Today was our last day. It came with mixed feelings. We're eager to see the kids and grandkids but not ready to return to our busy schedules. We decided to spend the day exploring the area along the North Sea - we never did get there. After breaky, we headed out. Dave didn't sleep well and so had done the research for the day during the night. He had a plan but I don't know how well we followed it. Within 90 minutes we arrived at Marken which is a small island with similarities to Mackinac Island. Only residents may have cars on the island. We parked and rented a tandum bike.
The day was beautiful. Almost all sun and 68. A great way to end the trip. There was a bike path around the island - only 7 klms long. Dave was in the front of the bike and therefore had control of it. For the most part this worked well. He tends to stay a little too far to the right for me and I wondered if we were going to go over the edge and down the side of the dyke. Yes, the entire trip around the island was on top of a dyke. At points the bike path was about 12" wide which meant I could feel the grass brushing against both my feet as we rode. When other bikers came along, I insisted that we got off the bike rather than try to have both of us use the same narrow trail. On one side of the dyke was the water - not the North Sea but water from the North Sea - and the other side had a drop of at least 10" to the polder (ground reclaimed from the sea and found behind a dyke).
There was a main part to the island, stores/most of the houses, and then there were clumps of houses (5 or so) every once in awhile along the bike path. Kind of strange why they were located there but it was very nice. We stopped a couple of times to sit on benches and look at the water. One stop was at a lighhouse. There were sailboats everywhere. We counted what we could see and came to about 145. When we got back on the trail, there were even more around the next bend. It was at the lighthouse that we pulled out the raisin buns that we bought at the market a few days ago and the butter we took from breakfast. We spread the butter on the buns with a spoon we took from our hotel room. It worked just fine.
Most of the island is farmland with many cows and sheep. Some farmers were haying. It was all so peaceful. After about 2 1/2 hours, we returned the bikes. There was a shop there that made wooden shoes but not until 4 pm - which wasn't true because we went back at 4 and nothing was happening. I had to go to the bathroom - which you could do for 50 cents in this store. I paid my money, waited in line, used a toilet that didn't flush and put the paper in a pail, because you weren't allowed to flush it. That was new experience.
We wandered through the very small town and made our way to a bench by the water. (When we returned the bikes I was hot and so changed into my shorts. Within minutes, the sun went away.) The idea was to read for awhile on the bench. Dave lasted about 2 minutes and then laid down for a nap. I read a bit and became colder and colder. When Dave work up we decided it was time to go. The very narrow streets were almost clogged with huge groups of people travelling in packs. Turns out there were 5 tour buses in the parking lot. We counted at least that many (some double deckers) on the way to the island as we headed out. Too bad some of the shops had already closed up!
Dave wanted to follow the water as far as we could back to our hotel. That's all well and good but you can't see the water from the road. It's high above the road on the other side of the dyke. We did see more beautiful farmland. Many people were out doing Saturday things like working in the yard, painting their houses, and fixing their driveways - which were made with cobblestones.
In one town we crossed a draw bridge (it lifted up on both sides - separating in the middle. There were posts on either side of the road right before the bridge. They were so close together that we had to pull the side mirrors in and then just barely squeaked through. Fun.
Our "last supper" was in a small town sitting in the sun. We toasted to a great trip, talked about some highlights, and mixed in a bit of what reality would bring on Monday. We had finished eating by 6:30 (at least that's back to our normal schedule) and made our way back to the hotel. The car was quite dirty and since we didn't want to get stuck with a cleaning fee, Dave washed it. (You get much more time on each cycle than you would in Cedar.) Watching Dave trying to figure out which of the 8 options (all in Dutch) he needed was amusing.
We're back in the hotel room with suitcases, bags, clothes, and general stuff everywhere. It's been a treat staying in one place for 3 nights. The airport is 30 minutes away. The car is due back by 11:30 am and we take off at 1:20 pm (that's 7:30 am your time). If all goes well, we'll land in Detriot about 4 pm and will be home by 7 (which will be 1 am for us). The plan is to sleep for about 10 hours and then jump back into life with both feet. Yes, we're both going to work on Monday.
We've put 2,300 klms (almost 1,000 miles) on the car.
We've filled the car 4 times and washed it once.
We've been in 5 countries: Holland, England, Wales, France, and Belgium.
We've eaten lots of great food and some quite poor food.
We've drank many cups of tea and glasses of beer.
We've visited 9 churches and 4 castles.
We've taken 2 ferries and 3 river cruises.
We've stayed in 6 B&Bs and 6 hotels.
My favorite meal was salmon lasanga and Dave's was sea bream - both enjoyed at the same meal in Bergen op Zoom, Holland.
My favorite moment was in Gouda where it felt like I was in the 1200s. Dave's favorite moment was
riding the bike on the dyke in Marken.
My favorite town was Delft and Dave's was Bergen op Zoom.
My favorite lodging was the B&B in Pyle, Wales and Dave's was on the ferry from Holland to England.
The best part of the trip? That will take time to figure out.
And so ends the story of our travels for this trip.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Alkmaar and the countryside
The last time we were in Holland, I was dissappointed that we weren't able to make it to the cheese market and so we wanted to do that on this trip. The staff of the hotel told us not to take the car as there wouldn't be any place to park and, it's only a 15 minute walk. It took a bit longer than that but we made it. When we got to the center of town, the people were 5 deep around the fences surrounding the cheese market. It took some time to get to the front and get some good pictures. There were hundreds of wheels of cheese on the market's cobblestones. Men dressed in white and wearing straw hats carried 8 wheels around on "flat carts" which hung from shoulder straps. They speed walked/almost ran whenever they were carrying the cheese. They way they swung their arms reminded me of William running. :)
There was an inspector who tasted some of the cheese. As the deals were discussed, the two men would constantly slap their hands together, like a sideways high five, until the deal was sealed and then there was a hand shake. There were 3 guys who threw the wheels of cheese to each other and moved them from A to B. The cheese was then weighed and put into either small boats or trucks to be taken away. The market has operated like this for 100s of years. There's a lot of traditional and what I would consider a lot of ceremony. It's great to watch but highly ineffeciant.
The number of people was unbelieveable. These were the largest crowds we'd seen since Buckingham Palace. The stalls selling cheese, poffertjes (the really small pancake things I talked about before), and souviners were doing an incredible business. There were several people in traditional Dutch dress. I got a picture with 2 older women who looked great.
At noon we took a one hour river cruise which was really nice. Four bridges over the canal had to be raised so we could get through . It's fun to watch people on the bridge think they can make it over before the bridge starts to rise. Most of the cruise was in the Dutch countryside looking at farmland and windmills from the early 1600s. At one point we were at an intersection of 4 canals that had a sign indicating the direction of 4 different towns. About 95% of the people on the boat spoke Dutch. The tour guide gave long, funny explanations as we went along. He'd talk for 4 minutes. People would laugh. This was followed by the English folks getting one sentence that was not funny at all. At times, the English was half English and half Dutch. By the time we were nearing the end of the cruise, he didn't even bother with English any more. Sigh....
The boat we were on was exactly the same as the boat Dave was on when he was 16 and went to Holland with his family. I have a picture of him in the boat at work. I took the same picture of him today - 37 years later. I said we'd come back in 37 more years (he'll be 90) and take one more.
Today was the coolest yet in Holland - 63 and with some drizzle in the morning. (Still no rain!) We decided to share a sandwich for lunch at an outdoor cafe. The heaters were on and there were blankets on the backs of the chairs. It was warm and cozy there. Our sandwich was a club - smoked chicken, smoked salmon, and egg salad. It was delicious! In this part of Holland everyone eats their sandwiches with a fork and knife - yes, us too.
About 2 pm we headed back to our hotel. At this point in our trip, we've seen enough churches, been in enough shops (not that many really) and walked down enough old, narrow streets. For those who would love to be here, you'll find this hard to believe but at some point no matter how wonderful an experience, you've had your fill (at least for now). A short nap, some reading, and we were ready to head out again. We headed into the countryside and just drove around - in West Friesland. The cows are so healthy and beautiful here. Large fields are filled with cows and sheep - with the odd pig and goat as well. (In Wales/England we saw free range pigs. Werid to see. They each had a little hut and roamed freely in a huge field.) Dave and I have dreams of sheep in our backyard.
The plan was to have Dutch pancakes for supper. This actually happened since we stumbled across a pancake place beside a dyke on the North Sea. I had a pancake with raisins, warm bananas, and chocolate sauce. It was okay. Dave's had bacon in the pancake and on top was a huge pile of vegys smothered in cheese. He said it was excellent. Our table was outside on a canal. The sun had finally come out so it was pleasant to sit there - with coats on of course. We checked the weather at home and it's 25 (or more) degrees warmer than here plus it's humid. I just can't imagine going home to that. That adjustment alone will be huge, not to mention getting up 2 hours earlier everyday, the intense busyness of daily life etc etc. We're already feeling ourselves working on the mental adjustment.
Supper was the earliest we've eaten (6:30) since we got here. We were back in the hotel by 8 (another record) and watched some TV - lots of things in English to watch. Here's how TVworks here. 20 minutes of show, 10 minutes of commercials, 20 minutes of show. It's great during the show part but the commercials last forever. To pass the time we counted them - 22 commercials in one 10 minute period. And timed them - shortest was 10 seconds and longest was 30 seconds. Thus ended another day of our adventures.
Smell is a very powerful thing. It's amazing the memories smells can bring back. Since we've arrived I've had 3 such experiences.
- one reminded me of the university where I did my undergrad work
- one of Dave's mom's house
- one of Oma Rinzema's (that's my dad's mom) house - we were there when I was 12ish
I've taken 365 picutres so far. We'll have a few hours of editing to get through all of those Amanda. Aunt Elaine wants to see them when we go to Canada in a few weeks.
I found this great page on our blog. Here are some interesting stats. Yesterday, 45 peole looked at the blog. In the last month, 639 have looked at it. These folks are from Canada, the US, Russian, Holland, and Germany. Who knew?!
One thing I learned today: 14 days of vacation is the perfect amount of time.
One new thing I experienced today: Seeing how corn in grown here. Each row is planted with plastic surrounding each plant.
Most powerful moment of the day: Nothing today.
One pleasurable experience: Floating on a canal through the Dutch countryside.
There was an inspector who tasted some of the cheese. As the deals were discussed, the two men would constantly slap their hands together, like a sideways high five, until the deal was sealed and then there was a hand shake. There were 3 guys who threw the wheels of cheese to each other and moved them from A to B. The cheese was then weighed and put into either small boats or trucks to be taken away. The market has operated like this for 100s of years. There's a lot of traditional and what I would consider a lot of ceremony. It's great to watch but highly ineffeciant.
The number of people was unbelieveable. These were the largest crowds we'd seen since Buckingham Palace. The stalls selling cheese, poffertjes (the really small pancake things I talked about before), and souviners were doing an incredible business. There were several people in traditional Dutch dress. I got a picture with 2 older women who looked great.
At noon we took a one hour river cruise which was really nice. Four bridges over the canal had to be raised so we could get through . It's fun to watch people on the bridge think they can make it over before the bridge starts to rise. Most of the cruise was in the Dutch countryside looking at farmland and windmills from the early 1600s. At one point we were at an intersection of 4 canals that had a sign indicating the direction of 4 different towns. About 95% of the people on the boat spoke Dutch. The tour guide gave long, funny explanations as we went along. He'd talk for 4 minutes. People would laugh. This was followed by the English folks getting one sentence that was not funny at all. At times, the English was half English and half Dutch. By the time we were nearing the end of the cruise, he didn't even bother with English any more. Sigh....
The boat we were on was exactly the same as the boat Dave was on when he was 16 and went to Holland with his family. I have a picture of him in the boat at work. I took the same picture of him today - 37 years later. I said we'd come back in 37 more years (he'll be 90) and take one more.
Today was the coolest yet in Holland - 63 and with some drizzle in the morning. (Still no rain!) We decided to share a sandwich for lunch at an outdoor cafe. The heaters were on and there were blankets on the backs of the chairs. It was warm and cozy there. Our sandwich was a club - smoked chicken, smoked salmon, and egg salad. It was delicious! In this part of Holland everyone eats their sandwiches with a fork and knife - yes, us too.
About 2 pm we headed back to our hotel. At this point in our trip, we've seen enough churches, been in enough shops (not that many really) and walked down enough old, narrow streets. For those who would love to be here, you'll find this hard to believe but at some point no matter how wonderful an experience, you've had your fill (at least for now). A short nap, some reading, and we were ready to head out again. We headed into the countryside and just drove around - in West Friesland. The cows are so healthy and beautiful here. Large fields are filled with cows and sheep - with the odd pig and goat as well. (In Wales/England we saw free range pigs. Werid to see. They each had a little hut and roamed freely in a huge field.) Dave and I have dreams of sheep in our backyard.
The plan was to have Dutch pancakes for supper. This actually happened since we stumbled across a pancake place beside a dyke on the North Sea. I had a pancake with raisins, warm bananas, and chocolate sauce. It was okay. Dave's had bacon in the pancake and on top was a huge pile of vegys smothered in cheese. He said it was excellent. Our table was outside on a canal. The sun had finally come out so it was pleasant to sit there - with coats on of course. We checked the weather at home and it's 25 (or more) degrees warmer than here plus it's humid. I just can't imagine going home to that. That adjustment alone will be huge, not to mention getting up 2 hours earlier everyday, the intense busyness of daily life etc etc. We're already feeling ourselves working on the mental adjustment.
Supper was the earliest we've eaten (6:30) since we got here. We were back in the hotel by 8 (another record) and watched some TV - lots of things in English to watch. Here's how TVworks here. 20 minutes of show, 10 minutes of commercials, 20 minutes of show. It's great during the show part but the commercials last forever. To pass the time we counted them - 22 commercials in one 10 minute period. And timed them - shortest was 10 seconds and longest was 30 seconds. Thus ended another day of our adventures.
