Adventures in Amsterdam

Tulip's Visit "Home"

2010-09-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's me again! I know I said I was done with this blog, but I had to share this one last post. Kind of feels like things came full circle last week when we took Nathalie to Amsterdam. And yes, I do realize that our Tulip's home is not Amsterdam, but Greg and I will always fondly remember this city as the place where she got her start. :)

Greg needed to travel to Amsterdam for work, and so Nathalie and I decided to join him. I didn't think that I was brave enough to travel internationally with two little ones just yet, and since Nathalie is still nursing, she won. Although, I think Ben "won" too...he got to spend time with both sets of grandparents and had a blast! Apple orchards, petting zoos, roasting marshmallows, McDonald's, playing at the beach, not to mention undivided grandparent attention...doesn't sound too bad, huh?

Greg, Nathalie, and I flew out of O'Hare on Tuesday, August 31st around 7 p.m. The flight was a bit delayed, and while we were sitting at the gate, we see Wolf Blitzer on CNN reporting about people being held in Amsterdam for having suspicious items in their luggage on the Chicago to Amsterdam flight from the day before. Ummm, not what you want to hear before you hop on a plane...especially that exact flight the following day. Anyways, here are a few photos of the little gal kickin' it at O'Hare and preparing to board. And yes, for some reason, she is sticking her tongue out in nearly every photo of this trip. ??? It's cute in a sort of Pavlov's dogs sort of way...as soon as she hears the camera turn on, her tongue comes out.
Our little girl was a champ for her first plane ride...of course, having a night flight helped. She was asleep before we even took off, and except for a few whines and cries, she pretty much slept the whole time. Here are a few pix of her getting the famous "pat pat" move on Daddy's lap (a move that only Daddy does just right) and all cuddled in Mommy's arms.
We landed around 10 a.m. Amsterdam time. We think this photo says, "Hi everybody! I've landed, I'm about 3-4 hours short on sleep, but I've got my Holland cows on and I'm ready to go!"

We stayed at the Marriott near Leidseplein - an absolutely fabulous location. The hotel was very nice too. We think this photo of Nathalie says, "Me again. Did I mention I was short on sleep? Mom and Dad laid me on this cozy bed, so I'll just rest my eyes while they unpack." We unpacked, showered, and were on our way to our first stop...pannenkoeken!

On our way to the Pancake Bakery for lunch, we were quite impressed by the Amsterdam weather we had...bright, sunny, and just a bit cool. We walked by the Westerkerk and The Kameleon Shop to say hello to Ingrid, the owner. I bought many puzzles, scarves, and necklaces there, so we had become good friends. She was surprised to see us and delighted to meet Nathalie. Also delightful was our lunch...koffie verkeerd, pannenkoeken, and poffertjes. Poor Nathalie had peas. Stinks to be just 8 months old sometimes, huh?

After we pigged out on pancakes, we walked to Dam Square for some shopping. I couldn't help but laugh and take a photo of the Palace under renovation. Naturally. Our first order of business was to get our little Dutchie some clogs with her name on them...mission easily accomplished. Then just walking around and enjoying our old city. You're always going to see something new here...a unique building that catches your eye or a group of college boys making obscene gestures. We asked someone what was going on, and it was basically "Fall Rush" for their Greek system. Too funny! That brought back some memories for Greg and me...not the obscene gestures, of course.

Greg wanted to hunt for some buried treasure on Spiegelgracht, the antique shopping street/canal. We strolled along and window-shopped but didn't find anything, except for some mint tea at a cafe. It was early evening now, and the longer we sat, the cooler it became. By the time we walked back to the hotel, Nathalie was all bundled up in her coat, hat, and snuggled next to Mommy in the baby carrier. We grabbed some groceries and headed to Wagamama for dinner, but I think we had found our gal's breaking point. The minute we were seated she unleashed some rather unladylike wailing...so tired and she was not interested in eating out. Thank heavens for take away! We enjoyed a nice meal in our pj's at the hotel while Nathalie slept. And then at 9 p.m. she was awake - wide awake! And so our long night began...

