So I just arrived in Berlin where I shall be spending the next two nights along with Jero and Rene!
I love Europe!
Bug you later!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Ciao Bella
If it is possible to be absolutely charmed with a city, then this was such the case for me in Venice. The canals are beautiful, the buildings are old and enchanting, the bridges are numerous- each affording a great view, streets so narrow that I can stick out my elbows and touch both sides, gondolas and gondoliers are everywhere on the main canal, churches with so much history you can't help be in awe, gelato so delicious (to use a dutch saying, roughy translated) its like angels peeing on your tongue. Pizza, pasta, wine, seafood, and limoncello abound, as hawkers stand in front of their restaurant, trying valiently to bring the customers in. As the rain begins to fall, terraces are efficiently covered, the stands have their canvas roofs extended, locals simply open the umbrellas they carry around, and tourists sprint for cover... It was wonderful.
To arrive at our Hostel was a feat in itself. We took the bus from Jero's apartment to the local train station. Caught a stoptrein to Zutphen. Switched to a bigger train- sat upstairs, and headed off to Nijmegen. After arriving in Nijmegen caught a 'shuttle' to the airport. Cept that our shuttle was to pick us up in a random spot and turned out to be a taxi. But it got us to the airport Dusseldorf/Weeze in Germany. We ended up there nearly 3 hours early, so we sat in the bar, on the patio, watching planes load and land, drinking Varsteiner(German beer) and Baileys. The flight was uneventful, we boarded by crossing the tarmac and there were no assigned seats, allowing people to sit wherever they please. So we land in Venice(YAY! ITALY!) and buy a round trip ticket to Piazza del Roma- a public transportation hub, and board a greyhound sized shuttle bus to the square. We get to the square- its now like 10pm, neither of us speaks any Italian and Italians don´t speak much English, so we find the bus that we need to get on (chosen thanks to an email from the guy who runs the hostel we were headed to). So we get on this bus, and try to ask the driver if we are on the right one. After like 5 mins we just point at the name of the street to which he responds ´sí´. The bus is full as it leaves the depot, full of Italians who know where they are going, and two tourists completely lost. After about 10 minutes and various stops, we look back and realize that we are two of three people on the bus. Now we are getting worried. How are we supposed to find a hostel on some random street, if we can´t even ask the driver to tell us when to get off? All of a sudden the driver stops, just before a roundabout, with no bus stop in site, opens the doors and says the street name. So we get off. Cept for that we are on a round about and not sure where we are going. After a moments hesitation we head down a street, find a supermarket mentioned in the email(after 10 mins of walking in the near dark on a very narrow strip of side walk that switches sides of the roads randomly and unexpectedly) and discover we don´t know what building we want. So we ask a couple of guys, who have no idea what we are asking, and tell us there is no where to sleep nearby. Then I see a woman and ask her, using gestures, english(uselessly), and the three words of Italian we know. She leads us up to a building(directly behind us) and we have found our home! It was a gong show but quite the adventure!
The first day we took the water bus for a while, getting off randomly as we agreed it would be more fun to try and walk to our destination- San Marco's square- one fo the most famous attractions in Venice. It was overcast with light showers on and off, so while there were people about, the numbers were down from what they would had been had the day been sunny. On the way to the square we stopped for Speghetti Carbonara and a glass of wine- pasta and wine in a little cafe, on a narrow street, just off a canal, in Venice... San Marcos Basilica is a huge church rebuilt in the 12th century. After visiting the church we simply wandered around, me browsing stand after stand, taking piles of pictures, and essentially loving being there. As we were looking for a place to eat dinner, we passed some gondoliers and they tried to get us to go for a ride. The plan was to go on day two, so we said no and continued walking. One of them came up to us and said that rather then the usual 80€ he offered us a ride at 60€. Impossible to say no to a bargin, so we went for a ride. In Venice. On a gondola. He didn't sing but when we docked again, there were a couple other 'drivers' standing there, so I asked them to sing, and got my song from a gondolier while sitting in a gondola. It rocked! Dinner ended up at a little restaurant with a terrace literally right on the canal. Beside our table was steps leading down into the canal right next to the Rialto bridge- a large and recognizable and popular bridge. The pizza was good, the wine was delicious, the atmosphere was amazing. I love Venice!