Smell is a very powerful thing. It's amazing the memories smells can bring back. Since we've arrived I've had 3 such experiences.
- one reminded me of the university where I did my undergrad work
- one of Dave's mom's house
- one of Oma Rinzema's (that's my dad's mom) house - we were there when I was 12ish
I've taken 365 picutres so far. We'll have a few hours of editing to get through all of those Amanda. Aunt Elaine wants to see them when we go to Canada in a few weeks.
I found this great page on our blog. Here are some interesting stats. Yesterday, 45 peole looked at the blog. In the last month, 639 have looked at it. These folks are from Canada, the US, Russian, Holland, and Germany. Who knew?!
One thing I learned today: 14 days of vacation is the perfect amount of time.
One new thing I experienced today: Seeing how corn in grown here. Each row is planted with plastic surrounding each plant.
Most powerful moment of the day: Nothing today.
One pleasurable experience: Floating on a canal through the Dutch countryside.
Friday, July 12, 2013
Need air conditioning on
We see that it's quite hot at home - a lot hotter than here. Could someone please turn our air conditioning on today (Sat) or early tomorrow? Mark can do it in about 2 seconds. It may take the rest of you a long time since it's quite complicated if you don't know what you're doing. I don't know if Mark and Emilee read the blog everyday, so could either Laura or Amy send Mark a text about this? Can you send me a reply that the air is on? Thanks much!
Rotterdam and Delft
What a great day today was. It was an "early" start for us as we needed to be at the Rotterdam cruise boat terminal by 10 am - which was only 10 minutes away. For some reason I wore shorts when I was planning on wearing pants. Everyone else was wearing pants and some had winter coats on. (A bit extreme yes but it was our coolest day yet - about 67.) After sitting on the top, open air deck for about 5 minutes, we headed inside - which was a better place anyway. There were floor to ceiling windows and we could sit at a table. Since the cruise was 2 and half hours long, this was lovely.
We crusied up and down many "streets" (I don't know the term for this in water language) and saw so much. Everything is so big! Three quarters of all the trailers (from 18 wheelers) go through Rotterdam. They're stacked 13 high all along the water. The cranes are enormous. There are recycling yards for stainless steel that are massive. We saw the dry docks for the huge boats - one with a boat in it getting repaired. Rotterdam is the third largest harbor in the world.
While on the boat there were two sets of Opa and Omas with grandkids on either side of us. One had two boys about 8 and 10 who were perfectly behaved. Oma had a hard time staying awake. The other family had 4 boys (15 to 8) and that Oma had her hands full with the youngest. She was very busy saying "don't do that". Opa just sat there and stared out the window. I can see that the younger kids would be quite board with the cruise. After about 10 minutes, they've seen it. It was very good to hear "Opa and Oma" again and made me miss the grandkids. Some day we'll take them on some kind of outing. :)
After the cruise there was a gift shop - really! One of the shop keepers was smoking a cigar. This is one of those things I mentioned the other day that's so different than at home. Another is that no one wears gloves when handling your food. They do "everything" and then pick up your rolls or whatever they're serving you. This bothered me the most happened this afternoon when we were at the market. We bought some droppies and the lady grabs a handful of them (everything was loose in a bin) and put them in a bag. Another lady wanted a specific color of candy and so the shop keeper sorted through the bin with her bare hands picking them out. It obviously doesn't bother anyone here but we're not used to it.
A couple of the parking garages we've been in are amazing. They appear to be brand new and have wonderfully painted floors and walls (today's were orange and blue - the royal colors). Today we saw a section were the cars are stored one on top of the other - long term parking. Really neat. I have pictures that will show why the garages are noteworthy.
About 1:30 we headed off to Delft - where they make the world famous Delft Blue items. It was only 15 minutes away. This is my favorite town so far. Yesterday I found my favorite "spot" - today it was my favorite town. It's just magical and market day just added to the whole experience. This was a real market. It wasn't long before we found the fish stall and had some deep fried something or other. It wasn't anything special but was super greasy! We shared one order. I don't know how anyone could eat the whole order and not get sick. As we ate our fish, we watched a man take a raw herring (just had the head and guts removed after coming out of a pail full of raw fish and blood), put chopped onions on it and ate it in two bites. Turned my stomach. With "juice" running down his chin, he reached for another - they were 3 for 5 euros. At another stall we found some of the amazing raisin buns we get for breakfast and shared one of those. This stand sold "American cookies" (looked like chocolate, macadamien nut to me) - 6 for 2 euros. (Didn't bother getting any of those.) Then we spotted the droppie/chocolate stall. 100 grams of double salt droopies and 100 grams of chocolate rounded out our market shopping.
Since we were in Delft, we wanted to see the factory where the famous Delft Blue items are made. Long story short, didn't do that but instead went into a store where the items are hand painted (which all Delft Blue items should be) by the woman who owned the shop. We chatted with her for a bit and learned a lot. The smallest items were quite expensive but beautiful. I did find a small plate for $10 in another shop that will sit on our bookshelf at home. It says it's handmade - which I doubt is the same as hand painted.
Right on the market sqaure was the New Church (late 1300s) and a few roads over was the Old Church (1200). Both, of course, started out as Catholic churches and now both are Dutch Reformed - and still have church services each week. The New Church was built after a begger saw a vision of Mary while in the market square. Someone else confirmed this and so a massive church was built. This is the church where the royal family is buried. There's a huge undergroun crypt at the back of the church. The first burial was in 1614 and the most recent was Queen Juliana in 2004. There's a model of what it looks like - you can't go down there. Lots of rooms with shelves and coffins. William I's massive tomb is above the crypt. It's something to see. Lots of wonderful royal history (in English!) and several 9" thick Bibles from the 1700s were in the church.
The Old Church actually looks newer (on the inside) than the New Church - all the walls are bright white. The painter Vermeer is buried in this church. He died without any money since his paintings didn't become valuable until after his death. How sad it is that he never knew that his paintings became so famous. One of his is the "girl with the pearl earring".
I was so inspired by all the history of the Dutch royals that I wanted to find a book on it. We found a bookstore with a small English section but it didn't have what I was looking for. There was however, a great historical fiction book about the 1200s in Europe. Can't wait to read it!
About 6 pm we headed for our hotel in Alkmaar (about an hour's drive) where we'll stay for 3 nights - our longest stay. It'll be great not to have to pack up everyday. This is actually our last hotel as we head home in just 3 days. The rooms has two separate beds that can move like hospital beds do. Dave had it as high as it could go - about 4 1/2 feet off the ground and the head and foot of the bed angled as much as he could. Very uncomfortble but made a great photo. After a short rest, we headed out to find a pancake restrauant. It was closing as we arrived - 8:30 and so will have to wait until tomorrow to eat there. We walked to what turned out to be a fish place- lots of fish this trip - where I had the worst meal of the trip: salmon ravioli. Dave really enjoyed his - beef. At 9:45 we decided not to have dessert as it would take another 10 minutes. How long does it take to put a piece of cake on a plate? Meals take a long time here, which is nice but when you're eating out a lot and just want to eat and get "home", it can be frustrating.
Tomorrow we're going to experience the Alkmaar cheese market. It takes place at 10 with welcoming comments to the crowd and ends at 2. There's a strict agenda with precise times. We have to be gone by 9:30! There aren't any clocks in the hotel rooms (a few have a mini one on the tv) so we often wake up in the middle of the night and have to turn the light on to see what time it is. This doesn't result in the best night's sleep.
One thing I learned today: It takes 5 years of training to become a Delft painter - a master painter takes another 5 (which enables him/her to do portraits).
One new thing I experienced today: Sitting in the most uncomfortable pew ever. In the both the Old and New Churches, the pews are wood and the backs are straight up. The seats are narrow but, there is a hook for your hat/purse.
Most powerful moment of the day: "Seeing" the underground crypt where the Dutch royality are laid to rest.
One pleasurable experience: Savoring the goodies at the market stalls: droppies, fish, and chocolate.
We crusied up and down many "streets" (I don't know the term for this in water language) and saw so much. Everything is so big! Three quarters of all the trailers (from 18 wheelers) go through Rotterdam. They're stacked 13 high all along the water. The cranes are enormous. There are recycling yards for stainless steel that are massive. We saw the dry docks for the huge boats - one with a boat in it getting repaired. Rotterdam is the third largest harbor in the world.
While on the boat there were two sets of Opa and Omas with grandkids on either side of us. One had two boys about 8 and 10 who were perfectly behaved. Oma had a hard time staying awake. The other family had 4 boys (15 to 8) and that Oma had her hands full with the youngest. She was very busy saying "don't do that". Opa just sat there and stared out the window. I can see that the younger kids would be quite board with the cruise. After about 10 minutes, they've seen it. It was very good to hear "Opa and Oma" again and made me miss the grandkids. Some day we'll take them on some kind of outing. :)
After the cruise there was a gift shop - really! One of the shop keepers was smoking a cigar. This is one of those things I mentioned the other day that's so different than at home. Another is that no one wears gloves when handling your food. They do "everything" and then pick up your rolls or whatever they're serving you. This bothered me the most happened this afternoon when we were at the market. We bought some droppies and the lady grabs a handful of them (everything was loose in a bin) and put them in a bag. Another lady wanted a specific color of candy and so the shop keeper sorted through the bin with her bare hands picking them out. It obviously doesn't bother anyone here but we're not used to it.
A couple of the parking garages we've been in are amazing. They appear to be brand new and have wonderfully painted floors and walls (today's were orange and blue - the royal colors). Today we saw a section were the cars are stored one on top of the other - long term parking. Really neat. I have pictures that will show why the garages are noteworthy.
About 1:30 we headed off to Delft - where they make the world famous Delft Blue items. It was only 15 minutes away. This is my favorite town so far. Yesterday I found my favorite "spot" - today it was my favorite town. It's just magical and market day just added to the whole experience. This was a real market. It wasn't long before we found the fish stall and had some deep fried something or other. It wasn't anything special but was super greasy! We shared one order. I don't know how anyone could eat the whole order and not get sick. As we ate our fish, we watched a man take a raw herring (just had the head and guts removed after coming out of a pail full of raw fish and blood), put chopped onions on it and ate it in two bites. Turned my stomach. With "juice" running down his chin, he reached for another - they were 3 for 5 euros. At another stall we found some of the amazing raisin buns we get for breakfast and shared one of those. This stand sold "American cookies" (looked like chocolate, macadamien nut to me) - 6 for 2 euros. (Didn't bother getting any of those.) Then we spotted the droppie/chocolate stall. 100 grams of double salt droopies and 100 grams of chocolate rounded out our market shopping.
Since we were in Delft, we wanted to see the factory where the famous Delft Blue items are made. Long story short, didn't do that but instead went into a store where the items are hand painted (which all Delft Blue items should be) by the woman who owned the shop. We chatted with her for a bit and learned a lot. The smallest items were quite expensive but beautiful. I did find a small plate for $10 in another shop that will sit on our bookshelf at home. It says it's handmade - which I doubt is the same as hand painted.
Right on the market sqaure was the New Church (late 1300s) and a few roads over was the Old Church (1200). Both, of course, started out as Catholic churches and now both are Dutch Reformed - and still have church services each week. The New Church was built after a begger saw a vision of Mary while in the market square. Someone else confirmed this and so a massive church was built. This is the church where the royal family is buried. There's a huge undergroun crypt at the back of the church. The first burial was in 1614 and the most recent was Queen Juliana in 2004. There's a model of what it looks like - you can't go down there. Lots of rooms with shelves and coffins. William I's massive tomb is above the crypt. It's something to see. Lots of wonderful royal history (in English!) and several 9" thick Bibles from the 1700s were in the church.
The Old Church actually looks newer (on the inside) than the New Church - all the walls are bright white. The painter Vermeer is buried in this church. He died without any money since his paintings didn't become valuable until after his death. How sad it is that he never knew that his paintings became so famous. One of his is the "girl with the pearl earring".
I was so inspired by all the history of the Dutch royals that I wanted to find a book on it. We found a bookstore with a small English section but it didn't have what I was looking for. There was however, a great historical fiction book about the 1200s in Europe. Can't wait to read it!
About 6 pm we headed for our hotel in Alkmaar (about an hour's drive) where we'll stay for 3 nights - our longest stay. It'll be great not to have to pack up everyday. This is actually our last hotel as we head home in just 3 days. The rooms has two separate beds that can move like hospital beds do. Dave had it as high as it could go - about 4 1/2 feet off the ground and the head and foot of the bed angled as much as he could. Very uncomfortble but made a great photo. After a short rest, we headed out to find a pancake restrauant. It was closing as we arrived - 8:30 and so will have to wait until tomorrow to eat there. We walked to what turned out to be a fish place- lots of fish this trip - where I had the worst meal of the trip: salmon ravioli. Dave really enjoyed his - beef. At 9:45 we decided not to have dessert as it would take another 10 minutes. How long does it take to put a piece of cake on a plate? Meals take a long time here, which is nice but when you're eating out a lot and just want to eat and get "home", it can be frustrating.
Tomorrow we're going to experience the Alkmaar cheese market. It takes place at 10 with welcoming comments to the crowd and ends at 2. There's a strict agenda with precise times. We have to be gone by 9:30! There aren't any clocks in the hotel rooms (a few have a mini one on the tv) so we often wake up in the middle of the night and have to turn the light on to see what time it is. This doesn't result in the best night's sleep.
One thing I learned today: It takes 5 years of training to become a Delft painter - a master painter takes another 5 (which enables him/her to do portraits).