Nathalie finally gave in around 2 a.m. after many, many prayers for rest. 2 a.m. makes sense...that would be 7 p.m. Chicago time. We woke up at 7 a.m. to get ready for work...oh yeah, this isn't all fun and no work, huh? Nathalie and I were going in with Greg to visit his colleagues. Hopped on the tram and then metro (Nathalie's first of both) and we were at Aon by 9:15. We visited with Pauline, Ursula, and Claudia for over an hour, and then I figured it was time to let them get some work done. Sadly, I totally blanked on getting a photo. Bummer.

Nathalie and I made it back to the hotel around 11:30 for some lunch. We had picked up some dark brown bread and Gouda cheese...oh, how I've missed these two things!! Nathalie was pretty fussy, so we just played and relaxed and had a mini-photo shoot of her all dolled up. Not sure how I caught that sad face, but it's too funny not to include. Took me 2 hours to get her to fall asleep for a nap, but she finally went down around 2 p.m. - and I went down too.

We slept til 4 p.m. and then I figured that I'd better get us up and moving so we can adjust to Amsterdam time sooner than later. We got all bundled up and headed to Vondel Park for a walk. Just snapped some random shots of the Film Museum, fountains, Vondel statue, etc. Forgot how much I love this park!! And, it was another first for Nathalie...her first whiff of pot. Ugh.

Greg got home around 6:30, and it was raining as we headed back out to grab some dinner. Cleared up in about 5 minutes, and that was the only rain we had the entire trip! That is absolutely unheard of for a week in Amsterdam! Found an Indian restaurant that we had never tried, and again Nathalie decided that she was not interested in dining out. So, we had another tasty meal in our pj's, gave Nathalie a warm bath, talked to Maw Maw and Paw Paw to check in on Ben, and then asleep by 10 p.m. Oh wait, awake at 10:30 p.m. Oh wait, asleep at 11 p.m. And so it went. Truly asleep around midnight.

Greg went to work again on Friday, and Nathalie and I took our time getting ready, having breakfast, and napping. We hopped on tram 10 to the Jordaan for lunch at Cafe Thijssen. I couldn't resist a hot bowl of the world's most amazing tomato soup and crusty brown bread. Nathalie was a trooper, just smiling and happy to be along for the ride. However, I should note that she was boycotting all jar food. I have been making most of her meals back home, and I made sure to try some jar food before we left home. She didn't really eat it, but I figured that she'd come around once there were no alternatives. Nope! She knows what she likes, and food from a jar is not it! Can't blame her. So, I see a lot of bananas and avocados in our near future...

Back to the hotel for a quick stop, and then on to Kirsten's house for a playdate at 2 p.m. Lots of friends and kiddos were able to make it...Kirsten, Mina, Wendi, Madeline, Linda. I was so lucky to be able to visit with such great friends, and it was quite fun having them meet Nathalie. Lots of comments about "so cute", "looks so much like Ben", and "so snuggly". I admit it was a little weird having the youngest child in the room, as Ben was always one of the oldest. Thanks again Kirsten for hosting and letting us stay for the whole afternoon!

Nearby live some of our other friends, the Roys. Greg met me and Nathalie at their home at 6:30 p.m. We ordered pizza, talked, and just enjoyed catching up until almost 11 p.m. Henley, with Michelle's help, gave quite a gymnastics performance, and Nathalie got some snuggles from Amit. I love the last photo of the girls together. Thanks Roy family for a fun night! Although, staying out late meant a setback with the jet lag...not asleep til midnight.

Speaking of jet lag, it finally caught up with us on Saturday morning. We were supposed to meet our friend Steve at Winkel at 9 a.m. I rolled over, looked at the clock...it was 8:37 a.m. and we were all still in bed. Yikes! Greg quickly got ready and rushed off to meet him. Made it to Winkel by 9:15. Luckily, Steve was running late too; he got there around 9:30. Nathalie and I arrived at 9:45. And then it was appelgebak met slagroom (apple pie with whipped cream) time! Oh, how I miss this little slice of heaven! Again, I was feeling quite guilty that all Nathalie could do was watch us eat...poor baby.

