Visitors! (Amsterdam, Venlo, Cologne & Trip 15 to Heidelberg, Germany)

I just dropped my Dad and Cheryl off at Brussels airport after a wonderful week long visit.  We ended up touring a few cities in both Netherlands and Germany.
We spent some time here in the town of Maastricht enjoying the squares, cafes, the market and Queen's Day celebrations (Queen's birthday April 30) . . oh and lots of gelato!  We also spent a day in Amsterdam and a day in Venlo, Netherlands at Floriade, an international flower exhibition that the Netherlands hosts every 10 years.  Floriade made CNN's list of the World's Top Destinations for 2012 - http://www.floriade.com/visit-floriade/floriade-is-world-news/worlds-top-destinations-for-2012
For the weekend we went to Heidelberg and Cologne, Germany.  And it was a heat wave at 82 degrees!  We visited the Heidelberg Castle which was a very impressive Renaissance structure that was later destructed by lightning, wars and fires.  In Cologne, we visited the Cologne Cathedral where we climbed 533 steps to the top of the tower, walked along the Rhine River and Hohenzollern Bridge and of course we ate way too much German food (again)!

Netherlands

  Amsterdam, Netherlands

Canal Tour - got a shot of six bridges in a row!

 In front of the Anne Frank House / Ornate Street Lamp & Magna Plaza

 Market in Maastricht - purchased lots of white asparagus & fresh fish . . so good!

 Taking the Gondola over Floriade Park

 Beautiful flowers at Floriade


Germany

 

Heidelberg Castle

 Views of Heidelberg from the castle

 

 Castle / Gate of the old bridge

 The town of Heidelberg / Square where we stopped for drinks

 Cologne Cathedral / Hohenzollern or Locking Bridge

 Lunch at Colner Hofbrau Fruh in Cologne, Germany