One new thing I experienced today: Sitting in the most uncomfortable pew ever. In the both the Old and New Churches, the pews are wood and the backs are straight up. The seats are narrow but, there is a hook for your hat/purse.
Most powerful moment of the day: "Seeing" the underground crypt where the Dutch royality are laid to rest.
One pleasurable experience: Savoring the goodies at the market stalls: droppies, fish, and chocolate.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Gouda
I think today was the most relaxed day that we've had. About 10 am (our schedule is a late one) we headed out to have breakfast in the marketplace. It was chilly this morning. The high for the day was 68 with the sun only coming out about 5 pm. Today was a special market day - which I was excited to hear. There in the middle of this very old town would be a wonderful market, but that's not what happened. There was a market alright - a flea market. I guess every country has its "treasures" to drag out and set on tables for others to look through. So after a few rows of such treasures, we decided we'd had enough and headed off down a side street. That's one of the beauties of Europe. You never know what a side street, or a narrow country road, will bring you. This particular street brought us to the longest church in Holland - about 400 feet. It was massive. In the late 1200s, the Catholics started to build it. In 1573, the Protestants took it over. Now it's a Dutch Reformed Church with 1,500 people worshiping every Sunday morning - less for the second service.
The church is world famous for its stained glass windows. There's one that's about 60 feet high. During WWII, all of the panes of glass where taken down and hidden in an underground room in the country to keep them safe. The church has two organs. There was to be a concert tonight so the organist was practising. Dave really loved this.
Across the street from the church was a building that started as a milita building but was turned into the only hospital, the Catherine Hospice, in town during the Middle Ages. There was talk of the plague on the plaque outside the building. Included in our entrance fee to the church was a free coffee at the cafe just outside the hospital. As I sat there I couldn't see anything from today (except for the tables and chairs). All around me were buildings and brick fences from 700+ years ago. It was probably as close as I'll get to feeling like I'm "in" those days. This is the most beautiful place I've been in so far on our trip. A wonderful place to sit and dream about living so long ago.
Next we went into the militia/hospital building which has been turned into a museum. I was again surprised, and bothered, that just about everything on display could be touched (if you choose to - they weren't encouraging it). The buidling, and many items, dated from the 1200s. You can't take pictures though. Found that out the hard way. That was one sentence in Dutch I didn't have any trouble understanding.
In the basement were 3 rooms with items used to torture people. On the second floor was a display of medical equipment. I think they could have been displayed together! Most of the museum was full of art. There were about 5 massive paintings related to the militia that were very impressive and we spent some time looking at them. The rest, we walked right by. Art is not our thing. Some looked like something a little kid would do. Some of the plaques were in English but not all. It's frustrating not being able to read about everything - which Dave and I love to do.
Next was a bit of shopping. We ordered a custom made "number plaque" with our name on it for the end of our driveway. All of the homes here have one of these plaques - some with a name and some without. They're beautiful. It'll arrive in about 6 weeks - they're hand painted. While Dave was taking care of the details, I was playing with the shop's dog.
We found a grocery store and it was very different than ours are. It's quite small, the carts are tiny (in fact, most people use the small plastic baskets but here they're on wheels) and the fresh and frozen foods sections are very large and the canned goods section is almost none existant. People shop here almost daily, if not daily, and so most of the items are fresh. You can buy things in very small quantities - half a loaf of bread, three pieces of sliced meat, 4 eggs, 1.5 kg of flour is as big as it gets - there isn't super size anything. The counters at the check out only have room for about 5 items at a time. It was incredibly busy so me taking pictures not only seemed strange to the shoppers but held things up. There in the fridge section was habak (still don't have the spelling right on this). With only stir stixs, we had some when we got back to the car. Mmmmmmm. At the entrance to the store, but inside the door, a dog was tied up. So many things that you see here that you'd never see at home. Maybe more on that another day.
Here some interesting information on restaurants.
- orders are taken on iphone like-machines which sends the order directly to the kitchen
- smoking is permitted in the outdoor cafes - SO MANY people smoke here
- wait staff is paid very well and so most people don't tip - if you do, 5% is plenty
- ketchup tastes like pureed tomatoes - ugh!
- french fries come with every entree - even in the better places
- water always comes in a bottle
About 4:30 we got in the car to drive to Rotterdam - should have taken 20 minutes but took an hour due to an accident (not us). We found a place to stay, relaxed a bit and then went for a walk. I don't think we're in the best part of town. It's not horrible but not really nice. We had supper in the hotel restaurant about 8:30. For 45 minutes straight an older Italian lady at the next table talked. 45 minutes! It was so quiet when she left.
Tomorrow we've going to take a river cruise through the harbor of Rotterdam.
One thing I learned today: There's only one Reformed church in Holland today. In 2004, they decided to become one. Maybe some day the CRC and the RCA will do the same.
One new thing I experienced today: Getting in trouble in Dutch.
Most powerful moment of the day: Being in the very room in which doctors formed a guild of surgeons hundreds of years ago.
One pleasurable experience: Sitting in a place that I could have sat in over 800 years ago and it would have looked exactly the same!
The church is world famous for its stained glass windows. There's one that's about 60 feet high. During WWII, all of the panes of glass where taken down and hidden in an underground room in the country to keep them safe. The church has two organs. There was to be a concert tonight so the organist was practising. Dave really loved this.
Across the street from the church was a building that started as a milita building but was turned into the only hospital, the Catherine Hospice, in town during the Middle Ages. There was talk of the plague on the plaque outside the building. Included in our entrance fee to the church was a free coffee at the cafe just outside the hospital. As I sat there I couldn't see anything from today (except for the tables and chairs). All around me were buildings and brick fences from 700+ years ago. It was probably as close as I'll get to feeling like I'm "in" those days. This is the most beautiful place I've been in so far on our trip. A wonderful place to sit and dream about living so long ago.
Next we went into the militia/hospital building which has been turned into a museum. I was again surprised, and bothered, that just about everything on display could be touched (if you choose to - they weren't encouraging it). The buidling, and many items, dated from the 1200s. You can't take pictures though. Found that out the hard way. That was one sentence in Dutch I didn't have any trouble understanding.
In the basement were 3 rooms with items used to torture people. On the second floor was a display of medical equipment. I think they could have been displayed together! Most of the museum was full of art. There were about 5 massive paintings related to the militia that were very impressive and we spent some time looking at them. The rest, we walked right by. Art is not our thing. Some looked like something a little kid would do. Some of the plaques were in English but not all. It's frustrating not being able to read about everything - which Dave and I love to do.
Next was a bit of shopping. We ordered a custom made "number plaque" with our name on it for the end of our driveway. All of the homes here have one of these plaques - some with a name and some without. They're beautiful. It'll arrive in about 6 weeks - they're hand painted. While Dave was taking care of the details, I was playing with the shop's dog.
We found a grocery store and it was very different than ours are. It's quite small, the carts are tiny (in fact, most people use the small plastic baskets but here they're on wheels) and the fresh and frozen foods sections are very large and the canned goods section is almost none existant. People shop here almost daily, if not daily, and so most of the items are fresh. You can buy things in very small quantities - half a loaf of bread, three pieces of sliced meat, 4 eggs, 1.5 kg of flour is as big as it gets - there isn't super size anything. The counters at the check out only have room for about 5 items at a time. It was incredibly busy so me taking pictures not only seemed strange to the shoppers but held things up. There in the fridge section was habak (still don't have the spelling right on this). With only stir stixs, we had some when we got back to the car. Mmmmmmm. At the entrance to the store, but inside the door, a dog was tied up. So many things that you see here that you'd never see at home. Maybe more on that another day.
Here some interesting information on restaurants.
- orders are taken on iphone like-machines which sends the order directly to the kitchen
- smoking is permitted in the outdoor cafes - SO MANY people smoke here
- wait staff is paid very well and so most people don't tip - if you do, 5% is plenty
- ketchup tastes like pureed tomatoes - ugh!
- french fries come with every entree - even in the better places
- water always comes in a bottle
About 4:30 we got in the car to drive to Rotterdam - should have taken 20 minutes but took an hour due to an accident (not us). We found a place to stay, relaxed a bit and then went for a walk. I don't think we're in the best part of town. It's not horrible but not really nice. We had supper in the hotel restaurant about 8:30. For 45 minutes straight an older Italian lady at the next table talked. 45 minutes! It was so quiet when she left.
Tomorrow we've going to take a river cruise through the harbor of Rotterdam.
One thing I learned today: There's only one Reformed church in Holland today. In 2004, they decided to become one. Maybe some day the CRC and the RCA will do the same.
One new thing I experienced today: Getting in trouble in Dutch.
Most powerful moment of the day: Being in the very room in which doctors formed a guild of surgeons hundreds of years ago.
One pleasurable experience: Sitting in a place that I could have sat in over 800 years ago and it would have looked exactly the same!
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Arnhem and the Openluchtmuseum
We got a rather late start this morning due to sleeping so long. We almost missed breakfast. Everything worked out just fine as the outdoor museum didn't open until 11. And it closed at at 4:30. By the time we got there, we only had 6 hours to see 96 exhibits - most of which are houses/buildings that you walk through.
We've decided that we need to get a new Europe chip for Flo. The roads have changed enough since it was made that we're spending too much time trying to find our way because she doesn't know where the new roads are. Now I can't blame all of the "we're lost again" moments on Flo but the majority are hers.
It was another beautiful, warm day. It looks like there's a chance of rain tomorrow and the temps will go down to about 70. We've had outstanding weather for which we're very thankful.
We eat far too much here. We finished breakfast at 10:30, had a cup of soup at 1, ice cream at 1:30 and about 10 minutes later, a new food (for us) mini (about the sizxe of a twoonie) pancakes (good but 'raw" in the middle) with butter and icing sugar. Hey. You have to try new food when you have the chance. Ice cream here is very different - more like ice milk. I don't think it's worth having. We didn't eat supper until 8 pm.
So back to the museum. In a large park like settting, there were many things to see spanning the last 200 years. Some things I learned.
- people painted their houses blue to keep the flies away
- kids had to bring peat to school to help keep the school room warm
- many old farmhouses were huge with about 80% of the "house" (a barn really but part of the house) for the animals
- there are some very tiny homes with one room - shared by the family and the animals
- bedrooms were really "holes in the wall"
- people were very short - doorways were about 5 feet
- in 1900, wealthy families sent their laundry out - it was picked up once every 3 months
We bought a book that has all of the exhibits so I have all the details if you're interested. It was a very enjoyable day. Lots of walking again. There's a small train on the property that we got on just so we could sit for a minute. (There's no smoking or spitting on the train.)
I mentioned soup earlier. We entered one house about 1 pm and there was a lady there who had made soup the day before (it's a "live museum" with some buildings staffed with people in period clothes going about a "real day"). She asked if we wanted to try her soup so we sat in this beautiful, old farmhouse from the Betuwe region and had this very good soup - made from vegys from the garden outside the door.
There was a play area for kids with a wire hula hoop type of toy. You have to keep it rolling with another piece of metal. It looks easy but it's not - Dave tried. :)
When the museum closed, we headed to Gouda. In one of the exhibits we saw a map of Holland and planned the rest of our time here. It was off to Gouda tonight and then to Rotterdam, Den Haag, Delft, and one of the islands. It turns out we're zig zagging across the country. When we arrived on Saturday we were only about 30 minutes from Rotterdam. We went to Eindhoven and then went very near Rotterdam when we spent the day with Anneke and Wim. Then to the other side of the country to Arnhem and then back to Gouda - which is very close to Rotterdam. You can tell that we're now planning as we go but that's fine. You can get from one side of the country to the other in about 90 minutes - at least where we are right now.
After a bit of work, we found a place to stay in Gouda - a Best Western. I know. Second time in a regular hotel - which we don't like to do but our options were very limited since we wanted to be in the old downtown area. After getting the bags into the room, we headed to the market square for supper. After trying to read a few Dutch menus, and only being able to pick out a few words, we asked for English menus. What a great idea - should have done that earlier! We both had fish. Very good. We wandered back to the hotel at 9:30. Another day done. Another day of memories created. And one day closer to going home. We miss the kids and grandkids, and are eager to see them, but we aren't quite ready to leave yet. Still 4 more full days.
One thing I learned today: Whether I'm concerned about how much weight I'm gaining or not, I still eat what I want and so today I decided to stop being concerned and deal with it later. There's too much to enjoy here!
One new thing I experiened today: Standing in an alley that's so narrow that my shoulders almost touched both sides. There's a picture.
Most powerful moment of the day: Seeing a display in one of the houses at the museum on the emmigration from Friesland to Canada in the early 1940s and knowing that some Dutch people I know where a part of that.
One pleasurable experience: This one's mean but funny. Dave went to look at something in a store window and smacked his head into the glass. There was a fence of sorts behind the glass and Dave thought that's all there was. He wasn't hurt.
We've decided that we need to get a new Europe chip for Flo. The roads have changed enough since it was made that we're spending too much time trying to find our way because she doesn't know where the new roads are. Now I can't blame all of the "we're lost again" moments on Flo but the majority are hers.
It was another beautiful, warm day. It looks like there's a chance of rain tomorrow and the temps will go down to about 70. We've had outstanding weather for which we're very thankful.
We eat far too much here. We finished breakfast at 10:30, had a cup of soup at 1, ice cream at 1:30 and about 10 minutes later, a new food (for us) mini (about the sizxe of a twoonie) pancakes (good but 'raw" in the middle) with butter and icing sugar. Hey. You have to try new food when you have the chance. Ice cream here is very different - more like ice milk. I don't think it's worth having. We didn't eat supper until 8 pm.
So back to the museum. In a large park like settting, there were many things to see spanning the last 200 years. Some things I learned.