I should back up for a minute and share that Steve is the oldest brother of my friend, Betsy. He actually moved to Amsterdam at the end of August as a student on a Fulbright Scholarship. We invited him to share Saturday with us while we strolled around the Jordaan and elsewhere. Of course, after Winkel pie, we took him to the Saturday market for fresh OJ and showing him the yummiest place for produce, fish, etc. We walked the entire length of the market, and noticed a number of "new" places, such as this poffertjes stand below. Also, my nose told me that a homemade stroopwafel tent must have set up shop. Sure enough! Steve was sure he would be back next weekend!

Our next stop was to walk along Brouwersgracht for a glimpse of our old home and a photo opp of our baby girl in front of the place where she was conceived (sorry to weird anyone out, but it's true). We stopped into Hairplay to say hello to Stefanie and then walked along Haarlemmerstraat, our old shopping street. It happened to be Street Market Day, and we bought some juicy aardbien (strawberries) and some water and found a bench back along Brouwersgracht to sit and enjoy and watch all the boats go by. It was an absolutely gorgeous day! We enjoyed lunch - sandwiches from Small World Catering - on the bench as well. As you can see, Nathalie was exhausted from all this eating, walking, and talking. :)

After lunch, we walked along the Prinsengracht toward Spui square. On the way, Steve stopped at a lemonade stand...I think someone is missing his 2 little girls back home. From 3 to 5 p.m. we visited the Amsterdam Historic Museum. A really great museum - way too much to see in just 2 hours.

After the museum, we walked down the Kalverstraat shopping street to Rembrandtplein. It had been under construction when we moved, so we wanted to see the finished product. Statue, fountain, benches - the square looks nice. We relaxed for a bit while Nathalie got the "pat pat", and then hunted for a spot to have dinner. It was such a beautiful day that a lot of the seats outside facing the square were taken, so we actually ventured on to Leidseplein and enjoyed fish and chips at the Irish Pub. At this point, poor Steve had recieved quite an earful about expat life in Amsterdam...all of the places to visit, things to remember, etc. We were just so excited for him and pray that he has much success with his studies so that he has plenty of play time too! And speaking of play time, it was very clear what Nathalie thought about our new friend...she flirted all through dinner. :) We said goodbye, made our way back to the hotel, and called to check in on Ben. I miss that little guy! Bedtime at 11 p.m. Getting better...

Sunday was a full day of enjoying new places and old friends. We made our way to Central Station around 8:30 a.m. for a train to Enkhuizen...Nathalie's first train ride! Enjoyed some Goedemorgen smoothie on the way (miss that stuff!), and arrived around 9:30. We bought our tickets for the Zuiderzee Museum and hopped on the ferry (Nathalie's first boat ride!) that would take us to the entrance. It was a cold morning, but Nathalie put on a brave - and funny - face.

The ferry dropped us off in the nature area of the Zuiderzee Museum, which means Southern Sea. It (the Zuiderzee) actually no longer exists...a long barrier dam was constructed in the early 1900's and the water is now part of the IJsselmeer and the Waddenzee. Many people found this regrettable, as an entire culture of fishing and such was being eliminated. Thus, the idea of the museum to preserve the past, giving people an idea of what it was like to live and work there during the period 1850-1932. In the nature area, three huge limekilns greeted us. We walked along the water's edge until we reached the fishing village with it's small houses and shops. We saw a man giving a demonstration on how to make a jumping rope, twisting the ropes together. The children could make their own, and it made me a bit sad that we never made it here with Ben. I think he would have loved how 'hands-on' it was for the kiddos. Alas...

From there, we walked toward the windmill. It was such a beautiful, blue day. We could smell something yummy, so we kept wandering through until we came upon the fish smokehouse. Hmmm, maybe not so yummy as it was smoked herring. I had already tried herring, so I told Greg it was his turn. He chickened out, so we kept on going. It really did smell fantastic though. We walked by a cute clog boat and approached an area of pasture. There was even what looked like an animal show with goats and sheep. Really, it turned out to be the 'goat bank' - people buying and trading in goats. Hee hee!

