In the last blog entry, I shared some autumn Amsterdam photos. Well, I published the post while the boys were napping, then went out for groceries. It was gorgeous outside! So, once the boys got up from their naps, we just HAD TO go get some gelato (Greg's first, finally!) and enjoy the sunshine in this beautiful city we call home. Notice the ice cream cone tip in Ben's hand (3rd photo). Both Greg and I graciously shared our tips with him (the sacrifices of being a parent is hard sometimes). He ate one right away, must have realized how good it was, and then carried the other one around, licking occasionally, for at least 30 minutes before finally eating that one too. Silly boy! Loved the photos I got from Leliegracht, the back of Westerkerk (from Keizersgracht), and the Noorderkerk. Grabbed some pizza for dinner and then home to clean for hosting Moms & Tots!
So, I wasn't very good this week about having the camera with me when I needed it, so I have found a permanent space for it in my purse, I promise! But, I'll share some stories...
Here is the herring - in sandwich form. We didn't think we could get it down any other way. (We were right!)
We made it back to the apartment for Ben's nap time, and Betsy, Marc, and Greg went to pick up race packets and check out the marathon market. Had spaghetti for dinner (bring on the carbs!) and watched a movie before bed.
Sunday was race day! Although, it didn't feel like it at first since the half marathon didn't start until 2 p.m. We left home around 12:30, got to Olympic Stadium around 1:30 - just enough time for a little warm-up. Marc, Ben, and I wished the racers good luck - they were off to the start line, and we were off to backtrack to Amstel Station via metro to get some photos at the halfway point.
Greg and Betsy both did great - Greg was able to complete the race in spite of his recent knee problems, and Betsy improved on her previous race time by over 10 minutes! Look, they're even still smiling post-race! We got back home, grabbed some Thai take-out for dinner, and kicked back on the couch for the evening.
Poor Greg, Monday was back to work for him. I think sitting all day made him a little more stiff and sore, but he's feeling back to normal now. The rest of us headed for the Hague, then a tram to Madurodam - a Marc favorite. This is basically like the "Mini-Europe" that we saw in Brussels, but it's a mini-Netherlands - everything is 25 times smaller than in reality. It was very busy, I think that Dutch children were on a school break this week. Very cool place, and it is just amazing the detail that goes into all of the structures and landscaping. My favorites included the Hague's Parliament buildings (with all of the tiny soldiers on parade), Schipol airport with the planes taxi-ing down the runway, and of course, all of the Amsterdam city center replicas. Betsy did her best to 'squat' by the windmill for a photo op, but her sore legs weren't very keen on bending. :)
So, I wasn't very good this week about having the camera with me when I needed it, so I have found a permanent space for it in my purse, I promise! But, I'll share some stories...Hosting Moms & Tots went well. I should have taken a picture of the 'aftermath' though - didn't know tornadoes came through Amsterdam. :) Really, we had a great time having everyone over, and Ben was very good about sharing his toys with his friends. Although, it took him quite a while to calm down from all the excitement for naptime...
Tuesday morning swim lessons were a little different...the floor of the pool had been raised so that the water was at Ben's chest level. He LOVED it...getting to walk around in the water on his own. Later that day, we went to Westerpark for some playing in the leaves and blowing bubbles. The park was really beautiful with all of the leaves changing color.
Karen came over on Wednesday morning for a walk, except that the rain started as soon as we were preparing to leave. So, she came up for tea, and we chatted the morning away. I don't think we'll get anymore mornings like that, as she moves to Denmark in about a week. Very sad for us, but great for their family. We're having them over next Friday night to officially say goodbye.
Thursday was the big day - visitors arriving!! We went to Little Gym in the morning like usual, but then met Betsy and Marc at Centraal Station around noon. Hurray! It was so good to see them! It was raining a bit, but we made our way to their B&B, a very cute canal house that was near our home...and near Winkel apple pie! After dropping off bags, we went out for pie and coffee, and the sky seemed to clear - we even took off coats to enjoy the sunshine. As soon as we parted ways, the rain began, and the hail followed. Hail??? Crazy Amsterdam weather!! They found an awning to duck under and waited it out. The rest of the day was clear, they did a bit of sightseeing, then to bed early to catch up on some lost sleep.
On Friday, Betsy and Marc went to Antwerp, Belgium for the day. Ben and I went to a book party in the afternoon...and he has found a new favorite book, The Runaway Pancake. He asks for 'pancakes' all day long now - thankfully, he just means the book. :) Greg went out with Joe and Larry that night for some guy time; it was nice for him to get out and he loves spending time with those guys.
OK, the camera picks back up in a big way on Saturday morning - to capture the herring tasting! Betsy and Marc checked out of the B&B on Saturday morning, came to our place, and then we all headed out for the market. Marc enjoyed looking at some Dutch books, we bought some fruit and dark chocolate covered peanuts (our new 'must have'), and Betsy and I tried the herring. Story continues with the pictures below...