Day two started well, with clear skies and promises of sunshine. We packed up our bags, left the hostel, and headed to the bus station. Rather then hoping on the water bus we simply started walking. Before I left Canada, Cheryl gave me some amazing advice- when you get to Venice, aim to get lost. I thought she was nuts at the time, but by day two we were ready to give it a try. The narrower the street, the more likely we would walk down it. Over bridges, past canals... It was awesome! It was sunny out, but where we were walking, there were less people then the day before, and a much higher percentage of them were speaking Italian. After a while we were standing in a little square, getting hungry, and a nearby tavern started putting out tables in the middle of the square. A delivery boat was unloading its cargo, a couple Italian guys were discussing something as one sat in the sun and the other 5 feet away in the shade, the two bridges connected to the square were occupied, but only by a couple people at a time, not a steady stream like the bridges from the day before, there were moms pulling strollers, and old ladies with their shopping carts, business men walked into the tavern, and from a window above us a lady began pulling in her laundry off the line and replacing it with a fresh load, occasionally a tourist or two would walk by but for the most part, it seemed to be locals. We simply looked at eachother, and sat down to eat. Our getting lost in Venice experiment was a huge sucess as sitting there, watching everything go on around us, soaking up the sun, we were perfectly content and could have stayed there all day. Eventually we rose, wandered aimlessly for a while longer, then returned to the crowded areas and headed to San Marco square so that I could do some shopping.
Getting back to the airport turned out to be an easy thing to do. Caught a water bus to the depot, almost bought a ticket for the shuttle, but remembered at the last minute we had a return ticket and didn't need to buy another one. Got to the airport and couldn't find our check in desk. Our flight wasn't on the departures screen- not by the name Dusseldorf or Weeze. So we went by time, picked a line up, and discovered the airport has not one, not even two, but three names- Niederrhein being the last one, one we didn't know and naturally being the one used. So after checking in, we are sitting there talking about how bad it sucks to be late for a flight and how you never understand them when they page you(me remembering Guatemala and Jero remembering Washington). Finally he gets up for a smoke and I agree to meet him in a couple minutes, but then I look at the customs line and at the time, run outside, grab him, and run to customs. The line up took forever, one security point was going through, and they were calling last call for our flight. I'm freaking out about missing the flight, and he is laughing at me for it. A couple ladies in front of us let us go ahead of them, then the man in front of us stalls things. He tries to take his suitcase through the metal detector and argues when they tell him to put it through the machine. Finally he does, then he has to go thru again, without his jacket, and his shoes, and then they ask where his wife is- somehow she ended up a few people behind and he had given them her boarding pass. I'm getting more and more anxious as they have called our flight again, and finally we go thru. I have no problems. Jero has to pass through a second time with out his shoes. Oh, and the need to search his bag, in a moment when they are done with this other one. So I tell a guy, that our flight is boarding and we can't miss it and as I am explaining this to him... They page us. Finally the start going through jero's bag, they actually do an on the spot check of his cologne and FINALLY let us through. We literally ran to our gate at which point the airport employees were waving us through as fast as possible... Our plane was supposed to leave at 9 55. We boarded at 10pm... I love Italy!
So it was awesome. Had a great time, so glad we went. I recomment Italy to many people. Just use a bit more time awareness when you are departing. Biggest piece of advice? Like Cheryl says, if you have a day- aim to get lost. It was probably my favorite thing about the trip!
At that, I feel I have bored you enough, Have a great day!
