Made It!

On the right hand side bar of this blog in the blue box, I added the link to 2 new blogs, "Semester in the Netherlands" which is a group effort of Edward's class in the Amsterdam and "Sarah's blog" which is the blog of one of his classmates I met in the airport.

I talked to Ed a few times over the weekend on Skype. I discovered I could take video snapshots of him while we talked, so that made me happy. I *heart* technology. This is one of the first times and I thought he was looking so European:

The next time, I took a series of them when he was looking even more European:

Ok, I promise I'm done now for awhile. I do need to get out more!

Getting Ready for 4+ Months in Europe

Happiness that the day has finally arrived

I made sure I took a few photos of Edward before he left Thursday to record the excitement of the day. The photo above was taken after his one hour morning run (he's training for a marathon) and he looks very happy/relieved/excited. I didn't take a picture of his luggage, and I'm not sure why because it was a sight to behold.

Anticipation on the way to the airport. We were at the intersection right before you go into the Gerald R. Ford International Airport waiting for a red light. I took this because I wanted to remember how he was sitting there with his backpack looking ahead.

Relief after successfully checking his luggage in at just under 50 lbs. and getting his boarding pass after we had met up with the group of about 18 students (and many of their parents) headed to Amsterdam from Calvin College.

Patience while having a last photo taken with the parents.

Contemplation, expectation, and high hopes while waiting at the security gate.

Good humor as Mom takes one last photo before getting to the gate.

Friday morning, we did talk on Skype and it was actually like he was right inside my computer. They had all only slept about an hour on the plane and I could tell he was tired, but still very excited to have arrived safely in his dorm room with all his things.

The Last Dutch Evening

After the Rijksmuseum, we did a little shopping and then ate supper at a cozy little place on one of the narrow streets in Amsterdam. Afterward, we enjoyed some of the sights at night. I have to add that I never enjoy being anywhere near the sad red light district. However, the lights reflected on the canals in the city were a beauty to behold:



The old historic buildings are lit up like ghosts at night.







I LOVE this picture of Mar & Paula doing Amsterdam hard core. It makes me laugh every time because I don't remember it really being like that at all.




But this is probably my favorite picture, maybe even of the whole trip. I think I had a dream like this a long time ago.



Soon, we got back on the train and headed for the hotel to rest for the big journey home. Our colorful trip was over.



So that concludes the story of our Netherlands 07 adventure. I noticed in my pictures there are still little things to tell, so I think I'll institute a new feature in the blog called "Netherlands Nuesday" which will run on Tuesdays. It was either that or "Holland Haturday".

Dam Square

We headed up the narrow Dam Straat toward Dam Square (That's pronounced "Dom" for the American readers) looking in some stores along the way.


Dam Square is always filled with people and pigeons and street performers, and a trolley runs right through it - it is a very exciting place to be. On one end stands the National Monument, which is in memory of those who died in WWII, and at the other end is a royal palace which you can see behind the orange street performer below.



In 2003 we stayed at the Krasnapolsky which is on the Square. This time, we ate at a restaurant next door and had a very festive time in there keeping dry and discovering what fun things we ordered.


When we left, the rain had stopped, so Paula burst into a musical on the steps of that restaurant on Dam Square.



We walked down to the Rijksmuseum after lunch which I blogged about a little before. I could have stayed there for days, but time only allowed us a couple of hours. We saw the Night Watch by Rembrandt and The Little Street, Woman Reading a Letter and The Love Letter by Vermeer. I think they said The Kitchen Maid was out on loan.

The Griswolds Do Amsterdam

We got up early on our last full day in the Netherlands to spend the day in Amsterdam. Though it was raining, our spirits were not dampened. Did you ever wonder how many Americans it takes to buy a Dutch train ticket?


Well, the 7 of us finally figured it out, so we were soon on our way to the big city.



Since it was raining, we decided to see the city first of all by a canal boat. You can take a canal cruise right from a place near Central Station.



You can see below, we got all gezelligheid aboard the 1-1/2 hour cruise - settling in with the waters they gave us. Our Captain & Tour Guide were both real characters.


This turned out to be a great way to see the city on a rainy day. Whenever I opened the window to take pictures though, the lady behind me reached behind her to shut my window. Oy. I didn't take as many as I wanted to, but below are a few. We saw many house boats along the canal.