We found the 'town canal' - the center of the outdoor museum that was lined with shops. There was a pharmacy, cheese shop, souvenir shop, and a bakery. We did stop for coffee and sweets, and then Nathalie tried on her first pair of clogs. There were also a few little stores - a wood workshop and a paint workshop - where children could make some crafts to take home. A clog boat at the woodshop or a painting at the paint shop. Or at the paint shop, one could "pimp their clog". I was so surprised (and amused) to see this on the sign...if you don't believe me, just see below. I was a bit tempted to go 'pimp a clog' for Ben, but there were other children hard at work, and now it was my turn to 'chicken out'.

In the church district, we learned that in the previous century, the church played an important role in people's lives. The preacher typically had equal status to the lawyer, doctor, and even mayor. Many houses were built around the place of worship, as well as other shops such as the basket-maker, the sail-maker, the hairdresser, and the post office. Even the school was nearby. The church itself was simple, yet stunning. You can't really tell in the photo, but the church was almost glittering in the sunlight. At closer inspection, there were tiny spider webs covering the entire thing! Crazy, but what a way to marvel at how some of God's tiniest (and scariest) creatures can add such beauty. We walked in and out of the buildings and enjoyed the glimpse into Dutch past.

At this point, we had spent almost 3 hours enjoying this museum, but we were getting a bit tired and wanted to rest a little before dinner with friends that evening. So, we said goodbye to this fabulous open-air Zuiderzee museum and made our way back through Enkhuizen to the train station. Wished we'd saved a little energy and time to spend a few more minutes in Enkhuizen...it looked very picturesque on such a gorgeous day. Arrived back in Amsterdam around 2:30 p.m. and had some R&R at the hotel.

We were graciously invited to one of Greg's colleagues homes for dinner that evening. He lives in a canalhouse right on the Amstel river...amazing! Caja and his wife, Elvira, had taken us out for dinner before we moved back home, and so in a way, it was like being with old friends. We arrived around 5 p.m., enjoyed time together, ate some Thai food, and sipped tea. Nathalie was a bit fussy...wouldn't fall asleep and wouldn't eat much. Caja drove us back to the hotel around 9:30. I do have to share that we learned a few interesting things that evening. First, they actually have a home about 20 miles from Amsterdam where they stay most of the time. Their children attend school in Amsterdam and ride their bikes about one hour each way (no matter the weather) to get to school from their village. This is a very common occurence. Not sure I could imagine this happening in the U.S. Second, Caja's opinion on the Dutch team losing in the World Cup is this: the Dutch would have been embarrassed if the team would have won because of how poorly they played. Interesting to hear since they value 'voetbal' so highly...wasn't a 'win it all no matter the cost' kind of attitude. I liked that. Hope we see one another again soon!

Greg went to work on Monday, and Nathalie and I had another busy day planned. We visited for a few hours with a friend, Jen, who, as you can see below, was expecting twins. She gave Nathalie a cute little bear, and we just spent time catching up. Then, Nathalie and I had a lunch date with Kirsten. Ethan was at school, so we stayed until about 3 p.m. enjoying time together. She needed to go get Ethan, and I still wanted to try and do a bit of shopping for the kiddos. Nothing like waiting til the last possible second. :) Took tram 5 to Spui and Nathalie fell asleep on the way. I browsed around the American Book Store for some books, picked up some appelflap for tomorrow's breakfast, and bought some snopjes (candies) for Ben. Nathalie was starting to stir, so we ventured back to the hotel to play and wait for Dada.

Naturally, we had our last meal planned...the Pancake Bakery. And again, I felt horrible that Nathalie dined on baby food from a jar (yuck!) while Greg and I devoured pannenkoeken and poffertjes. Actually, she was pretty fussy and wouldn't eat again. I think someone is ready for home and some real food! We walked along the Prinsengracht (to walk off some pancake calories) and Nathalie fell asleep. So, seeing as we weren't ready to say goodbye to Amsterdam just yet, we found a cafe where we could sit outside and enjoy a glass of wine. Of course, she woke up shortly after we took our first sip, but it was fun to pass her back and forth for snuggles and just soak up the atmosphere. It had been a beautiful warm day, was now a beautiful cool evening, and we had a beautiful trip!! As always, we'll miss you Amsterdam! Back to the hotel around 9 p.m. to pack up and get some rest before our big travel day tomorrow.