Ciao
http://jssgallery.org/Essay/Venice/San_Marco/Basilica_San_Marco/Basilica_San_Marco.htm for more information on San Marcos Balisica
To arrive at our Hostel was a feat in itself. We took the bus from Jero's apartment to the local train station. Caught a stoptrein to Zutphen. Switched to a bigger train- sat upstairs, and headed off to Nijmegen. After arriving in Nijmegen caught a 'shuttle' to the airport. Cept that our shuttle was to pick us up in a random spot and turned out to be a taxi. But it got us to the airport Dusseldorf/Weeze in Germany. We ended up there nearly 3 hours early, so we sat in the bar, on the patio, watching planes load and land, drinking Varsteiner(German beer) and Baileys. The flight was uneventful, we boarded by crossing the tarmac and there were no assigned seats, allowing people to sit wherever they please. So we land in Venice(YAY! ITALY!) and buy a round trip ticket to Piazza del Roma- a public transportation hub, and board a greyhound sized shuttle bus to the square. We get to the square- its now like 10pm, neither of us speaks any Italian and Italians don´t speak much English, so we find the bus that we need to get on (chosen thanks to an email from the guy who runs the hostel we were headed to). So we get on this bus, and try to ask the driver if we are on the right one. After like 5 mins we just point at the name of the street to which he responds ´sí´. The bus is full as it leaves the depot, full of Italians who know where they are going, and two tourists completely lost. After about 10 minutes and various stops, we look back and realize that we are two of three people on the bus. Now we are getting worried. How are we supposed to find a hostel on some random street, if we can´t even ask the driver to tell us when to get off? All of a sudden the driver stops, just before a roundabout, with no bus stop in site, opens the doors and says the street name. So we get off. Cept for that we are on a round about and not sure where we are going. After a moments hesitation we head down a street, find a supermarket mentioned in the email(after 10 mins of walking in the near dark on a very narrow strip of side walk that switches sides of the roads randomly and unexpectedly) and discover we don´t know what building we want. So we ask a couple of guys, who have no idea what we are asking, and tell us there is no where to sleep nearby. Then I see a woman and ask her, using gestures, english(uselessly), and the three words of Italian we know. She leads us up to a building(directly behind us) and we have found our home! It was a gong show but quite the adventure!
The first day we took the water bus for a while, getting off randomly as we agreed it would be more fun to try and walk to our destination- San Marco's square- one fo the most famous attractions in Venice. It was overcast with light showers on and off, so while there were people about, the numbers were down from what they would had been had the day been sunny. On the way to the square we stopped for Speghetti Carbonara and a glass of wine- pasta and wine in a little cafe, on a narrow street, just off a canal, in Venice... San Marcos Basilica is a huge church rebuilt in the 12th century. After visiting the church we simply wandered around, me browsing stand after stand, taking piles of pictures, and essentially loving being there. As we were looking for a place to eat dinner, we passed some gondoliers and they tried to get us to go for a ride. The plan was to go on day two, so we said no and continued walking. One of them came up to us and said that rather then the usual 80€ he offered us a ride at 60€. Impossible to say no to a bargin, so we went for a ride. In Venice. On a gondola. He didn't sing but when we docked again, there were a couple other 'drivers' standing there, so I asked them to sing, and got my song from a gondolier while sitting in a gondola. It rocked! Dinner ended up at a little restaurant with a terrace literally right on the canal. Beside our table was steps leading down into the canal right next to the Rialto bridge- a large and recognizable and popular bridge. The pizza was good, the wine was delicious, the atmosphere was amazing. I love Venice!
Day two started well, with clear skies and promises of sunshine. We packed up our bags, left the hostel, and headed to the bus station. Rather then hoping on the water bus we simply started walking. Before I left Canada, Cheryl gave me some amazing advice- when you get to Venice, aim to get lost. I thought she was nuts at the time, but by day two we were ready to give it a try. The narrower the street, the more likely we would walk down it. Over bridges, past canals... It was awesome! It was sunny out, but where we were walking, there were less people then the day before, and a much higher percentage of them were speaking Italian. After a while we were standing in a little square, getting hungry, and a nearby tavern started putting out tables in the middle of the square. A delivery boat was unloading its cargo, a couple Italian guys were discussing something as one sat in the sun and the other 5 feet away in the shade, the two bridges connected to the square were occupied, but only by a couple people at a time, not a steady stream like the bridges from the day before, there were moms pulling strollers, and old ladies with their shopping carts, business men walked into the tavern, and from a window above us a lady began pulling in her laundry off the line and replacing it with a fresh load, occasionally a tourist or two would walk by but for the most part, it seemed to be locals. We simply looked at eachother, and sat down to eat. Our getting lost in Venice experiment was a huge sucess as sitting there, watching everything go on around us, soaking up the sun, we were perfectly content and could have stayed there all day. Eventually we rose, wandered aimlessly for a while longer, then returned to the crowded areas and headed to San Marco square so that I could do some shopping.