And this is the part of the cruise where you supposedly can see 7 bridges - maybe on a clear day.


I didn't get many chances thus far in the week to take pictures of windmills - can you believe it? In desparation, I took this one of the biggest, and I think oldest, windmill in Amsterdam from behind the rain drop-smeared window.


The canal houses are such an interesting part of the architecture in Amsterdam. When they were built, they had to pay taxes based on how wide their houses were, so they learned to build up. To get their furniture in the house, most of the houses protrude out with a pulley at the top to pull their furniture in on a rope.


When our tour was over, we began walking the streets and Paula & Mar posed in their Bedum Boots. The picture below came out a bit blurry in the low light so I used a filter and entitled it Amsterdam on a Rainy Day.

Amsterdam on a Rainy Day, 2007

Getting Giddy

So, after spending 5 days in Bedum, we headed down toward Amsterdam via Germany so we could drive on the Autobahn. John got old Slingerland up to about 87 MPH and of course, the cars sailed past him in the left lane.


We made it safely back to Dutch soil and went to a sweet little restaurant next to a monastery.


We resumed the intense experience of ordering out of Dutch menus...


where you never know what you're going to end up with...


Dad, very calmly, always knew what was going on...


The signs, oh the signs, seemed to get even harder to read.


Yet, the sight of a Buckeye tree with Buckeyes on the ground gave my Buckeye travelling companions a renewed sense of vigor for the journey home.


After arriving at our hotel near Amsterdam, John & I went on to the city to scope out the trail for the day ahead. Stay tuned for our last exciting adventure which will take a few days to blog about...

Tip Toe-ing Through the Hortensia

We were obviously not in The Nether-world in May this time to see the tulips, but I was very excited to see that Hydrangeas were prolific throughout this country during this time of year. It reminded me of the East coast. In The Netherlands, they mostly call them Hortensia.





I saw this Martian flower in the garden at Het Loo - it's hard to believe it's real! I have no idea what it is. Any tips?

We Have Found the Three Billy Goats Gruff and They Live in Bedum

Bedum, The Netherlands, September 2007

Flash Back Friday 37

Biking in Bedum, 1940, Dad & Oma


Still Biking in Bedum, 2007, Unknown

Aaf & Gerhard, Stamppot & Vla

Dad & Aaf

When we were in Bedum, we spent a few evenings with Aaf & Gerhard whom we consider shirt-tail relation. One evening, they had us over for a very authentic Dutch supper of stamppot, which means stamped, or mashed, pot. (Mom made this for us when we were growing up and my kids sometimes request it.) Aaf made a wonderful mustard gravy to go with it. We bought some of the seasoning to make it at the grocery store before we left, so now I am looking forward to making it again when our weather cools off. These are the types she made for us:

Boerenkoolstamppot, kale mixed with potatoes, served with gravy, mustard and rookworst

Zuurkoolstamppot, sauerkraut mashed with potatoes. Served with fried bacon or a sausage. Sometimes curry powder, raisins or slices of pineapple are used to give a stamppot an exotic touch

We had something interesting also for dessert called Vla which is a thick milk pudding. Our wonderful hostess let us choose from chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla out of the carton! Such excitement!

Gerhard works in the Gemeentehuis for the city of Bedum. He gave Dad, John & Will a tour of their beautiful offices before we left. We also had a good time talking with their son, Geertjan who is studying international business and Josine, their daughter who is studying to be a doctor. I loved her accent!


"Hear ye, Hear Ye, Beda-Bodda-Bedum"


A lot of Blonde - Mar, Paula, Jewels & Josine

The Land of Bikes

Bike riding truly is a way of life in the Netherlands. Everywhere you look - bikes, bike paths, people on bikes - and you better look, or you'll get run over.


Most of the bikes are very basic: maybe a few speeds, regular seats & handlebars.


I love to see the older people and ladies in skirts riding along like there's nothing to it.



Out of the window of our hotel room in Bedum, I saw hundreds of kids riding their bikes to school in the morning. Parents would bike alongside the younger children or have 1 or 2 bike seats on their own bike. Some even had a windshield for the kid up front.


The train stations had huge parking garages for bikes. Above is in Amsterdam, below is in Groningen.