- people painted their houses blue to keep the flies away
- kids had to bring peat to school to help keep the school room warm
- many old farmhouses were huge with about 80% of the "house" (a barn really but part of the house) for the animals
- there are some very tiny homes with one room - shared by the family and the animals
- bedrooms were really "holes in the wall"
- people were very short - doorways were about 5 feet
- in 1900, wealthy families sent their laundry out - it was picked up once every 3 months
We bought a book that has all of the exhibits so I have all the details if you're interested. It was a very enjoyable day. Lots of walking again. There's a small train on the property that we got on just so we could sit for a minute. (There's no smoking or spitting on the train.)
I mentioned soup earlier. We entered one house about 1 pm and there was a lady there who had made soup the day before (it's a "live museum" with some buildings staffed with people in period clothes going about a "real day"). She asked if we wanted to try her soup so we sat in this beautiful, old farmhouse from the Betuwe region and had this very good soup - made from vegys from the garden outside the door.
There was a play area for kids with a wire hula hoop type of toy. You have to keep it rolling with another piece of metal. It looks easy but it's not - Dave tried. :)
When the museum closed, we headed to Gouda. In one of the exhibits we saw a map of Holland and planned the rest of our time here. It was off to Gouda tonight and then to Rotterdam, Den Haag, Delft, and one of the islands. It turns out we're zig zagging across the country. When we arrived on Saturday we were only about 30 minutes from Rotterdam. We went to Eindhoven and then went very near Rotterdam when we spent the day with Anneke and Wim. Then to the other side of the country to Arnhem and then back to Gouda - which is very close to Rotterdam. You can tell that we're now planning as we go but that's fine. You can get from one side of the country to the other in about 90 minutes - at least where we are right now.
After a bit of work, we found a place to stay in Gouda - a Best Western. I know. Second time in a regular hotel - which we don't like to do but our options were very limited since we wanted to be in the old downtown area. After getting the bags into the room, we headed to the market square for supper. After trying to read a few Dutch menus, and only being able to pick out a few words, we asked for English menus. What a great idea - should have done that earlier! We both had fish. Very good. We wandered back to the hotel at 9:30. Another day done. Another day of memories created. And one day closer to going home. We miss the kids and grandkids, and are eager to see them, but we aren't quite ready to leave yet. Still 4 more full days.
One thing I learned today: Whether I'm concerned about how much weight I'm gaining or not, I still eat what I want and so today I decided to stop being concerned and deal with it later. There's too much to enjoy here!
One new thing I experiened today: Standing in an alley that's so narrow that my shoulders almost touched both sides. There's a picture.
Most powerful moment of the day: Seeing a display in one of the houses at the museum on the emmigration from Friesland to Canada in the early 1940s and knowing that some Dutch people I know where a part of that.
One pleasurable experience: This one's mean but funny. Dave went to look at something in a store window and smacked his head into the glass. There was a fence of sorts behind the glass and Dave thought that's all there was. He wasn't hurt.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Dordrecht
This morning the long awaited trip to the Hema (a store) took place. As soon as I walked into the store, I knew exactly where the tea towels were. I picked out 20 of them - color selection was quite poor girls but at least you'll have some "decent" tea towels again! I'd being looking forward to this for many months and it was over in less than 10 minutes - a pity. Since we had some time until meeting Kees, we sat in an outdoor cafe and had tea/coffee. Today was the second "nice" day they've had in Holland this summer. We sure picked a great week to be here! A man in a motorized wheelchair was riding up and down the streests telling people they needed to be saved - we asked someone what he was saying. Most people laughed at him but he had a mission he was committed to.
We met up with Kees outside our B&B at noon. It really was only a B because there wasn't any breakfast. This morning Dave went into the cupboards to find a piece of bread and hucislaa (I know this isn't spelled correctly). I would never have done that.
The plan was to go to Dordrecht which is the oldest city in Holland. It's also were Anneke and Wim live. Anneke is Kees' sister/my cousin. Fortunately they were free for the day and were able to join us. It took an hour to drive there and I went in the car with Kees so we could talk. The first thing we did when we arrived was go to an outdoor cafe and have some lunch - a very quick lunch as Wim had bought tickets for a river boat cruise that left in 15 minutes.
The cruise was very nice but all the commentary was in Dutch. This is obviously a huge difference from England where we could understand everything. Wim translated a few things but not much. It was a very hot day - one that made you want to be in the shade. After the boat ride, we walked around town a bit. We saw the building were the Synod of Dort took place in 1618-19. This is where the Canons of Dort came from. Some of the buildings in town were from the 1300s. The plan was to go to a museum but it was closed. On Mondays, the stores don't open until noon - and close at five - and many things don't open at all.
It was time again to stop in a cafe and have a drink. Wim said the opportunities for them to sit outside in a cafe are really quite rare. The weather needs to be good (although Kees says as long as it's not raining they sit out - even if it's quite cold) and they neeed to be on holidays. Rarely do people sit in a cafe in a normal working day.
Next we headed to a wonderful restrauant for supper - also outside. It was on a canal and had beautiful gardens - both flowers and vegys (which they use in the meals). I've never seen a place like it. Another great meal. About 8:30 it was time for people to go their separate ways. Dave and I headed off to Arnham to spend the night in a Holiday Inn - something we said we wouldn't do but....
It was about an hour's drive but took us some time to find the hotel. After going in circles Dave finally spotted it on a side street. He dropped me off to get a room and had to circle all the way around again to get back to me. A really difficult place to get to. We were both very tired. Proof - we slept 11 hours.
FYI: Gas in England was $6.76 (US) per gallon. In Holland it's $9.10 (US) per gallon. The economy is fairly bad in Holland and so we are getting very good rates on our hotels. A bonus!
One thing I learned today: In Holland if you make more than $60,000 (US) per year, you pay 52% income tax. The sales tax - which is on just about everything - is 21%. Wow!!
One new thing experienced today: Eating a vegetable that grows in salt water. It was a lot like spinach but very salty.
Most powerful moment of the day: Seeing where the Canons of Dort came to be.
One pleasureable experience: The restrauant where we had supper. So very unique.
We met up with Kees outside our B&B at noon. It really was only a B because there wasn't any breakfast. This morning Dave went into the cupboards to find a piece of bread and hucislaa (I know this isn't spelled correctly). I would never have done that.
The plan was to go to Dordrecht which is the oldest city in Holland. It's also were Anneke and Wim live. Anneke is Kees' sister/my cousin. Fortunately they were free for the day and were able to join us. It took an hour to drive there and I went in the car with Kees so we could talk. The first thing we did when we arrived was go to an outdoor cafe and have some lunch - a very quick lunch as Wim had bought tickets for a river boat cruise that left in 15 minutes.
The cruise was very nice but all the commentary was in Dutch. This is obviously a huge difference from England where we could understand everything. Wim translated a few things but not much. It was a very hot day - one that made you want to be in the shade. After the boat ride, we walked around town a bit. We saw the building were the Synod of Dort took place in 1618-19. This is where the Canons of Dort came from. Some of the buildings in town were from the 1300s. The plan was to go to a museum but it was closed. On Mondays, the stores don't open until noon - and close at five - and many things don't open at all.
It was time again to stop in a cafe and have a drink. Wim said the opportunities for them to sit outside in a cafe are really quite rare. The weather needs to be good (although Kees says as long as it's not raining they sit out - even if it's quite cold) and they neeed to be on holidays. Rarely do people sit in a cafe in a normal working day.
Next we headed to a wonderful restrauant for supper - also outside. It was on a canal and had beautiful gardens - both flowers and vegys (which they use in the meals). I've never seen a place like it. Another great meal. About 8:30 it was time for people to go their separate ways. Dave and I headed off to Arnham to spend the night in a Holiday Inn - something we said we wouldn't do but....
It was about an hour's drive but took us some time to find the hotel. After going in circles Dave finally spotted it on a side street. He dropped me off to get a room and had to circle all the way around again to get back to me. A really difficult place to get to. We were both very tired. Proof - we slept 11 hours.
FYI: Gas in England was $6.76 (US) per gallon. In Holland it's $9.10 (US) per gallon. The economy is fairly bad in Holland and so we are getting very good rates on our hotels. A bonus!
One thing I learned today: In Holland if you make more than $60,000 (US) per year, you pay 52% income tax. The sales tax - which is on just about everything - is 21%. Wow!!
One new thing experienced today: Eating a vegetable that grows in salt water. It was a lot like spinach but very salty.
Most powerful moment of the day: Seeing where the Canons of Dort came to be.
One pleasureable experience: The restrauant where we had supper. So very unique.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Eindhoven and family
Today was a family day. We went to my cousin, Kees', house and spent a few hours talking in his back garden. It had been 2 years since we last saw him but that didn't matter. We quickly fell into conversation. At about 1 pm we took a short drive to Zandoerle - a place that dad really likes. There was a very old farm house there. Then we were off to another cousin's house for a family gathering. There were 5 cousins, thier spouses, and one aunt there. Two of the cousins weren't there two years ago when we got together - Claria and Remmy. I remember both of them from when I was here when I was about 12.
It was another very warm day. We sat in the backyard, which is very beautiful, from 3 until 11 pm. There was lots of talking - often 4 people talking at the same time which made it very hard to hear - and lots of laughing. Much of the time everyone was speaking Dutch so Dave and I weren't able to understand but it was enjoyable watching the others catching up. Kees said it was a reunion for them as well since some of them hadn't seen each other in many years.
About 8:30 Remmy called dad. I'm sure that was very special for dad. About 11 pm people began to say goodbye and the day was over. We dropped Taunte Gertia at her house and then headed back to our B&B. Tomorrow we'll spend the afternoon with Kees.
One thing I learned today: I don't care for caviar (spelling?).Turns out it was chopped olives and not caviar.
One new thing I experienced today: Talking to dad from Holland.
Most powerful moment of the day: Nothing today.
One pleasureable experience: Being with my Dutch family again.
It was another very warm day. We sat in the backyard, which is very beautiful, from 3 until 11 pm. There was lots of talking - often 4 people talking at the same time which made it very hard to hear - and lots of laughing. Much of the time everyone was speaking Dutch so Dave and I weren't able to understand but it was enjoyable watching the others catching up. Kees said it was a reunion for them as well since some of them hadn't seen each other in many years.
About 8:30 Remmy called dad. I'm sure that was very special for dad. About 11 pm people began to say goodbye and the day was over. We dropped Taunte Gertia at her house and then headed back to our B&B. Tomorrow we'll spend the afternoon with Kees.
One thing I learned today: I don't care for caviar (spelling?).Turns out it was chopped olives and not caviar.
One new thing I experienced today: Talking to dad from Holland.
Most powerful moment of the day: Nothing today.
One pleasureable experience: Being with my Dutch family again.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Bergen op Zoom to Eindhoven
Today (the date on the posting will be Sunday but I'm talking about Saturday. I hope you've caught on to that by now.) was a relaxing day. Our room is the best room we've had yet. It's just beautiful and the hotel is amazing. We had a lovely breakfast and then headed out to explore the town. We were able to keep our car in the hotel car park - again a gift due to parking challenges here. As I noted yesterday, our hotel is on the market square. There were already many people sitting at tables in the square in the morning. The square is very large, made with cobblestones, and surrounded by buildings from the 1500s.
With map in hand we headed for the one remaining city gate. Right away we got lost (we're good at it) and was helped by a teacher who just began her holidays the day before. (It turns out that the entire workforce doesn't take holidays for 6 weeks. The kids are out of school and so many parents take some holidays during the 6 weeks.) The city gates were very impressive. There once was a wall around the city - which had a castle inside it. The castle was our next stop.
It was built in the late 1400s and is the oldest "city castle" in Europe - at least I think that's what they said. So many facts in day causes things to run together. It's a wonderful castle that's still mostly in use - for meetings, weddings etc. We were only in a very small part of it and most of that was a museum. Only 2 rooms showed what the castle rooms would have looked like. All the displays are "open" - meaning that people can touch everything. This was concerning, to me, as many items were 600 - 700 years old. All of the plaques were in Dutch only so we didn't get a clear sense of what we were looking at. Frustrating but I guess that's our problem.
When we arrived at the castle, we had to put our backpack (that we take everywhere) in a locker. It wasn't until we were ready to leave town that we realized that we didn't have it. So, in Wales is our umbrella, a bag of gifts from Buckingham Palace is somewhere in England, and our backpack could have been left in Holland. Luckily we remembered it before we left town. We're hoping that's the end of loosing things. Between getting lost and losing things, we're starting to wonder about our mental capacity!
We sat in the market square and had some apple tart and juice. A wonderful expereince. Europeans know how to enjoy the summer weather with lots of biking and sitting in cafes.
Dave had a list of 3 things we could do. We decided to go to Ouwerkerk in Zeeland to see the Flood Museum. It told the story of the flooding that took place in 1953 when the dike broke. I'm sure Dad remembers that well. The musuem was inside the caissons (huge cement blocks) used to fix the break. Quite a story. It reminded me of Hurricane Katrina and the storm Sandy the east coast recently went through however the number of dead in 1953 was much higher. After the museum, we walked along a dike for a bit. It was quite hot - 25 degrees - the hottest day yet. There were lots of people out biking - most of them with grey hair.
It was about 4 pm by this time and we decided that instead of going to Rotterdam for a river boat ride, we'd head to Eindhoven where we were spending the night. Hopefully we'll get a river boat ride in somewhere before we leave. It was about a 90 minute drive to Eindhoven. We're both getting weary of driving so much each day. Less driving in the days ahead.