Getting back to the airport turned out to be an easy thing to do. Caught a water bus to the depot, almost bought a ticket for the shuttle, but remembered at the last minute we had a return ticket and didn't need to buy another one. Got to the airport and couldn't find our check in desk. Our flight wasn't on the departures screen- not by the name Dusseldorf or Weeze. So we went by time, picked a line up, and discovered the airport has not one, not even two, but three names- Niederrhein being the last one, one we didn't know and naturally being the one used. So after checking in, we are sitting there talking about how bad it sucks to be late for a flight and how you never understand them when they page you(me remembering Guatemala and Jero remembering Washington). Finally he gets up for a smoke and I agree to meet him in a couple minutes, but then I look at the customs line and at the time, run outside, grab him, and run to customs. The line up took forever, one security point was going through, and they were calling last call for our flight. I'm freaking out about missing the flight, and he is laughing at me for it. A couple ladies in front of us let us go ahead of them, then the man in front of us stalls things. He tries to take his suitcase through the metal detector and argues when they tell him to put it through the machine. Finally he does, then he has to go thru again, without his jacket, and his shoes, and then they ask where his wife is- somehow she ended up a few people behind and he had given them her boarding pass. I'm getting more and more anxious as they have called our flight again, and finally we go thru. I have no problems. Jero has to pass through a second time with out his shoes. Oh, and the need to search his bag, in a moment when they are done with this other one. So I tell a guy, that our flight is boarding and we can't miss it and as I am explaining this to him... They page us. Finally the start going through jero's bag, they actually do an on the spot check of his cologne and FINALLY let us through. We literally ran to our gate at which point the airport employees were waving us through as fast as possible... Our plane was supposed to leave at 9 55. We boarded at 10pm... I love Italy!
So it was awesome. Had a great time, so glad we went. I recomment Italy to many people. Just use a bit more time awareness when you are departing. Biggest piece of advice? Like Cheryl says, if you have a day- aim to get lost. It was probably my favorite thing about the trip!
At that, I feel I have bored you enough, Have a great day!
Ciao
http://jssgallery.org/Essay/Venice/San_Marco/Basilica_San_Marco/Basilica_San_Marco.htm for more information on San Marcos Balisica
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Ciao
Just want to send out a Ciao from Venice, Italy!
Thats right. I am in Venice!
Tell you about it when I get back to Holland=)
Thats right. I am in Venice!
Tell you about it when I get back to Holland=)
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Halfway point?
I write to you this time from Hengelo. A city in Eastern Overijssel, really close to the German border. Its been a good week. Met up with Rene in Meppel at a train station. It was really good to see him again, hard to believe it had been 5 1/2 years. Headed north to the province of Gronigen and met Rene's parents. Throughout the course of the weekend I met family that to be honest I didnºt know existed. My grandpaºs sister, cousins of my dad, it was really neat to meet these people. I saw the barn of the house that my grandpa grew up in. Climbed the Martinitoern, had a beer in a pub off the square, listened to his band practise, and went to Germany. See, Reneºs parents live less then 1 km from the border, so throughout the course of the weekend we crossed the border about four times. Yep. Iºve hugged a windmill in Germany, laid on the border. Then, on the way to Zwolle, we took the autobahn for a bit. Autobahn is the German word for Highway, and when you are on it in Germany, there is no speed limit. We hit 180, then got passed like we were standing still. It was awesome.
Spent a few days hanging out in Zwolle with Rene. It was nice. After thinking about it for a bit Iºve come to realize that before I came here I have spent all of 12 days or so actually with these guys. But somehow, despite that, and I suppose along with the internet connection, it feels like Iºve known them forever. Got to meet up with a friend of mine from Kings while I was in Zwolle. Renee is here for a semester studying, learning Dutch, and enjoying life. It was pretty awesome to be sitting in a cafe, chatting with someone I lived with in the tower.
Wednesday Rene and I jumped on the train and came to Hengelo. We met up with Jero, went for a beer, and it was time to head off to my latest Dutch home. Iºve had a good few days here so far. Iºve met a bunch of Jeroºs friends, had a couple nights at various pubs, met his sisters family. Rode double on a bike, did some shopping, played some basketball and checked out a dutch forest. I love living a relaxed Dutch life. So far =)
Tomorrow afternoon we jump on the train for Dussledorf, Germany, after which we shall board a plane for Venice, Italy. Its a whirlwind trip, two nights there, and land back in Germany late Wednesday night, but I am really excited about it. I love Europe!
