The Melting Pot

Marapets

2008-04-28T01:34:00.001+01:00

Hi Again,

I would like to please request some help from you all :)

With my computer down, I havent been able to do much on here apart from play games and I have been well and truly hooked on a game called Marapets! I just cant get enough of it!

It is a virtual pet site that has members of all ages. There is games to play, clubs to join, mail and forums to chat with other players, and prizes to be won. There is also missions, quests, and goals to work on. And sooooo much more.

If you would like to help me win prizes, PLEASE?, then please use this link, which is also above, and then click Sign Up. And then create a character and pet! It is totally free, and you will NOT get junk mail or anything from them. Even if you never come back to the site again, just sign up using my link for free. And I believe you may also have to create your doll and pet.

www.marapets.com/refer.php?id=spacetrekkers

If you do join and decide to play, drop me a line and say hi :)

Wow! A year has gone by?

2008-04-28T01:22:00.001+01:00

Hey Everyone,

WOW! I cant believe that it has been a year since I last posted here! Nothing too much has been happening, I lead a pretty dull life these days. My computer has been broken for the past 6 months so I havent even been tagging and playing in paint shop pro.

My dad did come to Europe on a whirlwind trip and I did get to see him which would have to be the highlight of the past year :) I hadnt seen him in nearly 8 years! And now I miss him so much since he is gone again.

I also celebrated my 40th birthday and I think I may have some photos on my fotki site. I didnt do a real lot for it. We just took 20 or so close friends and family out to dinner and it was really special being surrounded by those I love most :) Otherwise, I didnt mark the ocassion with too much hoopla. But I did have several friends come to visit and stay the weekend, some also from England, and it was soooooo good to spend this time with them :)

Diet and weight wise? I put on about 5kg since my birthday but otherwise, I have managed to keep off most of what I had lost. But I havent lost anymore yet. I got pretty lazy on the exercise again, especially through the cold winter. And I am not quite as good as I was with eating. For example, I havent been living on rice cakes and soup like I used to. I am hoping I can get back into the swing of things and pride myself on not putting all that lost weight back on again. Wish me luck!!!!!!

I will finish here and must make a mental note to pop in a bit more often and not leave it a year again.....lol. Have fun!!!!!

Dolphins and Seals in Need

2007-03-10T18:57:00.000+01:00

One thing I cannot tolerate is cruelty to animals. I adore all animals and this is my utmost hate! When I saw this footage of the dolphin fishing, I was so upset and sick to the stomach. I beg you all to sign the petition. If you watch the video, be warned that it is extremely graphic and not for the faint of heart.

The video: www.glumbert.com/media/dolphin

Petition link: www.petitiononline.com/golfinho

And while I have your attention, please also sign the petition on the seal hunt in Canada. Only a few weeks till the slaughter begins again........

Video footage of the seal hunts: http://www.stopthesealhunt.com/site/pp.asp?c=hmKYJeNVJtF&b=401889

Seal Hunt Petition: http://www.stopthesealhunt.com/site/apps/ka/ct/contactcustom.asp?c=hmKYJeNVJtF&b=412891

A Little About Me

2007-03-10T18:36:00.000+01:00

1. What time did you get up this morning? 11:15 AM
2. Diamonds or pearls? Both, can't decide
3. What was the last film you saw at the movie? I think it was "Mr & Mrs Smith"?
4. What is your favorite TV show? Way too many to mention but here are some: CSI's, Prison Break, LOST, Star Trek's, Stargate's, 7th Heaven, Gilmore Girls, Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Bones, 24, and more.
5. What did you have for breakfast? 2 Weet Bix, Actimel drink, Becel Pro Active Cholesterol drink, Banana, Cup of Tea
6. What is your middle name(s)? Elizabeth
7. What is your favorite cuisine? Greek & Mexican (Love them both)
8. What foods do you dislike? Just about all veges.
9. What is your favorite chip flavor? Must be crinkle cut and the flavour, either Salt & Vinegar, Tomato Sauce, Pickles, or Plain
10. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Soundtrack of Les Miserables
11. What type of car do you drive? Mercedes
12. What characteristics do you despise? No respect for animals
13. Favorite item of clothing? Track Pants with my ugh boot type slippers and a big comfortable jumper
14. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? I have been to Italy so my next favourite choices are Mexico and Greece. Also really want to go to a musical on London's West End.
15. Favorite time of the day? Evening
16. What was your most memorable birthday? I guess the last BIG party which was 30th
17. Where were you born? Brisbane, Australia
18. Favorite sport to watch? Tennis or Rugby League
19. Who do you least expect to send this back to you? No idea
20. Who do you expect to send it back first? No idea
21. Coke or Pepsi? Coke Light all the way.......
22. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Definitely a Night Owl
23. What is your shoe size? In European sizes, size 39
24. Do you have any pets? 3 cats, 20 chickens and roosters, and soon a pony to come in the next few weeks.
25. What did you want to be when you were little? Photo Journalist
26. When is your birth date? 6 May, 1967
27. Shampoo? Head and Shoulders 2 in 1
28. Soap? Dove Moisturising
29. Summer/Winter? Winter
30. Favorite Advertisement? ?
31. Thinking about? Who I will send this to...
32. Listening to? The hum of our computers

*********THE LAST 24 HOURS*********
Cried? No.
Met someone new? No
Cleaned your room? Yes
Drove a car? No
How many hours sleep? 9

*************DO YOU BELIEVE IN**************
God? Absolutely
Yourself? Yes
Santa Claus? Yes. The Saint who lived many years ago.
Destiny/Fate? Destiny
Ghosts? Yes

**********FRIENDS AND LIFE**********
Who have you known the longest of your friends? Lisa from Australia
Who do you go to for advice? My mum or my friends, Tera and Amanda
When do you cry the most? When I watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition. When I see cruelty to animals. When I miss family back in Australia

My Greatest Weight Loss Fear

2007-01-18T17:26:00.000+01:00

Don't get me wrong, I want to lose this weight more than anything. I want to feel healthier, fitter, have more energy, be able to do more. Not miss out on seeing things when travelling because I am not able to walk up to it. Or have panic attacks when going on carnival rides because I fear the embarrasment of not fitting. I dont want the embarassment of flying in a plane and having to pay for 2 seats or having to use an extender seatbelt. I dont want my borderline diabetes to become full diabetes. The list could go on. But there is a pitfall to losing weight that drives fear into me. And in all my searches of other blogs, I am yet to see much written on the topic. That pitfall is, EXCESS SKIN!

When weight is gained, the skin expands, and often loses elasticity. This loss of elasticity can never be regained. No exercise, toning, lotions or potions, can ever give the skin back that elasticity. This is more common in people who are older or people who are overweight for many years, such as myself. When the skin has lost its elasticity, and weight is lost, the skin does NOT shrink back. Rather you are left with a large amount of excess skin. Such as these photos I found, show........ This excess skin will never go away (with the exception of major surgery. This excess skin can also cause other problems such as Abscess, Rashes, Ulcerations, Cellulitis (cellulitis is a painful bacterial skin infection) and hygiene problems. The greater the amount of weight lost, the greater the amount of excess skin. Everyday, people are having tummy tucks to remove up to 50pounds or more (up to 25kg) of excess skin. There is no other method of removing the excess skin. Some people will tell you that can tone the skin up and that exercise might work. But that is definitely NOT the case.

That is one of the reasons I have put my goal weight at 70kg instead of 60kg. I would even be happy to reach just 80 or 90kg. In all probability, I will have a large amount of excess skin which cannot be lost. I am already finding this possibility a reality. I have always said that I would never, in my entire life, have cosmetic surgery. And I could never understand why people put themselves through so much pain and for what really? However, the more I think about it, the more I do NOT want that excess skin that is bound to remain after losing a lot of weight. And the more I think that, then a tummy tuck is definitely an option not to be ignored.

Am I being vain? Afterall, who will see it besides myself, my hubby, and my doctor. In some ways, I feel like I am abandoning my beliefs and selling out. I have always sworn against it, yet here I am entertaining the idea. I know that I am already suffering from major skin infections from time to time. Would this help with that? And could I withstand the agony of surgery, I have a very low pain tolerance.

I would dearly love to hear about how others have dealt with this issue after weight loss. And also their thoughts on tummy tucks, arm lifts, etc.

Inspirational Friends

2007-01-16T23:32:00.000+01:00

I just wanted to write a post to thank everyone who has left comments of support and encouragement. These comments really do help to spur you on and continue on the journey. And to all the others out there, that are also trying to lose weight, I wish you every success. You can do it!

I also want to say that it really helps, knowing that others are going through the same thing. Experiencing the same ups and downs. And those that have had great success so far, really do inspire you to continue. Since starting this blog, I have been travelling around the blogs of others and found many that are going through the same struggle as myself. Some of those are listed in the side column here. And I have to say that some have really inspired me to keep going. One girl has lost an amazing 182 pounds (82.5kg). My mindset is, that if others can do it, maybe I can too.

Thankyou to my friends, Amanda and Tera, for bringing me into the world of blogging. My friend Amanda is also an inspiration to me. Amanda has so far lost over 20kg and is looking totally amazing!

However, her exercise regime puts me to shame. I am a long way yet, from regular 10-15km walks. But her success spurs me on to do the best I can too. I see how much better, healthier, happier, and fitter she is, and that is what we all strive for.

Please drop in and visit her blog and leave a comment of support :) http://whataboutyourhips.blogspot.com/index.html

End of week 13

2007-01-15T15:19:00.000+01:00

Well, I am absolutely thrilled to have a loss this week. Only 300g (10.6 ounces) again, but still a loss. I really didn't think it was going to happen after Friday night. Friday night we went out. First we went to a friends for a birthday and I had a piece of birthday cake. Then we went to our neighbours for a drink. We had a great time but oh boy, the food was endless. There was only 4 of us and the neighbour kept bringing out an endless supply of the most scrumptious foods. Starting with bowls of cashews and bowls of cheese cubes and a dipping sauce. Then these little cheese nibblies that were so yummy. She said they were salmon and cheese, and they were shaped into little ovals and garnished on top. Then there were a huge pile of hot mini vol au vents which she kept saying to eat up before they are cold. She also brought out 2 whole quiches. The first was a salmon quiche but I dont know what the second one was, I was just way to full to fit anymore in.......lol. And she finished it off with a large tray of chocolate biscuits. I tell you, I waddled home.......lol.

Saturday morning, I tentatively stepped onto the scales. OH NO! A half kilo gain :( All day I stuck rigidly to my diet. I had only my 3 meals for the day, absolutely no snacks, and for dinner, I had a bowl of soup with toast.

Sunday morning, I tentatively stepped onto the scales. OH NO! Still 400g over my last weigh in :( Again, I stuck rigidly to my diet. Only the 3 meals for the day, absolutely no snacks, and dinner was a modifast milkshake, 2 sandwiches, and a small frozen yoghurt dessert. Plus, it was finally a sunny and beautiful day (it has been raining everyday for weeks and I had not been getting my walks in for weeks). So, today I finally got in a short 2km walk. Only 25mins but finally a walk.

Monday morning, weigh in day!!!!! I held my breath and stepped onto the scales. A loss of 300g!!!!!!!!!

I couldn't believe it and was totally over the moon :) It just goes to show, one bad diet day need not be the end of the world. If you fall off the wagon so to speak, and have a really bad diet day, dont lose hope and give up. Next day just continue as if it never happened and you might be pleasantly suprised :) Stick with it, and at the end of the week, you may not necessarily gain after one bad day.

My Weight Loss Program

2007-01-11T16:24:00.000+01:00

Ok, I guess it is time to write about my weight loss program and my progress to date. My heaviest recorded weight was in summer 2006, with a weight of 139.9kg. I felt terrible, I couldnt do anything and had really let myself go. After getting a virus and being sick and not eating for a few days, I had dropped a few kilo's. This gave me the start and incentive that I needed. And now I have changed my whole lifestyle.

Before, I was a nightowl and stayed up all night. Because of this, I never got anything done during the day plus my eating habits were dreadful. I would have breakfast when I woke up and skip lunch. Then I would snack late in the afternoon, have big late dinners, and then have midnight snacks. Many nights I would have a huge dinner and an hour later be hungry again because of letting my blood sugar drop so low. This combined with hardly any exercise and a lot of time on the computer or in front of the tv, meant that I was on a downhill slide.

Now my life is completely different. I think there are a lot of things that I can improve on, but it is so much better than it was, and it is definitely a start on getting things on track. A couple of weeks ago, I had lost a total of 13kg. Then I got a new set of digital scales and they read a couple of kilo's more. But I have still lost a total of 11.5 kg by the new scales and I now take my readings by the new scales. And I should mention that I am doing it entirely on my own, no diet fads, no clubs, just the support of Hans and a few friends.

So, what have I changed? First I changed my sleeping habits. I still have a few late nights but now I am usually in bed between 12 and 1am. And I am often up around 9 and 9.30. This means that there is NO late night snacking anymore. It is very rare that I eat after dinner now. And I have dinner no later than 8pm if it can be helped. It also means that I eat 3 proper meals a day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I am eating a bit less at dinner time also, and because I am eating properly during the day and my blood sugar stays at good levels, I am usually feeling full and satisfied still from dinner, right up till I go to bed. I do get hungry in the late afternoon and usually have a snack but I have good snacks now, which I will tell you about shortly. I also try to have something every 3 to 4 hours apart. This prevents the blood sugar levels from dropping and the metabolism going.

What do I eat? Well, as my friends know, I dont eat vegetables or salads. I love fruit but the only vegies I eat are potato (all types), pumpkin, carrot, onion, and beans. And I only eat them cooked. This can be a problem when trying to lose a lot of weight but I work on eating what I can and sometimes eat other vegies in cooked dinners. For example, I always add a heap of chopped fresh tomato to many meals, such as chilli, lasagne, etc. This gives me a good serve of tomato. I also eat a lot of fruit and will often have fruit for dessert, either a small serve of fruit salad, or a couple of mandarins, or a fruit yoghurt, etc. And I try to have a banana with breakfast every morning. Now that I have mentioned my not eating vegies, here is what I do eat :)

Breakfast: I start every morning with a cup of tea, a banana, an Actimel drink for the immune system, and a Becel Pro Active drink to lower cholestrol. That is unless I have run out of one or more. With these I then have either a modifast milk shake or 2 Weet Bix.

Lunch: Lunch is nearly always the same unless I have run out and have something a bit different. And that same thing is 4 or 5 slices of bread (the bread is sliced very thin in Belgium, slices are half as thick as Australia and also thinner than Holland). I put a little butter on the bread but not too much and I use Becel with no cholestrol in it. And then I have liverwurst on the sandwiches. Liverwurst if high in fat but I love it. And because I dont eat vegies, have very little red meat, and my iron levels were way too low (below the minimum that it should be) before I started dieting, then I continue with this as liver is a good source of iron.

Dinner: This varies enormously. Many nights I have a bowl of soup with a couple of sandwiches. I eat a lot of bread. And soup is very low in calories and fat. And most contain vegies that I would not normally eat. My favourite soups are cream of tomato, goulash soup, or varieties of chicken. An occasional onion soup is also nice. Sometimes I skip the soup and just have a couple of toasted sandwiches, such as cheese and pineapple. I also have pasta as often as I can. Pasta is also very low in fat and contrary to many opinions, it is very good for diets. When I was going to Jenny Craig for a while in Australia, she had a number of pasta dishes. And going by the weight watchers points system in Holland, you can have a free serve of unfilled pasta for just 3 points. Spaghetti Bolognaise is a good example, the pasta fills you up, you can have a free serve, plus I get my vegies in the sauce. And where I used to add a heap of grated cheese, I now only sprinkle a little parmesan on top. I do also add lean minced beef to mine which also gives me a serve of red meat. Other nights I do have the usual meat (or fish) and vegies or a rice dinner (such as tonight's home made fried rice). But rice is not as good as pasta for losing weight so dont have too much. I try not to have anything deep fried but have had a serve of hot chips a couple of times with fish. Otherwise, now when I fry anything I am going eat, I only use a little diet oil or olive oil.

Snacks: Here is where my biggest change is, I think. Now, 9 times out of 10, my snack is a couple of rice cakes, either plain or with cottage cheese on them. You can get a variety of flavoured rice cakes now. There is even chocoate ones and cheese flavoured ones. I like the cheese flavoured and they are still only 38 calories each. I prefer them with a little cottage cheese on top but it isnt necessary. Sometimes I do have something a little different but mostly, that is my snack. If I have something different, it is either a banana, mandarins, a 0% fat and 0% added sugar fruit yoghurt, a slice of cheese, pretzels, etc. Pretzels also make a good diet snack.

Before, I loved my cheese, chocolate, chips, and all sorts of bad goodies. And I am suprised at how easy it has been to not have these at times. I still do eat a lot of cheese but try to eat only a slice here and there. Occasionally I will have a few plain crackers with a bit of cheese on them or I will have a slice of cheese as a snack. You do need a certain amount of dairy in the diet as well, for calcium. I dont always buy the low fat cheese. It can be a pain buying different kinds of cheese for us both and if you are sensible and not having it very often, then a slice or two is not going to make a huge difference. I do crave chocolate or potato crisps now and again but I find that it is much easier to just ignore the cravings if there isnt any of that in the house. If there isnt any in the house, then after a short time, the cravings just disappear. It is much harder not to give into temptation if they are in the house. I do allow myself a little chocolate now and again. For example, I had a small chocolate from Sinterklaas and a little chocolate at xmas. If you refuse to ever eat anything you love, you will only get fed up with the diet and resent it, eventually failing. The main thing is not too often and in moderation.

I have some major changes to my diet. I have cut out a lot of fat, I use only good cooking oils, I choose healthier snacks, swapped sweetener in my coffee instead of sugar, I make sure I have 3 proper meals a day (no skipping meals), I have cut out eating at night (especially late at night), and I try not to let my blood sugar drop too low. Also, when I shop, I always check the fat content and calorie content on items. I used to live on pizza's and I have not had a pizza since I have been on the date, 13 weeks now. I also made hamburgers before but now I make them using a piece of lean steak instead of fatty hamburger patties. These changes, together with better sleeping habits and a more active lifestyle, have made for major improvements. I am feeling so much better in myself. I feel healthier, I can do more, and I am also happier. I know that I will have to make more changes as time goes on. For starters, I dont drink as much water as I should yet. And I will have to cut meal sizes and fat content back more, etc. But for now, I seem to be doing something right and it is working.

Here is a photo of me at my starting weight, 139.2kg.....

I dont notice too much of a difference yet and mostly the difference I do see is in the face. But out of the 13 weeks there is only 2 that I did not lose anything, and those 2 weeks I didnt gain either, I stayed the same. Mostly it is only half a kilo a week and last week it was only 0.3kg but that is better. If you lose it slow, it is more likely to stay off. And I can definitely feel it in my clothes. Every Monday morning I get up and before I eat breakfast, the first thing I do is weigh in and take my measurements. I take 11 measurements in all, including neck, wrist, and ankle. I have so far lost 3cm off the neck. I also have a waist now that I never had for a long time......lol. I keep all my stats along with a graph, on the first page of a spreadsheet in Excel. My second page contains my daily ritual (time I get up, what housework I do not including things like the cooking and dishes, what extra exercise I do, what home exercises I do, and what time I go to bed). The third page of the spreadsheet is where I write down ALL I eat. Every day I put in what I have for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. I even include cups of tea and coffee.

The last page is where I have my goals and rewards listed. I think it is important to reward yourself for doing such a good job. It makes it fun, and gives incentive and encouragement to continue. My first goal was the loss of my first 10kg (reaching 129kg) and my new digital scales were the reward. Now most of my goals are every 5kg more I lose. If I am only losing an average of half a kilo a week, then that is still about 10 weeks between rewards. My next goal is 124kg and for that I have put down to have a manicure and pedicure. At 119kg (a total loss of 20kg), I would like to get a new computer chair as mine is broken and terribly uncomfortable. I might put my goals and rewards in the side column here so that you can see what they are.

Well, I think this post is well and truly long enough........lol. I will save my activity and exercise info for another post :) I will also tell you in another post, a bit about my friend, Amanda, who has so far lost over 20kg and is a major source of inspiration to me. I would love to hear from others with similar experiences and goals. And if you are dieting, hang in there, it is all worth it!!!

2006 (A quick summary)

2007-01-09T22:26:00.000+01:00

Well, this is my last catch up post on my adventures here in Belgium. And then I will start posting on what is happening now, my hobbies and interests, and my weight loss progress. But for the life of me, I am having trouble remembering what we did the past year. There weren't any international visitors and I guess we were a bit boring this year. But I will fill you in on a few things.

New Years Eve 2005 was the first time we stayed home in Belgium, we normally drive to Holland to watch and photograph the amazing fireworks. We didnt think that people let them off in the streets here and discovered at midnight that we were wrong. They were going off all over the neighbourhood. We shouldnt have been suprised, Belgium sells even stronger fireworks than Holland. When it is getting close to the end of the year, the police are sitting at the borders waiting to catch Dutch coming back home with their stash of Belgian fireworks. This year I think they caught someone with a couple of ton of fireworks trying to go back over the border. This year Hans was working the night shift on New Years Eve so it was just me. So outside I went at midnight to watch the fireworks :) However, they still do scare me a bit, being so close. And this year was no exception, especially when the next door neighbours started letting them off in front of the house when I wasnt looking.....lol.

As I mentioned, he winter was cold at the beginning of the year. And one day in February we had really good rijp (a type of frost). So we grabbed our cameras and headed off to the forest. We were not disappointed and I also enjoyed watching people ice skating on the lake there :)

Probably the most notable event this year was Hans' 25th anniversary at the factory. For this, he received several gifts and bonuses. Among these was a HUGE pay bonus in August which was the month that marked his 25 years working at the company. He was also given the actual day off work and then we had the dinner at the end of the year. Every year, just before xmas (this year it was 22 December), the company holds a special dinner for all those celebrating their 10th, 25th, and 40th anniversaries with the company, and also for those that retired that year. It is just for those people, their partners, the General Manager, and the other Department Managers and heads. It is actually a lunch, not dinner. A taxi was sent to pick us up and take us to the lunch which was a fabulous hot and cold buffet. We were greeted at the door with a glass of champagne and after a few drinks, we went to our tables. During the speeches, those who retired during the year received a special gift and those celebrating their anniversaries, received a commemorative pin. Later in the afternoon, the taxis arrived to take us all home again. It was really nice and we had a fabulous time :)

Another major event was the friendly soccor game between Holland and Australia in Rotterdam. Held just before the World Cup. As the factory that Hans works for is owned by an Australian company, Zinifex, they managed to get enough tickets for a couple of busloads to go to the game from the factory. And Hans managed to secure 2 seats for us :) It certainly was an experience and one that I thoroughly enjoyed!!!! I didnt know much about soccor beforehand and didnt have too big a interest but I had to go and support the aussies. And I have to say that since that experience and the following World Cup, my interest has definitely grown :) Here are a few photos and take note of Hans in his aussie outfit...lol. Of course there was Carnival again early in the year and this year we decided to check out the parade in Valkenswaard. Here are a few photos from the 2006 Carnival..... In October, there was an Australian Fair held in Utrecht at the Aboriginal Art Museum there. So Hans and I decided to go and check it out. It was fun and interesting to see, but not much there for us. It was all little stalls about immigration or travel to Australia, a stall about Australian Rules Football, a few aussie product stalls, one about the Flying Doctors, etc. They also had Didgeridoo playing and Boomerang throwing instruction :) I managed to get myself a little souvenir and an aussie cap and we came home with the biggest stack of brochures :) But we didnt take any photos.