Marianna & Paula could not resist! They needed to experience biking in Bedum, so they borrowed bikes from our cousins Siegard and Sandra. They loved it! They advised against me going because it would probably ruin my camera. I only rode around the parking lot of the flower shop, and yes, my camera flopped all around like a big dog.

Whenever We Go to the Rijksmuseum

"What a good day we spent in Amsterdam." - Vincent Van Gogh

I haven't told all there is to tell of our trip so far, but I'm going to skip ahead for this little thing that happened in Amsterdam toward the end of our time in the Netherlands.

So under Rembrandt skies, we were standing in line outside the Rijksmuseum, waiting to see the Night Watch , the Vermeers and other great Dutch paintings. John was passing out these chewy-fruity-yogurty Dutch mints like we had never tasted before, and he said, "Whenever I go to the Rijksmuseum, I have these." This just struck my funny bone. John often does that.


John being funny in Amsterdam

Another True Marian

Not realizing this would be a thick yogurty drink - very good, just not what she had in mind

This was Marianna's first trip to the Netherlands and she enjoyed every minute of it. Typically a homebody, she had a couple of moments where she wished she was home, but she sure was good at making our travelling van, known affectionately as "Slingerland" a home away from home. She was so good at passing out treats she had gotten from the grocery store and bakery! I'll never forget the leaf-shaped coffee flavoured chocolates or the salt and pepper crackers. I think the combination of being in a different time zone, the strong coffee, and driving wreaked havoc on my stomach and I so appreciated these things which I never seem to have the forethought to bring.

Marianna was named "Marianna Zijl" after her grandma and she comes by the name honestly in many ways. Cousin Henry called her "Marian" in the coolest accent.


Packing up to leave Bedum as cousin Reinder stops by

Old Churches in the Old Country

We were always told the story of how Oma was afraid the church in Bedum was going to fall over on her when she went past, so she would run by it on the way to school. You can see how it leans in the picture below. Someone told me it has the same tilt as the Leaning Tower of Pisa.




I thought it was interesting to see the repair that has been done to the windows and the cat that was snooping around.


While John was running the marathon in the city of Groningen, I was able to get this quiet shot of the Martinitoren.


Later in the week, we ate lunch next to a monastery in Ter Apel which dates back to 1465.


Marianna, Paula & Mom felt the urge to play "Doe, A Deer" like the Von Trapps, (also with my urging.)


At the end of the week, we saw the English Reformed Church in Amsterdam located in the Begijnhof and established in 1607. The pilgrims worshipped here before they came to America, and we also did in 2003.

In Search of John's Ancestors

Another highlight of our trip to the Netherlands originated from our trip back in 2003. At this time, we had walked into the above corporation with hopes of finding out more of John's ancestry. The CEO of the company Dirk invited us in to his office and we left with a complete geneology which included John much to our surprise! Over the years, we have kept in touch with him and he invited us to visit his home. On this visit, we were able to stay at his guest home and see some of the city of Heerenveen where John's grandfather was born.


We toured the factory where they make butter and also the streets where John's ancestors walked.


Dirk and his wife, Han, took us out to supper at a Chinese restaurant. Dirk saved us from the challenge of ordering from a Dutch Chinese menu by ordering a great feast from which to choose. It was lekker!


This is the guest house where John & I stayed. It was built in 1856 and had many antiques and old Dutch paintings.




Dirk & Han were wonderful hosts and we enjoyed visiting with them very much!


I will never forget our visit with them and how they so sweetly waved us off as we left. Earlier, when we were having coffee in their own home, he took me back to his office and showed me the picture on his desk that we had sent to him of our family back in 2003. He called us his "far-away family."

Flash Back Friday 36

Oma & Opa, 1930's ---- Mom & Dad, last week in Bedum

Fantastic!

Cousin Henry

One of the highlights of going to the Netherlands is seeing cousin Hendrik Jan Zijl, aka Henry. We so appreciate his enthusiasm and expression! When we arrive in Bedum, he comes immediately to the hotel to see us. One of his most memorable expressions is "Fantastic" but he says it like this: "Fon-TAHS-teek". One time he said to me when we were talking about what there is to do in Ohio, "Well, they have the Aim-ish." It was so cute.



Henry hangs with us much of the time and it is so fun. He knows the roads of Holland like the back of his hand.


