Sunday 29/9/18

Dear Mother

Thanks for your letter dated 7 Sept, I got two out of the last convoy.

I went on a visit to Amsterdam last week for three days, & enjoyed very much, I wish you could have been along, you would have enjoyed the pictures in the Art Gallery, & the [?]. I think the most interesting thing we saw was some old Dutch farms up by the Luidler Lee, we went through them, the whole [?] is under one roof, low barn house, dairy & everything. I will try to describe one: the building is built square with a very high steep roof, one side is the cow barn, two sides the living rooms of the house and the fourth side the coach house and in the centre the hay loft.

In the summer the cows are turned out and the people use the cows house to live in, everything is cleaned up, painted, carpets laid on the floors. In the cows stalls, instead of straw they are bedded down with pretty sea shells, curtains hand on the windows, & then the part you would like to see, all along the mangers & on the shells in the stalls, they lay out their [?] ware, thousands of dollars worth, one collection we saw was valued by experts at $300,000, some of the houses contained lovely furniture, beautiful Oak Chests, cabinets, chairs they have are very funny custom, the front door of the house is never opened except in case of death or marriage in the family.

In Amsterdam we saw some wonderful paintings by Rembrandt, [?], and all the Old Dutch Painters. Rembrandts paintings were wonderful; especially one called the night watch, & another a painting of his mothers.

One morning we spent in a diamond factory, we were able to watch the whole process right from the rough stone until the stone was polished and ready to set, I saw some lovely diamonds, one was the size of a whole walnut, I wish I could have brought you a couple home.

We also went to see the Telephone Exchange. That was very interesting too, I had never been in side an exchange before. In the afternoon we attended a flower show, we had our photos taken in a group there. I'll send it as soon as it comes along.

The zoo was very nice I enjoyed it very much, many of he animals have been sent to London since the war on account to the shortage of food.

The whole visit was under the Society for making Holland better known abroad. They provided the guides to take us round. I only wish you could have seen the china when I was in those farmhouses. I felt quite uncomfortable, I was afraid I might leave some dust, I never saw anything so spotless in my life.

Give my love to all the boys & to Sadie & Emmy.

I remain

Your loving son

Tom