We had booked another B&B online for our 2 night stay in Eindhoven. It's always a little tricky doing that since you really don't know what you're going to get. We try to stick to 2 star places - which generally have been really good. As we drove down Parklaan St. (Dad may know this street) we were in awe of the houses. They're like the huge homes on Plymouth St (for the MI readers) or like the very largest homes on Bond St (for the Canadian readers). The house, our room is, in is massive. I think the people on this street have a LOT of money. Jos runs the B&B. He and Dave drank wine and chatted in the back garden and I rested and read.
Only a few blocks from downtown, Dave and I walked to the city center for supper. Loads of places to eat - all with tables outside. We chose an Italian place and had a traditional meal - antipasta (melon and ham), side dish (salmon lasanga - amazing!), main dish (I had the steak and Dave had pork tenderlion - with vegys and potoates) and then dessert (something with white chocolate that was super good). The meal took over 3 hours and was too much food - even though we shared everything but the main course.
We walked back to the B&B and got there about 9:45 - it was still broad daylight. Tomorrow we'll spend the day with my cousin, Kees, who lives only 10 minutes from here.
One thing I learned today: Jos, the owner of the B&B, really doesn't want people to smoke. There's a notice on the door written in 31 languages!
One new thing I experienced today: While we were eating supper there was a man playing an accordian. When he was done, he came over to us with a money pouch open "asking" for a tip. Never seen that before.
Most powerful moment of the day: Reading the list of things that many countries donated to the people of Zeeland after the flood. It was great to see both Canada and the US listed.
One pleasurable experience: Sitting in an outdoor cafe twice today.
With map in hand we headed for the one remaining city gate. Right away we got lost (we're good at it) and was helped by a teacher who just began her holidays the day before. (It turns out that the entire workforce doesn't take holidays for 6 weeks. The kids are out of school and so many parents take some holidays during the 6 weeks.) The city gates were very impressive. There once was a wall around the city - which had a castle inside it. The castle was our next stop.
It was built in the late 1400s and is the oldest "city castle" in Europe - at least I think that's what they said. So many facts in day causes things to run together. It's a wonderful castle that's still mostly in use - for meetings, weddings etc. We were only in a very small part of it and most of that was a museum. Only 2 rooms showed what the castle rooms would have looked like. All the displays are "open" - meaning that people can touch everything. This was concerning, to me, as many items were 600 - 700 years old. All of the plaques were in Dutch only so we didn't get a clear sense of what we were looking at. Frustrating but I guess that's our problem.
When we arrived at the castle, we had to put our backpack (that we take everywhere) in a locker. It wasn't until we were ready to leave town that we realized that we didn't have it. So, in Wales is our umbrella, a bag of gifts from Buckingham Palace is somewhere in England, and our backpack could have been left in Holland. Luckily we remembered it before we left town. We're hoping that's the end of loosing things. Between getting lost and losing things, we're starting to wonder about our mental capacity!
We sat in the market square and had some apple tart and juice. A wonderful expereince. Europeans know how to enjoy the summer weather with lots of biking and sitting in cafes.
Dave had a list of 3 things we could do. We decided to go to Ouwerkerk in Zeeland to see the Flood Museum. It told the story of the flooding that took place in 1953 when the dike broke. I'm sure Dad remembers that well. The musuem was inside the caissons (huge cement blocks) used to fix the break. Quite a story. It reminded me of Hurricane Katrina and the storm Sandy the east coast recently went through however the number of dead in 1953 was much higher. After the museum, we walked along a dike for a bit. It was quite hot - 25 degrees - the hottest day yet. There were lots of people out biking - most of them with grey hair.
It was about 4 pm by this time and we decided that instead of going to Rotterdam for a river boat ride, we'd head to Eindhoven where we were spending the night. Hopefully we'll get a river boat ride in somewhere before we leave. It was about a 90 minute drive to Eindhoven. We're both getting weary of driving so much each day. Less driving in the days ahead.
We had booked another B&B online for our 2 night stay in Eindhoven. It's always a little tricky doing that since you really don't know what you're going to get. We try to stick to 2 star places - which generally have been really good. As we drove down Parklaan St. (Dad may know this street) we were in awe of the houses. They're like the huge homes on Plymouth St (for the MI readers) or like the very largest homes on Bond St (for the Canadian readers). The house, our room is, in is massive. I think the people on this street have a LOT of money. Jos runs the B&B. He and Dave drank wine and chatted in the back garden and I rested and read.
Only a few blocks from downtown, Dave and I walked to the city center for supper. Loads of places to eat - all with tables outside. We chose an Italian place and had a traditional meal - antipasta (melon and ham), side dish (salmon lasanga - amazing!), main dish (I had the steak and Dave had pork tenderlion - with vegys and potoates) and then dessert (something with white chocolate that was super good). The meal took over 3 hours and was too much food - even though we shared everything but the main course.
We walked back to the B&B and got there about 9:45 - it was still broad daylight. Tomorrow we'll spend the day with my cousin, Kees, who lives only 10 minutes from here.
One thing I learned today: Jos, the owner of the B&B, really doesn't want people to smoke. There's a notice on the door written in 31 languages!
One new thing I experienced today: While we were eating supper there was a man playing an accordian. When he was done, he came over to us with a money pouch open "asking" for a tip. Never seen that before.
Most powerful moment of the day: Reading the list of things that many countries donated to the people of Zeeland after the flood. It was great to see both Canada and the US listed.
One pleasurable experience: Sitting in an outdoor cafe twice today.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
London, England to Bergen op Zoom, Holland
Today was pretty much a traveling day. We left our B&B (which wasn't the best of places) about 10 am to catch our ferry to Dunkirk, France. We drove for about 90 minutes enjoying the countryside and the last bit of driving on the left hand side. We'd been in England for 6 days and Dave said driving was gettting more comfortable but it still took a lot of concentration. Since we had a bit of time, we went into Canterbury for a couple of hours. It was neat seeing familiar sites from when we were there 2 years ago.
Lunch was the first thing on the agenda. The sun was out (our warmest day yet at about 75) so we wanted to sit outside. We choose a place called The Lady Luck. It looked like a nice place to eat. The service was very slow - took over 30 minutes for a sandwich and a hamburger to arrive - but it was lovely sitting on this narrow street filled with people. While eating I felt what I thought was a leaf hit my shoulder. Turns out it was a bird doing you know what. Dave found this quite amusing. I went into the cafe to wash up and once inside I realized what kind of place it was. It was specifically for hard rockers (may not be the "in" term for them). The walls were covered in metal bands' names. I guess I should have taken a clue from the waitress and the other people at the table beside us - died hair, everything but the kitchen sink pierced, and bodies covered in colorful tattoos.
We walked up and down the streets looking at the shops. I got a few more things to take home - a beautiful tea pot with a sugar and cream set for myself. Is there a better thing to take home from England than that?
We had a bit of a cuffle at the ferry but it was quickly sorted out - new guy in the booth. We arrived at the ferry at 2:30 and got off at 6 (7 pm really because we lost an hour crossing the channel). We had booked a room in Bergen Op Zoom so we needed to get there. At home when I was making all the arrangements, the computer said it was a 2 hour drive from the ferry landing to the hotel. When we entered the hotel address into Flo, she was telling us it would take over 3 hours. By the time we got off the ferry it was 7:45. Three hours was too much at that point but what can you do?
Dave had to start driving on the right hand side again - an adjustment even after only a few days. Once as we turned onto a street he was on the left with a car coming at us. So far that's the only mistake. It didn't take long until we wanted to find a quicker way to the hotel. Long story short, we wasted about 45 minutes but did get to a better route. We traveled through England, France, Belgium, and Holland in just over 3 hours. France has just passed a law that every vechile must have a breathalizer test in it. So for the 30 minutes we were in France, we were legal. Anyone need one of these?
Flo is great but not up-to-date. Roads have changed/been built since we bought her. At one point we were driving where she didn't think there should be a road.We were lost. Dave was really tired of driving. We were going around and around in a traffic circle waiting for Flo to tell us which exit to take. She just kept saying "recaculating". We finally just took an exit and waited for her to catch up.
We arrived in Bergen op Zoom about 10:15. Flo lead us right to our hotel. It was in the city centre which had a huge public square that was filled with people sitting outside restrurants enjoying the evening. We didn't think we could drive through there so we turned around. We should have gone on through - the police who pulled us over told us the same thing. Yes, we were pulled over. It was getting dark (at 10:30!) and Dave didn't have his lights on. Apparently we were doing other things wrong but the cop never told us what they were. When he found out we were from the US, he was very helpful. It took asking one more time after that to finally get back to where Flo had led us.
The hotel is amazing! The setting is wonderful! We paid the same for last night's B&B and this hotel. There's no comparison. I was very tired and so went to bed. Dave went out to sit on the square for a bit. Turns out holidays for the entire southern part of the country started today. It's hard to believe that "everyone" gets the same vacation time but that's how it works here. Tomorrow we're off to see the Delta Works.
Here are some interesting tidbits.
- In London people stand outside pubs after work drinking. They even will stand across the street. Wonderful to see.
- In downtown London, they have a "congestion zone". If you want to drive in that area, we need to pay $13/day.
- Dave isn't one to wait for lights or use crosswalks to get across the street. In London, he was walking between cars that were waiting for a light, and had to jump out of the way for a car that started to move when the light turned green. Cars have the right of way.
- We bought a key chain with a cirlce on it. It's really a token that can be used to get a shopping cart. Excellent idea!!! For anyone who shops at Aldi's, you'll know what I'm talking about.
- All the kids in England wear uniforms and are still in school.
- People in Germany get 6 weeks paid vacation. After working only 6 months they get 2 weeks paid vacation. It's the law. Something the US could learn from.
One thing I learned today: Non-residents of Belguim can drive 10 klms over the speed limit and not get stopped. (Someone told us this.)
One new thing I experienced today: Driving through 4 countries in a few hours.
Most powerful moment of the day: Another day without one.
One pleasurable expereince: Entering Holland. It feels like a homecoming of sorts.
Friday, July 5, 2013
London
What a day! After leaving our hotel we made our way to our next B&B which was right in London. The trip should have taken us about 30 minutes but took 90. Traffic and driving here continues to be challenging. Dave is looking forward to driving in Holland where he says it'll be a breeze. A couple of "car facts". 98% of the cars are dull colors: black, grey, dark blue, white. We've seen a few red cars and a couple of yellow. Our copper colored car stands out. The 18 wheelers all have canvas sides.
We were allowed to park our car at our B&B (a gift in the city). At 10 am we headed out for the day. (We got back at 10 pm.) We had to take the tube (subway) to the spot where we could get on the hop on hop off bus - the best way to see a city. Several kind people helped us and the trip was quite easy - not so on the way back. It turns out we were in Piccadilly Circus when we boarded the bus. That would have been handy to know. The entire bus tour took 2 1/2 hours - if you didn't get off. We got off twice. Our second guide was MUCH better than the first. He spoke none stop for the entire ride giving us incredible history and detail about everything around us.
We got off the bus at Buckingham Palace where the changing of the guards was taking place. There were people about 5 deep at the fence. Slowly I was able to make my way to the front to get a picture. Once the cermony was over, the crowds instantly dispersed. The palace looks just like it does on tv - as is should. We saw the balcany were the royals do their waving from. Off to the gift shop where I found some lovely things to bring home. We boarded the bus and headed to Westminster Abby, Big Ben (which is the name of the bell in the tower, not the tower itself), and the Parliament Buildings. The Parliament Buildings are the most glorious. awesome, unbelieveable buildings I've ever seen. I couldn't stop looking at them! Westminster (960) is lovely - all the royal weddings take place there. We didn't go inside as you can only do so much in a day. Besides, the lines were long. There are police everywhere. Two at every entrance of the PB - and the Palace as well.
After walking around this area for a bit I realized that the bag of things I'd bought at the Palace wasn't with us. This began a 3 hour side trip. After waiting for 30 minutes for the bus to come (suppose to be every 10 minutes) we walked from the PB back to the Palace. It was just a mile away. Back into the gift shop and bought the same items again. We then jumped back on the bus and got off at the PB again. We wanted to see the Churchill War Rooms and the Imperial War Museum. It was suppose to be right near the PB. The sun was out at this point and it was quite humid (we're wearing pants). Turns out the museum was farther than we thought/were told. We arrived to find out that it was closed for renovations. You'd think the people we talked to/the webiste would have mentioned this. And the War Rooms? Why they're only about a mile away. After a brief rest, we started walking again. After about a mile we asked for directions again. Oh, it's very close. Just about a mile that way. The War Rooms were just on the other side of Westerminster Abby - where we started out from about two hours earlier. Sigh....
The exhibit closed at 5 so we only had one hour to see it - not enough. The rooms are where Churchill ran the war from. It was great! Dad, you would have loved it. The rooms were exactly as they were in the war. Maps on the walls full of pin pricks to mark the movement of the troops. Boards noting the number of planes shot down. Apparently, Churchill was a very difficult person to work for but everyone loved him.
Above ground again we planned to jump on the bus to see the Tower of London. I've read about the Tower many times and was really looking forward to seeing it. We had tickets in hand - just had to get there. "Oh I'm sorry. The Tower closed at 5." Very disappointed. We did drive by it and it's way bigger than I thought it would be. I so wanted to see it. :(
Also included in our bus ticket was a boat ride down the Thames. Okay we'll do that now. "Oh I'm sorry. The last boat left at 6 pm." More sighing.... The bus driver wanted to know what we'd been doing all day that we missed this. "Walking about 5 miles looking for things". Hot and tired we boarded the bus again and took the rest of the tour - which was excellent. We got off the bus and walked back to where we boarded it. Turns out we should have stayed on for one more section because we boarded at Piccadilly Circle which as I mentioned earlier, we weren't told when we boarded. You may think that we didn't pay attention (that would be true about the Tower closing at 4. I made a note about this in my little note book I carry around, but with so much going on I forgot it was there. The senses and mind really get over stimulated. You hear so many facts on the bus, read so many plaques, listen to conversations etc that your brain can't take any more - even though you don't want to miss anything.). But we were paying close attention and asked for directions and help often. However, not all information you're given is correct.