Tera and I did make our annual pilgrimage to Valkenburg for the xmas markets in the caves but ended up not getting there. We went on a Saturday which also happened to be the second last day of the markets and when we got there, the cues were a mile long. It may have taken us hours to get our tickets. So we kept driving to Aachen over the border. When we got to Aachen, we had the traffic from a soccor match and then all the car parks were full in the centre. We finally did find a parking garage with a spaces left and headed off to the centre to find somewhere for lunch and the xmas markets. This was easier said than done as all the cafes were completely full and overcrowded, even McDonalds. We finally found a cafe with a couple of spare tables and had a really lovely lunch. Then we headed off in search of the xmas markets. The markets were as wonderful as ever! And we had a great time even though it was a real fight to get through the crowds and we were soaking wet from the non stop rain. But I really enjoyed the markets and the atmosphere and managed to pick up some great goodies :) However, I dont think I will tackle the xmas markets on a weekend again......lol.

Our Christmas was quiet but really lovely. First we headed off to mass at the local church. Hans was playing a few songs on his saxophone with the local band at mass. It was a wonderful way to spend Christmas morning. When we got home, we unwrapped our pressies, talked to mum on the phone again, had a simple lunch and then a lazy afternoon. Our Christmas dinner in the evening was a little different to usual. This year we had Swiss cheese fondue and gourmet. Gourmet is very popular here on special occasions. It is tiny bits of different kinds of meats, and you cook your own pieces yourself on the table. It comes with all these tiny frypans and all the guests cook their own meat in their own little frypan right there on the table. Our gourmet set is not the best so I cooked up different bits of meat on the stove and put it on a plate on the table with the salads and veges etc. But we did our own fondue right there on the table. Second Christmas Day, Hans had to work the morning shift and then we went to visit the family in the evening. So it turned out to be a really wonderful Christmas :)

Another new thing I did this Christmas, was to make all my gifts for family and friends and receive home made gifts from my friends. It was LOADS of fun and I really enjoyed doing it and I think I may do it more often. I think home made gifts mean a lot more also, as they are truly from the heart and you know the person put a lot of thought into it. I think they are more precious than any store bought gift. And I enjoyed it so much!

That is mostly all of note for this year. I did have a wonderful dinner with friends for my birthday and a few other outings but no major sightseeing trips. Progress on the house has been at a bit of a standstill and I am dying to get back into working on it. I am getting extremely sick of my yucky bare concrete kitchen floor, etc. So fingers crossed that we manage to get some things done this year :) Well there is not much else I can think of to write. We are both well and doing great, as are all the pets :) So I guess I will keep this post pretty short and get on to some more current things :) I hope you have enjoyed the journey so far!!!

Trip to Flanders Fields and Normandy

2007-01-08T21:32:00.000+01:00

We headed off early on the morning of April 25, ANZAC Day! And our first stop was the ANZAC day ceremonies in Ieper. It was good to see so many other Australians and New Zealanders also at the ceremonies. And I have to say that the ceremonies were conducted with great respect. The ceremonies are held beneath the Menin Gate. Menin Gate is a memorial to those fallen in the war and every evening of the year, the last post will be played at the gate. We naturally went back to see this done in the evening. Inscribed around the memorial is the names of 54,900 missing sodiers from around Ieper during the First World War.

Ieper is surrounded by so much war history. Every place you look or turn there is a monument, memorial, war cemetery, museum, or even a stark reminder of what happened there. Such as these hospital bunkers set into the hill just around the corner from the house we stayed in. Or these other couple of sites we encountered while just driving around the countryside surrounding Ieper. The house we stayed in was surrounded by farming fields and everytime I looked out the window I would wonder what went on in those fields all those years ago. How many young men died painful deaths in those fields. To say it was a sobering experience is an understatement.

We visited several museums in Ieper. We were there a few days but just could not fit them all in. We also visited different memorials, preserved areas such as "The Yorkshire Trench", and the Tyne Cot Cemetery. Tyne Cot Cemetery commemorates a total of nearly 35,000 men who died. This is a small description I found of Tyne Cot.....

"After the Armistice, the battlefields were cleared and the bodies found during the clearances, together with those from several nearby smaller cemeteries were concentrated in the Tyne Cot Cemetery. This cemetery is now the largest Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery in the world, with almost 12,000 graves."

It found it so emotional that the occupants of most of the graves are unknown. Many are known to be soldiers of particular armies by their uniforms and just their names are unknown. There are others that are totally unknown.

There are dozens and dozens of small war cemeteries dotting the landscape around Ieper and Flanders Fields. And I must note how pristine and well cared for, all these cemeteries are. They are constantly looked after and the lawns and gardens are well tended. They are definitely treated with the utmost respect and that was a wonderful thing to see.

From Flanders Fields, we also did a couple of day trips. One was to Dunkirk and Calais in the north of France. We stood on the beach at Dunkirk and visited the huge gun sites at Cap Blanc Nez and Cap Griz Nez. Just driving around, you can still see the craters on the landscape from the Second World War. Again, reminders of the past are never far away.

The other day trip was to the Australian Memorial Park in Fromelles, France. Part of the Somme battlefield. Again, I was struck with how well cared for these graves are. And it is so sobering as you wander around.

After leaving Ieper, we headed down to Normandy in France. It was quite a drive and we drove through the Somme which was another major battle area of the First World War. Here there were numerous more sites to see but as we didnt have a lot of time, we only visited a few of them. These included the new Australian Memorial Park at le Hamel, the Lochnagar Crater, and a few memorial statues.

The Australian Memorial Park at le Hamel is new and was only opened in 1998 and is at the site of a significant battle which was fought and won there in 1918. The memorial park also contains information about the Red Baron who was shot down near the site.

The Lochnagar Crater was definitely something to see. The crater was caused by an explosion that sent debris 4000ft into the air. The soldiers dug tunnels underground, right to under the enemy line. Here they planted charges, with the case of Lochnagar Crater, it was two charges of ammonal of 24,000lb and 30,000lb. The charges were then blown. Human remains have been found quite recently. This mine crater is around 100m in diameter and 30m deep. It is still the largest man made crater to be created in anger.

We continued our journey to Normandy. We had booked into a hotel in Caen and our drive took us through the centre of Rouen. Now there is a city that I would like to explore but we did not have time to stop, it was already late afternoon. There is just so much history to explore in Normandy and we only had 2 full days which we used to discover the history of the D-Day landings. But Normandy has so much to offer and I hope that one day I can get back there and spend more time discovering it's rich history. For example, there is Rouen. Victor Hugo called Rouen the city of a hundred spires. Claude Monet immortalized its Gothic Cathedral of Notre-Dame. And it is also the city where both Joan of Arc was burned at the stake and William the Conqueror died. Rouen is one of France's most ancient and historic cities. Apart from Rouen there is also the abbey of Mont-St-Michel. It sits on a high rocky islet and connected to the mainland by only a very narrow and long causeway. It dates back to 709 and was unconquered during the Hundred Years' War. It is surrounded by over half a mile of massive defensive walls. It is also known for the tides, the higest on the continent, that rush in at enormous speed and swept the enemy away without warning. Today there is a permanent road to the islet for the tourists. Like I said, Normandy is so full of amazing history and I would love so bad to get back there and explore more. But now, back to what we did see :)

We did get to see a number of museums and sites between Sword Beach and Omaha Beach. Unfortunately time ran out before we got to Utah Beach or the town of St Mere Eglise. We saw each of the beaches, Sword, Juno, Gold, and Omaha. The first stop was at Pegasus Bridge where the British parachuted in from gliders. There is also a museum right there at the bridge. And nearby is the Merville Gun Battery museum that we also took a look at.

We also visited the American War Cemetery at Colleville Sur Mer, above Omaha Beach. The marble crosses and Stars of David stretch as far as the eye can seeand is a very sobering experience. Unfortunately, I only have have video footage of the cemetery.

Not far from the American War Cemetery is La Pointe du Hoc. It lies between the Omaha and Utah beaches and to this day, remains unchanged from when the American Army Rangers scaled its sheer cliffs. You can see from the photos, the huge craters that were the result of the naval bombardment that preceded the Rangers invasion. Most of the German bunkers also remain.

We also visited Arromanches, a seaside town at Gold Beach. You can find one of the best D-Day museums here as well as the Arromanches 360 film. My mum and I went into the film and it was quite an experience. You stand in the centre and the film is projected onto 9 screens in a circular 360degree cinema. The film alternates between present day pictures and unreleased footage from the archives of war correspondents taken on D-Day. It was quite an emotional and unforgettable experience. There are scenes that will remain with me forever. Looking out to sea at Gold Beach you are again struck with reminders of the past as the coast is littered with remnants from D-Day.

Another site that we visited was the German gun batteries at Longues-Sur-Mer. This site is wonderfully preserved and shows the incredible fire power that the Allies faced on the Normandy beaches. 3 of the guns remain in their concrete bunkers.

Apart from these amazing sites, 4 of the 5 beaches, and several museums, we did get to take a quick look at the cities of Caen and Bayeux. Bayeux was liberated during the Battle of Normandy and its buildings remained virtually undamaged as the German troops were pulled away to help defend Caen. It is famous for its tapestry that was made to commemorate the Norman conquest of England in 1066. It's large Romanesque Cathedral dates back to 1077.

Caen, where we were based, is famous on two counts. First for its very historical buildings that were built during the reign of William the Conquerer, who is buried there, and secondly for the Battle for Caen during the D-Day invasion. We paid the castle there a visit and it is quite a site. It was built by William the Conquerer around 1060 and it is one of the largest medieval fortresses of Western Europe.

All to soon, our trip came to an end and it was time to come home. We dropped mum and Noel at the train station in Caen so that they could catch the train to Paris. They spent the night in Paris and climbed the Eiffel Tower before catching the fast train back to Antwerp. A friend of theirs picked them up at the station in Antwerp and they spent a few days with him before coming back here. For Hans and I, it was a very long and hot drive back home. Along the way, we drove through the Somme again and stopped for photos at a couple more sites at Bullecourt. One of these was the bronzed slouch hat memorial which is probably the only war memorial in the world which focuses on an item of the uniform.

The other stop was at the Bullecourt Memorial Park. There were some 10,000 Australians killed or wounded in 2 battles at Bullecourt in 1917. The Memorial Park overlooks that battlefield. It contains the bronze statue of the "Bullecourt Digger".

We arrived home late in the afternoon and the site as we pulled into the driveway had me in fits of laughter. We were greeted home by 14 fluffy little babies running around the yard...lol. That was the first of our baby chicks :)

2005 (A quick summary)

2007-01-08T19:18:00.000+01:00

Well, I seem to have exhausted all my old mails. I must have been very bad with the letter writing in 2005 and 2006 or I just didnt save them. So I guess I will give you an extremely quick rundown. Unfortunately, it is so long ago now, so I may use more pictures more than words in this post. Hope that is ok.

First major event on the calendar was Carnival. This year we went to Budel for the parade and it absolutely forever! It went for over 3 hours and I was exhausted by the end....lol. But it was loads of fun, I will let the photos talk for me.Next, it was time for my mum and Noel to visit from Australia, for 9 whole weeks!!!!!! I was soooooo excited and so thrilled with their visit and I miss them so much now. They did do some travelling on their own. They got to see Ireland,

Germany, Scotland,

And Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

And we got to do loads together. We took them to Amsterdam,

Kinderdijk,

Monschau, the cube houses in Helmond,

And soooooooo much more. The photos for some of the other places are in my last post.

We had also planned an overnight trip to the Ardennes. But because of time, we ended up just making it a day trip. First stop was Bastogne where we looked at a war museum and then had lunch in a nice restaurant. After Bastogne, we took a scenic drive through Luxembourg.

However, the day ended bad, when in a little village in Luxembourg, we were waiting at an intersection to turn a corner when a lady drunk driving, came round the corner and ran into our car. Not a good way to end the day, nor the sitting in a police station forever, giving our statements. But at least there was nobody hurt!

But the star attraction during their visit was our week long trip together to the Flanders Fields in Belgium and the Somme and Normandy in France. Now that was awesome!!!!!! Because this was quite a large trip and I have LOADS of photos, I will do an extra post on this trip.

It was so hard to say goodbye to Mum and Noel when it came time for them to go. I was definitely not ready. But we did get to spend some nice time with them on my birthday and Mothers Day before they had to leave.

Another first for me, was going to my a friends 4th July bbq. My girlfriend Tera is from Wyoming and held a fantastic bbq on July 4th. I just love taking part in and experiencing all her customs and traditions from home. And this was no exception.

Christmas came around before we knew it. This year it was a very cold winter and it started snowing in November. We got a lot of snow this year and the ski resorts in Belgium did loads of business. Around xmas, I went with Tera and her boys, to see Elf Town in Lommel. It was an extremely cold day but we really enjoyed the outing and it was great to see. There are so many wonderful places and things to see that are so close to home and I have yet to see.

Tera and I also went down to the Christmas markets in the caves in Valkenburg. I call it our annual pilgrimage and never miss a year. I just love them!

We had a wonderful Christmas. It was just a quiet one but very nice. Hans gave me a wonderful suprise, my own digital camera. That was a huge suprise and now I dont have to spend forever, scanning all my photos into the computer :) From now on, they are all digital!

The house renovations have slowed down but we did finally put a connecting doorway in between the two houses. That makes things a whole lot easier. And we also finished off the two guest rooms before my mum arrived. The staircase and landing upstairs still need loads of work but at least the guest rooms are now set up for when we have visitors.

Our chickens also multiplied this year. We had several batches of chicks and ended up with sooooooo many chickens from our original 5....lol. I finally found somebody who helped me find homes for a heap of them. But we are still left with 13 hens and 7 roosters. I hope I can at least find homes for 6 roosters one day.

Well, that was a very quick update on the year. It is so long ago and I cant remember all we did.

April 2005 (Parents visit)

2007-01-07T23:42:00.000+01:00

The folks have been here 3 weeks now, but since Friday, are off seeing some other parts of Europe in a hire car till next Monday. They are hoping to visit at least some of Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, and the Czech Republic. And then they will take off to Ireland and Scotland for a further 10 days.

Apart from everyone being sick, it has been totally AWESOME having mum and Noel here :) It was sooooooooo good to see mum again, it had been 3 1/2 years. And I sure did pick them coming through the gates at the airport, they really looked the Aussie part with Noels bush hat and everything....lol. They have been really enjoying it too, and are blown away with some of the things they have seen. And Noel has to try everything, food wise, and doesnt want things they can get back home. He has been trying all kinds of traditional foods and sorts of things :)

The first 2 weeks, before they got really sick, we were out every day, even if it was just around the local area or out to dinner at the Greek restaurant or something. They dont like staying home because they want to make the most of their time and see as much as they can while they can. But it is all very tiring for all of us. We also did a few bigger trips too. We went to the little German village of Monschau and a scenic drive through the top of the Ardennes one day. Another day I took them down to Valkenburg in Holland and three land point. We also spent the day in Zeeland one day, and went to the Delta Works there. This website tells exactly what the Delta Works is, but basically it was the engineering that took place to prevent another flood like the one of 1953. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Works Another day we went to a war museum in Overloon and Noel just loved that day out :) We have been shopping in Eindhoven, toured the local area, and Noel even tried the raw herring, oh my, what a face.........lol. I dont think it went down too well......lol. Unfortunately we didnt have the camera on us at that moment......lol.

Monday 25 is ANZAC day. We (all 4 of us) are heading off early that morning to Flanders Fields (the western front of the first world war) to stay. The ANZAC day ceremonies begin in Ypres at about 11.30 that day and we will attend. Then we will stay there till the Friday, looking around all the war sites and memorials of Flanders Fields, Dunkirk, and the Somme. Also, hopefully visit the town of Brugge while there. From there, we will go down to Normandy in France for a further 3 nights. There is just so many more museums, memorials, and sites to see than we possibly can hope to, so we will probably mostly concentrate on the Australian ones. Hans and I will return on Monday 2 May but mum and Noel will catch the train into Paris for the night, and then come back to Antwerp by the fast train and spend a couple days with a friend of theirs in Zeeland. Their last week and a half will be here. We are also making another trip with them to the Ardennes. From there we will take them into Luxembourg, hopefully visit some amazing caves, a few castles such as the one in Boullion, and a few war museums of the Ardennes, especially in Bastogne. We also have to fit a few day trips in that time, to Amsterdam, Brussels, Arnhem, Kinderdijk and Keukenhof. I doubt we will see it all but fingers crossed for us.

2004 End of year update

2007-01-07T22:36:00.000+01:00

We haven’t done a lot of sightseeing or anything this year. Spare time and money goes into our hobbies or house renovations. But we did manage to get away for the weekend in February for Valentines weekend. We went down to a park near Trier in Germany. In the Moselle region. Very beautiful area and Trier is so full of history. It has so many old Roman remains right in the city centre and the house where Karl Marx was born and much more. Most tourist places here close down for the winter but we did get into Trier and a couple of the other villages and also a wolf park at an old castle. And did a lot of driving and scenic routes. We went down and back through Luxembourg and stopped at another couple of old castles. We also stopped at Vianden in Luxembourg on the way back and I wish I had of known we were going to because I have always wanted to see Victor Hugo’s house there (the author of Les Miserables). Oh well, we will get back there one day. Last week I went to the xmas markets in Valkenberg again. They are totally unreal and I go every year. Last year and the year before I went twice each time. Everywhere here they have xmas markets with beautiful embroidered items with xmas themes. Clear glass ornaments handpainted with all kinds of xmas scenes or snowy villages. ETC, ETC. In Germany, the Gluwein flows pretty well too but not so much here and I usually stick to lots of hot chocolates at this time of year. But the xmas markets in Valkenberg are a little different in that they are held in the old underground mining caves. One of them, the bigger of the markets, is under the old castle ruins and the other is just down the street. They cost about 3 euro each to get into. You walk through the caves with all the stalls dotting the way. They even have a sit down café area halfway through. The caves are usually open for tours the rest of the year and there is pretty amazing artwork and carvings on the sides of the caves. The town of Valkenberg itself is very historical and gets a lot of tourists and it just goes beserk at xmas. I just love it! The town is in the extreme southern tip of Holland. Only about 10km or something from 3 land point, where the borders of Germany, Holland and Belgium meet.

I just LOVE winter over here sooooooooo much. Last week in Valkenswaard they put up an outdoor ice skating rink in the market place and it is so pretty with xmas trees around it and everything. They also put one up in a town near us. This is definitely my favourite time of the year here. I also hear that they are having the ice sculpture display in Eindhoven again this year. We went last year and got loads of photos. They put up this enormous freezer and you take a winding walk through it and the ice sculptures are out of this world. They also did it in Brugges in Belgium last year and I wouldn’t mind taking a peek if it is there again this year. Really what I am waiting for now though, is the snow. We did get a little a couple of weeks ago but it was melted as soon as it hit the ground. It was still pretty to see it falling though. And on Friday it was awesome here! Everything was totally white but no snow. They call it Rijp but I guess it is just a type of frost. Absolutely everything, trees, ground, house roofs, everything, looked like it was covered with icing sugar and it was gorgeous. I don’t think I had seen it to that extent before and this is my 5th winter here.

I also have a new hobby which has kept me quite busy throught out the year. I create email stationery and signature tags for on the computer. I work with paint shop pro and animation shop and create all kinds of things. I am not too handy or crafty with my hands apart from knitting but on the computer it is different. I put my work up for request for those that cant create and just collect and sooooooo many orders. It is all free, I just enjoy doing it. And it really keeps me busy!

Our new kitten is nearly 5 months old now and the biggest little devil.......lol. He is forever getting into mischief and trouble........lol. And constantly annoying his brothers endlessly......lol.

September 2004

2007-01-07T22:23:00.000+01:00

We dont go anywhere during the summer because all the tourist places are soooooooooooo crowded. But we did have to head over the coast one day in Summer. I had to get some papers signed at the Australian Embassy in Den Hague and then we went for a drive down the coast and had dinner in this little fishing village on the coast. Very nice and you have no idea how good it was to smell that sea air again :) Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh :)

This Saturday just gone was really special. The factory where Hans works had an open day. They only have one every two or three years and the rest of the time a guard at the gate stops anyone going in. They had only ever had one other open day in the 4 1/2 years I have been here and I missed that one, the tickets were booked out. So I was determined to finally go to this one and see where he works and we did :) Along with a couple of friends we did the tour of the factory and I got to see the control room he spends so much time in and his office and the whole works :) It was so good to finally see where he spends his time and learn a bit more about what he does and the whole process :)

My other exciting news? It is my really big news!!!! Mum and Noel (my stepfather) have fully paid for their flight :) They arrive on March 15 and leave on May 16. Yep, 9 whole weeks and I can barely wait........lol. It has been 3 years since I saw my mum. Yep, this time 3 years ago is when we were last in Australia. Sure doesnt seem like 3 years. Anyway, they have delayed their arrival 3 weeks from when they originally planned and are staying a little longer so they can be here for my birthday and mothers day :) AWESOME! So I guess we will have to have one of those dutch birthday parties so they can get the feel of it while they are here..........lol. Time is going fast, I cant believe it is now over a month since they finally booked their flight :) The next 5 months are going to fly by.

Things are really starting to cool down now. It is Autumn and the weather sure has been letting us know, much cooler and tons of wind and rain. The Autumn colours havent come out yet though and that is something else I am looking forward to. I love the autumn colours over here, so beautiful. But the past week I have been freezing my butt off in the house! We ran out of oil for the central heating in May and didnt bother filling it with summer around the corner and it being warm enough. But the cold snap seemed to catch us a bit unawares, I had only only been back at work for 2 weeks from summer vacation and suddenly it is freezing.......lol.

