The White City

With a move back to the States on the horizon, Keith and I want to take advantage of our weekends here in Europe and do a little exploring while we still can. This past weekend we decided to go to a little town about 40 minutes away called Thorn. Keith had been there before but this was my first time. Thorn is different than most villages here in that the whole town is white-washed, so it's really neat to walk around the narrow streets surrounded by all white brick buildings, cafes, and antique shops. It is known as The White City, even though it is not exactly a city, but a village. The church is big and beautiful, located right in the center of town, as it is in most villages.

view of the church from the pancake house

However, I think we made a not-so-great decision to go on this particular day because it started snowing on our way out there, and didn't stop until we were back in Eindhoven that afternoon. It was COLD and WINDY and SNOWY and we got there at a time when nothing was open yet. We tried to check out the church but there was a service going on, so we didn't think it would be prudent to bring an energetic 18 month old into the sanctuary. Everyone raved about the pannenkoeken huis (pancake house) so we headed there just as they were opening. I swear y'all . . . best decision we made that day and worth the drive there and back just to eat there!

First of all, they were SO child-friendly (much different than Barcelona, ha!) and Liam was able to play at a Lego table with a bunch of blocks, and even hang out at a touch-screen monitor where he could play games, "color," and be entertained while we waited to get our food. The menu at this place was ridiculous too -- every kind of pancake you can imagine with all kinds of savory or sweet options. Everything on the menu was numbered and it went up to the 800s! They made the typical Dutch pancakes, very thin and big, but these were just a tiny bit thicker than usual and man, were they good! Keith opted for half ham and cheese and half blueberry (kind of like having lunch and dessert on one plate!), I had a cinnamon and sugar pancake, and we got Liam an apple, raisin, cinnamon, and sugar kids pancake -- we all were VERY satisfied with our choices. Liam loved having raisins in his pancakes, so it definitely gave me the idea to try it at home for him.

After lunch we just let Liam walk around a bit on our way back to the car, but it was so cold and snowy that we just decided it was best to head home. I wish we could have enjoyed more time in Thorn, but perhaps we will be able to make it back on a nicer day. I still don't regret it though because those pancakes were to die!

~Jessi