It was now 8 pm and other than a fruit tart we shared in a little cafe beside the Thames with the PB in background (so wonderful), we hadn't eaten in 9 hours. We had supper at a steak place in Piccadilly Circus. There's so much going on there. Lots of street performers, people everywhere. My food was excellent. Dave's, not so much. I went into a couple of shops and found something for sweet Addie. It was now 9 pm and we were tired.
Entering the subway we asked a policeman about how to get back to the Tower the next morning - which was our hope. We then studied the subway map carefully, refered to the instructions someone had given to us (noted in my little book) and boarded the northern train going north with confidence. Weariness was hitting hard as the stops rolled by. Dave then said, "I think we're on the wrong train." And we were. We got off, asked for help, checked the map again, and boarded the northern train going north. Sounds the same as the last train right? Thus the confusion. There are 2 northern trains going north. About 9:45 we got to our station and walked for about 15 minutes. Fireworks were going off. We figured these were Americans as it was the 4th of July.
We dropped into bed very tired. It was a great day full of adventure, walking, frustration, smiles, and memories. We loved it!
One thing I learned today: The Thames River was used as a dumping place for 100s of years. The smell was unbearable. The curtains in the PB were soaked in bleach everyday to help filter the smell. It was then, that someting was done about it.
One new thing I experienced today: We went into a McDonalds to use the bathroom. When I went to wash my hands, Dave was standing beside me washing his hands. Separate tiolets. One sink area.
Most powerful moment of the day: Being in War Rooms, looking at the maps and knowing what the pin pricks represented.
One pleasureable experience: Watching Egyptian folks, in Piccadilly Square, celebrating the ousting of the president.
We were allowed to park our car at our B&B (a gift in the city). At 10 am we headed out for the day. (We got back at 10 pm.) We had to take the tube (subway) to the spot where we could get on the hop on hop off bus - the best way to see a city. Several kind people helped us and the trip was quite easy - not so on the way back. It turns out we were in Piccadilly Circus when we boarded the bus. That would have been handy to know. The entire bus tour took 2 1/2 hours - if you didn't get off. We got off twice. Our second guide was MUCH better than the first. He spoke none stop for the entire ride giving us incredible history and detail about everything around us.
We got off the bus at Buckingham Palace where the changing of the guards was taking place. There were people about 5 deep at the fence. Slowly I was able to make my way to the front to get a picture. Once the cermony was over, the crowds instantly dispersed. The palace looks just like it does on tv - as is should. We saw the balcany were the royals do their waving from. Off to the gift shop where I found some lovely things to bring home. We boarded the bus and headed to Westminster Abby, Big Ben (which is the name of the bell in the tower, not the tower itself), and the Parliament Buildings. The Parliament Buildings are the most glorious. awesome, unbelieveable buildings I've ever seen. I couldn't stop looking at them! Westminster (960) is lovely - all the royal weddings take place there. We didn't go inside as you can only do so much in a day. Besides, the lines were long. There are police everywhere. Two at every entrance of the PB - and the Palace as well.
After walking around this area for a bit I realized that the bag of things I'd bought at the Palace wasn't with us. This began a 3 hour side trip. After waiting for 30 minutes for the bus to come (suppose to be every 10 minutes) we walked from the PB back to the Palace. It was just a mile away. Back into the gift shop and bought the same items again. We then jumped back on the bus and got off at the PB again. We wanted to see the Churchill War Rooms and the Imperial War Museum. It was suppose to be right near the PB. The sun was out at this point and it was quite humid (we're wearing pants). Turns out the museum was farther than we thought/were told. We arrived to find out that it was closed for renovations. You'd think the people we talked to/the webiste would have mentioned this. And the War Rooms? Why they're only about a mile away. After a brief rest, we started walking again. After about a mile we asked for directions again. Oh, it's very close. Just about a mile that way. The War Rooms were just on the other side of Westerminster Abby - where we started out from about two hours earlier. Sigh....
The exhibit closed at 5 so we only had one hour to see it - not enough. The rooms are where Churchill ran the war from. It was great! Dad, you would have loved it. The rooms were exactly as they were in the war. Maps on the walls full of pin pricks to mark the movement of the troops. Boards noting the number of planes shot down. Apparently, Churchill was a very difficult person to work for but everyone loved him.
Above ground again we planned to jump on the bus to see the Tower of London. I've read about the Tower many times and was really looking forward to seeing it. We had tickets in hand - just had to get there. "Oh I'm sorry. The Tower closed at 5." Very disappointed. We did drive by it and it's way bigger than I thought it would be. I so wanted to see it. :(
Also included in our bus ticket was a boat ride down the Thames. Okay we'll do that now. "Oh I'm sorry. The last boat left at 6 pm." More sighing.... The bus driver wanted to know what we'd been doing all day that we missed this. "Walking about 5 miles looking for things". Hot and tired we boarded the bus again and took the rest of the tour - which was excellent. We got off the bus and walked back to where we boarded it. Turns out we should have stayed on for one more section because we boarded at Piccadilly Circle which as I mentioned earlier, we weren't told when we boarded. You may think that we didn't pay attention (that would be true about the Tower closing at 4. I made a note about this in my little note book I carry around, but with so much going on I forgot it was there. The senses and mind really get over stimulated. You hear so many facts on the bus, read so many plaques, listen to conversations etc that your brain can't take any more - even though you don't want to miss anything.). But we were paying close attention and asked for directions and help often. However, not all information you're given is correct.
It was now 8 pm and other than a fruit tart we shared in a little cafe beside the Thames with the PB in background (so wonderful), we hadn't eaten in 9 hours. We had supper at a steak place in Piccadilly Circus. There's so much going on there. Lots of street performers, people everywhere. My food was excellent. Dave's, not so much. I went into a couple of shops and found something for sweet Addie. It was now 9 pm and we were tired.
Entering the subway we asked a policeman about how to get back to the Tower the next morning - which was our hope. We then studied the subway map carefully, refered to the instructions someone had given to us (noted in my little book) and boarded the northern train going north with confidence. Weariness was hitting hard as the stops rolled by. Dave then said, "I think we're on the wrong train." And we were. We got off, asked for help, checked the map again, and boarded the northern train going north. Sounds the same as the last train right? Thus the confusion. There are 2 northern trains going north. About 9:45 we got to our station and walked for about 15 minutes. Fireworks were going off. We figured these were Americans as it was the 4th of July.
We dropped into bed very tired. It was a great day full of adventure, walking, frustration, smiles, and memories. We loved it!
One thing I learned today: The Thames River was used as a dumping place for 100s of years. The smell was unbearable. The curtains in the PB were soaked in bleach everyday to help filter the smell. It was then, that someting was done about it.
One new thing I experienced today: We went into a McDonalds to use the bathroom. When I went to wash my hands, Dave was standing beside me washing his hands. Separate tiolets. One sink area.
Most powerful moment of the day: Being in War Rooms, looking at the maps and knowing what the pin pricks represented.
One pleasureable experience: Watching Egyptian folks, in Piccadilly Square, celebrating the ousting of the president.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Bradford on Avon to London
Last night was the best night's sleep I've had since we arrived. I slept just over 10 hours and woke up without a headache for the first time in over two weeks. How wonderful! I tried to write the blog for yesterday but had internet problems.
We left our hotel about 11 am and walked to the information place. Armed with a map of the town we headed out to explore. We saw one of the oldest churches in the area - The Church of St. Lawrence. It looked quite large on the outside but only had three rather small rooms. We then climbed MANY steps to get to the wool workers' cottages (the town was famous for cloth and wool). The stairs, pathways, and alleys behind and between the cottages were lovely. Flowers cascading down ancient stone walls, growing in the cracks of the steps. The day started out cool but as we were doing all this rigorous climbing, we were getting quite warm. (This is day 4 in England/Wales and still good weather!) We headed back down to the town center and had some lunch at a cafe called The Tea Room. I tried the scones thinking the English should be able to make a good scone. I ran out of tea before I was done. It was work getting it down. I've yet to find a better scone than the ones our girls make. Dave talked to a couple of guys who were orginally from Poland. They said it was too cold in Poland and so moved to England - where they rarely get snow. They also told us that they can work 30 hours a week (one was a restruant manager and one a waiter) and they could make a good living working that many hours. The Americans could learn something from this!
After lunch we rented bikes and rode along the Avon canal. There were interesting boats there - haven't seen anything like them before - sort of houseboats. After the bike ride I was going to do some shopping but the stores weren't the kind I was looking for. By now it was about 4 pm. We headed off to Stonehenge - about 30 minutes away. It's in the middle of farmland - which is beautiful. It really was great to see this henge that was made of stone. :) I took out the camera to take a picture only to learn the battery was dead. Arghhh !!!!!!I I kept trying and was able to get one picture - I think. I guess I'll see when the battery is charged.
We'll be in London tomorrow and so we started to head in that direction. Near Heathrow airport we decided to get off and find a hotel. Flo wasn't cooperating and was leading us on a wild goose chase. Dave was getting frustrated so he pulled off and went into the first hotel we saw. It was full and crazy expensive. Off to the next one, where we are now. It's now 10 pm and I've just spent 2 hours blogging. Today's entry is short. It is what it is.
One thing Iearned today: British police cars have lots of neon orange and yellow on them.
One new thing I experienced today: Having to pay for parking in the hotel parking lot.
Most powerful moment of the day: Being at Stonehenge that is believed to have been first erected in 5,000 BC. What stands today was put up in 3,000 BC. Or so they say.
One pleasureable experience: Seeing a large John Deere tractor come barreling down a narrow street in the village of Bradford on Avon with buildings from the 1500s all around it.
We left our hotel about 11 am and walked to the information place. Armed with a map of the town we headed out to explore. We saw one of the oldest churches in the area - The Church of St. Lawrence. It looked quite large on the outside but only had three rather small rooms. We then climbed MANY steps to get to the wool workers' cottages (the town was famous for cloth and wool). The stairs, pathways, and alleys behind and between the cottages were lovely. Flowers cascading down ancient stone walls, growing in the cracks of the steps. The day started out cool but as we were doing all this rigorous climbing, we were getting quite warm. (This is day 4 in England/Wales and still good weather!) We headed back down to the town center and had some lunch at a cafe called The Tea Room. I tried the scones thinking the English should be able to make a good scone. I ran out of tea before I was done. It was work getting it down. I've yet to find a better scone than the ones our girls make. Dave talked to a couple of guys who were orginally from Poland. They said it was too cold in Poland and so moved to England - where they rarely get snow. They also told us that they can work 30 hours a week (one was a restruant manager and one a waiter) and they could make a good living working that many hours. The Americans could learn something from this!
After lunch we rented bikes and rode along the Avon canal. There were interesting boats there - haven't seen anything like them before - sort of houseboats. After the bike ride I was going to do some shopping but the stores weren't the kind I was looking for. By now it was about 4 pm. We headed off to Stonehenge - about 30 minutes away. It's in the middle of farmland - which is beautiful. It really was great to see this henge that was made of stone. :) I took out the camera to take a picture only to learn the battery was dead. Arghhh !!!!!!I I kept trying and was able to get one picture - I think. I guess I'll see when the battery is charged.
We'll be in London tomorrow and so we started to head in that direction. Near Heathrow airport we decided to get off and find a hotel. Flo wasn't cooperating and was leading us on a wild goose chase. Dave was getting frustrated so he pulled off and went into the first hotel we saw. It was full and crazy expensive. Off to the next one, where we are now. It's now 10 pm and I've just spent 2 hours blogging. Today's entry is short. It is what it is.
One thing Iearned today: British police cars have lots of neon orange and yellow on them.
One new thing I experienced today: Having to pay for parking in the hotel parking lot.
Most powerful moment of the day: Being at Stonehenge that is believed to have been first erected in 5,000 BC. What stands today was put up in 3,000 BC. Or so they say.
One pleasureable experience: Seeing a large John Deere tractor come barreling down a narrow street in the village of Bradford on Avon with buildings from the 1500s all around it.
Pyle, Wales to Bradford-on-Avon, England
As you all know by now, I wasn't able to blog yesterday. Internet problems. So today you'll read about yesterday, Tuesday July 2 and hopefully today as well.
The day started with a breakfast that was a bit different. Dave had scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toast and I had porridge. I don't know how to describe the porridge because I've never had anything like it before. It had a gluey texture. I don't think it had oatmeal in it but it was made with milk - which is what I prefer. It tasted just fine.
After getting my shoes on - Dave was in the car and had my shoes so I stood in the doorway trying to get his attention - headed out. The road right in front of the B&B was an old Roman road. I'm so loving all the history!! We had a list of 5 things we wanted to see today. We made it to 4 of them. They were all within 60 miles so it was doable. The first stop was the Castell Coch - a castle. I was all excited to go there. The outside looked great but it just didn't feel right inside. The orginal castle was built in 1250 but was allowed to become a ruin. Some guy, with a lot of money and a passion for projects, decided to try to get the castle back to it's orginal state. He began this in the 1880s. Apparently the actual structure is authentic, he incorporated what he could of the orginal castle (very little) into the restoration, but he decided to decorate the interior and the furniture in his own style - which I found a bit werid (the style that is). One interesting point about this castle is that many movies are made there.