I am also back at school one night a week. But on Thursday nights instead of Tuesday this year. And on Tuesday nights I am taking up aqua aerobics at the heated indoor pool about 15mins from us. I went the week before last and really enjoyed it, in fact, loved it :) I wish it was more than once a week! But my old swimsuit is not really any good so I am going to get a new one. And then start in earnest :) I think it is awesome, it doesnt feel like you are exercising at all and I wasnt even too sore the next day :)

Our family has also grown since I last wrote. We now have 3 cats. One day I heard this crying in the front yard and looked out to see a tiny black 5 week old kitten right there next to the busy main road by himself and crying. I managed to get him (he actually came straight to me) and while we were going to find a good home for him through the vets, he worked his way into our hearts before we had a chance. Hans caved in first. He was just sooooooo tiny. Not old enough to be away from his mother but we don’t think he was wild as he was completely used to people and being held. And the immediate neighbours knew nothing about him. So we guess he was abandoned there. Some people!!!!! His name is Dennis, after Dennis the Menace, and never a more fitting name! We also got 5 chickens for eggs. They were supposed to be 5 hens but we brought them home when they were only about 6 weeks old and 2 of them grew into roosters. So now we have 2 roosters fighting over the hens all the time and it is not good. One of them has to go but I absolutely refuse to have it on my dinner table. I AM NOT GOING TO EAT A PET! So we will have to find somebody who wants a rooster.

Winter was good to us this year also. It gave us loads of snow, even in April, and we were able to have some with friends and a snowman.

Visitors again (end of 2003)

2007-01-07T19:06:00.000+01:00

We sure do love having visitors from back home :) We have been to places this time that we hadnt seen before ourselves :) Last Wednesday I went with the visitors to Brussels for the day :) Friday Hans took us to Waterloo and that was such an interesting place. You really need several hours to see everything though. We just got to see the Wellington museum in Waterloo itself, the Napolean Museum at the farmhouse where he spent his last night, and at the battlefield, I watched the film while Hans and the others climbed the lion mound. It was a really nice afternoon :)

Then on Sunday we took off for Koln (Cologne) in Germany. We visited the Cathedral there which is world heritage listed and I think it is the oldest in Germany. We also wandered around some of the Christmas markets there :) Afterwards we went by Monschau, also in Germany and a place I can never get enough of :) They also had their Christmas markets on.

We also got to do other sightseeing including Amsterdam and the wonderful Christmas markets in the caves in Valkenburg, and more.

August 2003

2007-01-07T18:50:00.000+01:00

Well, as you know, we have now moved into our new place in Belgium. We have been living in the bad side and now we finally got the keys to the other house of ours. The exchange was Friday before last. Last Friday we started stripping the wallpaper. Can I just say, I HATE WALLPAPER!!! There, now that feels a little better There was wallpaper on every wall of the house except the spare room, toilet, and bathroom. It was all old and falling off in places plus wallpaper does definitely not go with the cats, so it HAD to go. We hired a steamer and have ploughed our way through it. Although Hans mostly uses the steamer. I find it cleaner to not use the steamer and have sticky wet bits everywhere so I just work away at the walls that come off reasonably easy. And the lower parts of the walls. We finally finished stripping all the wallpaper yesterday and today had a rest day. Then it will be time to wash the walls and then paint, painting is the fun part.

Apart from working on the house we havent done a real lot of other stuff just lately. Last weekend we had Hans' family come to see the new house And one night we went off to the Tilburg Kermis. Every summer here, every little tiny town to every big city has its own kermis (fair). Sort of just like the annual shows over there in Oz. But these fairs are just a side show alley and they wind their way through the main streets of the town, village, or city. There is also no admittance. The Tilburg Kermis is the largest in Holland and one of the largest in Europe. It is so strange seeing a flume ride, roller coaster, or bungee type ride just sitting there in the street, right outside somebody's front door There is also poker machines, fair type foods, fairy floss, etc, etc, etc. The atmosphere is fabulous. We just go for a look around though, everything is so expensive, but I never leave without my huge bag of suiker spin (fairy floss/cotton candy). I only got the second largest size this year, the turbo size I think I really should have got the mega size

Before the summer vacation we also went to a few animal parks. We went to the drive through safari park called Beekse Burgen and the amazing zoo called Ouwehand Zoo where they have what they call the Berenbos (Bear Forest). This is where they keep bears rescued which used to be in Russian circuses or dancing bears from Greece and Turkey, etc. Some of them are completely blind from the bad treatment they used to receive. One of the bears there caught my eye, he was found in a small cage and nearly starved to death behind a demolished bar in Bosnia where he used to perform for the patrons. I just loved this place and the work they do. I think it is absolutely marvelous and am now enclosing a little info about the place:

"All over the world, bears are mistreated and killed for money or the entertainment of people. Furthermore, people are a threat to the bear's natural habitat and the bear is threatened with extinction. In order to act against all this, Alertis (before: International Bear Foundation) was established in 1993 on the initiative of Ouwehand Zoo in Rhenen, the Netherlands. From september 2002 IBF started a collaboration with Ouwehand Conservation Fund. International Bear Foundation has therefore changed its name into Alertis - fund for bear and nature conservation. Alertis is engaged with the conservation of the eight bear species and of the other animal species living in the same habitat.

Report mistreatment of bears!!!Over the last years Alertis receives many calls about bears in distress. There is not always a way of helping these bears, but it is good to keep record of these abuses. That is where we can use your help. Inform us when you think bears are being mistreated. This may concern bears in cirusses, smalle enclosures, dancing bears, etc. We would Like to know who the owner of the bear is, where the bears lives and the number of bears involved. We would also welcome pictures."

Well, apart from those few outings, we are keeping pretty close to home during the summer vacations over here. It is too hot and everything is sooooooooooo crowded. And besides, we do have an awful lot of work to do.........

We did get our resident permits for Belgium :) First one is for 5 months and the next is for 5 years. And they only cost us 4 euro each! And I didnt have to deal with any foreign police or immigration or anything seeing as we have a registered partnership. It was all done through the Gemeente huis and as soon as they had all the documents which was a HUGE list including police reports from our local police in Holland saying we were of good behaviour, and my the marriage certificate of my first wedding in Australia? then we got our permits done over the counter while we waited. Boy that was sooooooo easy.

I suppose you want to know, too, how the registered partnership/marriage thingy went. We are basically married now. I will explain a little about the registered partnership in Holland. It was brought in about 3 or 4 years ago and it is basically a marriage in every way. There is only 1 difference between a registered partnership and marriage, if children are involved then they dont automatically take the fathers name with a partnership. That is the sole difference. Legally, there is absolutely no difference at all. And when we later marry, there is normally no ceremony or anything, it is just a little paperwork to change it over.
Also in May, I got to have a girls weekend away and man was it fantastic!!! Hans had scheduled one of his guys motorcycle weekends that he goes on with a couple of mates once or twice a year and this year they headed over to Sauerland in Germany with all its beautiful national parks. So a couple of girlfriends and I decided we would also take off for the weekend Tera, Amanda and myself had all been dying to see Friesland. One of the 2 norther most Provinces (States) of Holland. However, no matter what we did, our guys were definitely NOT interested in Friesland and would tell us there were only cows there Hans took off with his mates on the Friday morning and then us girls left on the Saturday morning. We went to the afsluitdijk which is this 30km land bridge (dijk). It used to be all sea but they built the dijk which made one side of it a giant lake. There is a place to stop along it and see the info on building, a coffee shop, and a souvenir shop. Then we went to this castle in a little town. Not a real castle as you would think, more like a old mansion, it did have a tower though. Friesland is really pretty and they speak a different language although it is part of Holland. They speak Fresian and yep, it does have a lot of Fresian cows there. The language sounds really weird, Amanda said it sounded like German a little. It is the very north west province (state) of Holland where all those islands up north are too. Then it was on to the zeehond creche (seal creche/hospital/nursery). That was really nice. It was just over the border of Friesland in the province of Groningen. Groningen is the north east province. We also went to have a look at the Wadden Sea which is a sea but at low tide it dries up and you can walk to the islands and everything. The seals all lie there at low tide too. Unfortunately the tide was in while we were there. We also stopped at a candle making factory and windmill and had dinner in a pancake place. On our way back to Jolynn's for the night, we stopped at the town where Amanda's grandma was born, she was born in Friesland but now lives in Canada and Amanda grew up in Brisbane.We had a great time at Jolynn's and sat up till 3am chatting. Then on Sunday we went to Bataviastad which is about a half hour from Jolynn's. That is an outlet mall. We didnt go to see the Batavia tall ship there as we were told it is REALLY expensive. Oh well, maybe another time. The Batavia is a tall ship replica of the original which sunk off the Western Australia coast in the 1600’s. We had lunch there, dropped Jolynn at home and started to home ourselves about 2.30 in the afternoon. I dropped the girls off in the centre of Eindhoven and we had coffee and drinks at a cafe there before we all split up and headed different directions. It was a really great weekend. I did a hell of a lot of driving though, about 1000km in the 2 days which definitely helped ease some of the nerves I still had about driving here.
Well that is pretty well all the news now! But I will tell you a bit about the dreadful heat wave we have been having here. It has been one of the hottest summers over here and really hot!!! England recorded its hottest ever temperature on record on Sunday at 38degrees. And in our little town of Kleine Brogel there is an international air force base so they have recordings for Belgium there, and a few days ago it was the hottest day for Kleine Brogel since they started recording in 1952. It was 37.7 degrees and a real stinker! And over here nothing is air conditioned. Everywhere has heating but nowhere, not even cafes, shops, shopping malls, businesses or anything, have air conditioning. I did discover the supermarket I went to today actually had it and boy was it a relief! But generally there isnt any. And people mostly stay home when the heat is like this so the shops were almost deserted on Saturday when I went out. It has been an awful summer this year, especially when I think back to my first summer here and I was sitting inside with a jumper on and the central heating on in the middle of summer. Well I am defnitely acclimatised now and I do not like this heat one bit! Railways are disrupted because of buckling lines, droughts are severe in Italy and elsewhere, fires are raging in several countries, glaciers are melting extremely fast in Switzerland, and water supplies from rivers are dangerously low. There is also a big lack of power in many parts of Europe because the power stations run by rivers cant operate because the rivers are too low or the power stations are affected by the heat. That is the case with some nuclear power stations that have had to close down because the heat is making them too hot and dangerous. It sure is pretty bad! And for the tour de France cyclists, the melting tarmac on the roads caused some horrible accidents. We have 2 standing fans and they are going pretty well around the clock.

The move to Belgium

2007-01-07T18:41:00.000+01:00

Yep, we are now living in Belgium. Been here one week from tomorrow. And it is soooooooo much more different than I could ever have imagined but I think I am going to like it. For those who are unaware of the details to date, we have bought a big house in Belgium. It is actually 2 complete 3 bedroom houses, each complete with their own kitchen, bathroom, etc. There is no internal access between the 2. We bought in Belgium because it is sooooooooooo much unbelievably cheaper than Holland and Hans preferred to buy cheaper instead of paying for a pile of bricks the rest of his life. For some reason though, Belgian law says we have to have 2 separate mortgages and that settlement on the 2 halves must be a month apart. Strange. But the first half has been settled and we have moved in. The second half settles on April 28. The other half is currently rented out but when the rentee moves out, we will move over and then rent out the side we are currently in. The only change in address will be that “bus 2” will change to “bus 1”. I will advise when that happens.

We have only moved 27 km from our house in Leende, Netherlands. And we are now actually slightly closer to Hans’ work than we were, he works in Holland. We are approximately 15km from the border between Holland and Belgium. And I am so amazed at the differences when we only moved 27km. Well, of course, I had always noticed the differences in architecture and house styles when you crossed the border. Plus things like road quality and how the radio always went stupid right at the border. But absolutely everything is completely different. We don’t have wheelie bins in Belgium. We now have a lot of completely different tv stations and are missing several we used to have. The water tastes downright disgusting now and we have starting buying bottled water. We cant buy my brand of cigarettes or Hans’ dutch licorice on this side of the border. And the differences just keep coming…………

Today we went grocery shopping which was a good and bad experience. It was bad because my purse was pinched out of my handbag but luckily I turned in time and the guy pretended he had found it on the ground and gave it back. I left it at that but was pretty dazed and shaken. That had never happened to me in Holland. Also, it was bad because you cant eftpos at the supermarket. They only take cash, credit cards (not normal keycards), and chipknip. Chipknip is this thingy built into keycard and you put money on it to pay for things like grocery, parking, etc, do you have that in Oz? Anyway, Hans then had to run off to find a bank while I waited at the checkout with the groceries. What an embarrasment, so many things are more different than you would think!

On the good side though, Well the supermarkets here are soooooooo huge in comparison to Holland, more like in Australia, and with so much more variety and different types of things. I could actually get gnocchi, which I love and Holland seems to have never heard of. Also, heinz tomato sauce chips as well as salt and pepper chips, they are also unheard of in Holland. And the list goes on. I am even able to buy Lipton or twinings english breakfast tea, which is so much better than the dutch tea, in the supermarkets here. Before, I could only get it from this special little store in Eindhoven and paid through the nose for it. It was so good to get things I have been without so long. I think I would have gone over the border to shop a bit more if I had of known. And, remember, all these differences only 15km from the border. I forgot to look for apricot nectar though. Will have to check next time so that maybe I can make apricot chicken again.

On top of that, it is so much cheaper over here. All alcohol, (not just beer and wine) is available in the supermarkets and has heaps less tax on it. The other day petrol was 18c/l cheaper. And a lot of other things are also cheaper. A lot of shops are also open on Sundays here so finally I can get bread or milk if I run out over the weekend. And I sure do love the 24 hour bread automats that are everywhere. Now that is a new concept, getting loaves of bread from a machine in the wall, I nearly died laughing when I first saw it.

And another difference, here everything is written twice, in Dutch and French. North of Brussels, where we are, they speak Dutch. South of Brussels speaks French. The country has two official languages and as a result, all groceries, etc are written in both languages and we also now have a heap of French tv channels that we will never watch. It sure is a bit of a strange country.

Well I gotta go but one more interesting bit of info for you, by the time you get this letter I will sort of be married. Hans and I go for what they call a registered partnership on 22 April, the Tuesday after Easter. We have a small ceremony in town hall and even need witnesses for it and everything. The only difference in Holland is that with a registered partnership, babies arent automatically given the fathers name but keep the mothers name. Otherwise it is completely the same as marriage and legal. Even when we later marry (when my mum comes over to visit) we don’t need a ceremony or anything, it is only a matter of paperwork to change over. But we will still have a small ceremony for mum J Just to exchange rings and that sort of thing J But we decided to do the registered partnership in the meantime for several reasons. First, so that I can apply for my Dutch citizenship while living in Belgium (possible only if married or have registered partnership with Hans) through the Dutch embassy. Instead of getting Belgian citizenship down the track. Also so I could keep my Australian citizenship (the Dutch wont let you keep your original nationality unless you have one of the exceptions to the rule of which marriage or registered partnership is an exception). And also to make the move to Belgium a lot easier. So I guess you can say I will be married in a couple of weeks1

February 2003

2007-01-07T18:37:00.000+01:00

One thing we did at the end of the year, was go to see Sinterklaas arrive. That is the Dutch sinter who comes here on December 5th. We went with Tera, Erwin and the boys to see Sinter Klaas arrive in Holland on the boat. That was the first time I had seen it and it was sooooooo much fun. He arrives from Spain on a boat in early to mid November and then rides his white horse through the streets. Although this one got in a horse drawn carriage. And there were Black Piets everwhere. Cant wait to get the pics back for that. And of course, I had my pic taken with a Zwarte Piet ;) Alison was here for December 5th too, so she got to also put her shoe out for Sinter to leave his chocolates and goodies in. She tried to put out both shoes just in the hope she would get double!

We had a lovely Christmas day, just the 4 of us, and on Boxing Day we had Hans' family over for a traditional English/Aussie Christmas dinner. His parents and his brother and sister in law. They had never had most of the foods like plum pudding, cranberry sauce, etc. Even the pre-dinner snacks were English with apricot balls, rum balls, fruit cake, mince pies, scottish shortbread. They really enjoyed it and loved trying all the new foods. It was hard to get some of the things. I couldn’t buy cranberry sauce anywhere but found bags of cranberries and had to make my own. The turkey I managed to get on order from the local butcher but also had to make my own stuffing, and they don’t have whole or half hams here so I had to get about a kilo of sliced ham which cost a fortune! Normally we wouldn’t have been able to have pumpkin either but a friend had one that she grew in her garden and passed it on, I was ever so thankful. It just wouldn’t have been the same without roast pumpkin. The custard here is a bit different too, it is actually a proper dessert on its own but it still went ok with the tinned plum pudding that I had Alison bring all the way from Australia for me ;) I did find some scottish shortbread and bon bons in a little specialty store that has some English products. But the fruit cake wasn’t a proper one. And our friends from England gave us an unexpected package before xmas that had some other goodies in it. I made rum balls and apricot balls but can get copha here so I couldn’t make any white xmas. But I think it was still a pretty traditional dinner for them and that everyone enjoyed it.

Our new years eve was quiet but very good. Hans worked till 10pm and a bit later we went to the market place in Valkenswaard to watch the fireworks go off at midnight. Now that was scary! You would think I would be getting used to them over here by now but silly us stood in the middle of the market place which is surrounded on all sides by cafes so we were trapped in the centre while they went off all around us! Ali was pretty terrified too as she hasnt been that close to fireworks! Her and I spent a lot of time trying to hide beside the parked cars, it was pretty hilarious really. But they sure were fabulous!!! For those of you in Oz, fireworks are legal and big business over here on new years eve. Some start setting them off all week and on new years eve itself, they start early in the morning and you can hear them going ALL day! At midnight, it is a sight to see as nearly every second house in the whole of Holland has fireworks to set off :) I saw a report on the morning of New Years eve that said that a total of 50million euro had been spent this year on fireworks compared to 45 million the year before. That is about 100 million Oz dollars! And they are pretty cheap too, you can get a whole bag of different kinds for about 10 euro. So you can imagine what the skies look like at midnight.
The snow this year has been rather late coming. We didn’t really have much before new years but in the second half of January, we sure did get some . One Thursday morning we had very heavy snow, huge flakes and it was fantastic. But it evaporated really quick. The next Saturday it snowed all afternoon and evening for about 10 hours non stop. However, it was raining and mostly gone by the time I got up Sunday morning. We also had very big and heavy snow another day, but it was melting on touching the ground and not staying. Sure was nice to see though. The skiing and wintersport activities in Belgium have swung into full swing. The first weekend of all the snow, there wasnt a hotel room or anything available in the Ardennes in Belgium (south of us). And they were predicting traffic jams so bad that many people might not even make it to their destination. All because of people heading to the snow. Alison did get to see some snow for the first time in her life while she was here, but it wasn’t real much. But the main reason we havent had much snow is because when we get the northerly winds and real cold snaps, it is usually clear skies. We are having one of them again at the moment. Tonight is supposed to be -8 and tomorrow will be a maximum of 0. We had some days there when it was a maximum of -6 or -7. Yep, that is darn cold!!! But I love it also.

Trip to Paris

2007-01-07T18:18:00.000+01:00

First, we had to say goodbye to Ali on the Sunday before last and that was a very difficult thing to do. We spent the day with a last visit to family on our way to Madurodam. Madurodam was great and I think Ali really enjoyed it. Afterwards we drove over to Scheveningen beach and then up to the Schipol. We arrived early at the airport, which enabled us to eat and chat before she had to check in. Then it was time. I have to admit that it was so hard watching her walk through and disappear and I shed my share of tears. I don’t often suffer from homesickness but I sure did that night. And not knowing when I will see her again?

I am so glad I got to spend so much time with her though. We didn’t go out sightseeing a real lot because we have had to put all our money into this new house. But we did get to do a fair bit. Apart from our trip to Paris and Disneyland, we went to the Valkenburg and saw the castle ruins and xmas markets in the old caves there. We spent 2 days doing that. Also visited 3 land point and Monschau in Germany as well as some nice drives in the Belgian countryside. We met up with Tera in Helmond one day and she took us shopping and around the castle and cube houses which was great. We also did several other shopping trips around where we live. We went to Efteling one day also but that didn’t go real well as that day was so overcrowded and pouring rain. It was still fun to see. We went to Den Bosch and visited the beautiful cathedral there and the nativity scene, which was incredible. We went to Eindhoven a few times, the movies, and out to dinner a few times. While Rachel was here, they both went ice-skating in Eindhoven and overnight to Amsterdam. We had a lovely Christmas together and New Years Eve was quite an eye opener for Ali ;) While we didn’t get to do a real lot, it was great to spend so much time with her and show her how we live here. How different it is to back home. And Ali did get to see her first snow even if it wasn’t a lot. It was extremely hard for me to say goodbye.

I better get on to telling you all about our Paris trip. It was just a 4 day bus trip but fabulous!!! The first day we left really early to catch the bus to Eindhoven, train to Breda, and bus to Paris. Most of the day was just travelling and we didn’t arrive at our hotel in Paris until about 5pm. While our first opinion was that the city was pretty dirty, that impression soon went out the window as we discovered just how beautiful a city it really is. I think Paris is one of the most beautiful, magical, and enchanting cities of the world.

The first night we decided to do the organised dinner and light tour to see the xmas lights of Paris. The bus picked us up at the hotel and our first stop was at a skyscraper. This skyscraper is on a hill and gives an amazing view of the whole city from its 56th floor (or you could walk to the roof on the 59th floor). What a magnificent view and it was also our first view of the famous sites such as the Eiffel Tower. After dinner it was time to take a tour through the city. We saw all the main sites by night and beautifully lit up but nothing could hold a candle to the Champs Elysees. That was one of those sites that will be with me as long as I live. With the Arc de Triomphe framing one end, its beautiful tree lined footpaths with all the trees covered in fairy lights, the corner with all the magnificent xmas trees and changing colour. It was very special. Unfortunately we only got to drive down it and not walk down it but we did stop at the corner with all the xmas trees for photos. Including some photos looking up the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. It was so beautiful but something you have to see for yourself. It is also full of fabulous expensive stores including the largest perfume store in Paris. Apart from the Champs Elysees, we also got to see many of the other sites on our evening tour. There was the major store, Les Galeries Lafayette lit up like nothing I have ever seen, the opera houses, the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Bastille, and much more including the site that Marie Antoinette was beheaded. The tour was great and included several photo stops.

The next morning we did the city tour. This was similar in a lot of respects to the night before. We saw all the main sites, those mentioned above and more such as the tunnel that Princess Diana died in. The main stops today were at Notre Dame and for a cruise along the Seine River. First was Notre Dame and, wow, it is just too magnificent to describe. The achitecture is incredible. And the size, I just wasn’t expecting. While there, I was struck by a feeling of awe. The Seine River cruise was also good but VERY cold. However, it was wonderful seeing many other sites that we wouldn’t have seen otherwise. We also drove past the Moulin Rouge, but it was something we were not prepared to visit with the asking price for just the show (not including dinner) being about 100 euro each (AU$200). Some of the sites that were pointed out to us were unbelievable. There was one coffee shop we passed that I don’t think I will be going into unless I win the lottery. They charge 40 euro (about $80 in Australia) for a cup of coffee and a piece of cake. Oh to be so rich! There is just way too much to see in Paris and unfortunately we didn’t have time to even scratch the surface while we were there but we will return in the not too distant future, of that I am 100% certain. We gave the evening tour a miss in preference of an early night before our big day at Disneyland the next day.