Spent a few days hanging out in Zwolle with Rene. It was nice. After thinking about it for a bit Iºve come to realize that before I came here I have spent all of 12 days or so actually with these guys. But somehow, despite that, and I suppose along with the internet connection, it feels like Iºve known them forever. Got to meet up with a friend of mine from Kings while I was in Zwolle. Renee is here for a semester studying, learning Dutch, and enjoying life. It was pretty awesome to be sitting in a cafe, chatting with someone I lived with in the tower.
Wednesday Rene and I jumped on the train and came to Hengelo. We met up with Jero, went for a beer, and it was time to head off to my latest Dutch home. Iºve had a good few days here so far. Iºve met a bunch of Jeroºs friends, had a couple nights at various pubs, met his sisters family. Rode double on a bike, did some shopping, played some basketball and checked out a dutch forest. I love living a relaxed Dutch life. So far =)
Tomorrow afternoon we jump on the train for Dussledorf, Germany, after which we shall board a plane for Venice, Italy. Its a whirlwind trip, two nights there, and land back in Germany late Wednesday night, but I am really excited about it. I love Europe!
Friday, April 11, 2008
Moving On
As I write this, I am racking my brain trying to make sure I have everything I need packed up and ready to go. In an hour Jan and I are leaving the house to pick up Piety from work and meet up with Rene about an hour south of here. When we meet up with him, I'll transfer my bags to his car, say my goodbyes, and head off to Gronigen where I will have the chance to meet some extended family on my dads side, see the town my grandpa grew up in/near, and other things of the such. After the weekend, the two of us will head to Rene's place in Zwolle Overijssel and hang out for a couple days. Tuesday I am probably meeting Renee(From Smithers- a friend from Kings) for lunch or so as she is currently in Zwolle. How cool is that? Then on Wednesday off to Hengelo to Jeroen's place.
I have enjoyed my final days in Friesland(found out the spelling difference- Friesland is Dutch, Fryslan is Frisian). Tuesday we headed to a major tourist spot in Noord Holland called the Keukenhof(It is really close to the airport in Amsterdam, so probably about an hour and a half from here, maybe a little longer). It is a few acres of Gardens open from Mid March-Late May. You walk around and check out the flowers, they have a miniature windmill you can go in, lotso f touristy souvenirs(at ridiculous prices!), and more flowers. It was pretty neat to see. People from all over and so many gardens. Piety had me pose with some flowers.
After the Keukenhof, we went to Zaans Schaans, only to find out the shops had closed but we could still walk around. What is that you say? It's a lowland that has like 10 windmills in sight, up to 5 close enough together to get in one picture. It was neat. THey were industrial mills used to cut lumber, get the oil out fo peanuts, make colored dyes, and I don't remember the others. It was cool to see so many all at once. Kind like what you stereotypically think of when you imagine Holland.
After the Keukenhof, we went to Zaans Schaans, only to find out the shops had closed but we could still walk around. What is that you say? It's a lowland that has like 10 windmills in sight, up to 5 close enough together to get in one picture. It was neat. THey were industrial mills used to cut lumber, get the oil out fo peanuts, make colored dyes, and I don't remember the others. It was cool to see so many all at once. Kind like what you stereotypically think of when you imagine Holland.On Wednesday, Piety was off to work so Jan and I went for a drive after lunch. First we visited his Stallion at another farm, then checked out a couple windmills in Dokkum(one of which runs a pet store out of the main floor). Next it was off to Anjum, the town near where my grandpa grew up. We went to the mill, to take a picture, and there was a little store in the bottom. So we go inside and find out that it is a museum now, and you can actually climb up the mill, all the way to the top floor! Naturally we did it, and it was pretty neat to be climbing a mill in the village near where my grandpa grew up. The red and green on the top left of the photo is where the arms of the mill are attatched to. Yep. Right to the very top!
Just outside of town is a dijk, it seems Grandpa grew up near a hole in the dijk(yep there are holes in the dijk), so we tried to find where his house used to stand- it has since been demolished. After looking at 3 holes and talking to a few people, we think we found the right property. It was pretty neat. This isn't the one(I don't think) but it shows the hole in the dijk the best. It seems that on the other side of the dijk it was very shallow, so when the waters were low, the farmers would put their livestock to pasture over there. When the waters were high or there was a storm, they would put some big, fitted pieces of wood in the hole to close it up.