Our next stop was the Caerphilly Castle (1250). It's incredible! It's right in the center of town and is really a fortess with a castle in the center. It covers 35 acres and has two moats. This castle was mostly destroyed in 1326. There aren't any complete rooms left. Some have walls but no ceiling, and vis-versa. It must have been an amazing place in its day. Every bedroom we could find had an ensuite bathroom - really. It was a board with a hole in it - with an incredibly long "drop". One of the towers (it was the kitchen) is leaning more than the Tower of Piza. During the 1930s, the government put unemployed men to work restoring as much of the castle as they could. It must have been in really bad shape when they started. What's there today is still considered "ruins" but I guess it's much better than it was 100 years ago.
When we came out of this castle, it started to drizzle and it was quite chilly. We thought this weather was quite fitting considering where we were. It was definitely a pants and coat day. Postcards were needed so we stopped in a shop to get those, and stamps. While we were in the store, someone told us they loved the American accent. I'm sure we have an accent to others since we hear an accent when they speak.
Sidebar: For those who followed our blog on our last trip, you know that I was interested in the many ways that toilets flushed. It's what caught my fancy, what can I say? Well this time it's signs. I'm taking pictures of really great signs. Some of them are in places that don't "allow me" to take a picture - like on the roads. Two lane highways have no shoulders. None. It's literally 6 inches between the car and the grass, trees, cement barrier etc. Stopping is impossible. I don't know how folks who get flat tires, or need to pull over for any reason do it. You just can't. One great sign was for a cow crossing. :)
We headed off to our next stop - the Balenavon Iron Works. It opened in 1789 and just shut down in 1971. We saw the very small "houses" were the workers lived. The beds always had someone in them. When someone got up, the person coming off his shift would get in. When kids turned 5, they started the 12 hour work days. Horrible.
The last stop for the day was Raglan Castle (early 1300s). I think it was my favorite. Someone decided it was a good idea to blow up castles in 1649 and this was one on the list. No one lived in the castle after that - they couldn't as there's not enough left to live in. We climbed to the top of the highest tower via circular stairs. It was very high and I was very dizzy. In the banquet hall was an immense fireplace. Dave could stand up in it. After this castle, it was time to do some driving.
The countryside in Wales is spectacular! Massive "hills" covered in trees, fields, sheep, and cows. Again, words can't describe this - and the pictures won't be great due to the drizzling rain. We were way up there with sheep on both sides of the road (no fences). I wonder how many get hit by cars?
We didn't have a hotel booked for the night. The plan was to spend some time in the Cotswold area and see Stonehenge on Wednesday, so we headed in that direction. The drive was beautiful, terrifying, and tiring. Regular two lane highways, no shoulders, very windy roads, and speed limits that are way too fast. Dave, who doesn't get rattled very easily, was stressed and very tired. We came upon a "historic working town" - Bradford-on-Avon. Wow and wow! This is a must see. The downtown is as it was in the early 1500s. Words can't describe it so you'll have to wait for the pictures. It had been 8 hours since we'd eaten anything so we headed into The Three Gables. We were seated in a cozy waiting area - nothing like in the US - and had a drink and some interesting starters. We sat there for about 30 minutes and then were taken upstairs to eat. I thought we were waiting for a table but the waiting is all part of the experience. We were the only ones in the small room were we sat. A long and lovely meal followed. Just now, 24 hours later, I realized that the tip wasn't included in the bill. Sorry to the staff! We finished eating about 9:30 and one of the restruant staff had called and arranged a room for us at the Swan Hotel (1500). We had to wait about 30 minutes while they got the room ready. By 10:30 we were in the room, a beauty!, and fell into bed. A long but good day.
One thing I learned today: Farmers don't dock the tails of sheep. Makes things pretty messy for the sheep.
One new thing I experienced today: Having sweetbreads (not sweet breads) on my plate at supper. I gave these lamb glands to Dave so he could enjoy them with his pig's cheeks.
Most powerful moment of the day: Sorry. Nothing today.
One pleasurable experience: Sleeping in a hotel that's been in business for over 500 years.
Note to the family: If you need to get a hold of us, you'll need to send us a message on this blog. I changed the password on our email account and didn't bring it with me. I hope all is well. That everyone is healthy. Missing all of you!
The day started with a breakfast that was a bit different. Dave had scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toast and I had porridge. I don't know how to describe the porridge because I've never had anything like it before. It had a gluey texture. I don't think it had oatmeal in it but it was made with milk - which is what I prefer. It tasted just fine.
After getting my shoes on - Dave was in the car and had my shoes so I stood in the doorway trying to get his attention - headed out. The road right in front of the B&B was an old Roman road. I'm so loving all the history!! We had a list of 5 things we wanted to see today. We made it to 4 of them. They were all within 60 miles so it was doable. The first stop was the Castell Coch - a castle. I was all excited to go there. The outside looked great but it just didn't feel right inside. The orginal castle was built in 1250 but was allowed to become a ruin. Some guy, with a lot of money and a passion for projects, decided to try to get the castle back to it's orginal state. He began this in the 1880s. Apparently the actual structure is authentic, he incorporated what he could of the orginal castle (very little) into the restoration, but he decided to decorate the interior and the furniture in his own style - which I found a bit werid (the style that is). One interesting point about this castle is that many movies are made there.
Our next stop was the Caerphilly Castle (1250). It's incredible! It's right in the center of town and is really a fortess with a castle in the center. It covers 35 acres and has two moats. This castle was mostly destroyed in 1326. There aren't any complete rooms left. Some have walls but no ceiling, and vis-versa. It must have been an amazing place in its day. Every bedroom we could find had an ensuite bathroom - really. It was a board with a hole in it - with an incredibly long "drop". One of the towers (it was the kitchen) is leaning more than the Tower of Piza. During the 1930s, the government put unemployed men to work restoring as much of the castle as they could. It must have been in really bad shape when they started. What's there today is still considered "ruins" but I guess it's much better than it was 100 years ago.
When we came out of this castle, it started to drizzle and it was quite chilly. We thought this weather was quite fitting considering where we were. It was definitely a pants and coat day. Postcards were needed so we stopped in a shop to get those, and stamps. While we were in the store, someone told us they loved the American accent. I'm sure we have an accent to others since we hear an accent when they speak.
Sidebar: For those who followed our blog on our last trip, you know that I was interested in the many ways that toilets flushed. It's what caught my fancy, what can I say? Well this time it's signs. I'm taking pictures of really great signs. Some of them are in places that don't "allow me" to take a picture - like on the roads. Two lane highways have no shoulders. None. It's literally 6 inches between the car and the grass, trees, cement barrier etc. Stopping is impossible. I don't know how folks who get flat tires, or need to pull over for any reason do it. You just can't. One great sign was for a cow crossing. :)
We headed off to our next stop - the Balenavon Iron Works. It opened in 1789 and just shut down in 1971. We saw the very small "houses" were the workers lived. The beds always had someone in them. When someone got up, the person coming off his shift would get in. When kids turned 5, they started the 12 hour work days. Horrible.
The last stop for the day was Raglan Castle (early 1300s). I think it was my favorite. Someone decided it was a good idea to blow up castles in 1649 and this was one on the list. No one lived in the castle after that - they couldn't as there's not enough left to live in. We climbed to the top of the highest tower via circular stairs. It was very high and I was very dizzy. In the banquet hall was an immense fireplace. Dave could stand up in it. After this castle, it was time to do some driving.
The countryside in Wales is spectacular! Massive "hills" covered in trees, fields, sheep, and cows. Again, words can't describe this - and the pictures won't be great due to the drizzling rain. We were way up there with sheep on both sides of the road (no fences). I wonder how many get hit by cars?
We didn't have a hotel booked for the night. The plan was to spend some time in the Cotswold area and see Stonehenge on Wednesday, so we headed in that direction. The drive was beautiful, terrifying, and tiring. Regular two lane highways, no shoulders, very windy roads, and speed limits that are way too fast. Dave, who doesn't get rattled very easily, was stressed and very tired. We came upon a "historic working town" - Bradford-on-Avon. Wow and wow! This is a must see. The downtown is as it was in the early 1500s. Words can't describe it so you'll have to wait for the pictures. It had been 8 hours since we'd eaten anything so we headed into The Three Gables. We were seated in a cozy waiting area - nothing like in the US - and had a drink and some interesting starters. We sat there for about 30 minutes and then were taken upstairs to eat. I thought we were waiting for a table but the waiting is all part of the experience. We were the only ones in the small room were we sat. A long and lovely meal followed. Just now, 24 hours later, I realized that the tip wasn't included in the bill. Sorry to the staff! We finished eating about 9:30 and one of the restruant staff had called and arranged a room for us at the Swan Hotel (1500). We had to wait about 30 minutes while they got the room ready. By 10:30 we were in the room, a beauty!, and fell into bed. A long but good day.
One thing I learned today: Farmers don't dock the tails of sheep. Makes things pretty messy for the sheep.
One new thing I experienced today: Having sweetbreads (not sweet breads) on my plate at supper. I gave these lamb glands to Dave so he could enjoy them with his pig's cheeks.
Most powerful moment of the day: Sorry. Nothing today.
One pleasurable experience: Sleeping in a hotel that's been in business for over 500 years.
Note to the family: If you need to get a hold of us, you'll need to send us a message on this blog. I changed the password on our email account and didn't bring it with me. I hope all is well. That everyone is healthy. Missing all of you!
Monday, July 1, 2013
Cambridge, England to Pyle, Wales
Today was a day full of travel and adventures. We had breakfast at our B&B and were on our way by 9 am. We entered the address of our next B&B, in Wales, and were informed that it'd take about 3 hours to get there. It's now 7:30 pm and we've just arrrived. Traveling today was a challenge and had some tense moments. Much of the trip was driving for less than 2 miles, entering a "round-about", driving for less than 2 miles, entering a round-about.... You get the picture.The speed limit is often 70 miles/hour but you rarely can get going that fast before you slow down for a round-about. The driving in Wales is even more exciting. They're VERY concerned with speeding. Every 1/2 mile or so there's a speed limit sign which is soon followed by a picture of a camera - which indicates photos are being taken of speeders. When driving in town, they throw in the digital signs which report exactly how fast you're going. Now add Flo constantly telling us to "stay left and take the third exit in the round about". Add many drivers, the fact we're still not totally comfortable drving on the left hand side AND watching for signs to things we want to see. There were moments of tension that would dissolve to fits of loud laughter. I suppose I should mention that we'd only been on the road for 30 minutes when we pulled over (there aren't any shoulders on the roads in England - just the odd "way by"). A quick nap was in order. Still adjusting to the time change and the intense schedule. :)
About 1ish we decided to pull off the road because there were so many wonderful little roads heading off into the country and we just couldn't drive by one more. We found ourselves in Northleach - a cute village where we had hot chocolate in a pub built in the 1700s. A friendly fellow in the pub said we just had to go see the church. On our way there, we passed the smallest door. It used to be the jail many years ago. (You have to see the picture to appreciate it.) The church is called The Cathedral of the Cotswolds and was built in 1350. One section was built, then the tower across the way and then they were joined to create a "complete" church by a very wealthy man that wanted to be sure he'd get to heaven. He thought building this great cathedral would do it. Wonder how that worked out for him.
Back in the car, which I'm starting to refer to as the "18 wheeler" or "the tank". It's about the size of Laura's car - Pontiac Vibe - which isn't big at home but here it's huge. It's a struggle to fit it into parking spots, take tight corners etc. Anywho...... 90 minutes later we saw a sign for Roman ruins near Newport, Wales. Couldn't miss that! We saw the amphitheatre (built in 90 AD) which seated 6,000. We saw the bathhouse and the dormitories. This was a massive settlement in its day. Only small parts have been excavated. I wondered about a lot of things while wandering around but one was "how did the soldiers keep warm wearing those mini skirts in the winter?
By this time it's 5 pm and since we didn't have anything to eat since breaky, we went into a very old pub and had fish and chips. They were amazingly good - and cheap! Two orders and a beer for 10 pounds - $13.00. As we're heading back to the car, there are a bunch of guys practising for rugby. Dave wanted to join them - which I discouraged. It just happened that one of the balls went over a hedge very near us and so Dave got a chance to kick the ball. It looked good, the ball went over the hedge and he smiled broadly at the rugby guy and then....turned to me with this intense look of pain on face. I, of course, found this most amusing. I guess the ball is very hard. One kick was all he needed. :)
Another 30 minutes driving, stopping to get directions from a couple of local guys (some folks are difficult to understand) and we're off to our B&B. We're way out in the country on an old farm with stone buildings - barn and all. It's very pleasant. The only guests are us so as we sit in the family room, we have the place to ourselves. The next two nights we don't have any lodging in place. We're off to see castles tomorrow. Someone told us today that today was going to be the last nice day for awhile. Let's hope he's wrong! Today was cloudy, sunny, warm, and cool.
Tonight the plan is to get to bed early and wake up refreshed and be done with the jet lag. Update on debit card situation. It dawned on me last night that I only talked to the lady at the bank about my card and not Dave's. Therefore, his still isn't doing what it should but mine is! Woo hoo!
One thing I learned today: In Roman days (in Wales) sponges were kept in pails of vinegar in the bathrooms and were the toilet paper of the day.
One new thing I experienced today: I stood on the bench in the pub to get a good photo of the fish and chips. For somene who's very concious about "being proper", this was huge for me. Of course there wasn't anyone who could see me, but still......
Most powerful moment of the day: Standing in the amphitheatre where so many were forced to die in one way or another.
One pleasurable moment: Watching the stoplights go from green to yellow to red and from red to yellow to green. We need to get that in place!
About 1ish we decided to pull off the road because there were so many wonderful little roads heading off into the country and we just couldn't drive by one more. We found ourselves in Northleach - a cute village where we had hot chocolate in a pub built in the 1700s. A friendly fellow in the pub said we just had to go see the church. On our way there, we passed the smallest door. It used to be the jail many years ago. (You have to see the picture to appreciate it.) The church is called The Cathedral of the Cotswolds and was built in 1350. One section was built, then the tower across the way and then they were joined to create a "complete" church by a very wealthy man that wanted to be sure he'd get to heaven. He thought building this great cathedral would do it. Wonder how that worked out for him.