Tuesday morning - up at 6 a.m. and in the taxi by 8. It was pouring rain, a perfect day to say goodbye. :) We actually had been surprised that the weather turned out so great while we were there. We checked in quickly, found a spot to enjoy some koffie verkeerd, and Greg even ordered some cheeseburgers from McDonalds through an Easy Order ATM. Hilarious! Boarded our flight at 10:30 a.m. Chicago, here we come!

Oh man, this flight was HARD! I knew it would be more challenging since it was a daytime flight vs. nighttime, but good gravy! It was a very turbulent flight, so we had to be in our seats a lot. Nathalie was bored to tears (literally!) and wanted to get down and play. No luck sweet girl. I nursed her a lot, Daddy did his 'pat pat' move a lot, and we walked as much as we could. I even took her to the bathroom for about 20 minutes so we could look at ourselves in the mirror. I'm sure that wasn't sanitary, but I was desperate! I have never looked at my watch so many times in an 8 hour period, and I have never felt time move more slowly. The last 5 minutes as we were landing, Nathalie screamed her head off. I tried to nurse her, but she wouldn't. UGH!!! Overall, considering that we have royally messed up her body and schedule, I do have to say that she did well. But, those are 8 hours that I'm happy that I don't have to relive! Clearly, this photo is at take off, not landing. ;) We actually landed almost an hour early, praise God!

Made it through customs and got our bags. Nathalie was never so happy to see her stroller! She smiled from ear to ear and her little legs wouldn't stop moving with excitement. Had to go through a special screening for some tulip bulbs that we had bought, but we were in the cab and on our way home by 1:30 p.m. Chicago time. Quickly unpacked and showered, and GreeMa and PeePaw arrived around 3 p.m. with Ben!! We missed him so much!! We played, snuggled with Peanut, ate pizza, and Nathalie was asleep by 5 p.m. It was a rough night, she was up at 2:30 a.m. Greg was wide awake then, so they played for a bit. Both asleep by 3:30, up at 4. I took her this time and we started some laundry and made Daddy's lunch (yes, he was going to work!). She was in bed again by 6 a.m. It's going to be a long day...a long week getting her readjusted. But, it was well worth it!!

Until we meet again Amsterdam...tot ziens!!

New Beginnings...Again!

2009-11-03T19:02:00.001-08:00

Although this is The End to our Zamsterdam blog, it felt fitting to title this entry "New Beginnings". That is what the very first entry was also called, and in a way, even though we have moved back to a familiar place, it does feel very much like a 'new beginning' of sorts. We are getting reacquainted with our American way of life - for instance, grocery shopping just once a week and using a car to get there...crazy stuff!! And, with another little family member on the way, our lives will be changing quite dramatically very soon. Speaking of which, here is me and Tulip at week 29.

The movers finally arrived on October 29th with our air shipment. They were supposed to have been here about 5 days prior, but things got delayed. Again with feeling nostalgic, I started this blog with moving pictures, so I thought I'd better end with moving pictures too. :) Now comes the process of finding a home for everything!

In summary, it is with very mixed emotions that we settle back into our life in the States. Although it wasn't always easy living in Amsterdam, we had come to fondly call Brouwersgracht and the city of Amsterdam "home". After all, Amsterdam is where Ben sprouted his last 4 teeth, learned to jump, developed a deep love of pancakes, and made his first real friends. It is where Greg took a huge risk in saying yes to move his family and work in a foreign country and found his passion for a good cappuccino. And, it is where I grew more than I thought possible, becoming very brave and very humble. I have relied more on God this last year and a half than almost ever before - for friendship when days were hard and lonely, and for provision, understanding, and wisdom. He has shown himself to be with us in the big and small things, always.

Not only have we grown, but all three of us are permanently changed people for having been on this grand adventure. We learned in a very small way what it felt like to be a 'minority', and yet we came to appreciate and admire the different people and different cultures that we experienced. We learned to love the buzz of big city living and the beauty of European landscape, history, and architecture. We discovered the joys and hardships of traveling with a toddler. We became bold to make new friends that eventually would become our new 'family away from family'. We learned to live with little - in a small space with no freezer and no car. We know what it means to relax and enjoy sunny days, as they aren't as frequent as you might hope and you don't know what the Amsterdam skies have in store for the next day - or sometimes, even the next hour!