Yesterday, Piety had to work just in the morning, so after a calm morning where I slept late, applied to College, and discovered my old job still owes me money and I might have to look into further action to get it, and took the dog for a walk, we went shopping. Didn't buy much, but it was awesome to be shopping on a street in Holland, crossing the canal to get to different stores. Yep. I love it.
So I have truly enjoyed my time here. Jan and Piety were awesome and I am so glad that I got in touch with them. I don't think that my first 10 days could have gone much better.
Monday, April 07, 2008
Hoi
A week ago tomorrow I left Canada and began my trip. It is hard to believe that I have not yet been here a week. With all the driving around, touring, and photos it feels like I have been here for so much longer. In a good way.
Saturday turned out to be a very fun day. It was 'Kom in de Kas' day(open houses at some greenhouses) and later we found out that it was also a weekend to get in free to any museums in Frysland. So in the morning, Piety and I got on the Bikes. Yep. I have now riden a bike in Holland. I am so dutch I can feel it;) There were three greenhouses, first Paprikas, then we broke for lunch, then off to flowers and tomatoes. It was neat to get to go right inside and have some people explain how it worked on such a large scale. After we got home, we jumped in the car and headed off to Kazemattenmuseum. A museum built out of the actual bunkers of WW II German soldiers right on the coast of Frysland next to the Afsluitdijk- at the meeting of the Waddenzee and the Ijsselmeer. I know I know, the Germans? It wasn't a tribute to what they stood for, simply actual buildings from the war with lots of things about the Dutch soldiers and the fighting in that area. It was really neat, definitely not something you could ever see in Canada! Finished the night off with a couple glasses of a Fantastic bubbly Italian White Wine with Piety, giggling about something or another.
Sunday we headed to Leeuwarden- the capital of Frysland, to a Nature Museum. It paled in comparison to the War museum the day before, but it was very well set up for kids, it was comfortable and interactive in some exhibits. In the evening Piety and I went to a Praise and Worship service at a church she attends in Draacht- about 35-40 minutes away. It is a huge church, nearly 3000 during the day, and probably almost 1000 at that night service. It would be in dutch, but they had a translator, so I got a translator box and throughout the entire service had a lady translating, the songs, the prayers, the messages, in my left ear. Definitely a different way to experience a church service. Didn't end up getting much of the message, or singing along to any of the (dutch)songs, but it was still good. People seemed very at ease. There was an age range of 12-75 or so, and it was so lively! The band was jumping and dancing and clapping away as they led everyone in worship.
Today we once again hit the road, I saw Frysland's soccer stadium and then we proceeded on to Giethoorn- a very picturesque village with mostly thatched roofs. After walking for a while and then stopping for coffee/tea, we...... rented a boat! Yep, I rode in a boat on a canal in a small village in Holland. In fact, I got to DRIVE the boat, on a canal, in a small village, in Holland... Ok, so it is just a boat, but I have never driven a boat before and since my rowing incident have been a little afraid of being in a boat on water. But it went well. Got in a fight with some ducks, maybe bumped the wall a few times while turning 90degrees to the left, but lived to tell!
So that has been my last few days. What a lot of fun! No idea what is in store for tomorrow, but I am learning to enjoy that. I am, as Piety says, on holiday, after all!
On a side note, just to mention some of the wonderful cusine I have tried/eaten in the last few days- boerenkool stamppot met worst, kroket en patat, poffertjes met aardbeien met slagroom, pannen koeken, blokzyler brok, dropjes, chinese food, pizza, gouda kas, hagelslag, brodje... yep... I am cultured ;)
Check out the links on the left for picture albums links to facebook!
Dooi!
Saturday turned out to be a very fun day. It was 'Kom in de Kas' day(open houses at some greenhouses) and later we found out that it was also a weekend to get in free to any museums in Frysland. So in the morning, Piety and I got on the Bikes. Yep. I have now riden a bike in Holland. I am so dutch I can feel it;) There were three greenhouses, first Paprikas, then we broke for lunch, then off to flowers and tomatoes. It was neat to get to go right inside and have some people explain how it worked on such a large scale. After we got home, we jumped in the car and headed off to Kazemattenmuseum. A museum built out of the actual bunkers of WW II German soldiers right on the coast of Frysland next to the Afsluitdijk- at the meeting of the Waddenzee and the Ijsselmeer. I know I know, the Germans? It wasn't a tribute to what they stood for, simply actual buildings from the war with lots of things about the Dutch soldiers and the fighting in that area. It was really neat, definitely not something you could ever see in Canada! Finished the night off with a couple glasses of a Fantastic bubbly Italian White Wine with Piety, giggling about something or another.