Here is the herring - in sandwich form. We didn't think we could get it down any other way. (We were right!)Brave Betsy taking the first bite...
Brave Betsy trying to swallow that first bite...
Scared Stephanie taking her bite...
Results, you ask? The bites were both spit out, our mouths were rinsed out with some fresh OJ we had bought as a 'chaser', and the empty juice cup was used to do away with the rest of the sandwich. I'm sad to say that it was not a good experience, and I don't think I'll be sampling this Amsterdam treat again. But, much credit to Betsy and me...as the boys were too chicken to even try. (Or maybe they get the credit for being smart enough to steer clear?)
We left the scene of the 'incident' and made our way to a much more enjoyable experience - pancakes! We had lunch at the Pancake Bakery, I hear that's the pre-race meal of marathon champions. :) After lunch, we walked along the Prinsengracht and stopped in the Hofje van Brienen for a quick peak and photo. There are several hofjes in the city, which historically provided housing for elderly women. They have these beautiful courtyards...
We made it back to the apartment for Ben's nap time, and Betsy, Marc, and Greg went to pick up race packets and check out the marathon market. Had spaghetti for dinner (bring on the carbs!) and watched a movie before bed.Sunday was race day! Although, it didn't feel like it at first since the half marathon didn't start until 2 p.m. We left home around 12:30, got to Olympic Stadium around 1:30 - just enough time for a little warm-up. Marc, Ben, and I wished the racers good luck - they were off to the start line, and we were off to backtrack to Amstel Station via metro to get some photos at the halfway point.
Greg and Betsy both did great - Greg was able to complete the race in spite of his recent knee problems, and Betsy improved on her previous race time by over 10 minutes! Look, they're even still smiling post-race! We got back home, grabbed some Thai take-out for dinner, and kicked back on the couch for the evening. Poor Greg, Monday was back to work for him. I think sitting all day made him a little more stiff and sore, but he's feeling back to normal now. The rest of us headed for the Hague, then a tram to Madurodam - a Marc favorite. This is basically like the "Mini-Europe" that we saw in Brussels, but it's a mini-Netherlands - everything is 25 times smaller than in reality. It was very busy, I think that Dutch children were on a school break this week. Very cool place, and it is just amazing the detail that goes into all of the structures and landscaping. My favorites included the Hague's Parliament buildings (with all of the tiny soldiers on parade), Schipol airport with the planes taxi-ing down the runway, and of course, all of the Amsterdam city center replicas. Betsy did her best to 'squat' by the windmill for a photo op, but her sore legs weren't very keen on bending. :) From the Hague, we were only about a 5 minute tram ride to Scheveningen, a beautiful beach town. It was chilly and windy near the water, but we saw quite a few surfers in the water. Marc has visited this area before, and he remembered this tasty little pannekoeken place that we went to for lunch...wow, seriously good! We walked down the beach a bit, and we came across the 2 statues below. Betsy and I interpreted them as "eating the herring" and then "why, oh why, did I eat the herring". :)
That evening, we celebrated Betsy's birthday with some apple tart and presents - a cookbook entirely in Dutch. I thought the cookbook photos looked really good, so it would be worth all the trouble of translating to make the recipes. Thankfully, she agreed and was grateful.
Betsy and Marc left on Tuesday morning for a few days in Germany - Oberwesel, Heidelberg, and Cologne. Ben and I had a few playdates and borrowed a couple Halloween costumes for the party tomorrow. (TBD on what he will wear - as of yesterday, he didn't like either one.) Betsy and Marc returned on Thursday afternoon for a bit more Amsterdam sightseeing. We relaxed that evening - watching Dutch soccer with Dutch commentary.
Today was a hard one. We got up and went out for one last pannekoeken before Betsy and Marc left for the airport around noon. It was very hard to see them go...Ben had become quite attached and I have really missed seeing Betsy at work every day. But, we had a great time with them here, and it won't be long before we see them again in December.
The rest of the day was spent cleaning and preparing a meal for our "good luck, we'll miss you" dinner for Karen and Larry. They joined us for dinner at 6:30, left about 9 p.m. Another sad goodbye, but a wonderful time - we will miss having them here in the city centre with us! Good luck in Denmark, and we plan to visit next year, you can't stop us!
And now, it's time to prepare for another 'hello'! Mom and Dad Zabikow arrive tomorrow afternoon, and we are very, very excited! We are taking a short trip to Belgium to visit Brussels and Mons, the city where Boris was born. Then, on Tuesday night, we leave for Munich, Germany for 3 days. We are looking forward to the city, the castles, and the pretzels - and of course, the company! Praying for safe flights, we'll see them soon!
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