Disneyland was fabulous and all I thought it would be. It was a non school holiday weekday so it wasn’t too crowded. We got to experience almost every attraction there. It is more of a family orientated theme park with only a couple of attractions not suitable for little kids. We had a wonderful time. We watched the parade in the afternoon and instead of catching the bus back to the hotel, we stayed on for the Christmas light parade and the incredible fireworks over the castle. It meant catching the train home ourselves but that didn’t take much figuring out and was well worth the effort. For those that havent been, I definitely recommend you plan a visit soon.

The next day it was time to leave Paris and I was quite disappointed really. There was so much more I wanted to see and do such as visit the Louvre, walk down the Champs Elysees, get a close up look at the Arc de Triomphe, go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, the list is endless. However, we did get a couple of hours in the morning before leaving to pay a quick visit to Galerie Lafayette and grab some souvenirs. We also got to see an interesting film on the history of Paris. But it was all over way too quick. There was one big problem with the trip, being a Dutch tour meant all the commentary on the bus was in Dutch and while I didn’t have too many problems, Ali was unable to get a real lot out of it. That was pretty disappointing. Now that we have been once and have a little orientation, in future we will do our own thing when we visit Paris. And in our own time. It is absolutely breathtaking and a real lady and I for one intend to enjoy all her beauty.

November 2002

2007-01-07T18:11:00.000+01:00

At the moment I recovering from a nasty cold. I am over everything but this horrid barking cough. It sounds like seals have moved into the house! And I came down with it the day before our guests arrived. Leanne and Rod (I went to the Hervey Bay College with Leanne when I went back to do my senior) were over here doing one of those European Masterpiece bus tours and they left the tour in Amsterdam and came to stay with us for nearly a week. It was sooooo good to see them and have visitors from home. It was sad to have to drop them off at Schiphol and say goodbye. But on the good side, it is less than three weeks now until Alison arrives.

We did so much the past week. Saturday morning we picked up Leanne and Rod at their hotel. On Saturday we took them to Madurodam (all the famous sites of Holland in miniature) and Kinderdijk for all the windmills. They absolutely loved it. Sunday we went up to Burgers Zoo because they are big animal lovers too and they were really impressed with the interactiveness of the zoo. Burgers Zoo is just outside the town of Arnhem where “The Bridge Too Far” is. As in the movie of the same name. So Hans took a drive through the town on our way to the zoo so that we could see the actual bridge. Monday was a quiet day as Hans had to do night shift on Sunday and Monday nights. So a couple of friends (Tera and Paula) and myself took Leanne and Rod up to Utrecht for some shopping and a look around for the day. Apart from my coughing and wheezing and all the rain, we had a great time. They got pictures of cheese shops, coffee shops (complete with huge bongs in the windows), and so many other typical Dutch stuff.

However, we saved the best two days till last J Tuesday we all got a bit of a sleep in and after lunch we headed off to 3 point land where the Dutch, Belgian, and German borders meet. From there, we headed down to one of my favourite places, the little German village of Monschau. Here we just wandered the beautiful little streets and stopped for a hot chocolate. I just adore this village and cant wait to see it in Winter with the snow. From Monschau we headed over to Valkenburg to see the castle ruins all lit up and have a lovely dinner in one of the old cafes there.
Wednesday was our day to visit Belgium. We got an early start and headed down to the Ardennes. It started a bit disappointing with the guide book being wrong and the Grotte de Han (grotte as in staligtites and staligmites) being closed but they did tell us of another Grotte which was open and on our way home. Then we headed over to Bastogne which is such a fascinating place. Beautiful Ardennes countryside and so historical. In this area, the second world war is definitely alive still. We were heading to the Historical Centre which is a museum of the battles that took place in the Ardennes and particularly where the great American victory took place in Bastogne. Here they have all the original weapons, tanks, uniforms, etc on display and it is so fascinating!!! They also have an epxo on the Band of Brothers mini series which was about Bastogne. Including many of the original belongings of the real main characters (not the actors but also some of the actors stuff). It was amazing to see the things worn and owned by the real Winters, etc. There are a few of these sorts of museums in the Ardennes and I definitely recommend them for a visit. Just north of Bastogne is where the Battle of the Bulge was and they also have a good museum but we didnt get to see that one yet. What was amazing was that we had to ask for directions in the town centre so Hans went into this other little museum to ask for directions. In there they were selling all the original weapons etc from the war. They had absolutely everything on sale except for vehicles. Even a 500kg bomb! Of course, they had rendered it all unoperational by doing things like filling the machine gun barrels with molten lead etc. But talk about absolutely incredible!

From Bastogne, it is only a 10 minute drive to Luxembourg so that is where we went next. Just for a short drive over the border and back again so that Leanne and Rod could make it country number 16 on their trip. And now I can also say I have been to Luxembourg. Then we went up to this small town called Remouchamps to visit the Grotte. Once again the guide material had been wrong and they were closing earlier but the guy waiting at the ticket office for the last tour to return took pity on us and gave Hans, Leanne and Rod a private and personal tour of their own. I stayed out with my coughing and everything. But with their personal tour they got to go into rooms of the Grotte that the normal tours dont get to see and they had a fabulous time J Well worth the visit! And it was also free but we gave him 5 euro each (cheaper than the regular price) anyway because it was definitely worth it! And he gave us a heap of postcards for free too. Unfortunately it was then time to head home but we did manage to get in another quick stop to see the waterfall at a place called Cascade and we also payed the Grand Prix race circuit at Francorchamps a visit. Finally we got back and went for a wonderful last dinner together at the local Greek restaurant.

It was a fabulous week!!!

Dont know if you heard or not in Australia but we had an earthquake! My first ever experience of an earthquake and I found it really exciting. It wasnt very big, just 4.9 on the richter scale. I was in bed at the time, 7.45am, but awake. It was a strange experience. Sort of like when upstairs shakes a bit when a big truck goes past but a lot harder with the cupboard doors and that banging away too. It only lasted about 30 seconds but I thought it was quite cool! The epicentre was about an hour to hour and half away. Near Aachen in Germany, south east of us. But it was felt as far away as Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Not many people realise that there is a fault line along the Rhine so this area does get quakes now and again. Never really big ones but it is possible. Usually the big ones are around 5 on the scale like the one I felt and they are only every 50 years or so apart. However, there was a 5.2 quake here in 1992 and that is only 10 years. So that is my really exciting piece of news I had to share with everyone. Some of you probably think I am insane for enjoying it so much but then I have always had a love of weather systems and natural phenomena. Like my fascination with Versuvius while in Italy. Hmmm next I think I will have to wintness a twister!

Just after the Commonwealth Games, we had the Maarheeze Mile. That is a cycling race in Maarheeze which is a pretty big deal. A lot of professional riders there and the race is 100km around laps of the town. Last year we were moving at the time and didnt get to go and I was disappointed because Stuart O'Grady was racing. He is one of the Aussies that do really well in the Tour de France. I had wanted to go and shout out Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi. Well when I heard that Robbie McEwan (the Aussie who won the overall sprint section of the Tour de France this year) was racing in it this year, I was determined to go and see the finish and embarass Hans. But they had started the race early because of bad weather and it had just finished when we got there. So I missed out again, but the good news is, McEwan won. Next year, there will be no stopping me! Hmmmm I also have an Oz flag now too!!!

The weather here is lovely. The Autumn colours have been out and it is sooooooo beautiful with all the reds, golds, and browns. Nothing like Australia. I never get tired of the beauty of Autumn over here. It is really cooling down too but not fast enough for me. I want snow and I want it now! But it will come, I am sure. Right now the maximum temperatures are around 10 degrees although we have had a couple of days as low as 7. And minimum temperatures range between 3 and 6 mostly. Bring on the snow I say!!!

Trip to Italy

2007-01-07T17:57:00.000+01:00

Well we had a fabulous time in Italy and we both adored it but it sure is good to be Home Sweet Home. We are pretty tired and worn out and it was great to finally sleep in our own bed. This is probably going to be one very, very long mail as there is just sooooo much to tell!!!

Our first night was in a village called Lossburg, in the middle of the Black Forest. A very nice hotel among the rolling hills and pretty landscape. It would also be our final stop on the way home. The second day we travelled through Switzerland to the North of Italy, staying in a little village called Verceia at the north of Lake Como. Switzerland was so beautiful! The north of Switzerland didnt look much different to the south of Germany and we missed the turn at Zurich so had to drive right through the centre of the city in scorching heat and mad traffic. That was a bit of a nightmare. I wasnt overly impressed with Zurich but maybe it was just the areas we drove. It definitely looked different to other European cities but nothing that I would rave about. But the south of Switzerland, it was just about too beautiful for words. Like picture postcards with the melting snow forming waterfalls that cascaded down the Alps. Very strikingly beautiful!!! The place we stayed that night was also surrounded by mountains and Alps, some snow capped still too, and these were mirrored in the lake. It was so pretty and I could have sat and just looked at it all day. We had the most beautiful view from our own private balcony. And of course, we had pizza on our very first night in Italy. From Lake Como, we travelled south west to a little mountain village called Sestola, south of Modena and Bologna. We were to spend the next day doing a little sightseeing in Bologna and visiting the Ferrari museum in Maranello (just outside Modena) but we were too exhausted after 3 very long travel days so we just rested at the hotel instead. We also had a fabulous view of the mountains from our private balcony here too. When we left there for Venice, we went past the Ferrari factory and Hans took a couple of pictures still.

Our first main sightseeing stop was Venice. I just cant tell you how excited I was when we were crossing to the island of Lido on the car ferry. We were staying in a beautiful little villa on the island of Lido, which is one of many islands of Venice. The villa was very private, and extremely comfortable with its own private garden in a very small community at the other end of the island. The ferry took us straight past the Royal Palace and St Marks. It was soooo incredible. That night I was too excited to sleep before our day of sightseeing. We didnt get to see a real lot, one day is just not long enough. We would love to have also spent some time in the local streets where tourists dont go, plus we also only went half way up the Grand Canal. But I just adored Venice and it would have to be my favourite city of the whole trip J We gave the Gondola rides a miss also, they cost 100 euro ($180 Australian) for just the two of us to go for a half hour or so ride. But we did go to the Galleria Dell’ Accademia (a very beautiful art gallery), Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari (a very beautiful church), Piazza San Marco, and Basilica San Marco. They were all so incredible and amazing. We took the lift to the top of the campanile in the Piazza and looked out over all of Venice. That was a fascinating sight. All you could see of the main island from up there was an endless sea of orange roofs. But the other views were magnificent and it is also from where Galileo conducted his experiments. We walked over the Rialto Bridge which was quite a thrill, and also took several photos of the Bridge of Sighs. The Rialto Bridge is the oldest bridge in Venice and I kept thinking of those that would have crossed it throughout history. I found it so fascinating. We decided to give the Palace and a few other sights a miss as it was getting late and we were quite exhausted. Unfortunately, I never did get the photos of Venice scanned in yet, that is something I really MUST do!

The next day we packed up and headed in the direction of Naples. I had a lot of mixed feelings as we crossed back to the mainland on the ferry. Trying to savour every last sight of Venice as we passed by. First we went directly south, staying the night in a small town right on the coast and just south of Ancona. It was a beautiful little family holiday town called Numana. Very scenic and pretty but we were only there overnight. The next day we had to go west to Naples, via the Grotte di Frasassi (http://www.frasassi.com/indexuk.html). This was the first time I had ever been to a Grotte and it sure was something to see. It is supposed to be the largest in Europe and it is so incredible! You cant touch the stalagmites or stalactites but they are the most unbelievably magical sight to see. They are so graceful and magnificent. Hans and I were both speechless when we walked in and saw them. The walk and many stairs through the cave was a bit hard going for me but definitely worth every second. We also had to wait a few hours for the English guide who takes you through the 5 rooms open to all tourists and it takes about an hour. Boy that was one sight I will never forget.

Because of our long stay at the Grotte, we didnt arrive in Naples until about 8pm and then we were regretting arriving at all. It was one pure nightmare and definitely an adventure to say the least!!! As Hans said, “I’m not scared of anything except the devil, but I was scared of driving in Naples”. We had booked accomodation in the city near the national museum but must have taken a wrong turn from the ring around Naples. We drove straight into a very poor area but that wasn’t the bad part. The traffic was like nothing I have ever seen or wish to see again. And it wasn’t just that there was lots of it. It was, put simply, peak hour traffic with no rules whatsoever. Not one single car or motorbike obeyed any red lights or signs, not even the police cars which just enjoyed chatting or breaking the rules themselves. There were no rules in Naples. There were scooters and motorcycles coming at you from all directions and I saw only one helmet out of the lot. And a lot of kids riding them too. We saw no cars that didn’t have dents in them and the bikes came out of nowhere all around us like flies suddenly appearing from nowhere. We were terrified. A couple of young girls came up behind us on a scooter and slightly collided with us. We were the only ones obeying one red light, even police not in a hurry just drove through, stopping a bit up the road to have a chat with other police eating dinner on the footpath. At other red lights, when it turned green for us to go, we couldnt because traffic was coming thick and fast from all other directions that weren’t stopping on red. Cars were pulling out in front of us from side streets without even the slightest glance. At another red light there were a row of cars waiting beside us in the other lane with the car in front stopped just past the light so he couldnt see it. The cars behind him tooted so he thought the light had changed to green and went through, with all the others behind him following, even though the light was still red. I was flabbergasted. The horns were also driving me insane. It seemed to be the custom to drive around tooting your horn, once again, even for the police. There was no laws and definitely no traffic rules and we were terrified. Nobody could give us directions to the street we needed also, so we ended up leaving Naples and finding a hotel in another town nearby for the night. We were so exhausted by that stage that we didnt even unload the bike. We just went straight up to the room and straight to sleep, not even thinking about dinner.

The next day we drove down to Pompeii. All the south seem to have much the same road sense but without the large amounts of traffic it wasnt quite so bad. It was also a little bit better behaved. It took us a while to find Pompeii as the signs werent the greatest and we ended up heading down the coast towards Sorrento at one stage. But we finally found it, drove into a campsite, and asked for a bungalow. The bungalows were very basic to say the least, no toilet seats anywhere in the south and the shower in the bungalow had no curtain or anything, it was just a rose attached to the wall in the bathroom and the water running onto the floor. But it was right opposite the entrance to the ruins and would do us for a couple of nights. We were definitely going to see the ruins of Pompeii while we were down here and that is something we werent going to miss for sure. There was also a washing machine at the campsite that came in extremely handy. And the attached pizzeria was delicious and handy for all 3 meals of the day. I loved their chocolate croissants for breakfast. But there was a big drawback to the campsite. It seems that the row of bungalow rooms were very popular with locals using the services of prostitutes and the walls were paper thin, I will leave the rest to your imagination…..hmmmmm. They even had somebody to go in and change the linen in adjoining rooms during the middle of the night.

The next day we went to see the ruins and that was sooooooo incredible!!! It was a great way to spend Hans’ birthday. It is definitely something that everybody should see. We wandered through the streets and buildings for over 6 hours until we were too hot, tired, and hungry to continue. We only saw about half of it in that time. For me, I found it moving to think that I was walking through the homes, churches, and businesses of somebody. It almost felt like we were intruding into their lives. In a couple of places we saw the petrified bodies of people in glass cases and while it was so interesting, I also felt terrible of the fact that these poor people have never received a proper burial and are on show to the world, still with the painful expressions on their faces and their bodies in tortured postures forever. It was a very sobering sight. Some of the mummies you could easily see their features and there was bone in some places that was visible.

The ruins were magnificent, although all the little things had naturally been taken away to museums such as the one in Naples. But the buildings were still standing. Some were better than others. There was writing on the walls of shops (outside), paintings on the inside walls of homes. Some of the frescoes were still quite magnificent with so much colour after about 2000 years. The floor mosaics were still very good. Some mosaics were still completely in tact and they were beautiful. There were all kinds of buildings too. The fast food shops which served the evening meal for all the cities people who ate outside in the evenings. They had counters with holes in them where the foods were kept and served from. Like giant pots set into counters. There was a bakery with the huge furnaces. And we even saw a brothel with its interesting art work. There was also a little theatre, a big theatre, temples, the gardens surrounding the city, the gladiator training ground, and of course, the ampitheatre. We had a good look at the ampitheatre and sat in the seats, walked through some of the tunnels, and stood in the arena. You have a very large understanding of how the people lived in Pompeii, almost as if you are there living with them. We sat on the steps of temples, wandered through the deserted streets, and stood and looked at the views that would have been seen by those who lived there. And what a sight Versuvius was, looming over the city as if she hadnt done anything. I was mesmerised by her everytime I saw her. I was quite disappointed I didnt get to see the most famous building, the Villa of Mysteries, but it was a long walk as it was the holiday retreat for the rich and located outside the main part of the city. And by the end of the day we were just too worn out to walk up to it. After our experiences in Naples on arriving, we were going to leave for Tuscany a day early but decided to stay as originally planned and visit the city of Naples by train the next day. We were glad we did because apart from the crime and traffic, it really is a very beautiful and historical city. We first visited the National Museum, yep, the one on the next corner to where we were to originally stay. It was a fabulous museum. The bottom floor contained all kinds of huge statues, ancient statues, of gods, emperors, etc. One side of the top floor contained all kinds of artefacts, frescoes, etc from Pompeii and the other side was mostly artefacts and the like from Herculeum. In the centre was this huge room with the most beautiful ceiling. It apparently is one of the biggest covered halls in Europe and the room contained ancient artwork. There was also an inbetween floor that was full of ancient mosaics, including some from Pompeii. There was another room they didnt let us into. We found out later that it is the secret room, as they call it, and full of erotic artefacts. You can see it but must book at the entrance and they only allow 20 in at a time. We also went to Castel Nuovo. It was incredible. It was so big! Where the moat used to be there is still a huge ditch and at the bottom, a car park now. It is broken up into several parts. First you take a lift to the top of one of the towers and view Naples from up there. That was great. Next you go to one of the original halls of the castle and then down to an area that archeologists are currently working on. There is a glass floor above the diggings that you can walk on and look down at the excavations, including skeletons that have been discovered. Lastly you go into the chapels and the museum area. We also went to the top in another section where you could sit and just look out at the Bay of Naples with Capri and Versuvius in the distance. It was really beautiful. There was one part I didnt like, though, they had all these wild cats in the courtyard (maybe for keeping rodents away). They had a lot of little kittens too which all had a bad disease where they could barely see through the gross muck in their eyes. It was heartbreaking and I dont like the way they look after their animals down in the south. All around Pompeii (the town and the ruins) there were stray dogs too, looking for any affection they could get. It was really awful and I found it hard. But back to Naples, we wandered around it a bit and found so much gorgeous and historical architecture at every turn. A truly beautiful city if it didnt have such a bad reputation crime wise and everything. But there is pick pockets everywhere in Naples too. And some areas have mafia type gangs too. We also heard afterwards that people can also be stolen in Naples. But if you want history and a different cultural experience, you will love Naples.
It was then time to leave the south and head for Tuscany. We headed north to Montecatini Terme which we thought would be pretty central for seeing the main sights of Tuscany, we didnt realise that a lot of tourists have the very same idea. It is well known for its healing spas that are scattered throughout the town and it is quite a pretty town but very, very thick with tourists. It isnt that big a city but it has 200 hotels in it. Something like 60,000 guest beds in the town. The street with the hotel we had booked was just a hotel street. A long street with nothing in it but hotels. And for such a big tourist town, it was very hard for us on a couple of nights to find somewhere to eat. There were hardly any restaurants or pizzerias in the area where we were. You would make a fortune if you opened one up there. But we used Montecatini Terme as our base for seeing Pisa, Lucca, Vinci, and Florence. We had originally booked for the whole 8 nights we were in Tuscany but decided to stay only 5 and head further south in Tuscany, to where the true Tuscan landscape is, for the other 3 nights.

First we visited Lucca. Not a real lot to see in Lucca but we loved wandering around the very narrow, medievil streets where no traffic is allowed. There are still the medievel ramparts all around the city centre and it is fascinating to see. A bit expensive and quite a few tourists there though. Next we went to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip for me. You can not imagine just how much it leans until you see it with your own eyes. It is absolutely awesome and leaves you a bit in shock. We didnt take the usual tourist photos of us holding it up though. We also didnt pay to walk up it but instead just concentrated on taking photos that show just how incredibly much it leans. It defies gravity is an understatement!
Florence is a very nice city but has some major drawbacks. We didnt go to any of the museums or art galleries beacause of the enormous amount of tourists. The main museum, which contains the original statue of David by Michelangelo, has such a queue everyday that you have to stand in line in the sun for 2-3 hours to get in if you dont reserve tickets beforehand. There was also a queue at the main art gallery, the Uffizi, so we skipped all of them and just wandered around the other main sights. Florence is also extremely expensive. We sat down at one cafe at the end of the day, Hans to have a capuccino and me to have a slushee (slush puppy). They charged us about 10 euro ($17 Australian) for the two drinks. We were not impressed! Apart from being expensive and crowded, it sure is beautiful though and the duomo is definitely a site not to miss. It is incredible. Hans wanted to climb the tower there but once again there was a very long queue. We did, however, also get to see the church with many famous tombs, including the tombs of Galileo and Michelangelo. That was great and we got photos of the tombs. We also visited Vinci. A small hilltop village near Florence that is the birthplace of Leonardo di Vinci. They have a museum there with a lot of replicas of his inventions and he sure was a genius! You can also visit the house he was born in. It was very interesting.

When we moved south, we found a little villa in a small town called Sant Albino. It is just outside the incredible hillside town of Montepulciano. This was in the centre of the real Tuscany that you see on postcards and right in the chianti region (where the wine comes from). It is so beautiful and also the area where those winding roads lined with cypress trees are located. We only found one of those roads though but I was so happy to see one. The villa we stayed in was really lovely and owned by a really nice elderly couple that didnt speak a word of any language other than Italian so it was quite an interesting stay to say the least. But they were the nicest and lovliest old couple and she even looked like she was going to cry when she waved goodbye to us. We really enjoyed it with them so much and told them we plan to come back and visit them in a few years when we return to Italy. It was also very, very cheap, only 46 euro for bed and breakfast for both of us. From here we visited Montepulciano which is the most magical Tuscan village. Situated right at the top of the hill with its steep and very narrow medievil streets. We caught the local bus to the top of the hill and walked down through the streets. Looking through the narrow alleys all around that lead to lookouts with the most unreal views of Tuscany. That was definitely quite a place! There was also a wedding in the cathedral when we arrived at the top of the hill so we also got to watch. The next day we visited Siena but after seeing Montepulciano, it just wasnt up to comparison. The duomo was very beautiful in Siena. And Hans walked to the top of the tower in the town hall (505 steps in all) which I said “No Way” to. And being such a hot day too, we didnt spend a lot of time in Siena. But Tuscany is a very beautiful place and just like the pictures you see of it. We will definitely be returning there!!! Just not when it is so hot and there are so many tourists.