And yet with all that we experienced these last 18 months, we are thrilled to be back in our “first” home in Streamwood, especially with Tulip’s impending arrival in just a few short months. We feel blessed to be reconnecting with family, friends, and our American way of life – especially in time for the holiday season. In fact, Ben has already enjoyed a trip to the pumpkin patch and an apple donut...ahhh, it's good to be back!A few questions have been on my mind lately…knowing that these may be the ones that you would think to ask us. What will you miss most about Amsterdam? What are you looking forward to in the States? How are you adjusting? What was your #1 favorite thing about this experience? Well, after much thought and some fun chatter, Greg and I came up with these parting thoughts. Enjoy!

Our Will Miss/Won't Miss List:
*Will miss little cookies and treats being served with my koffie verkeerd (coffee wrong - a.k.a. latte)
*Won’t miss that water (at a restaurant/café) is so expensive and tap water is hardly ever an option

*Will miss pannenkoeken and poffertjes
*Won’t miss herring

*Will miss city living – the convenience and constant buzz of city life
*Won’t miss apartment living – the noises of others and the worry that comes with our son making noises at 3 a.m.

*Won’t miss having a ‘small-ish’ apartment for a 2 year old to run around in
*Will miss the time it takes to clean ‘small-ish’ apartment vs. our 4 bedroom home

*Will miss that shopping is so close, just a walk around the corner!
*Won’t miss that shopping is so expensive

*Won’t miss not having a freezer
*Will miss only having to plan meals a day or two in advance - after all, can't store any more food than that in a 'dorm fridge'

*Will miss Stefanie, our hairstylist and friend - her scalp massages are amazing!
*Won't miss the cost of a European haircut - yikes!

*Will miss walking everywhere and public transportation (being able to truly appreciate the beauty of the city, great for the thighs and transport is clean and cheap)
*Won’t miss walking everywhere and public transportation (takes 45 minutes to get to friend’s house just 3 miles away…using 3 modes of transport - feet, bus, and tram)

*Will miss the sweet Dutch folk who help with Ben’s stroller on public transportation, help translate metro announcements, and give Ben treats and goodies
*Won’t miss the Dutch folk who refuse to make room for Ben's stroller on public transport or who gave Mommy a verbal scolding or disapproving glance for Ben not wearing his mittens during the winter. Give me a break...it's called picking your battles!

Now, here are some thoughts on things we would have done differently:

1. Become a "regular" somewhere. Kind of like how Sean at Small World Catering was getting to know me with our Sunday sandwich outing. It makes you feel more at home in a strange place to be somewhere that "everybody knows your name". Norm!

2. Find a person that we trust to babysit. Greg and I found ourselves enjoying some evenings out in the city way too late in the game. Ben loved having the babysitter, and I think it was good for him too. And, being a foodie, I left way too many Amsterdam restaurants on my "wish I could have eaten there" list. :(

Our favorite things:

1. per Stephanie: It's hard to pick one favorite thing about this whole experience, so I have two. Being a stay-at-home mom was what I wanted to do once Benjamin was born, and so I felt like God was answering that prayer by giving us this opportunity. I loved being at home with him in Amsterdam and will love and am so thankful for the opportunity to now stay home with him (and Tulip) in Streamwood too! My other fave thing was all of the travel that we did. It is so easy to travel in Europe, and I really feel like we made the most of our time when it comes to seeing new places and exposing our little man to new things. 60 cities in 13 countries in 18 months. Unbelievable!!

2. per Greg: Greg also had two things that stand out for him. He also loved the travel, being exposed to other cultures and learning more about European history and then getting to see it firsthand. Greg also is just proud of himself and us for not just surviving these months, but really LIVING them. We learned, tasted, saw, and experienced this time to the fullest - and there are no regrets!

3. per Ben: poffertjes and friends!!!

We've only been back for a few weeks now, but here are some things that have changed since we left 18 months ago:

1. Ben lost his love of deep-dish pizza. This is quite serious for anyone who lives in a 60 mile radius of Chicago, so we will work on recovering this pronto.

2. We passed a school bus in the car the other day, and Ben points and says, "orange truck". Um, obviously we didn't see any school buses in Amsterdam, so he's a bit confused...

