December 6 St Nicholas Day at the Park

Mary wanted me to see Efteling, a theme park in central Netherlands. On the first sunny day here, we took a train then a bus, then joined hundreds of people, mostly families, funneling into the gate. Oh my! It really was a park! The theme is enchantment!

Built in 1952 (predating Disneyland) Efteling started as a nature park and playground featuring magic, myths and folklore. We were most charmed by a meandering walk through woods with fairy tale scenes. Rudimentary animatronics enlivened Rapunzel, the 3 Pigs, and many stories I wasn’t familiar with.

We enjoyed several quaint rides including a tiny monorail with snail cars that rode over the playground and a new dark ride called Fata Morgana that was a sort of Arabian Pirates of the Caribbean.

Lunch was at the pancake house. We started with dark beer then moved on to plate sized savory pancakes. Mine was bacon and cheese and it was so delicious. Accompanying the food were dancing pots, pans and wooden spoons activated by a button that was irresistible to the children.

All in all, it was a truly delightful day. People were calm and happy; children were running around. I joined some tired grandparents around a warm fire while Mary took some thrill rides.