That all sounds about right Irish. Fires is a seperate language in fact, and the road signe are bi-lingulaL in Friesland. It does sound more like English, and in the past, before my Dutch was any good, I could talk to Friesians i English and understand, for the most part their replies in Fries.

The coast is very different to the dunes in the south, and the Wadden sea is a special place. It is a UNESCO site too. All the islands have lovely beaches and little towns.
Some do not allow cars other than for the residents, so bikes are the way t get around on them. Just a part of the Netherlands few non-Dutch, non-German tourists visit, but well worth the effort to get there.

@irishface, glad you like Texel.

The language spoken in Friesland is Frisian, not a version of Dutch, it is the second official language of the Netherlands. (couldn't help myself, my family is from Friesland)

As to recommendations for coastal towns: of course historically, "the coast" in The Netherlands is the coast of the Zuiderzee, now IJsselmeer. And that's where the interesting coastal towns are, like Enkhuizen, that has a fantastic museum (Zuiderzee Museum) showing you what life was like on the coast of the Zuiderzee. This area was also the engine that made Dutch enterprise soar in the 17th century, and it's possible to follow the trail from Amsterdam, to Enkhuizen to Texel. All places that were stops or layovers for the East India ships. In a town like Enkhuizen, or in Hoorn, a bit down the coast, all this is very visible.

gratuitous personal memory: for years we would go on an annual pilgrimage to the "ship's hall" at the Zuiderzee Museum, to see the "Fries Jacht" that is on display here, and that my father's parents hid during the second world war.

http://www.zuiderzeemuseum.nl/en/10/home/

Enkhuizen is an hour by train from Amsterdam Central.

Although it is a sweet water lake now, the IJsselmeer is the largest bodies of water in The Netherlands, and for all intents and purposes still an inland sea.

http://www.zuiderzeemuseum.nl/en/10/home/

Edam is also a very neat old historic port town on the former Zuider Zee, now the inland fresh-water Ijslmeer - the line of ancient warehouses hint at the town's former importance.

In fact all along the western Zuiderzee coast: town after beautiful town and all within an hour's or so drive from Amsterdam

Short trip, only about 9 full days. Brussels and Amsterdam are the only MUSTS on our itinerary>

The coast is nice but if you have never been to Belgium or Holland before I'd eschew the coast for IMO much more interesting historic cities like Bruges, Antwerp, Delft, Leiden and even Rotterdam (for something ultra modern).

I've been all along the coast south of the enclosing dyke by bike and yeh it's nice but I've seen nice coasts at home - some of the towns are cute but not as nice IMO as the towns I mention.

They have an 11 year old in tow - give the kid a break!

No I did not note that but as you well know swimming in the North Sea in May promises to be very cold and Duinrell, a vast water park may not be open - well we have water parks much better than that here.

So what is an 11-yr-old to do on a cold windy perhaps beach in May besides shiver her timbers!

Madurodam in Den Hague would be fun for a kid that age as would Kinderdijk windmills - going into one

http://www.madurodam.nl/en/

http://www.holland.com/global/touris...heveningen.htm

Scheveningen may gthe Sea Life World or some such thing and nice sculpture gardens and all the stuff on the boardwalk a kid may love

but miles of beach in May - well perhaps.

http://www.spoorwegmuseum.nl/home.html

Just outside Utrecht is the Netherlands Railway Museum - both an indoor museum an open-air museum offering tram and train rides - when I was there there were many families with kids that age having a really grand time. There is a special train at times from Utrecht Centraal station to the old disused station the museum includes in its ballywick.

http://www.duinrell.com/amusementpark

Well Duinrell is open and should be yes fun for the kid and I agree hetismij that kids should be involved in the planning of what to do.

In Rotterdam kids will love to go to the top of EuroMast that overlooks one of the largest and most hectically workin ports in the world.
http://www.euromast.nl/en/

Utrecht also has a lovely Musical Toy and Clock Museum that kids will delight in

http://www.saatchigallery.com/museum...rgan/2731.html

canal boat rides in Amsterdam or Utrecht are fun for kids.

If they are there for King's Day - April 30 or so then there is a real treat in any city for all ages - the biggest city-wide festive party I have ever seen in Amsterdam on Queen's Day - the Queen is gone, long live the King!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/tr...anted=all&_r=0

NY times article of the seemingly oxymoronic Amsterdam for kids!

Vondel Park is a wonderful place, especially on weekends in warm weather - street performers - novel kids play areas like the Melk Huis - Milk House where parents can have alcoholic drinks whilst watching kids play - though 11 may bve a bit too old for that!

Just to drag you away from the Netherlands (a very nice place, if I do say so myself, but not the <B>only<B> place, I must absolutely recommend Etretat on the French coast:

http://anyportinastorm.proboards.com...ay&thread=2937

Or even Le Tréport:
http://anyportinastorm.proboards.com...ay&thread=3413

I could also recommend Deauville, Saint Malo, Mont Saint Michel... but that would be ridiculous.

Jack, why not Trouville-sur-Mer too? Dinant?

I like Trouville more than Deauville, but my report was about more famous Deauville.

http://anyportinastorm.proboards.com...ay&thread=5397

And I also made a report about Cancale and Honfleur... but they can all be found in the usual location.

Menachem and Hetismij, thanks for filling in the blanks in my memory regarding Friesland and its language.

All the suggestions here have made me want to go back to the Netherlands again. Thanks!