Sunday we headed to Leeuwarden- the capital of Frysland, to a Nature Museum. It paled in comparison to the War museum the day before, but it was very well set up for kids, it was comfortable and interactive in some exhibits. In the evening Piety and I went to a Praise and Worship service at a church she attends in Draacht- about 35-40 minutes away. It is a huge church, nearly 3000 during the day, and probably almost 1000 at that night service. It would be in dutch, but they had a translator, so I got a translator box and throughout the entire service had a lady translating, the songs, the prayers, the messages, in my left ear. Definitely a different way to experience a church service. Didn't end up getting much of the message, or singing along to any of the (dutch)songs, but it was still good. People seemed very at ease. There was an age range of 12-75 or so, and it was so lively! The band was jumping and dancing and clapping away as they led everyone in worship.
Today we once again hit the road, I saw Frysland's soccer stadium and then we proceeded on to Giethoorn- a very picturesque village with mostly thatched roofs. After walking for a while and then stopping for coffee/tea, we...... rented a boat! Yep, I rode in a boat on a canal in a small village in Holland. In fact, I got to DRIVE the boat, on a canal, in a small village, in Holland... Ok, so it is just a boat, but I have never driven a boat before and since my rowing incident have been a little afraid of being in a boat on water. But it went well. Got in a fight with some ducks, maybe bumped the wall a few times while turning 90degrees to the left, but lived to tell!
So that has been my last few days. What a lot of fun! No idea what is in store for tomorrow, but I am learning to enjoy that. I am, as Piety says, on holiday, after all!
On a side note, just to mention some of the wonderful cusine I have tried/eaten in the last few days- boerenkool stamppot met worst, kroket en patat, poffertjes met aardbeien met slagroom, pannen koeken, blokzyler brok, dropjes, chinese food, pizza, gouda kas, hagelslag, brodje... yep... I am cultured ;)
Check out the links on the left for picture albums links to facebook!
Dooi!
Friday, April 04, 2008
Another Hallo
Have I ever mentioned that I have serious issues with thinking up creative names for my posts. If you have any suggestions, let me know! Its almost as bad as naming a name that tune team...
Jess, pictures are coming I promise. Not sure when yet, and they are nothing compared to the kids in Haiti, beautiful but not cute and heartbreaking at the same time. But I will work on that soon, promise!
So. I am no longer jet lagged. Or I will deny it if I am. Sure I still sleep late and take naps, but I blame that on being relaxed and being drained. It is amazing how much energy trying to converse to someone who speaks only so much English can be. With my aunt, it is ok. Her English is really good actually. But her husband doesn't speak it so well. Well, this afternoon, he and I went for a drive and a tour of some areas in Friesland (I know it is spelt different then last time, I don't really know which way is right so I think I will use both). Just the two of us. Me with next to no dutch, and his English is choppy at best. It is amazing how well we can manage to get by despite these hurdles. Turned into a really nice day. Got to see a few Dijks, some more windmills, a skate mueseum, drove through numerous little towns and learnt more about this country. Its fascinating really. I am almost glad I didn't do any studying up on the country before I came because hearing it first hand from a Dutch man is really awesome!
For those of you who don't know, my mom was born in the Netherlands. Yesterday I had the chance to go with Aunt Piety and see the town that she was born in. I saw a house she had lived in, a bridge my grandpa used to cross going to work, a school that my aunt attended for a little while. In fact, through the kindness of a stranger, we actually got to go inside a house that my mom lived in with her family when she was just 4 or 5 years old! It was an adorable town and since I admit I am a bit of a history fan, it was amazing to go and see this little village. I never really imagined what it was like, or pictured how life had been back then, but after seeing this village first hand, not only do I appreciate the chance to see moms birthplace, I have alot more respect for my grandparents, for all people of that generation and what the must have faced in regards to hurdles. Wow. It was pretty much fantastic.
We also did some visiting, Pietys mom and sister, her cousin(also a Pietje!) and some of her family, a walk to the village to check the prices on Klompen(the infamous wooded dutch shoes). So it was a very busy day!