Back in the car, which I'm starting to refer to as the "18 wheeler" or "the tank". It's about the size of Laura's car - Pontiac Vibe - which isn't big at home but here it's huge. It's a struggle to fit it into parking spots, take tight corners etc. Anywho...... 90 minutes later we saw a sign for Roman ruins near Newport, Wales. Couldn't miss that! We saw the amphitheatre (built in 90 AD) which seated 6,000. We saw the bathhouse and the dormitories. This was a massive settlement in its day. Only small parts have been excavated. I wondered about a lot of things while wandering around but one was "how did the soldiers keep warm wearing those mini skirts in the winter?
By this time it's 5 pm and since we didn't have anything to eat since breaky, we went into a very old pub and had fish and chips. They were amazingly good - and cheap! Two orders and a beer for 10 pounds - $13.00. As we're heading back to the car, there are a bunch of guys practising for rugby. Dave wanted to join them - which I discouraged. It just happened that one of the balls went over a hedge very near us and so Dave got a chance to kick the ball. It looked good, the ball went over the hedge and he smiled broadly at the rugby guy and then....turned to me with this intense look of pain on face. I, of course, found this most amusing. I guess the ball is very hard. One kick was all he needed. :)
Another 30 minutes driving, stopping to get directions from a couple of local guys (some folks are difficult to understand) and we're off to our B&B. We're way out in the country on an old farm with stone buildings - barn and all. It's very pleasant. The only guests are us so as we sit in the family room, we have the place to ourselves. The next two nights we don't have any lodging in place. We're off to see castles tomorrow. Someone told us today that today was going to be the last nice day for awhile. Let's hope he's wrong! Today was cloudy, sunny, warm, and cool.
Tonight the plan is to get to bed early and wake up refreshed and be done with the jet lag. Update on debit card situation. It dawned on me last night that I only talked to the lady at the bank about my card and not Dave's. Therefore, his still isn't doing what it should but mine is! Woo hoo!
One thing I learned today: In Roman days (in Wales) sponges were kept in pails of vinegar in the bathrooms and were the toilet paper of the day.
One new thing I experienced today: I stood on the bench in the pub to get a good photo of the fish and chips. For somene who's very concious about "being proper", this was huge for me. Of course there wasn't anyone who could see me, but still......
Most powerful moment of the day: Standing in the amphitheatre where so many were forced to die in one way or another.
One pleasurable moment: Watching the stoplights go from green to yellow to red and from red to yellow to green. We need to get that in place!
Cambridge
I woke up this morning at 4 am and it was light outside already. After falling alseep again, I was awoken by "don't worry, be happy" playing loudly in our cabin. It was the wake up call. Everyone had to be in their cars and ready to go by 6:30 - which was no small feat for me but I did it! We had to descend 16 flights of stairs to get to our car - which made me really dizzy. Little did I know that later in the day I'd encounter circular stairs that were much worse.
Once off the ferry we instantly had to drive on the left hand side of the road. Dave did very well and was quite comfortable with it after about 30 minutes. The scary part for me is coming around a corner and seeing a car "coming right at us" - at least at home it would appear that way. Here they're safely on the other side of the road but our brains think we're going to hit the car head on.
So many of the towns here have the same names as towns in Ontario - Peterborough, Milton, Newmarket, Simcoe, Sunderland. There are cameras everywhere to catch people drving too fast. I don't understand their system. There's a sign to indicate that the camera is coming up - which gives you time to slow down. Our goal is to get home without any speeding tickets.
We arrived in Cambridge about 8:30 and were instantly taken back to the 1200 - 1400's. Narrow streets, wonderful buildings and colleges everywhere. Cambridge University is obviously in Cambridge. It consists of 11 separate colleges. The oldest was built in 1284 and the newest in 1596. Apparently, the fellow that invented the "early computer" attended the oldest one - probably in the last 50 years or so. :)
One of our main goals in going to Cambridge was to go to church at King's College (1441) and hear the boys' choir. It, the church service, was an interesting experience. If there weren't any visitors, the congregation wouldn't even have had 15 people. The church was very high Anglican. We celebrated communion - quite differently than we're used to. The choir was exceptional - escpecially if you like "Handel" type music - which Dave really does. All the singing was in Latin. After church we went back to our car to change our clothes. A tricky endevour on a busy street but we did it.
There was an open air market that we wandered around, bought a raisin bun for lunch, and got Laura's phone booth for her library. It was a very hot day - the first one of the summer. Apparently it's either cloudly and cool or raining here. They don't get much warm/hot weather. We wandered around the town for awhile. Fatigue was setting in and the heat was making it worse. Trying to find a place to sit on the grass is challenging. There are signs everywhere saying you can't go on the grass, or you can if you're with a member of one of the colleges. Being new to town we had to keep looking for a spot to sit. We came upon a patch of grass I've named Cow Patty Park. There were both fresh-ish and old cow patties all over the "park". People were picnicing, playing soccer, sitting etc on the grass. Honest! We found a tree and I was able to sit beside a dried out patty. Dave thought he was in the clear until he stood up and had gum stuck to his pants. I'm sure we entertained the folks nearby as we tried to get it off.
Ever heard of a punt? (Nothing to do with baseball.) Well we took a 45 minute ride in a punt (kind of like a gondola) on the Cam River. It went all along the collegues. Our punt driver was a Cambridge University student who told us all about the English education system. It was most interesting. He was really suppose to talk to us about the colleges but we (Dave) kept him busy with all sorts of questions. We did see the first bridge built across the Cam River - so that trade could take place. This happened before 1200 (don't have exact date - too many facts to remember). Thus, the town was named Cambridge.
Ice cream - which had zero flavor - and then off to check out some churches. St. Bene't's Church was the oldest in town - 1020. Great St. Mary's (1200ish) was being restored inside. They still hold services in it with the scaffolding all around. We went up to the tower and had wonderful views of all the colleges. The spiral staircase was very spirally (new word). I had to keep stoppimg because I was getting so dizzy. They certainly didn't make the staircase for any one of any size! Dave got talking to the verger (the caretaker and in years gone by, the "bodyguard"for the vickar. Poor people used to constantly bother the vickar because he was wealthy - compared to most people.) This fellow had great stories ranging from the gang/drug problems in Cambridge (he's also a constable) to the visits Prince Philip has made and the personal conversation this fellow has had with the Prince. (We saw photos as proof.)
At about 5 pm we headed back to our car and went to find our bed and breadfasst. It was just a couple of miles down the road. A lovely place. The driveway is treelined. It looks like a country manor complete with sheep in the front pasture, flowers climbing the stone house, and a horse out front. There was a bit of a cufful when Dave went to take the suitcase out of the car. It wasn't zipped shut (after our clothes changing ealier in the day) and so our clothes were all over the driveway.
Our host, Ralph, is very British. Our room is lovely. It over looks a wonderful back yard and gardens. Ralph told us that there was a great place, The Plough, to eat near by. Here are the directions: go round the garage, to the meadow where you'll see a wooden post marking the path. Take the path through the meadow, some woods, and then into a small village. So off we went. It was a great walk. We arrived at the resturant to find out that they were out of food. Due to the wonderful weather, they were extremely busy. We expressed our disappointment and were told they could make a pizza for us. Wehad our hearts set on fish and chips but settled for pizza - the most unquie pizza I've every had. On the way back to the B&B, we cut through the meadow and paid for tht by having a number of fat slugs stuck to our feet (wearing sandels).
We're now tucked snuggly in our room. I had a cup of tea. It's so wonderful to be able to have tea in our room. Such a treat for a non coffee drinker. Tomorrow we head for Wales. I learned today that England uses miles and not klms. This was news to us as we had planned our travel assuming everything was in klms. Tomorrow's drive may well be much longer than we thought.
Oh, and the debit card issue - not solved.
One thing I learned today: A two lane highway is called an "A road". A "dual carriage way" means that there are 2 lanes of traffic going in the same direction. A motorway is a three lane highway - each side.
One new thing I experinced today: Waiting in line for 15 minutes to get into church.
Most powerful moment of the day: Worshipping in a church that has been used for over 600 years.
One pleasurable experience: Having a pleasant shopkeeper explain British currency to me. The smaller coins are worth more than the larger ones.
Once off the ferry we instantly had to drive on the left hand side of the road. Dave did very well and was quite comfortable with it after about 30 minutes. The scary part for me is coming around a corner and seeing a car "coming right at us" - at least at home it would appear that way. Here they're safely on the other side of the road but our brains think we're going to hit the car head on.
So many of the towns here have the same names as towns in Ontario - Peterborough, Milton, Newmarket, Simcoe, Sunderland. There are cameras everywhere to catch people drving too fast. I don't understand their system. There's a sign to indicate that the camera is coming up - which gives you time to slow down. Our goal is to get home without any speeding tickets.
We arrived in Cambridge about 8:30 and were instantly taken back to the 1200 - 1400's. Narrow streets, wonderful buildings and colleges everywhere. Cambridge University is obviously in Cambridge. It consists of 11 separate colleges. The oldest was built in 1284 and the newest in 1596. Apparently, the fellow that invented the "early computer" attended the oldest one - probably in the last 50 years or so. :)
One of our main goals in going to Cambridge was to go to church at King's College (1441) and hear the boys' choir. It, the church service, was an interesting experience. If there weren't any visitors, the congregation wouldn't even have had 15 people. The church was very high Anglican. We celebrated communion - quite differently than we're used to. The choir was exceptional - escpecially if you like "Handel" type music - which Dave really does. All the singing was in Latin. After church we went back to our car to change our clothes. A tricky endevour on a busy street but we did it.
There was an open air market that we wandered around, bought a raisin bun for lunch, and got Laura's phone booth for her library. It was a very hot day - the first one of the summer. Apparently it's either cloudly and cool or raining here. They don't get much warm/hot weather. We wandered around the town for awhile. Fatigue was setting in and the heat was making it worse. Trying to find a place to sit on the grass is challenging. There are signs everywhere saying you can't go on the grass, or you can if you're with a member of one of the colleges. Being new to town we had to keep looking for a spot to sit. We came upon a patch of grass I've named Cow Patty Park. There were both fresh-ish and old cow patties all over the "park". People were picnicing, playing soccer, sitting etc on the grass. Honest! We found a tree and I was able to sit beside a dried out patty. Dave thought he was in the clear until he stood up and had gum stuck to his pants. I'm sure we entertained the folks nearby as we tried to get it off.
Ever heard of a punt? (Nothing to do with baseball.) Well we took a 45 minute ride in a punt (kind of like a gondola) on the Cam River. It went all along the collegues. Our punt driver was a Cambridge University student who told us all about the English education system. It was most interesting. He was really suppose to talk to us about the colleges but we (Dave) kept him busy with all sorts of questions. We did see the first bridge built across the Cam River - so that trade could take place. This happened before 1200 (don't have exact date - too many facts to remember). Thus, the town was named Cambridge.
Ice cream - which had zero flavor - and then off to check out some churches. St. Bene't's Church was the oldest in town - 1020. Great St. Mary's (1200ish) was being restored inside. They still hold services in it with the scaffolding all around. We went up to the tower and had wonderful views of all the colleges. The spiral staircase was very spirally (new word). I had to keep stoppimg because I was getting so dizzy. They certainly didn't make the staircase for any one of any size! Dave got talking to the verger (the caretaker and in years gone by, the "bodyguard"for the vickar. Poor people used to constantly bother the vickar because he was wealthy - compared to most people.) This fellow had great stories ranging from the gang/drug problems in Cambridge (he's also a constable) to the visits Prince Philip has made and the personal conversation this fellow has had with the Prince. (We saw photos as proof.)
At about 5 pm we headed back to our car and went to find our bed and breadfasst. It was just a couple of miles down the road. A lovely place. The driveway is treelined. It looks like a country manor complete with sheep in the front pasture, flowers climbing the stone house, and a horse out front. There was a bit of a cufful when Dave went to take the suitcase out of the car. It wasn't zipped shut (after our clothes changing ealier in the day) and so our clothes were all over the driveway.
Our host, Ralph, is very British. Our room is lovely. It over looks a wonderful back yard and gardens. Ralph told us that there was a great place, The Plough, to eat near by. Here are the directions: go round the garage, to the meadow where you'll see a wooden post marking the path. Take the path through the meadow, some woods, and then into a small village. So off we went. It was a great walk. We arrived at the resturant to find out that they were out of food. Due to the wonderful weather, they were extremely busy. We expressed our disappointment and were told they could make a pizza for us. Wehad our hearts set on fish and chips but settled for pizza - the most unquie pizza I've every had. On the way back to the B&B, we cut through the meadow and paid for tht by having a number of fat slugs stuck to our feet (wearing sandels).
We're now tucked snuggly in our room. I had a cup of tea. It's so wonderful to be able to have tea in our room. Such a treat for a non coffee drinker. Tomorrow we head for Wales. I learned today that England uses miles and not klms. This was news to us as we had planned our travel assuming everything was in klms. Tomorrow's drive may well be much longer than we thought.
Oh, and the debit card issue - not solved.
One thing I learned today: A two lane highway is called an "A road". A "dual carriage way" means that there are 2 lanes of traffic going in the same direction. A motorway is a three lane highway - each side.
One new thing I experinced today: Waiting in line for 15 minutes to get into church.
Most powerful moment of the day: Worshipping in a church that has been used for over 600 years.
One pleasurable experience: Having a pleasant shopkeeper explain British currency to me. The smaller coins are worth more than the larger ones.
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