After Tuscany, we drove to Genoa, going via Cinque Terre. We didnt really go down into any of the towns of Cinque Terre but drove along the road at the top of the mountains. They are about 5 towns which are built onto the side of mountains in a way that you wouldnt believe. What we saw was so awesome, we also plan to return there. There is only a road down to the end two and even then, the residents themselves have to park in the carpark and walk down the steep steps. We saw some people moving in at one of the villages and the truck was parked in the car park where someone was unloading the stuff onto a mechanical platform that moves up and down a ladder. Then the other workers were unloading the platform at the bottom and carrying the things to the house. These villages are amazing! They are also in the most stunning and spectactular scenery you can imagine, right on the Riviera. With the sea meeting directly the base of the mountains they are built on, no beaches. The views really do take your breath away. It was evening when we arrived in Genoa and we were only there overnight so we didnt get to see much. Just from driving around looking for our hotel. It wasnt spectacular though, just a big seafaring city from what we saw. Also with very, very steep roads as it is also built through the mountains.

Our last stop in Italy was in Verona. We stayed about 15km out of the city in a small village. We had booked into a bed and breakfast which is actually a renovated 17th century farmhouse. The owner had bought it 15 years ago when it was very run down and with no roof or anything. The top floor was their house. Underneath, where the stables had been, they had converted into 3 guest rooms with their own bathrooms and a breakfast room. The room was amazing with the completely stone arched ceiling of the guest room and everything. They had done a magnificent job. We absolutely loved it and it was peaceful in the countryside. With it being soooo hot yet again, about 35, and with us being soooooo exhausted by the end of the trip, we decided not to go sightseeing in Verona and leave it for next time we go to Italy, definitely. Instead, we just relaxed and enjoyed the peaceful landscape surrounding us.

On the way home, we also stayed at a hotel in Austria as well as the one in Lossburg again. We were in a small village just outside Innsbruck and it was typically Austrian. I fell in love with the place. It is a peaceful and very scenic Alpine village called Mutters. A lot of hotels and guest houses here because it is popular with skiers in Winter and there is also summer skiing nearby on some of the glaciers. The houses were very typical timber houses and the whole place was very pretty. We went for a walk to get dinner in the evening and you could hear a band playing traditional Austrian music. It is probably not quite as striking as Switzerland but I definitely preferred it! It just had so much atmosphere that I didnt see in Switzerland. And so very traditional! The people were all so friendly and helpful too. It was definitely a very nice stay.

It would have been nice to see a bit more, half of our trip was just in travelling. When we return, we are going to split it up into sections. We will do just the north one time, the south and Sicily another, and also do Tuscany and Umbria separately. Italy has so much to see and you could never hope to see all it has to offer. Not in a lifetime anyway. We have seen the real major sites (apart from Rome which we will do just in a city trip for a weekend or something) and most of the biggest cities that I wanted to see, so in future we will concentrate on the smaller villages and landscape. That is where the real Italy is. I have also lost count of how many times I have said incredible, magnificent, beautiful, etc, etc, etc but that is the only way to describe it.

The food in Italy was totally UNREAL! We have never eaten so good and Italians definitely know how to cook and enjoy food! Breakfasts in Italy arent much and we had the same breakfast at every hotel, cold croissants and bread rolls, jam or honey, coffee or capuccino, orange juice, usually some cheese and ham, yoghurt, and sometimes cereal. But the lunches and dinners were fabulous. We usually ate at pizzerias or restaurants and nearly every meal was pizza or pasta. We chose not to eat the traditional Italian meal although we tried it once or twice. The Italian meal consists of antipasta followed by primi piatti which is usually a pasta. Then comes the secondi which is the meat dish but often just meat unless you order a salad with it (Hans was rather fond of the dish which was all prosciuto on a plate and served with some fresh melon). Vegetables are often served separately and later you can have cheese, fruit, or desert. For this reason, we often just stuck with the one course and maybe a desert. So, because meat was often served on its own, we usually just chose a pasta. But the pasta was sooooooo good anyway J Very fresh and the sauces were divine and home made. The pizzas are incredible in Italy too, but dont expect to ever see deep pan, that is not Italian. But they are huge, and every single pizzeria, restaurant, or whatever, cooks their pizzas in a traditional wood burning furnace. They are soooo good. And so cheap too with the average pizza costing about 4-5 euro (about $7 australian). One problem though, was that dinners are usually served soooo late. It is unusual for locals to go to dinner before 8pm. Italians enjoy their food and have made an art out of it J

We had perfect weather for the trip too. There was only one wet day really. That was the day we travelled from the south to Tuscany. The rest of the trip was sunny and very warm. Or rather, very hot! Temperatures were mostly 30-35 degrees everyday and it made it quite uncomfortable on the bike. Having to wear big bike jackets, boots, helmets, jeans, and leather gloves in those conditions was not nice to say the least and made travelling a race to get to the next hotel, shower, and cool off. We could have done what the locals did, shorts and t-shirts. But we werent prepared to take those kinds of risks. It also made sightseeing a bit hot and uncomfortable too. Next time we will be planning on going a little earlier, say April or May.

The bike held up very well on the trip, although there were a few minor mishaps. A few times the bike decided to fall when it was standing still, once while we were on it and were trying to do a u-turn partly using a very steep driveway that went down. We werent hurt apart from a few bruises and sore muscles from trying to lift it again. But it was enough to take some of the enjoyment from riding, away for me after that and replace it with just worry. It was nobody’s fault or anything. The bike was just extremely loaded, in fact, with both of us and all the gear on it, we were about 40kg over the suggested maximum weight for that bike. While it was moving, there were no problems at all. But when standing still, it made for a very difficult job for Hans. Apart from this, the bike performed extremely well and made the 6000km we did (even with the overload) look very easy. She sure is one nice piece of nice machinery.

However, in future we will probably stick to the car on such big trips. The distances and time make it a bit too long. Well for me anyway. My back, knees, hips, etc, just arent up to that kind of trip, especially with not really being on the bike much otherwise. Also, we just need so much gear for a trip of that length. We were away for nearly a month. As it was, I had to do quite a bit of washing in hotel sinks because we were running out of clothes or something. With the heat we had to change pretty well everyday. And it was also disappointing that we couldnt really bring back any souvenirs. I did manage to get myself a small model gondola and a couple of fridge magnets from Venice. Also a souvenir from the leaning tower of Pisa. But we just couldnt fit anything else in. As much as we would have liked a nice book on Pompeii or something, there just wasnt the room.

Overall, it was an absolutely incredible trip though. Italy is every bit as beautiful and wonderful as I imagined and we cant wait to see more of it. The heat and the long distances by bike just couldnt dampen our spirits and we had the most enjoyable time regardless. If anything, it sure was one big adventure! And we definitely cant wait to get back there either. But first, a trip to Greece and a return to trip to Australia. The main question is, what will we see first? I think the North, but then we would both love to explore the Tuscany and the centre much more. Hmmmm I really want to see Sicily and the real south too! Guess that is just something we will have to think about! There are 23 films altogether with the one that is still in my camera. And there are going to be some really fantastic pics there!

Easter 2002

2007-01-07T17:49:00.000+01:00

First I suppose I will give you the update on our wonderful Easter :) We got to see many places over the four days, many of which I hadnt seen before myself. After picking up Rachel and Carmel from Schiphol airport in Amsterdam on Good Friday, we went over to Kuekenhof, the fabulous tulip gardens. Some of you may remember that this is where we went last year for my birthday and how gorgeous I said it was :) It only opens on the first day of Spring (March 21st here in Holland) and closes at the end of May. Unfortunately, it is still pretty early in the season so all the trees didnt have their leaves back yet and a lot of the tulip beds hadnt started to flower yet but we still loved it and it was still beautiful :)

After Kuekenhof, we went into Amsterdam for a quick look and dinner. Rachel absolutely adored Amsterdam last time she was there on a contiki tour and Carmel also loves it now :) After dinner we had a walk through the famous red light district which was the first time I had seen it myself and I have been here nearly 2 years. It certainly is worth a good laugh and very unique....lol. That night we didnt get home until 11pm and we were totally exhausted. By the way, Good Friday is not a holiday here. The Sunday and Monday are holidays but then a lot of the tourist places have shops open too.

Saturday, we headed West towards the coast. Our first stop was Delft which is where the famous blue and white Dutch pottery comes from. The town itself is gorgeous and has some lovely old buildings but I was a bit disappointed to find that the Delft ware was limited to a heap of shops, although some of them provide hand made products instead of factory made. We also got to watch some being hand made. Afterwards we found a cafe for some scrumptious Dutch pancakes for lunch and then we took a horse and tram ride around the city which is very old and magical.
Our second stop on Saturday was Madurodam. Madurodam is a miniature city where all the sites of Holland that are exhibited are on a 1:25 scale. It is here that you can sample all the most famous impressive Dutch architecture and National symbols, all in the one place. We got to see Amsterdam's most famous buildings, a couple of buildings from local Eindhoven, the parliament buildings of Den Haag, the cheese markets, and so much more in just a few hours :)
After Madurodam, we had a lovely walk along the beachfront at Scheveningen (the Gold Coast of Holland) before driving further. We now headed South towards Zeeland where we crossed the incredible bridges of the Delta's. Unfortunately it was now getting late so we didnt get to see the Delta Expo. We drove through historic Veere looking for somewhere to have dinner but absolutely everything is closed and it is a very religious former fishing village. We ended up having dinner in a cafe on the market place in Middelburg and it was lovely :) Once again, we were home very late.

Sunday wasnt quite such a big day but big enough. After a terrific breakfast of hot cross buns that the girls brought over from England (you cant get them here in Holland), we then did the family thing and visited Hans’ parents. Once there, we were fed up on vlaai, hard boiled eggs, coffee, and other goodies. Then it was time to head down to where the three countries of Holland, Belgium, and Germany meet. This is called the 3 land point. The place was thoroughly packed but it was great. We went up in the tall tower there and got to look out over the south of Holland, part of Germany, and the Ardennes of Belgium.
Following this we went for a drive through Germany, down to the most beautiful village I have ever seen, Monschau. The village is typical German and runs around a river down in a valley. Half way down the mountain you can stop and look out over the village from above and it is so beautiful, but that still didnt prepare you for the magic of the village once you were in it. The pictures I will send will tell the story as there is not much more I can say about it other than I loved it completely. And the hot chocolate there was absolutely the BEST! On the way home, we drove through Valkenburg and saw the castle ruins all lit up.
Monday, our last full day with the girls and this time it was off to see Belgium and Brussels. Our first stop was the Brussels airport to pick up a couple of friends of the girls (Debbie and Michelle) but it turned out that they were arriving at Brussels airport. Instead they arrived at what they call Brussels South airport which is miles and miles from Brussels in the south, near the border of France. At a city in the French part of Belgium called Charleroi so it was off on a 40 minute trip to Charleroi……lol.

When we got to Brussels it was once again a confusing mess of streets with no signs telling us how to get to the centre, maniac drivers, and the very dirty outskirts. But we finally found our way to a car park near the centre and went off in search of the Maneqin Pis (famous statue of the little boy peeing) J We were all shocked to see just how small he really is and he was just there sitting on a street corner with people everywhere taking pictures. It was so good to finally see him though and we took our pics of us all standing in front J He wasnt wearing any costumes though which I thought he might have been dressed up for Easter. We then went over to the Market place and Grand Palace which is the most beautiful part of Brussels. So old and historic. Brussels was absolutely filled with tourists on this day and there were also little markets set up around the place so it took us quite a while to find a nice Belgian cafe with seats available outside so we could have some lunch and a drink but we finally managed it. During our search I just had to stop and buy a toffee apple at one of the markets as I had never ever seen them over here before J I think we also checked out every single chocolate shop in Belgium during our visit before deciding which one to get our Belgian chocolates from ;) Poor Hans, I dont think he will volunteer to take 5 women to Belgium again in a hurry…..lol. But it was a really lovely day and we managed to get home in time for dinner here at home too.
Tuesday it was time to drop all 4 girls off at Eindhoven train station. They were heading up to Amsterdam to spend a couple of days and I was sad to see them go. I had enjoyed their trip so much and hope I get to see them again real soon.

In other news, I had my trial driving exam yesterday (Thursday). I am extremely pleased with how I did. I completely passed the theory that the examiner gave me so now I dont have to do that at all in the real exam. I also completely passed my special manouvres (3 point turn, parallel parking) and also dont have to do them again in the real exam J I am not sure how the driving part went because he thought I was too slow at some intersections and that I dont look to the right enough on side streets that I am supposed to give way to. I will have to work on those in the next few weeks leading up to my exam. I am not sure when the real exam will be but we are trying to make sure it is before my driving instructor goes on holiday in 4 weeks time.

Trip to Australia plus more

2007-01-07T17:39:00.000+01:00

I thought it time I finally get a letter out to you all about the trip to Oz. I also have an update on what has been happening over here the last few weeks and a lot has been happening – my interview for my Dutch language course, my first driving lesson, my belongings arrive in Holland, etc, etc, etc. But first, all about our trip and boy was it a fabulous trip. We didnt get to see all the family and friends but it was soooooo good to see those of you we did get to catch up with. Those we didnt get to see I hope that can be fixed next time we are there. We also have ALL 4 photo albums of photos developed and they look FANTASTIC!!! Anyway…

Hong Kong was absolutely fabulous on the way over. We really enjoyed it, what we saw, but gave up on the sightseeing at lunch time as it was incredibly hot and the humidity was just killing us. Plus we didnt really sleep on the plane all night, I had about 1/2 hour and Hans maybe an hour sleep so we were pretty exhausted. We ended up curling up on chairs in the airport for a couple of hours. We did take one morning tour though which saw us catching a train to the city where we went on a bus trip around one of the temples, a beautiful garden, and a major new shopping centre. It is so awful to see the way they live over there and there is a lot of poverty. However, there is a job for everything and not once did we see any sign of drugs, drunkeness, and the city is soooo clean in the buildings and that. We were blown away with how spotless everything was. And with the jobs, there was even people standing at the escalators at the train station just giving directions to tourists and that was their job. We really liked it. It is just a shame we couldnt look around a bit more. However, one thing I didnt like was using the public toilet and I refused to use another until we got back to the airport. Although clean, it was a big bowl in the ground that you have to crouch over. Their religion says it is dirty to use proper toilet seats. And to flush, it was a lever you have to push with your foot. An interesting experience to say the least. Overall, we loved the city though and all the highrises were amazing. Talk about a bustling city!

When we first arrived in Brisbane, we had lunch at Sizzlers (something I was intent on doing) and then headed up to Maleny to stay with mum. From Maleny we did all the tourist traps on the Sunshine Coast and went on our outback hunting trip with Mum and Noel. On the Sunshine Coast we saw the Ettamogah Pub, Big Pineapple, Ginger Factory, Underwater World, Gympie Gold Mining Museum, Sunshine Plaza shopping centre, Caloundra, and The Wharf. Hans was fascinated with the Ettamogah Pub (it was one of his favourite places) and I couldnt stop him taking pictures. He also loved the great big mango and macadamia parfait from the Big Pineapple and was very impressed with Underwater World. Hans enjoyed himself immensely. He couldnt get over the huge houses everywhere, each one with their own big garden. The space and distances are still uncomprehensible to him and he really loved all the birdsong in the mornings. The wildlife kept his camera busy too. He saw wild kangaroos and wallabies, dingo, echidna, pigs, parrots galore, scrub turkeys, and all sorts of things. We spent a few days on an outback sheep farm where he saw heaps of wildlife. He saw wild sulphur crested cockutoos, king parrots, kookaburras, crimson rosellas, and many others. His jaw was continually dragging on the ground with the wildlife. On our way back from the farm we almost had a bad head on with a very big kangaroo and only just missed him. Hans was incredulous. The farmer also took him out when he went out to round up the 2000 sheep and he gave Hans some tuition on sheep farming. He loved watching the real sheep dogs in action. I think that was a bit of an adventure for him. We also did some real outback 4 wheel driving down in the country too. Hans didnt mind the food too much, well some of it anyway. He was still trying to get the hang of holding a meat pie right when we left. I made the mistake of ordering mushy peas on his first one and I think more ended up on the ground than in his mouth. I made him try as much aussie food as possible. We had a roast leg of pork with crackling, corned silverside dinner complete with the white sauce, meat pies, sausage rolls, lots of aussie bacon and egg brekkies, huge hamburgers complete with beetroot, etc. We stopped at a truck stop and Hans ordered a "Big Rig" Hamburger and had a bit of trouble getting his mouth around it. The hamburgers here are tiny and have nothing on them but the meat patty and a bit of sauce a lot of the time (with a spoonful of salad on the side). Hans also thought the domino’s deep pan pizzas were pretty darn good, over here it is hard to find a deep pan pizza and I dont really like the Dutch pizzas too much. He enjoyed the aussie xxxx beer too. His first big prawns were an event though. He enjoyed them but he couldnt get the hang of the peeling even though I showed him so I ended up doing all the peeling.
After the outback adventure and the sights of the Sunshine Coast, it was off to Hervey Bay. We went whale watching at Hervey Bay and saw a heap of whales but they were what is known as September Whales. They are mostly mothers and their calves. They spend most of their time just swimming around and the mothers feeding their babies. The playful whales are the youngsters that come through in August so we were a little late but still got to see plenty of mothers and the calves.

Fraser Island was absolutely fabulous but we only had one night there on the guided tour. We could have stayed much longer. The bus picked us up from Hervey Bay and took us to the ferry. Our first stop on the island was Central Station where we went for a 2km bushwalk and Hans was speechless. All he could say was that it was incredible. The bushwalk took us past Woongoolba Creek which is some of the purest freshwater you can find. There are also ancient ferns growing there which are only in a few selected places in the world. After lunch we went to Lake Wabby by 4WD along the beach. I opted out of the 2km walk each way from beach to creek over the huge sand dune but Hans did it. It is a freshwater lake surrounded by a sandblow on one side and rainforest on the other. The next morning we went along the beach again to the coloured sands, Maheno shipwreck, and gorgeous Eli Creek. Eli Creek dumps enough freshwater into the sea every day to supply all of Sydney and if it never rained again, it would flow for another 60 years. We also went for a 20 minute joy flight over the island which was absolutely spectacular. The little cessna's land and take off on the beach. In the afternoon it was a stop at Lake Mackenzie which is another freshwater lake with a beautiful white sandy beach. We went for a short swim in Lake Mackenzie but the freshwater was quite icy and I couldnt handle it for long. You would think I’d be getting quite used to the cold by now.

From Hervey Bay we also went to Bundaberg and did a tour of the Bundaberg Rum Factory. We went to the wildlife park too which is where Hans got to handfeed the kangaroo's and emu’s for the first time. He adores the kangaroo's but the emu's are a bit fast with their snatching. We got heaps of adorable pics feeding the roo's including mothers with joey's and Hans surrounded by a big mob of kangaroo's all wanting his food. It was so cute. While there I got to cuddle a baby wombat but Hans opted out on that one. While in Hervey Bay we also went out with some friends to dinner on the Friday and Saturday nights and partied on for a while on the Saturday night which was soooooo good. I also got to take Sophie (my old pup) for a run on the beach and give TC (my old cat) a big hug. That was one of the best things in the whole trip. It was like I hadnt been gone.
On our return to Brisbane we had plenty to keep us busy. First was a visit to the Gold Coast where we stayed 2 nights at Jupiters. Unfortunately I didnt get time to have a bet or go on the pokies at all but we did go into the casino for a short time on one of the evenings so I could show Hans the Aussie game of two up. The first day we spent at Dreamworld with Tammy and Stephen and had a fabulous time. I got Hans on the roller coaster which was so hilarious, yes, he closed his eyes tight through most of it. Couldnt get him on the tower of terror though or the giant drop. He did enjoy the rapids ride though. Our second day on the coast was spent shopping at Pacific Fair and then sightseeing in Surfers Paradise where we also played some games in Funtasia. We were like a pair of big kids and Hans loved all the virtual like rides. We had dinner at Surfers in this trendy little cafe and it was really nice. Before returning on the third day we went for a drive down the coast to Tweed Heads and then went to Currumbin Bird Sanctuary. This was another highlight of the trip for Hans as he got to hold a huge snake (only python) and see the deadly snake talk. He thought it was absolutely incredible how strong it was and how he could feel it constantly moving under the skin. He really enjoyed it. The bird of prey talk was also fabulous with the wedge tail eagle and all the others. The aboriginal dance didnt hold Hans’ attention for long as he was itching to see the tree kangaroos which he loved. The tasmanian devil there was nuts though and not many of the lorikeets were coming down for their hand feeding.
In Brisbane we went to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and had our photos taken cuddling koalas. They are just like big teddy bears and so beautiful. We got heaps and heaps of koala pictures. Hans took a long time getting used to all the wildlife and birds that just wander around everywhere too. We did heaps of shopping and even Hans says they sure are beautiful shopping centres over there. We went to the Brisbane Planetarium where Hans learnt a whole lot more about the Southern Hemisphere sky and learnt about the Southern Cross. He is still amazed about how many thousands more stars there are there than in the Northern Hemisphere and how you can see the Milky Way which looks like a line of cloud from all the star light. That has really blown him away. We spent a couple of days seeing the city and South Bank including the Queensland Museum and the Maritime Museum.
We went to the Australian Woolshed which was another big highlight and definitely worth the visit 100%. It is a fantastic place. First we had real damper and billy tea around the campfire (including the cocky’s joy on the damper). This was great and I had really been looking forward to having some real damper. The guy who does it was actually born in Holland but loves Australia too much to ever leave. He has worked on some huge sheep properties and Hans enjoyed the conversation with him immensely. He also got some tuition in cracking a whip and cracked it once. After the campfire we went in to watch the ram show in which the rams walk in then down the aisle and up on the stage, one at a time and by themselves while the guy on stage tells you about each type of sheep (the main wool and meat sheep that Australia produces). This was very interesting. Hans learnt about lanolin and then got to see someone shear a sheep, complete in Jackie Howe singlet. They then took us outside for a sheep dog demonstration and Hans really loves those dogs. Afterwards they have kangaroo feeding and koala cuddling and all the usual stuff which we had already done at the other animal parks but we did pat the cockatoo that was there.
After a couple of reasonably free days we went on a boat trip to St Helena. Although it actually started as a prison after the shipping of convicts had ended, it gave a good view of life for the convicts. They still have the ruined buildings there along with ruins of the old mill, cemeteries, and other areas. Hans found the history fascinating which goes back to the mid 19th century. Lunch and a guided tour was all included and some of the tales that were told were so fascinating. The day after I gave Hans a guided tour of the Moreton Bay area.

