completely different animal! I was like a cartoon character running in one place, but going nowhere! Back up stairs, I explained the problem and BEGGED the skate shop people to switch me into a pair of used figure skates. They did, and sharpened them for me! The new set were very good skates and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the amateur circle. I even braved a trip around the amateur ring! One of the real pleasures of a trip to Thialf is sharing (sort of) the same ice that many Olympians have traversed. So, as I meandered around the amateur 'bunny' ring, I watched the professionals practice in the larger outer Olympian ring. WOW! Those people barely move and they've gone an entire lap! It will make you forget your own shame and embarrassment as you gaze in wonder.

We had the pleasure of stopping by this adorable shop while we were exploring the community. A…read morelovely shop and museum to stop by if you have a sweet tooth. The aroma of the sweets I found very tempting. They have a nice selection of sweets and pastries to enjoy. The shop is small but definitely worth a visit.