Waiting for John at the train station with Henry


Henry saying something profound.


Henry visiting at John's cousin Dirk's house with us


Henry at a Diner in Bedum with John & I waiting for croquettes.

Tea With the Queen Mother

As I mentioned before, we stopped by the palace of Het Loo on our way up to Bedum. We walked around the beautiful gardens and went inside. Photos, however, are not allowed inside the palace. I learned that my namesake, Princess Juliana, had a daughter Maria Christina just like me, so I felt at home.

I slapped together this quick and dirty panorama to give you an idea of the size.


Marianna & Paula enjoyed the stables and the tack rooms.


The trees were outstanding. They even had an orange one for the House of Orange.


This is just a piece of the gardens - you can see how well maintained they are. After an enjoyable lunch and tea with the Queen Mother, we headed up along the Smildevaart towards Bedum. We saw a boat named "Julia" and the significance of a Julia on the Smilde was not lost on us.


We drove through the town of Smilde but because John was not yet with us, I didn't want to take a picture. I thought it would be sad, like Princess Di by the Taj Mahal. So I present herewith a picture taken in the town of Smilde with John & I in 2003 - our very own carved bushes!

Aldert & Nicky

"Whenever we go to the Netherlands", cousins Aldert & Nicky who live outside of Amsterdam have greeted us at Schipol airport. This time, they graciously hosted us with coffee, lunch, and an outstanding gourmet meal prepared by Nicky. We loved walking around their little town of Nieuwveen and enjoyed the flowers and greenery.


Mom, Nicky, Paula & Marianna in front of their house


The little canal behind their house is so picturesque.


When we all say "Proost", I can still hear my Dutch Oma roll her R's.

The Bricks of Bedum

Bedum was the primary destination of our trip and these are some of the landmarks in the town which we have always heard about. Each of them is a story in itself.

The Gemeentehuis, or City Hall, where Oma & Opa were married


School of the Bible where Dad went to school


Hotel Gemeentehuis where we stayed


The Church with the leaning tower.


The house where Oma lived.


The garage where Dad was born and the house where he lived later

My Beautiful Dutch Cousins

I took a few photos at the Zijl Family reunion last Saturday and it was so fun to see them when I got home. You can see more here. If you would like any of them at a higher resolution, e-mail me and I can send it.

Home Again

We made it home again last night and my aching body was finally in bed after a 22 hour day, and this, after a day and night spent in Amsterdam. We had such a great time during the trip making many lasting memories which I hope to post in the days ahead. For now, I am a bit overwhelmed and happy to see the kids and my own bed.

Running Dutch

John ran in the Groningen Marathon this past Sunday - actually, he did the half marathon. With the time change and travel, this was still a good accomplishment. Watching a marathon in an old European city was a great and new experience. The announcers spoke totally in Dutch so I didn't know everything going on. The rest of the gang came down later and met us at the finish line and we all took the train back to Bedum. He was the first American to finish in the race.

Wakers, Sleepers, and Dreamers

Yesterday, we went up to the North Sea to Noord Polder Zijl and saw the dikes - the Waker, the Sleeper and the Dreamer. We stopped in the coffee shop there and Mom, Marianna & Paula acted it out:


Sleeper, Dreamer, and........................Waker

I Have Found You, Kunte Kinte!

The Zijl Family Reunion, 2007

Het Loo

Ok, it's back to English now. On our way up to Bedum, we stopped by the palace of Queen Wilhelmina. We each bought a pill box (and one for Andrea too) so that we could remember Oma and her pill parties every time we need to take a pill from our purse.

Nieuw Bericht

I went in to blogger here to write a post and it's all in Dutch even on the English laptop John brought. I'll try to post later - today is the family reunion!

Bedum Bound

I'm so excited!

In less than 24 hours, I'll be leaving on a trip to the Netherlands for a family reunion in Groningen and to visit my dad's birthplace in Bedum. I'm going to meet the rest of the gang (Mom, Dad, Mar, Will & Paula) as we change planes in the Detroit airport and get on the same flight to Amsterdam. John will join us Friday.

As Paula would say, "Beeda-Bodda-Booda-Bodda-Bidda-Bodda-Bedum"

Maybe I can blog from abroad. Now that would be an experience.