We also had to go grocery shopping for all those very important goodies I dont get here and wanted to post over. I posted tomato sauce chips, twisties, salt and vinegar chips, chicos, jaffas, jelly beans, hot pot casserole mixes, cherry ripes, and arnotts bikkies including vita weat, honey jumble, gingernut, savoury shapes, iced vovo, monte carlo, and mint slice. I also sent some stuff by ship with my belongings such as the vegemite, jars kraft cream cheese spread, jelly packets, can of canola spray, talcum powder, tinned plum puddings, tinned pumpkin soup and pea and ham soup, tinned spaghetti and meatballs, canned apricot nectar for making apricot chicken, and sars cordial. Only things I cant get here at all. However, I was a bit disappointed with a few things and wish I could have got some others. Like I have found that I am not as fond of twisties as I thought and have only had the one packet. I didnt get any other chocolates I like and wish I had of got some bananas, and strawberries and cream lollies, and some ripe raspberries. More chicos and chocolate bullets wouldnt have gone astray either, nor the arnotts biscuits. The jelly beans were good but I really only like the red and black. I know next time what to get and what not to get especially as there are a few items I have since found over here on our return. A couple of the local supermarkets are now stocking small cans of campbell soup including pumpkin, cream of chicken, and English tomato. It is more expensive but nice now and again. I have also found plum puddings, jelly crystals, jelly beans, and a few other things in a little British shop in Utrecht. I dont get up that way very often but could now and again.

On our last Wednesday and Thursday we went down to stay with a friend at Mt Tambourine. She has this beautiful big house with polished timber throughout and set in the bush. It was really lovely. I think Hans’ favourite part here was their 2 cars that he got to ride around in for the 2 days. They had a beautiful big ’67 Mustang and a brand new Cougar. He was as proud as punch sitting up in those cars. On the second day, Lisa took us up to Lamington National Park (O’Reilly’s). We had the time of our lives handfeeding the Crimson Rosella’s and King Parrots. The colours are absolutely incredible! We have pictures of a Crimson Rosella sitting on Hans’ hat with King Parrots eating out of his hands. The birdlife there was spectacular and the bowerbird colours are also vibrant. We took the treetop walk there also which was pretty great too. On the way back Lisa took Hans into this really dense area of rainforest to give him a real taste of rainforest and also took us to a waterfall down the road from their place. Hans had been dying to see a real waterfall and finally got one even though it was only a small one. It was a really wonderful day.
The last couple of days were spent with friends and family including some more driving around Maleny. The trip was fabulous but I think 5 weeks was definitely enough. We were getting pretty tired and hard to motivate by the last week or two. It is good to be home and able to sit back and relax a bit. We have some incredible photos out of the 40 rolls of film we took. And some great memories! The hardest part was saying goodbye to everybody at the airport, especially mum. Needless to say there were a few tears shed.
Now onto what has been happening the last couple of weeks. Well my belongings are finally on Dutch soil. The ship got into Rotterdam on Sunday and the removalist this end is expected to have them at their warehouse on Friday (day after tomorrow). Unfortunately I wont have them before xmas as Monday is xmas and then the removalist is on holiday until January 2nd. Plus there have been a few problems. Apparently you have to apply for a licence from customs within 12 months of living here to bring your belongings in free. Because we didnt know about this little law and the 12 months have been and gone, we now have to pay BTW tax (same as GST and at 19% here) plus maybe import duty. We arent going to bother about appealing as Hans says that is the law and we cant really change it so we are just going to pay. We dont have any idea how much it will be yet as customs works it out on the approximate value of the goods. So we have an appointment on January 10th to go fill out the forms and pay and then my belongings can be delivered to the door. I cant wait.

Actually we have done quite a lot in getting things settled this end. We opened my bank account plus got my sofi number (tax number). Recently we also went to my first interview for the Dutch language classes that the government send me on for free. It is part of their integration policy that every person moving here has to do. The course is one year of language classes followed by 6 months of getting you ready for the workforce, study, etc, etc. They can also teach you to ride a pushbike and help with pretty well anything. Included is lessons in Dutch customs also. I am quite looking forward to it! One draw back is that I wanted to do it part time (couple of nights a week) so that I could also look for some work. However, the girl at the interview said that if it wasnt urgent I work then it is preferred that I go Monday to Friday for a few hours each day. So Hans agreed with them. Guess I wont be getting a job too soon. I can see the logic though, the more you are immersed in the language and that, the faster you pick it up. I have a second interview this Friday where I will also meet the people from the school and they see how much I already know. I am then due to start school in either the end of January or April. Wish me luck!

Another thing I definitely need luck with is my driving lessons. I had my first lesson last night and boy, I feel like I am starting all over again. After driving for soooo many years I have picked up habits and drive how I feel comfortable but now I have to think about every single move if I am to pass the exam. I have to hold the steering wheel in a certain way when turning corners. I have to have my foot in a certain position when using the clutch. And because I look in the mirrors with my eyes and dont move my whole head, the instructor thought I wasnt looking at all. I basically have to change EVERYTHING! It was a nightmare. And I thought I would only need a few lessons but I am not so sure anymore. You also have to exit the car by opening the door with the hand furthest away so that you turn and look behind before opening. When outside the car and walking round to the drivers side, you have to walk round the front of the car so that you can check there arent children playing in front and you will see if there are pushbikes coming. So many extra rules I dont think they have in Australia. Over here they also teach you to ride the clutch when slowing down and to speed up if lights are changing and there are people behind you. Hmmmmmm. My next lesson now isnt until January 18th because the instructor is going on holiday. Then it will be a day lesson. Oh and they instruct over here at all times of day and night and all weather conditions. My lesson last night was at 7pm. I can see the sense in that, you get used to driving in those conditions. I am not, however, looking forward to the possibility of driving in snow.

And speaking of snow, we are expected to get our first snow over the coming days. I have been beside myself waiting but it will probably be over by Tuesday (xmas day) and I wont get a white xmas this year. Although there will probably still be white on the ground. It has been snowing a little in other parts of the country. For example, last weekend Rotterdam and a few other places got a bit. We are still expecting our first lot and it is definitely forcast for this weekend. Starting tomorrow or Friday. I am sooo excited but Hans hates it. The temperatures have really been dropping of late too. It was down to –7 and –8 in the nights last week. And when I went into Eindhoven to do a few things last Friday, the maximum was supposed to be –4. All I know is that it was REALLY cold. I wasnt too impressed with having to go outside the house. Unfortunately the days it has been that cold, it has been sunny so no snow yet. But temperatures are around freezing the coming days with rain (or should I say snow).

November 2001 (Yearly update)

2007-01-07T17:31:00.000+01:00

I find it hard to find time to write these days so I hope you dont mind that letters arent all that frequent. What with selling the house, packing, moving, our trip to Oz, and everything else that has been going on here……. I am slowly starting to get things together. This letter I actually started in June/July and also tried to finish it before we left for Australia but didnt quite get there. I also have my own website up and running now and I am really proud of it. There is the home page, a page about me and what I am doing in Holland, and the rest is divided up into Australia and Holland. I still have a fair bit of work to do on it but there is 59 completed pages so far. I have to do Dutch history and Dutch culture yet, and also the guest book and photo album. But I am so proud of what I have got done including all about Australian history, culture, slang, food, places, and flora and fauna. The Dutch pages are similar but without the flora and fauna pages, and the slang page is instead Dutch language. If you get a chance to get on a computer, you will find the site at
http://www.spacetrekkers.fcpages.com/

As I also mentioned, we have now moved. Not far but just to the next town. Over here, we had to move even the light fittings and all sorts of things. But we finally did it. After having a lot of trouble finding a place to rent that is. Private rentals over here are through the roof unless you are signed up with a rental agency who gets you a place at a more reasonable price. However, the waiting lists for these are extremely long and we only had several weeks to find somewhere and move. So we had to go private and are now paying 1900/month just on rent. It was quite a worry there for a couple of weeks because we couldnt find a place big enough for all the stuff that we could afford. We eventually found this place and we both love it J It is very small upstairs and no room for a guest room so I think we will have to get a sofa bed but other than that it is fabulous. Oh and the kitchen is pretty small and I only have these 2 spaces about the size of a sink each as my bench spaces. We have a proper laundry which is rare in Holland (most have their washing machines in the bathroom), a big attic that we dont really need to use (it is one that uses the pull down stairs), the tiled floor downstairs has floor heating and gets quite warm, there is a huge garage out back that could fit 6 cars (needless to say that we have it full at the moment), a nice area for bbq’s, a little cellar, and a huge fully enclosed grass backyard (another rarity here in Holland). It is also a free standing house!!! We love it but dont intend to stay here for too long. Next year we are going to look at buying in Belgium where houses are much cheaper and bigger. The Belgian town we are thinking of is only about 10-15 minutes from where we are now and much closer to Hans’ work.

I have now seen Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Keukenhof Tulip gardens, and I will also have to include Hans’ birthday party and bbq in this letter as they were a real cultural experience too. Everything is done so differently here and I am still discovering so many cultural differences. Mind you all these things are now quite a while ago since it has been so long since I wrote but anyway.

First, Amsterdam! I finally got there earlier in the year. All I can say is I cant wait till I get there again. I absolutely loved it sooooooo much. Even though it was just a shopping trip with some of the girls and I didnt get to see any of the museums but one or I didnt see the red light district or go on a canal ride or anything, the city itself was magnificent. It is so old and cosmopolitan at the same time. The houses and buildings in Amsterdam are really funny to see as they are gradually sinking and they all lean over. It is something to see to believe but it is like every building there is a leaning tower of Pisa or something. And it is so noticeable. You walk along some of the narrow streets and you think the buildings are going to fall over on you. Quite an experience! Amsterdam is so old yet you walk down some of the streets and it has all these trendy cafes and restaurants and places like Hard Rock Cafe and flashing neon lights. You think it would clash with the old surroundings but it tends to lend to the atmosphere and feel of the place. I loved it sooooooo much. There is a square we walked through that has the Royal Palace along one side and it really is spectactular to see the palace just there on the edge of the square, no fence or anything. The only museum I got to see that day was the one the other girls thought would be best for me to see. You got it…..the sex museum. Only in Amsterdam!!! It was quite an eye opener but very interesting history wise with some things there dating back to the middle ages.

The day was mostly spent shopping though. We went to all the expat stores including the American Book Store, Marks and Spencers, this big English bookstore, and this really terrific tiny grocery store that sold all kinds of foreign products including cream of pumpkin soup which I paid about 6NLG for. They also had vegemite which was about 10NLG for a tiny 100g or so jar, tinned sponge pudding, turkish delights, salt and vinegar chips and all kinds of other goodies. All I bought there though was the soup as it was all sooooo expensive. Things were much, much more realistic prices at Marks and Spencers where I managed to get such goodies as Hot Cross Buns for Easter (Hans found these very interesting), English muffins, salt and vinegar chips, honey bacon chips, and best of all, crumpets, and Hans really liked the crumpets too J It was the first time he has tried Hot Cross Buns or crumpets. I also managed to find a bookstore that sold new books really cheap (ones that hadnt sold for a long time in the stores) so I got several star trek novels too. This was good because I hadnt been buying any books with the prices of them over here. A typical plain paperback novel in English is about 30 guilden. I managed to get them for 9 each which was a huge bargain. So I have actually had something to read lately J Amsterdam has this huge flower market there too, I think it might be everyday. We had a walk around it and some of the flowers were so wonderful. It was full of tulips and all kinds of other beautiful flowers.

The cafes in Amsterdam dont deserve their reputation. We stopped at 3 different cafes for a drink or lunch during the day and saw no evidence of any drugs or anything at the cafes. They are just normal cafes although I think you can probably get drugs there. The drug scene isnt anything like the reputation it has. Mind you, that day was the first and only experience I had of it when you could smell it as you walked along the streets and on the train but otherwise I havent seen any evidence of it in the 18 months I have been here. I think the reputation comes from the fact that drugs use is legal but this can have its benefits. The mayor of a city has authority to close coffee shops which do not meet the strict conditions. Their methods do seem to work in reducing drug related crimes and rehabilitating addicts. There is also more drug users in France than here.

Anyway, I just adored Amsterdam and cant wait to see more of it. I really would love to see Anne Franks house, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh museum, and go on a canal ride. I did get to have my first tram ride (yes they still have trams) here though. And talk about crowded! But they are definitely a cheap and easy way of getting around Amsterdam.

Rotterdam I wasnt overly enthused about when we went in May. It is very modern and probably not much different to Brisbane and I really wasnt over impressed. The reason it is so modern is because it was literally flattened by bombing in World War 11 and had to be completely rebuilt. There are some old areas and old buildings here and there but the city centre itself was very modern. I had a really terrific day though and loved all the things I saw J There is really way too much to see in Rotterdam as it is just full of museums too and we really only got to see the one museum. We didnt even have time to see the Euromast which is the same basically as Sydney Centrepoint Tower but we were walking around sightseeing from about 9am to 5pm apart from when we stopped for lunch. I was sore for about a week after, covered in blisters, and totally exhausted. You need a few days to just scratch the surface of Rotterdam.

An Australian friend here, Tiina, met us at the train station in Rotterdam and off we went sightseeing. Our first stop was the Delfste Poort. Old Rotterdam used to be surrounded by a moot and there were 10 gates which were part of the city’s defences. As the city grew, most of the gates were demolished to make way for the expanding city. 2 of the last 3 gates were demolished in 1854 and 1856. The only remaining gate, Delfste Poort, was one of the gateways to the city from the 14th century and it was also flattened in WWII. However, an architect erected a modern metallic poort in rememberance on the exact site of the old Delfste Poort. You walk through it and they have displayed, parts of the original gate.

Our next stop was the Rotterdam markets and St Laurens Church. The street markets were HUGE and about the biggest in Holland. I particularly loved them as there were several vege stalls that sold butternut pumpkin. Of course we had to get two which Hans carried all day in the backpack then J There were also several flower stalls that sold Australian natives. There were Banksias and even whole bunches of Kangaroo Paws. I was totally amazed! St Laurens Church was fabulous and we stopped for coffee in the church canteen too. It is a gothic church built in the 14th and 15th centuries. It also was bombed in the second world war but restored to its former glory. The huge bronze doors were absolutely magnificent as were the three Marcussen organs, the largest one is the largest mechanical organ in Europe. It is not only a typical church but also hosts lectures, concerts, and other cultural events.

After our refreshing coffee it was on to the cube houses which really are something different. The cube houses are modern architecture in an old part of the city and people actually live in them. There is quite a lot of them and they are cubes tilted so they are standing on one corner. One of the home owners has opened his place up for people to look around and it certainly was an experience. They are very disorientating at first and you get pretty giddy when you look out the window. All the furniture for them has to be especially made too so that it fits. The cube houses are a famous landmark of Rotterdam. The houses are on the edge of Oude Haven (old harbour) which is a popular cafe and restaurant area and very picturesque.

Afterwards it was time for my first ever subway ride on our way to the historical area called Delfshaven. Tiina thought it was hilarious how excited I was about a train ride but it was definitely an experience for me. I insisted on having my photo taken in the subway station J The trains are tiny and wouldnt be any wider than a bus. And talk about noisy! But they are a fast way of getting around the city. Only Amsterdam and Rotterdam have the subway I think. Delfshaven was more like Amsterdam and very historic. I loved it although it is apparently the rough part of the city with a lot of weird people. All I was interested in though was the fact that this is where the pilgrims left from to settle America. We found the Pilgrim Fathers Church and although it wasnt open to the public, some people at the church said we could have a quick look if we wanted. So of course we did. It wasnt spectacular or grand like St Laurens Church but it was real special. This is where the pilgrims set sail from on the Mayflower. I could just imagine the pilgrims walking the streets all those years before and it was real special.

The day we went to Rotterdam also happened to be an open day for windmills in the country. Just down from the Pilgrim Fathers Church was a working flour mill windmill. We went up although I did not like the very steep and tiny steps which basically aren’t much more than ladders. It is several floors high in the windmills but they only let us explore the first four or so. This was real interesting. And it was a beautiful view from the verandah like thingy they have about half way up J

We then had to find somewhere for lunch which was easier said than done. All the restaurants around Delfshaven either only opened for dinner or only catered to organised tour groups and functions. I think it was probably because of it being a poorer area. So we caught one of the trams (tram not train) back to a nice cafe Tiina knew and had a wonderful lunch out on the terrace. Afterwards, Hans and I went on to explore the maritime museum. Rotterdam is by far the largest port in all of Europe and even the second largest of Europe only does about half the workload. It also has a rich maritime history. So you can only imagine how fabulous the museum was. The Maritiem Museum Rotterdam is entirely devoted to the port and shipping in the past and the present. The museum consists of two parts, the main building and the outdoor museum with as main attraction museum ship "Buffel". This vessel, a former ironclad turret-ram of the Royal Dutch Navy, dating back to 1868, has been almost fully restored to its original state: the upper deck, fully fitted out; the officers quarters and the Captain’s cabin, furnished in style and the decorations fore and aft. Along the harbor basin an outdoor museum has been set up with large objects and maritime workshops. We really loved this museum. And afterwards we met up with some good friends from Den Haag for dinner at a Mexican restaurant. It was the first Mexican I’d had since arriving in Holland and boy did I enjoy it!

For my birthday, Hans planned a really special day and boy was it special! First we picked up our friends Paula and John and off we went to Kuekenhof, the famous tulip gardens. They were absolutely incredible!!!!! It was tulip season and the tulips were in full bloom. It was so breathtaking. The colours and the work, it was fabulous. I just dont know how else to describe it. It is definitely a magical place and the arrangements are beautiful. There is also a windmill there, lookout over the surrounding flower fields, and pavilions of orchids etc. The gardens are only open in April and May but they also have a summer garden in summer, except it is other flowers and not tulips at that time. After Kuekenhof, Hans drove us to Scheveningen (I hope I have spelt that right?). It is on the coast near Den Hague (where the Dutch parliament is) and is a tourist beach. We had dinner at this gorgeous restaurant out on the end of the pier looking back at the beach. The pier is a long enclosed one with shops in there and everything. The pier and beachfront reminded me of something you would expect to see at California or somewhere and I cant think of anything it would be like in Australia. It was sooooo wonderful and I really enjoyed it so much. That part and the dinner was a big surprise he had been planning and refused to tell me about J I loved it! I would have liked to spend more time there but it was so cold and windy so we didnt get to walk around much. Maybe I will get back there again soon.
Hans birthday was a month later and I organised 2 parties for him. The first one was a surprise party with some of our expat friends. John dressed up as the grim reaper and stood right inside the door when Hans came home from work. It was soooo hilarious!!! That was such a fun day. It was Hans’ 40th so we also organised a bbq for family and close friends. This was a cultural difference. For example, we went shopping at the butchers to put our order in for the meat, and Hans went along picking out all these fancy marinated meats etc. I kept telling him “what about some plain steak for burgers” but was just about laughed out of the shop. I had to go to the supermarket on the morning of the bbq to get a bit of plain steak for me J When we put our order in at the bakery, he also wasnt going to get any breadrolls but instead wanted to just order several french sticks. I definitely changed that and made sure he also got some breadrolls. They definitely do things differently here. While everyone was eating their plates of fancy food, I went ahead and made my breadroll up with the plain steak, tomato sauce, etc. Marty came in and said “is that how they do things over there?” He said he was learning things too, it was so funny. It never ceases to amaze me how different the cultures really are and I would never have expected that. For example, they dont really celebrate 40th birthdays here but when you reach 50, WATCH OUT! They then call you Abraham or Sarah, depending of course on whether you are male or female. Big signs go up on the front of the house, all the cards and gag gifts have Abraham or Sarah on them, etc, etc, etc. Oh I am going to have so much fun in 10 years when Hans reaches 50 but I think I will make sure we take a trip to Australia for my 50th.
Birthday parties are also very different over here. They are like a traditional custom like xmas and have set guidelines. They are nothing like parties back in Oz. First, guests can arrive at any time of the day or night, as the party is usually an ongoing thing and people come when they can make it. When a guest arrives, they first have a cup of coffee and a piece of vlaai. Vlaai is the Dutch birthday cake and is like a huge fruit tart or topless pie or I am not sure how to describe it other than it is delicious and comes in any number of varieties. After Vlaai and coffee, snacks are put out and usually consist of spicy nuts, brie and other cheeses with crackers, among other things. This is also when you will start on the colder drinks. The party atmosphere is very different with everyone sitting in a big circle and nobody gathers in little groups. Music isnt a big thing but you will probably have some background music. And alcohol isnt that big a thing either and nobody really gets drunk or anything. Like I said, a very different kind of party.

March/April 2000 (First Carnival)

2007-01-07T17:20:00.000+01:00

Well about a month ago, my friend Shari came to stay with us for a few days. Shari is from America but living in the north of the Netherlands. On the Sunday we went to the carnival parade in Geleen (I will explain more about carnival later in the letter) and then to Applebee’s American Restaurant with a group of others. It was great! We loaned Shari a funny hat and everything and off we went.

On the Monday, Shari and I took off for a drive to Germany. We didnt know where we were heading but decided to follow the signs to Aachen. We also didnt realise that everything would be shut there for carnival also but it is good in a way as I dont think I would have tackled traffic too well yet. Especially not in Germany where I wasnt sure of some road signs and everything. Anyway it was a bit of a Thelma and Louise trip and we had a great time. When we got there we found a park and decided to go for a walk around. It was late afternoon by that stage as we did a few other things before leaving so we came to the first bar and the menu in the window looked good and we wanted to try something typically German. Needless to say that we also didnt even think of changing any money to German currency either. We were being REAL tourists. Well we walk into the bar and what a party was going on. We couldnt even close the door behind us and everyone was dressed in outrageous costumes and dancing around. Even those sitting eating were waving their forks around and singing...lol. Shari took a photo on both cameras and then wanted to leave. So we get out the door and just burst into hysterics. Then she told me about the really old guy in a sailor suit that was waving to her as she took the photos and started making his way over through the crowd.