At that, I must be off. There is an open house at a near by green house tomorrow and I do believe we are headed that way to check it out. Going to bike there. First time I will be on a bike in... I don't know. A long time. Doi!
ps. I ate Chinese food. First time. And I lived to tell =)
Jess, pictures are coming I promise. Not sure when yet, and they are nothing compared to the kids in Haiti, beautiful but not cute and heartbreaking at the same time. But I will work on that soon, promise!
So. I am no longer jet lagged. Or I will deny it if I am. Sure I still sleep late and take naps, but I blame that on being relaxed and being drained. It is amazing how much energy trying to converse to someone who speaks only so much English can be. With my aunt, it is ok. Her English is really good actually. But her husband doesn't speak it so well. Well, this afternoon, he and I went for a drive and a tour of some areas in Friesland (I know it is spelt different then last time, I don't really know which way is right so I think I will use both). Just the two of us. Me with next to no dutch, and his English is choppy at best. It is amazing how well we can manage to get by despite these hurdles. Turned into a really nice day. Got to see a few Dijks, some more windmills, a skate mueseum, drove through numerous little towns and learnt more about this country. Its fascinating really. I am almost glad I didn't do any studying up on the country before I came because hearing it first hand from a Dutch man is really awesome!
For those of you who don't know, my mom was born in the Netherlands. Yesterday I had the chance to go with Aunt Piety and see the town that she was born in. I saw a house she had lived in, a bridge my grandpa used to cross going to work, a school that my aunt attended for a little while. In fact, through the kindness of a stranger, we actually got to go inside a house that my mom lived in with her family when she was just 4 or 5 years old! It was an adorable town and since I admit I am a bit of a history fan, it was amazing to go and see this little village. I never really imagined what it was like, or pictured how life had been back then, but after seeing this village first hand, not only do I appreciate the chance to see moms birthplace, I have alot more respect for my grandparents, for all people of that generation and what the must have faced in regards to hurdles. Wow. It was pretty much fantastic.
We also did some visiting, Pietys mom and sister, her cousin(also a Pietje!) and some of her family, a walk to the village to check the prices on Klompen(the infamous wooded dutch shoes). So it was a very busy day!
At that, I must be off. There is an open house at a near by green house tomorrow and I do believe we are headed that way to check it out. Going to bike there. First time I will be on a bike in... I don't know. A long time. Doi!
ps. I ate Chinese food. First time. And I lived to tell =)
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Hallo from the Netherlands!
So I made it! I am writing you from a computer sitting in an adorable little house in the province of Frysland. Already since arriving I have ordered lunch in dutch, driven over a dam, seen some windmills- old fashioned and the new ones, and begun to settle into my home for the next few days. Can't believe I am here but thrilled to have made it safely! Pictures are not going to be a problem, as anyone who knows me is aware, I love taking photos. Turns out, Auntie Piety also loves taking photos and she loves that I am here, exploring things for the first time and learning about the country of my ancestors. That means that not only do I get to take alot of photos, but I get to be in alot of photos! Seriously psyched about that!
The flight itself was uneventful. My flight out of Edmonton was delayed by nearly an hour, however I still had a good hour between flights and despite the vastness of the Minneapolis airport, my arrival and departure were from the same terminal. Made it on time no problem! The flight to Amsterdam was alright as well. No horrendous stories of my seat partner, as he was actually a nice gentleman who has spent the last 40 years in Winnepeg but returns to the Netherlands yearly. My back is killing me and I am a little worried about my knees, but considering the length of the flight, I'd say those are pretty small prices to pay.
Now I am off for a nap and perhaps a walk as I sit and settle into the world of the Dutch.
God Bless
The flight itself was uneventful. My flight out of Edmonton was delayed by nearly an hour, however I still had a good hour between flights and despite the vastness of the Minneapolis airport, my arrival and departure were from the same terminal. Made it on time no problem! The flight to Amsterdam was alright as well. No horrendous stories of my seat partner, as he was actually a nice gentleman who has spent the last 40 years in Winnepeg but returns to the Netherlands yearly. My back is killing me and I am a little worried about my knees, but considering the length of the flight, I'd say those are pretty small prices to pay.
Now I am off for a nap and perhaps a walk as I sit and settle into the world of the Dutch.
God Bless
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