Anyway, we settled for schnitzel at a snack bar that said they would take NLG and then found an ATM that gave us some German money and we went to this great ice cream place and had sundaes. After our stroll around, sundaes and traditional German meal we headed back towards the car. They have these public toilets that arent much bigger than portable ones over there and you pay for them. They are set up next to the footpath. We decided to take a picture of one and as we are taking our pictures this guy walks out from behind a tree. He obviously didnt want to pay to use the loo. On the way home we stopped at Valkenburg to see the castle ruins all lit up and took stacks more photos of all the outrageous costumes. We also stopped at a bar and had a drink where this guy was dressed in a long coat with Crocodile Bundee written on the back. We took a picture of him of course and Shari bought him a drink. Everyone was partying in the streets and bands were walking up and down the streets in outrageous costumes. We had the most fabulous day J

On the Tuesday, Hans took us both to Brussels and I just loved the big market place. I think I took about 2 rolls of film just there J We didnt get to see the famous Mannequin Pis (the little statue of a boy peeing) as Hans said it was a fair way from where we were and a rather long walk but apparently it was only a couple of blocks so next time we have to see that J We stopped for lunch at this French cafe. In Belgium there are 2 official languages, Dutch and French. North of Brussels they took Flemish which is a kind of Dutch and south of Brussels they talk French. Anyway, we stopped at this French cafe and tried to order some lunch but the waitress only knew French and although Hans is fluent in Dutch, German, and English, his French is only schoolboy French and leaves a lot to be desired. You cant imagine the trouble we had trying to order lunch and it was absolutely hilarious. The waitress ended up grabbing a customer on his way out the door to try and help work out what we were all saying. I am killing myself laughing again just writing about it J Also at the cafe, Shari decided she wanted to use the loo so off she went only to come scurrying back in shock. Apparently the bathroom was a unisex bathroom and while it was fine for women with a cubicle, the men just stood there with it all hanging out in the wash area. So in walks Shari and there was this guy standing there with no shame at all J She was in total shock and when she had recovered a bit to go back, Hans had to go and stand guard at the door for her J That cafe was certainly an experience in more ways than one J Shari and I got an embroidered bookmark each as a souvenir but we didnt get a lot of time in Brussels either as we spent ages trying to find an ATM that actually had some money left in it and then Hans wanted to try and beat as much of the peak hour traffic as possible.
Now onto carnival! Well was that a culture shock or what! In the southern Dutch cities, Prince Carnival temporarily takes over the power of the mayors. It is party time again, especially in the provinces of Limburg and Noord-Brabant. Carnival is celebrated in many countries throughout the world. The festivities usually last from the Saturday until the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. Carnival is the final celebration before the beginning of the sober, forty-day period of Lent. In earlier days the Catholics did not eat meat during this period. Carnival is only celebrated in these southern states as that is the catholic area of Holland. Carnival originated in Greece. Here it was the custom to mark the beginning of summer with a parade. Dionysus, the god of wine, was welcomed into the city of Athens on the fleet "Carrus Navalis". The arrival of Dionysus heralded three days of partying for the local people.

In Brabant and Limburg (I am living in Brabant) the tradition of having a parade and a three- day party continues until today. During these three days everybody wears costumes. These vary from simple, colorful shirts to complete metamorphoses. Everybody has a whale of the time. Highlights are the local carnival parades. Every town which celebrates carnival boasts a parade. Some cities even have a major parade and one for children. Monday and Tuesday here are seen as unofficial public holidays and some people go on a week long drinking party. The parade here in Maarheeze is followed by everyone going to the local pub (cafe). It is then followed on Sunday morning with the headache ball as they call it and everyone goes in their pyjamas at about 11am. There are also other activities over the 4 days and this is only in small Maarheeze. I should also mention that EVERYBODY dresses up, including all the spectators lining the streets watching the parade.

The people of Maarheeze are known as the mouse catchers and to this day this sets the theme for carnival. The local church also has the statue of the patroness of Maarheeze, St Gertrudes. She is shown as holding a pole with the mice running up the pole. As the story goes, the farmers of the Middle Ages used to come to Maarheeze to obtain blessed water in the church that they would spread over their crops to prevent mice from invading. The symbol of the present day carnival is a mouse with a ball and chain around his leg. The second last event of carnival is the symbolic bringing down of the mouse which is a statue sitting on top of the local bank. This will be done on Tuesday evening. The only event to follow this is what they call "Haring Happen". This basically means to eat herring and they distribute free herrings in different locations of the town. I am afraid that I wasnt really up for some raw fish. The symbolic mouse can be seen in other activities during carnival also which actually started on January 7th. Some of these include the mouse catchers reception and the mice rally.

The first event on the carnival calendar is the announcing of the prince of carnival on January 7th. A few days before this, Hans and I were sitting on a stool at the bar in De Smeltkroes (the boiling pot) talking to a dear friend after a function of the local fanfare band (a fanfare band is like an English Brass band with saxophones included). I sat intrigued with all the details of my first carnival. The crowning of the prince of carnival is a VERY big deal here and every year there is wagers and bets on who it will be. For the past 5 years this friend of ours (Marty) has been in the top choices but he will never do it. The announcement of who it will be is always a closely guarded secret and nobody knows but everybody guesses. All night long Marty had to avoid questions by people trying to get it out of him as to whether he would be prince this year. He explained to me that the prince is usually a well known business man from the town who pays up to 10,000NLG to be prince and this is considered to be good advertising as the whole town then knows him. The prince attends countless receptions, functions, dinners, parties, etc over the coming month with his wife who is crowned princess. The prince also has to wear his crown and thick heavy robe to all these functions, many of which are also attended by princes from surrounding towns and villages. From the time of the announcement and right through to the end of carnival the house of the prince is also decorated in coloured streamers, lights and a huge figure of a mouse with a ball and chain. Everybody in town now knows the prince and where he lives.

Another function which is traditional with carnival and held a few weeks before the final big weekend is the farmers wedding. This function really has me intrigued. This is a period function not set in any specific time period but it involves a well known man from around town pretending to be the farmer. He marries (in a mock ceremony and not for real) a well known wife from around town(but not his real wife). As is tradition here, the groom picks up the bride on the day of the wedding on his horse and cart to take her to the wedding. I also need to mention that they are in olden day traditional clothing of a poor farmer and his bride (probably 18th century). The whole town is invited to this event as the wedding guests and as such you take an appropriate wedding gift. For example, when our friend Marty was the groom a few years back, he received so many fruits and vegetables to last a whole year. Some guests brought along whole wheel barrows full of vegetables. Dinner is very traditional Dutch with something like Ertwensoep (pea soup) and brood (bread) as is customary with an old Dutch farmer. For this event, posters are put up all around town and invitations given out that show the farmer standing beside an old fireplace with his soon to be bride sitting beside the fire in a rocking chair and of course they are in period costume. As a previous farmer, this year Marty had to get in touch with the local woman who played his bride a few years ago as they had to attend this years wedding as guests and continue their role. As does other previous farmers and brides from other years. And the people from around town play along with this by coming up and asking them how many strong fine children they now have etc. It is all great fun and as a history lover I am so intrigued with all of it. Although there is no real historical signifance and it is more just another way of partying and celebrating carnival.

I loved the parade with all the colour and glitz. I think my favourites were the bands all dressed up as clowns or in elaborate costumes. The best was the first band that was all decked out in purple satin, purple feathers and purple sequins etc. And the bands walking around the street in their costumes and playing their instruments was also really great. I really couldnt believe how elaborate some of the spectators were dressed either. Hans and I walked the couple of streets to where the parade was and I was totally dumbfounded. Lining the streets waiting for the parade were beds, telephones, bumble bees, angels, you name it! And these were just the locals out to watch the parade. And after killing myself laughing at Hans as he walked down the stairs in an outrageous wig, need I say that I suddenly felt extremely self conscious actually being dressed in everday normal clothes. Next year I know what to wear. Apparently also, if you walk into a cafe over this weekend without any costume, people just stare at you and think you are strange. Well next year I am going in costume and making sure I experience carnival to its fullest.

The other Saturday we went to Karyn and Jo's for the day and it was wonderful. They took us shopping at the German supermarket near their place and I got sooooo many things that you cant get in the Dutch supermarkets. They sure do have a much bigger range there. They also took us to my first toko (this is a foreign tropical food corner store that are everywhere. They mostly have Asian foods but you can also get lots else including milo and ovaltine, etc.) and I stocked up on things like turmeric, cream of tartar, baking soda, and of course my Milo (2 tins actually) J Boy was I ever happy to get that JAt the supermarket in Germany I was able to get gnocci, tomato chips (but they taste like tomato soup instead of tomato sauce), sesame seeds, weet bix (which I have now found in the local supermarket), english muffins, apricot nectar (so I was finally able to make some Apricot Chicken) and more. The good thing is that I have been able to cross off several items that I had on that list I sent everyone. They also sell all alcohol in the supermarket in Germany, in Holland they only sell beer and wine in the local supermarkets. Plus the alcohol in Germany has sooooooo little tax added and is unbelievably cheap!

At the moment I am reading a book called the Undutchables. It is written by 2 Americans who were living and working in Holland for a while and it is a hilarious look at life in Holland. You just kill yourself laughing the whole time and Hans read some and just sat there chuckling the whole time. But everything in it is soooooo true too.

Christmas 2000 (First xmas in Europe)

2007-01-07T16:33:00.000+01:00

I know I couldnt have asked for a better Christmas and the New Year was a whole new experience for me also.

I had a White Christmas and it was soooooo beautiful. The first snow fell on Christmas morning and I watched it for hours. Hans had to work on the mornings of Christmas Day and Boxing Day and when the snow started to fall I immediately rang him at work and screamed “ITS SNOWING”. It was so funny. I had been watching the weather on teletext for the entire week before and knew it was predicted and coming. Also, one of my friends from up near Amsterdam rang about 10pm on Christmas Eve to ask if we had snow yet and she said it was on its way because it started snowing in Eindhoven (about20km away) at dinner time. I was so excited I was almost beside myself and kept looking out the window all night. It was my first snow apart from when the family took a holiday down south when I was 7 and a White Christmas is something I have always dreamed of. Christmas Day the snow was very light and didnt leave that thick a coat but I still went out in it and let some fall on me. The flakes are so beautiful and look just like pictures of snowflakes. Each one is in that intricate circular pattern like a tiny piece of lace. That really surprised me and I loved it. Hans and I exchanged gifts at midnight on Christmas Eve as he was working the next morning and he had given me a camera. I got such a surprise and I love it but you can guess what I did Christmas morning, you got it, I ran around taking heaps of photos of snow. That night we had a lovely and quiet Christmas Dinner at home.

The snow on Boxing Day (or 2nd Christmas Day as it is called here) left a much thicker and wider blanket so once again, out came the camera and I just snapped away happily. I took a whole film of snow pictures on those 2 days. When Hans came home from work at 2pm we went for a drive to the forest and a little walk in the snow in the forest. It was all so pretty.
Christmas Eve we went around to Hans’ parents place for dinner with all the family. It was lovely to see the ways and foods of other customs but I have to admit that I still missed the traditional things from home. Absolutely none of the foods here are the same at Christmas. There are no rum balls, white christmas, fruit cake, christmas pudding, crackers, etc. In fact nothing is similar except the turkey. I had made some rum balls and we managed to find some christmas crackers at a shop in Eindhoven so we took both along on Christmas Eve and it was quite funny as nobody had any idea about either thing. They had never heard of or tasted rum balls and everyone but Esther (Hans sister in law) had never heard of crackers. We cracked the crackers and they wore their silly hats and it was so enjoyable seeing them trying this strange stuff from another country. For dinner we had soup and this stuff like a sausage roll but it is encased in bread and not pastry and I really dont like them, they taste funny. There was also pate and bread and a tradition they have when a baby is born. They put these tiny candy balls a bit like 100’s & 1000’s on buttered mini toasts from the store, blue candies for boys and pink for girls. As Christ was a boy, we had the blue candies. The candies are called mice. They are quite nice but it is all so different and interesting learning all the different customs. I did manage to get a hold of a christmas pudding as an English friend went back to spend christmas with her family and she brought a pudding back to Holland for me. I was on cloud 9 when I heard and I have already been getting into it. We put up a Christmas tree but not a real one. The real trees here are true and beautiful pine trees not like we have over there. They are the real thing J Although not real, the cats sure did love it. By the end of 2 weeks the tree had no decorations on the bottom half and I lost count of how many glass balls had to be vacuumed up. The Dutch dont have light up your house or anything like we do but an awful lot of the houses decorate or put christmas lights on trees in their front yard and that is so pretty when you drive around at night.

New Years Eve was another very different and amazing experience for me. We went to Gerard and Esthers place (Hans’ brother) in Riel which is just outside Tilburg. We had a lovely gourmet dinner which is very popular over here and where you put this grill thing in the middle of the table and everybody has their own plate of little pieces of meat and veges are laid out and you help yourself and sort of BBQ your own dinner as you sit around the dining table. It was very nice and very social and enjoyable. Everybody here stays in and has drinks or watches TV etc until midnight and then the streets come alive. Just about every second household has a stock pile of fireworks and at midnight everybody goes out into the street and sets them off. The sky is literally full of fireworks. The next door neighbour and his 2 young sons were letting off those ones that you call for at the show what colour is coming up next and they were also putting the lovliest fountain fireworks in the middle of the street. However, a bus came along just after one of the fountains was lit and had to sit and wait for it to finish and the bus driver just couldnt stop laughing. He had to stop and wait again at the corner then. A couple of doors down plus at the corner of the street plus the young people across the street were letting off rockets left right and centre. The street behind had some of the most spectacular fireworks as did the house on the corner of our street. I was even pretty scared as I wasnt used to being so close to fireworks going off and I kept waiting for somebody to get hurt. Midnight, though, is only when most of the fireworks go off. They actually started going off at 10am here in Maarheeze and a friend from Hoorn in the north said they woke her at 8am on New Years Eve and they continue here and there all day. At first I couldnt work out what all the loud bangs were at that time of the morning and was looking out the window trying to see what was going on when I realised J Then they continue here and there right up till the afternoon of New Years Day. It was amazing and the Dutch sure know how to celebrate New Years, that is for sure. They also go around wishing everbody in the street Best Wishes or good luck in the New Year. I shook so many hands and people who passed in the street were saying Best Wishes. It was a kind of magical experience apart from being a bit scared. We stayed in Riel the night and when we got back to Maarheeze the following afternoon there were the remains of about ½ dozen rockets sitting on our path and in front of the garage door. This goes on apparently in every single street in every single town, no matter how big or small. The whole nation just celebrates that way. The next day the streets are red from all the paper around the fireworks. I also got to try another Dutch tradition too and that is oliebollen which is eaten on New Years Eve. It is not much different to a small roll with sultanas in it but it is deep fried like a donut.
The week before and week after Christmas, Hans and I did heaps and heaps of shopping. I cant believe how much shopping we did. For me, we got all my winter clothes because I was definitely needing them. We got me a few very thick jumpers, several long sleeve tops and blouses, some long pants, pair of jeans, parka, body warmer (parka without sleeves) more thick socks, scarf, very thick long going out coat, a warm dressy suit (with skirt and not pants), and also 2 warm pairs of black leather boots, one zip up and one lace up, as my white sneakers and Queensland shoes were not doing anything to keep my feet warm. We also got me a pair of winter gloves for the motorbike as the summer leather ones werent keeping my hands warm when on the bike at all. I have, however, been wearing the summer ones when out walking or shopping as they are warm enough for that. Oh and I also had to get some warm night clothes and thick towelling dressing gown. This week the weather has improved and is only getting down to around 3-5 at night and up to 9-12 during the day but it will get really cold again and down to below freezing constantly again. Plus the cold here is different to Queensland and feels much colder than it is. However, nobody can believe how soft a winter it has been so far. If this is soft, I am not sure I want to see hard. January is usually the worst weather so lets see what happens.

They also salt the roads here as that melts the ice and snow. All main roads in the town and the highways are salted. Hans was explaining to me how to drive on the snow/ice roads when we went to the forest and offered me a practice but I chickened out. I think I will definitely give that first hand experience a miss. The salting is only done when the temperatures drop to freezing and below and there is ice expected. Or snow, as the snow compacts and turns to ice from the cars driving over it. The car has been playing up the last week so Hans rang to take it in to the service place but they said they couldnt take it for another week as they were so busy with all the body and paint jobs from Christmas week (laughing). Slippery roads and you know what that means. It is really awful when they salt the roads though and you are driving along but suddenly finding it had to see out of the windscreen because of all the salt on the windscreen. The cars dont seem to get rusty though which I find amazing and Hans says they are pretty protected. They sure must be.

I finally got a hold of some pumpkin here. Only problem is it was a gigantic pumpkin and the smallest they would sell me was ½ pumpkin. I agreed but ½ of the smallest pumpkin still weighed over 7kg. Hans couldnt beleive it when he saw me walking out of the shop with it and he just burst out laughing . Of course it was too huge to fit in the fridge then so we rang mum to see if she knew about freezing pumpkin. She told me you have to blanch vegetables in boiling salted water for a few minutes before freezing them. So Hans cut up the pumpkin and I blanched it. You should have seen the kitchen and it filled 4 big tupperware containers to put in the freezer too…..lol. I really think I should try and get smaller pumpkins if you can buy them..lol. Hans had never even seen the inside of a pumpkin let alone tried it but he doesnt mind it. He reckons it tastes like carrot but I dont know about that J We took some with us on New Years Eve so Gerard and Esther could try some too and they really liked it also but nobody here eats it. It is so strange.

The food here is quite good. I cook every night, 7 nights a week. Take away here is just about unheard of. There is McDonalds here and there in the bigger cities and I do know of a Domino’s Pizza in Tilburg plus I went to Subway in Eindhoven and that is the only take away places we know in Australia that I have seen in the 7 months I have been here. I was told the other day, however, that there is a pizza hut in Amsterdam but I am yet to see it. There is one take away chain but it isnt fast food as we know it. Otherwise, as I have written before, there are plenty of salads and the Dutch sure do seem to have a sweet tooth. They also like chocolate sandwiches for breakfast. Can you imagine it….lol. Their foods also seem to revolve around cheese and potatoes which certainly suits me down to the ground and as for their choice of international foods. They mostly go for just Chinese or Indian. And their favourite snack? That is a sausage called frikendella (probably spelt it wrong) or chips with mayonnaise on them. Not just ordinary mayonnaise though but special fritte sauce (that is the word for chips) that has mustard in it too. I dont like it at all. They also love their satay sauce so I usually stick that on my chips. As for potato crisps, there is no such flavours as salt and vinegar, barbecue, chicken, tomato sauce, etc. They dont exist here and neither does Cadbury. Nestle does but milo doesnt. There is no such thing here as Arnotts or Kraft. And no meat pies, the Dutch have no idea what they are. Shopping is a task and a half. When I have wanted special ingredients for a recipe it has been a matter of trying to translate and hoping they are in the English/Dutch dictionary and then trying to find them at the supermarket. They are not always there. I have been to several supermarkets looking for sesame seeds and am yet to find any. It can definitely be quite frustrating. I will send some lists of all the things you cant get here that I love and you can see how different it must be.

September 2000

2007-01-07T16:19:00.000+01:00

The other Saturday we went for a bus tour that was organised through Hans’ work and it was absolutely unreal. We went to Brugge and Antwerp in Belgium and I had the most fantastic time. First it was to a brewery tour in Brugge which I didnt get a real lot out of as the whole tour was in Dutch. At least I had my translator with me. This was followed by a traditional Flemish lunch in the breweries restaurant. This was definitely a unique lunch to say the least. It started with a vegetable soup but it wasnt too good I am afraid. The soup had not the slightest taste to it at all. Believe me when I say it was just boiled water with a couple of pieces of vegetables thrown in as they served it. This is not exaggerating at all. I couldnt eat it. Hans said that the Belgians dont know how to make soup. The rest of the lunch was lovely but I have to say that the experience of eating sandwiches with a knife and fork was certainly different for me. They served bread and butter with a couple of cold meats and cheese and you ate it with a knife and fork. I dont think I had ever had that experience before. This was followed with a delicious rice dessert. It was absolutely delicious.

After lunch we were given the rest of the afternoon to explore Brugge on our own and were to meet back at the market place. The city was breathtaking. There is no other way to describe it. I felt like I had gone through a time warp to a place and time long ago. I spent the afternoon in utter awe. First we took the horse and carriage tour of the city for 50NLG. This takes about 35minutes and the guide tells you all about the city and points out the wonderful history and places of interest. It was terrific. He pointed out the lake of love and told us how the city had been a bustling port in days gone by because of its canals (it is the Venice of the north, they called it and is built on canals just like Venice). However, after a while the silt built up and the ships couldn’t get in anymore so the city became very, very poor and because of this it totally missed the first Industrial Revolution. This was the best thing that could have happened to the city actually. Because it missed the industrial revolution, there were no factories or modern parts and the city has kept its historical appeal, totally preserved. All the buildings are in the Gothic or Baroque styles and are absolutely magnificent. Even the much more recently built buildings have been built in the Gothic or Baroque style so that they fit in with their surroundings. As I said, it was like stepping out of a time warp. The charm of the city is incredible and I immediately fell in love with it.
After the horse and carriage ride it was time to take one of the canal boat tours. The guides on these ask you which language you speak when you board and then conduct the tour in Dutch, English, German, AND French. It was sooooo interesting to travel along those canals. The boat took us under numerous arched bridges, the oldest being built in about 1390. The guide also pointed out heaps of historical and interesting places and I sat there just taking it all in. For example, there was one house that had been lived in by some important Spanish man in the 16th century. It was all so fascinating. We also got to do a bit of exploring by foot and I was intrigued with the chocolate shops and embroidery shops. Every second shop was either a Belgian chocolate shop or an embroidery like shop. Chocaholics would go absolutely beserk in this city J It was so incredible. You really have to see them to believe them and the shops were not that small either, and they had the gorgeous looking chocolate displays in the windows with quite a huge range. It was amazing but unfortunately I didnt bring any home with me. I will make sure I do next time though, you can count on that. And the embroidery craft is huge also. There was one woman sitting in the doorway of her house, dressed in traditional costume and working on her craft for all the tourists to stop and see as they walked by. This town really is so incredibly terrific.
After Brugge it was off to Antwerp for dinner at this wonderful middle ages restaurant. It is set in the cellar with candlelight and the old type timber tables and chairs and everything. The food was middle ages too with a much more edible vegetable soup followed by Hachee which is actually a traditional Dutch dish that I have cooked myself since I have been here (it is like a stew that you keep on the stove for up to 6 or 7 hours and quite delicious) except that the restaurant served the stewed apples on the side of the plate instead of in the stew. And they also served round chips with it. Then they followed this with rice pudding with a bit of brown sugar on top. It was all delicious J The restaurant was absolutely magnificent set in the original cellar surrounded by all the old bricks etc. A really great atmosphere and setting.

After dinner, we were able to wander around the streets for a while before having to get back on the bus. Unfortunately my feet were very bad after all the walking and I didnt get to see a real lot but I did get to see some. The walking we had to do that day was incredible cause the bus doesnt go into the city centre and in fact pretty well no cars at all go into the centre of Brugge. Instead the bus parks out of the city in special bus car parks and everyone walks in together and it is a bit of a distance. Pretty well everywhere we went that day was by foot but I still had the most wonderful time. Antwerp is a much more colourful city to say the least. Being evening while we were wandering around, all the cafes and bars were alive and it was a terrific atmosphere. Everybody sits out on the sidewalks of the cafes to eat and the bars flow over into the streets. I was told it is a bit like the Amsterdam version of Belgium. The city is a lot younger and its people much more colourful with bustling streets. I still liked this town though. There was this huge plaza that is almost like one huge open air bar with buskers of all kinds and one side of the plaza stands this most magnificent church with an almost open and see through steeple. It was beautiful. As the bus was leaving Antwerp, we were watching fireworks go off across the river and it seemed like the perfect way to end the day

Besides Belgium, I also went for a drive around the southern tip of Holland, around the Maastricht area, and it was absolutely beautiful. We stopped for a drink at the cafe/pub that sits on top of a hill and looked out at the countryside which was breathtaking. It truly was beautiful.

August 2000 (Trip to England)

2007-01-07T16:03:00.000+01:00

Well I am back from England and I had the most fantastic time. It was only a 5 day trip but I got to see sooooo much in those 5 days. I was totally exhausted when I got back.

We caught the ferry from Hoek van Holland early Thursday morning and talk about a great ferry. It is a car ferry and up top it has everything. We had breakfast on board and it was a full English breakfast with juices, tea, coffee, bacon, eggs, sausages, everything. Followed by lounging around in the Panorama Lounge at the stern of the ship. In the panorama lounge there is free tea and coffee, leather seats, newspapers of your choice to read etc. Real luxury. Also on board is 2 or 3 cinemas. On the way they were showing Stuart Little and a couple of other movies. On the return trip they were showing 60 seconds and The Gladiator. There is a Mc Donalds on board and also a casino, New York Pizza, and a disco area showing non stop video clips. All this and the crossing from Holland to England only takes 3hours and 40 minutes. It was a good trip. Also, travelling by motorbike meant we were privelleged and put on and off the ferry first before all the cars. There were a lot of motorbikes on the ferry.

We arrived in England at about 11.30am and it was a fair drive to Worksop. Over 300 km. Totally exhausted when we arrived but loved the scenery of England immediately. It was exactly what I had expected from TV shows and that sort of thing. The houses were gorgeous and old. The first town I saw was Harwich where the boat landed and I immediately fell in love with the town. Exactly what I always imagined England to look like. Travelling on the roads is a little confusing though with everything being in miles instead of km.

Arrived in Worksop just after seeing my first glimpse of Sherwood Forest and as you drive past, you can just imagine the people of the middle ages as they wandered through the forest with their bows and arrows J. It is quite thick foliage and probably hasnt changed in the last so many centuries. Worksop itself is a very old town by the look. Where we were staying in a bed and breakfast place anyway. Very typical English. And I got the full English breakfast both mornings I was there, that was included. The next morning I wandered across the street to this little tiny shop that I thought was a newsagent but it had a bit of everything. It definitely reminded me of that TV show “Open All Hours”. On Friday, before the wedding we had to attend, got to explore some of Worksop including this really old church just around the corner from the Guest House. We wandered through the cemetry there looking at how old the graves were. A lot of the stones were so worn from the weather that it was impossible to read anymore. All the writing was long ago worn away. The earliest one that I could read was about 1740. That was years before the English even came to Australia. Amazing.

Saturday morning it was time to hit the road for the very long drive to our camping site at Bath. First we went for a drive through Sherwood Forest to the nearby town which has a lot of the history of Robin Hood and a visitor centre. We did stop for a few minutes at the visitor centre but it wasnt open that early and we didnt have much time to stay so we then went off to the town to get a few Sherwood Forest postcards.

Then it was on the road again to see a place that we really wanted to see and that was Warwick Castle. And was it fantastic or what. The bad thing was that it wasnt traditional English weather that day but instead it was very hot and sweaty and sunny and we got sunburnt. The other bad thing was the place was really crowded and we had to stand in line for probably nearly an hour just to get the tickets to get in but it was definitely worth it. The oldest part of the castle was built by William the Conquerer in 1068 and that is The Mound which we walked up to the top of. Also saw The Kingmaker display which shows all the processes that go into preparing for battle and the Great Hall and State rooms were spectacular. Also walked down into the dungeon and saw the torture room. We missed 2 displays but that was ok. The gardens of the castle really are something else. There is the Victorian Rose Garden and also the Peacock gardens where shrubs are shaped like peacocks and the gardens are just so tranquil. It is like stepping back in time when you visit Warwick Castle. And the weekend we went just happened to be a jousting weekend. So on the river island was a medievil fair with all kinds of games from medievil times like throwing wet sponges at somebody in the stocks. In the ring these knights came out on horses and actually played knight games and jousted. It was fabulous. Everybody was in period costume and they had all the period tents and accessories. It felt like you were actually there in that time. I really loved Warwick Castle and you can spend all day there. It is run by Madam Tussauds so all the figures in the displays are so life like.

It was an absolutely fabulous day and I was really exhausted when we arrived at the campsite in Bath about 7pm and then had to pitch a tent. The campsite was really beautiful. The tent was beside this lovely little stream and wooden bridge on one side with a bushwalking track on the other side and everything was so green. The camping grounds also had a hotel on site and a restaurant which opened at breakfast and went until 10pm. So dinner was at the park restaurant. And suprisingly, there werent too many people there either and it was summer vacation time. It was very peaceful. I absolutely adored the countryside around Bath. Very green hills dotted with very old and historic buildings and homes. The city of Bath itself is in a lovely valley.

Sunday it was sightseeing time again. First it was a reasonably short drive over to Avebury, famous for its stone circles like Stonehenge, its crop circles, and its white horses on the hills. During the drive I got to see one of those white horses and also I saw a couple of crop circles from the road. And I really loved the countryside there in Wiltshire. The rolling crop plains. The scenery was fabulous. Avebury itself is a very tiny town and the stones circle the whole town. Each stone is huge.

After lunch in the lovely little English pub in Avebury, it was off to Salisbury. I would have loved to spend heaps more time in Salisbury. It was beautiful. But I did get to see the Salisbury museum where all the Stonehenge exhibit is and it is a fascinating museum. It has prehistory, middle ages, and lots more. They have the actual 4000 year old skeleton found at Stonehenge displayed in the exact way he was found as are other just as old skeletons found in the area. Across the road from the museum is the Salisbury Cathedral and boy is it a sight to see. Spectacular really comes to mind. And it also houses one of the original 4 pages of the magna carta.

From Salisbury it was time for Stonehenge itself and I just cant describe the feeling as you drove over the hill and see it for the first time. It is something I will never forget as long as I live. All you can do is gape. It is so massive and impressive and you cant take your eyes off it. It really is one of the greatest sites in the world. The highlight of my trip. We didnt pay the 4 pounds each though to go inside the fence cause the roped off area is only a couple of metres from the fence and you can see it just as well from the footpath. I spent the money saved on books and postcards instead. But Stonehenge will be with me forever.
Although totally worn out by the time we got back to Bath at about 6.30, the Roman Baths were open to the public till 10pm so a quick change into dry clothes as it had been pouring down all day, and then it was into the city. The Roman Baths are something very special too. They have been preserved very well and the floor you walk on is still the original stone. As the guide pointed out, the baths were built only about 30 years after the crucifixtion so you could be standing in the exact spot as somebody who saw Jesus alive. Very inspiring site. The floor of the bath is still the original lead floor and in just as good a condition and just as watertight as when it was built nearly 2000 years ago. The water now though is uncovered and very very dirty with blue green algae as well. They have original carvings and know a real lot about the lifestyle of those days. There was a number of altars and grave stones also from that period of history that have the original roman writing on them. It was fascinating.
Before leaving for England, we also went to the Tilburg fair which was unreal. As mentioned in earlier letters, the fairs here are in the streets and this one is the largest in Europe. It wound its way through the streets of Tilburg for kilometres. It was a real cultural difference to walk through the streets with housing units, European cafes, and old historic buildings on one side of you and the real carnival atmosphere on the other. They had all kinds of rides and side show attractions and I went for a ride on the biggest ferris wheel I think I have ever seen. I think it was about 50 something metres high and could see the whole city. They had all kinds of other rides including a flume ride where you get wet but we didnt fancy walking round in wet pants for the rest of the night. The fair was a lot like sideshow alley at the ekka but about 10 times the size or more.

The weekend before leaving for England I also got my first taste of Germany. We went for a drive across the border to a couple of German border towns and they are an immediate contrast to Holland and the countryside too as the countryside in Holland doesnt have the rolled hay stacks and all that. In fact, Germany looked a lot more similar to England and completely different to Holland. Will explore Germany more later and at the moment we are now concentrating on planning a weekend trip to Luxembourg.

July 20, 2000

2007-01-07T15:59:00.000+01:00

Went to Valkenburg which is a touristy town but mainly for the Dutch themselves or the Germans. They still have lots of tourist shops, though, with souvenirs of Holland so I could get some birthday presents for the family. The town is a very historic town which is built on the site of the old castle which is mostly in ruins now. But there are signs of the old castle everywhere including walls and arched gateways that you walk through. On top of the hill stands part of the old castle and you can walk up to it and look around the ruins. The day we went, however, it was extremely cold and very wet so we didn’t go up to the old ruins and we didn’t look around the old coal mines there that aren’t used anymore. We are supposed to be going back there soon and will do those things then. I still absolutely adored the town though. It was so old and you walk down the cobblestone streets. The history here never ceases to amaze me and I am right in my element. It was so cold so we had lunch at this great little restaurant that had a fire burning inside to keep us warm. We really needed it. The town is also very hilly which is extremely rare in Holland. It is right down the very bottom of the country and is very scenic. I can’t wait to see more of the town.

Also that day, we stopped to look at one of the man made channels here that ships travel down. They are totally amazing. This one we stopped to explore ran right beside the highway and it is really strange to be driving along the highway with a big ship passing beside you and higher than you. That is a real experience. I can’t really describe it properly but basically the channel is higher than you and all you see is the embankment beside you with this huge ship sitting on top of the embankment. The level of the water is about 15 metres higher than the road. Very weird feeling J The channels were made because the rivers are tidal and unpredictable in their height and shipping is an important business here so these channels were made where they can control the depth of them and they are so amazing. These waterways are dug by hand with no machines at all and they are as straight as a line. These channels were built in the 19th century and are common to the south of Holland and the North East of Belgium around the Maas River. As I said, they were built for internal ships which are very long, flat and wide, strange looking ships which carry a maximum of 600 tons. The part we stopped to look at is called a sluice with 2 doors and between the 2 doors it is like a huge bath tub. On one side of the doors the water is about 20 metres higher than the other side of the doors. When ships get to this sluice they wait inside the bath tub part. While we were there, there were a few boats which had come from the lower side and were waiting to go to the higher side of the channel. As we watched, they had the doors closed on the lower side and they were letting the water into the bath tub from the higher side and when it reaches the same height then the boats and ships can continue on their way. They have these floating things along the sides of the bath tub too which is for the boats to tie up to and as the water rises then these anchoring things and the boats rise too. When the water level is the same height, the boats continue and this also works in reverse. It happens quite fast too with the water in the bath tub rising the 20 metres in about 10 minutes. The edges of the doors are made of timber which is more flexible and you can hear the groaning of the timber and steel under pressure as the water rises. Basically, when you have a hill or something to cross then they build the canal in stages with a sluice between each level and they can then control the level of the water in each part of the canal. It is really amazing engineering work. In Holland you can basically go by ship up a hill. It was so amazing to watch the actual practice taking place.

At the moment it is fair time over here and all the towns have these great little fairs in the streets. The fairs are like sideshow alley at the ekka but it is in the streets and they go for a few days. The other night we went to the one in Valkenswaard where Hans’ dad lives and it is quite a large one. They had dodgems, the octopus, adventureland which is like the ghost train, a huge ferris wheel, bungee ball that shoots you up into the air, heaps of other rides, candy stalls that sell all kinds of candy sticks and lollipops (I had to buy a lollipop and candy stick to send home to Lucas), as well as lucky ticket stalls, game stalls, and food stalls. The fairy floss stall blew me away a bit. They have heaps of different sizes so Hans bought me a super bag and it was the size of my pillow. And that was only the third size J Here they call it suiker spin (sugar spin). It was delicious too J There was also a ride that looked a little like the wipeout but instead of a wave, it resembled a windmill of course. And something that totally amazed me was they had poker machines for anyone to walk up and play. I couldn’t believe it. Sitting right there set around in a square as a stall were poker machines. That really had me in awe. They had the same thing with pinball machines and those machines where you try to pick up a toy with the forked thing. We all (we went with Hans parents too) had a great time at the fair and the atmosphere was great. They had no fireworks this year though as it was decided after that fireworks factory exploded earlier in the year that they wouldn’t have any this year. I presume that applies to all the fairs.

There was also a much smaller version of the fair here in Maarheeze too so I walked into town the other day and had a look around. It was very small though and only had a few rides, a few stalls and that was about it. The fair here in town is actually where I bought the candy sticks for Lucas. There is a huge fair in the town of Tilburg which is about 45minutes from here that starts on Saturday 22nd and finishes Sunday 30th July. It is supposed to be the largest fair in the Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) region if not the largest in Europe. That is the town where Hans brother lives so I think we are supposed to be going there for dinner and then to the fair one evening. I am really looking forward to it so much. Another thing about the fairs here is that they start about midday and go till about midnight every day. I suppose considering it doesn’t get dark here till about 10pm then that isn’t so late.

Things sure are strange over here and I am loving the experience of finding out the different cultures and lifestyles. Here some shops open on Sunday afternoons and most shops are closed every Monday. It is strange to get used to. Although many shops do open for a few hours on the Monday afternoon. It is also summer vacation here and shops just close for the holidays. I went to the chemist and newsagency here in town the other day only to find that they have closed for a couple of weeks holidays. Apparently free time is becoming increasingly important here and people would rather more holidays than pay rises. So businesses shut for a couple of weeks holiday regardless of the loss in income. I was dumbfounded. The food is also very different. I am totally hooked on the salads here. They have all these delicious creamy salads like potato salad. There is an abundance of different potato salads and I am addicted to egg salad sandwiches now. Not to forget the yummy chicken curry salad, beef salad, egg and bacon salad, bacon salad, salmon salad, tuna salad, etc. They are sooooooooo nice and perfect for me as they don’t really have any veges in them J Coleslaw doesn’t appear to be common here though and when I have seen it, it is called American coleslaw or English coleslaw. The lifestyle here is so relaxed and friendly. One thing I enjoy doing is going for walks in the forest next to the town. There are marked walking trails where people take their dogs for walks and it is so peaceful and clean and fresh. The red trail is a 25minute walk, the blue is 40minutes and the yellow is one hour. I have only taken the red trail so far but intend to try out the blue next time I go. When we go, it is to take the dog for a walk. It is nice in the evenings. By the way, evening here is considered to be 6pm till midnight and then night is midnight till about 6am.

Am also getting used to the language a lot more too. I find myself saying nee (pronounced nay) automatically now and more often than I say no.

July 11, 2000

2007-01-07T15:57:00.000+01:00

The sightseeing around here has been quiet the last couple of weeks as I said but I have done a couple of things. Went to the markets in Valkenswaard which are on every Thursday and it is fantastic. They are not like our markets in Australia. They haven’t heard of such things in Holland like garage sales or taking second hand goods or crafts to the markets. Apparently Belgium has markets like that on Sundays like us but it is a big novelty here in Holland to go to those markets in Belgium which I am sure to do one Sunday. However, back to the Thursday markets here, they pretty well consist of business stalls but they are incredible. It was one fruit and vege stall after another and the produce looked absolutely mouth watering. We got a kilo of the biggest, darkest and most yummy cherries for 6 guilder and also the sweetest and juiciest peaches. They were delightful. And there is just stall upon stall of that stuff. Not to mention the endless stalls of cheese and the long line of fresh seafood stalls which you can smell from afar J And the plants, well you really should have seen the healthiest flowering African Violets that I think I have ever seen. And those stalls were endless too with some really beautiful plants that I dont think I knew.

June 2000 (My first letter home to Australia)

2007-01-07T15:48:00.000+01:00

Went to the Kroller Muller museum and it was really good. I saw a lot of famous Vincent Van Gogh Paintings and it was fabulous. They had works there by other Dutch painters and sculptures too and also a couple of Renoir and a Pablo Picasso. The museum is set in a National Park and at the gate you can choose to walk, drive, or ride one of the free 1000 bicycles to the museum which is a distance of 9km each way. We rode bicycles and it nearly killed me. I was so sore by the end of the day but great exercise I suppose. The National Park is absolutely beautiful and all the trees are covered in moss. It really took my breath away. The air was so crisp and clean too. It was incredible.
Also went to the zoo which is unlike any zoo in Australia. They try to have the animals in a wild environment as much as possible and you view them from walkways. This is how they had the giraffes, rhino’s, zebras, etc and in 2 separate wild enclosure were the cheetahs and the lions. They also have this huge closed in domed area which has been set up like a real bush or rainforest area and in there are otters, dugong and that sort of thing and the birds fly free around your head including flamingo’s. Off to the sides are a couple of smaller halls. One is an ocean environment and it is totally amazing how they have set it up to be exactly like the ocean for the fish and you view it all through glass. The other hall is a desert environment where they have wild boars, rattle snakes etc although of course they cant get to you. However the birds can and there is even a vulture flying around your head. It was magnificent. That day was very wet and averaged 12 degrees all day so I didnt get to see all the normal zoo part. It poured down all day.

Apart from the zoo and the museum, I haven’t done a lot of sightseeing yet apart from visiting a few towns and looking around the shops. I love looking at the buildings. I walked into the shopping part of the village here and bought a couple of things for myself. I even asked the grocer about pumpkin in Dutch (pronounced pompoon). I don’t think it is possible to get it at all in Holland and I am really amazed about that. I was very proud of my solo outing. I have driven a few times and what an experience that was. I continually felt like I was in the wrong place and it was very scary. I am getting quite used to the driving now though but haven’t ventured further than the nearby town which is 10 minutes away by myself. Went to a farmer’s shop that sold pet rabbits. They were gorgeous. I liked the black ones with floppy ears. Oh yes, and they do sell wooden clogs everywhere. In the hardware stores, at service stations, etc. Apparently farmers still wear them and they are supposed to be good for you to wear them. Have also been over the border to Belgium. The borders don’t exist here anymore and you can go to any country whenever you like with nobody to stop you. All that marks the borders now is a post that is permanently up and a sign that tells you that you have now entered that country. In Belgium, you immediately see a difference in the house styles and everything.

The TV here is excellent. They have satellite TV with a lot of the stations that Australia gets on pay TV including MTV etc. The shows are mostly shown in English too with Dutch subtitles. Except the ones from the German stations that is. The Germans like to dub over the shows in German. I was watching some of Home Improvement before that had been dubbed in German and it is not good. What is good though is that here they have at least one of the Star Trek shows on every day of the week. That I really like.

There was a very, very hot spell and I hate the heat. I usually look forward to winter coming and instead I got a double summer. Apparently you are lucky to get 10 days like that in a whole summer usually. I hope that is true of this summer although it was apparently the hottest June for 100 years here in Holland. I think I brought Australia’s climate with me. However, the past couple of weeks have been true to form with very cold, wet, windy, miserable weather J It was perfect weather for my trip to the coast. I had the most terrific time. First I went to Middelburg which is the town where my boss comes from. It was so beautiful. And the trip also happened to coincide with an annual festival in the town. I was so lucky. I got there and there were rides and all the stores had their wares displayed on the street and there were heaps of fresh produce. In the surroundings you could almost imagine stepping back in time and I was totally fascinated. First I went right past the town hall, which was the oldest building I had ever seen, and it left me breathless. It looked like something out of a fairy tale book. I took some pictures and walked on through the markets coming out at the old building I had heard so much about which is a well-known monument of the town. That was Long John. It is this huge clock tower and you can climb the 400 and something meters to half way up and have a look out over the town but I opted out for that walk J. Walked through the attached church and that and I just had to put my palm against the wall cause I couldn’t comprehend the age. The place was over 800 years old and the oldest thing I had seen in my life. Walked through to the courtyard and I just stood in awe thinking of the people that walked those corridors and around the courtyard all those years ago. This is exactly what I had wanted to see in Europe. Inside the building there is also graves in the floor of important city officials. It was amazing. Had lunch then at this terrific little terrace cafe where the cafe is on the other side of the road and you are sitting in the square. It was fabulous and lunch was delicious too. Unfortunately, just about everywhere you go has a time limit and parking meter and the parking attendants are on the ball so we only got the maximum 2 hours in this town and I was so disappointed.After Middelburg I went to this really old little fishing village called Veere and on our way through the town, noticed an old fisherman in his overalls and wearing his wooden clogs. Yes the old farmers, etc really do wear the clogs. Also saw some women in traditional costume and the old building here were just as beautiful and fabulous but I did not enjoy this town as much because it had been so modernised. All the old fishing vessels and the culture of the town had made way for yachts and tourists. The town is situated on a part of the ocean that the Dutch have closed off at both ends with a dyke and it has now become a massive freshwater lake. It is amazing some of the things the Dutch engineers have done. Absolutely incredible. Sat for a while on the grassy hill beside the lake and looked at all the old buildings and cobblestone roads on one side and the hundreds of sailing vessels on the lake on the other side. It was really beautiful but I still feel sad that a lot of the town’s history has gone. I also saw the biggest seagulls I had ever seen. They are huge here.

Then it was time to move on to the next island which is a totally man made island with a museum about the dykes and all the machinery but we didn’t have time to see the museum, just a quick look around the island. Apparently there is a boat trip included in the museum so planning on going back another time. After that, to Zierikzee which was another wonderful place. Managed to get free parking which is pretty unusual over here and walked up towards the centre of town and this place was real history in the centre of town with its very narrow cobblestone streets and the markets in the streets here also. These are streets that are too narrow to drive down and you can only walk through them. Stopped at this great little cafe with no other customers and ordered pancakes with strawberries and icing sugar. When they arrived I was dumbfounded. The pancakes were the size of a normal pizza on a plate exactly the same size. On top was 2 big scoops of cream, a pile of strawberries and heaps of icing sugar and it was also served with a bowl of ice cream. I was so, so, so full by the time I managed to get through them that I didn’t eat dinner that night. They were as tasty as they looked and as tasty as they sound. Went for a bit of a look around after eating and this woman came up and was pointing out all the good historic sites to see but of course everything was now shut as it was about 6pm. It is still broad daylight here till about 10pm.

On the way home I drove for a lot of the 2 hour trip along the highways and I did pretty good too. That is another thing you have to pay for over here. It is one guilder every time you use a shopping trolley but you get that back when you return the trolley. However you don’t get back the 25 cents you have to often tip when you use a public toilet. You have to leave your quarter coin on the plate. First time I had to do this was at the zoo. Absolutely everything costs here.

Went into Weert the other day and I saw my first real big shopping centre here. A shopping centre as we know it, which I was beginning to think, didn’t exist over here. I got a heap of postcards from Weert. One thing I have noticed here is that there are very few overweight people, they are all skinny and there are also no fast food shops. The one and only fast food shop I have seen is McDonalds and they are few and far between. I am still to find a KFC, Red Rooster, Sizzler, Subway, Pizza Hut, Dominos, Eagle Boys or any other fast food of any kind. Apart from McDonalds and a few cafes or snack bars, they just don’t exist here. The Dutch prefer to eat at home. I am told there is a couple in the major cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam but I am yet to see them. Oh, and the chocolate milk drinks and chocolate milkshakes taste very different and I am not sure I like them at all. And everywhere you go you are surrounded by bicycles or scooters. The traffic lights here have three go lights for pedestrians, scooters and bicycles. The bicycles also have their own lanes in the middle of the road. It is amazing and it terrifies me a bit when I am driving. They also have their own little traffic lights joined to the main ones. Absolutely everyone rides a push bike over here.