3. I am loving my big American kitchen and the access to ingredients that I am used to. Not that I didn't adjust in Amsterdam, but the family is glad that we have an oven large enough to fit a cookie sheet...which means homemade cookies are back!

4. We are not loving Greg's long commute. We got so used to having him home for breakfast, and most evenings for dinner. There are days he wouldn't leave home in the morning until almost 8:30 a.m.! Now, he catches a train to downtown Chicago before 6 a.m. - yikes, what a difference! But, he is home every night for dinner, and we love that time together. (Not to mention that stay-at-home mommy is glad for some reinforcements at the end of the day.)

Lastly, I just want to thank Jeff again for suggesting that we keep this blog. It was a great way for us to share stories, photos, and our experience with family and friends back in the States. And, it will be something that we can share with Benjamin as he gets older to show him all of the amazing things he did before the age of 3! (Sadly, I also see him rubbing his little sibling's nose in it too...hee hee!!) Hope you all enjoyed reading and experiencing Amsterdam with us!

One final time...tot ziens!!

October 15th!

2009-10-28T12:10:00.009-07:00

October 15th has arrived. We woke up early to get ready, finish packing, give one last 'clean-up' to the apartment, and say goodbye to our home of 18 months. The taxi arrived a little before 8 a.m. to load our things and take us to Schipol. As we pulled away from Brouwersgracht, I started crying. I think we have been so busy with all the "to do" items that we haven't had a lot of time to just sit and think about what leaving Amsterdam means and what returning to our lives in the Midwest will mean. We have so many memories and grand adventures tied into this place, not to mention having watched our little boy turn into a big boy and creating another little life that will be here soon. It wasn't always easy, but after 18 months, we did truly feel like we were at home here. We'll miss you Brouwersgracht!!

We arrived at Schipol and got all checked in without any problems. (No need for my "fit to fly" note.) :) Boarded the plane around 10:30 a.m., didn't take off until 11:30 - about 30 minutes behind schedule. We ate, read books, and Ben napped for 3 hours...yay! We landed at 8 p.m. - 1 p.m. central time. I guess we can officially reset our minds to central time zone. :) Took a while to get the stroller and get through customs, but GreeMa and PeePaw met us with balloons as we walked into the arrivals hall. Wow, we are home!

Speaking of home, I thought I'd wrap up this entry by reminding folks of our IL home. Although it was a bit crazy at times to be managing a home from far away (and a HUGE thanks to all of the family that pitched in to help over the last year and a half), it was so nice to have a home to come home to...especially with a toddler and baby on the way. Don't get me wrong, we have a ton of stuff to do, but it feels good to be in a place that's familiar. And, Ben is quite pleased to learn that we have a cat, we missed you Peanut! Although, I am certain that Peanut does not feel the same affection toward this cat-chaser. :) Oh well, just one of the many adjustments we have ahead of us...

A long day and we're exhausted, but we are safely back home in the States and all our bags arrived too. We will be writing one last blog entry to sum things up, once we get past the jet lag and our heads are clear again...stay tuned.

A Last Full Day of Amsterdam Faves

2009-10-28T12:10:00.007-07:00

Tuesday, October 13th, was spent packing and finishing up laundry. Side note - I will not miss our tiny Amsterdam washer and dryer. We had Small World sandwiches for lunch, then met Cindy at Town Hall (near the Opera House) to de-register. Didn't take long at all. Home for naptime, packing, and dinner. Cindy came to our home around 7 p.m. to help fill out paperwork to cancel our utilities. Roseanne arrived at 7:30 for a final and very informal "apartment checkout". Basically, she walked around and said, "looks good"! Wow, can't believe how much we will miss this place! It's been a great apartment - perfect for our needs and great location! We were blessed.

Our very last full day in Amsterdam on the 14th was a crisp autumn day and was spent enjoying some of our favorite things...

Winkel appelgebak. Warm apple pie with real whipped cream for breakfast. Need I say more?

Ben's playground. This little playground was literally right around the corner from our apartment. Nearly every time we visited, it was always just me and Ben getting to slide, swing, and jump. Because of that, I really think Ben thought this was HIS playground. Lots of giggles and good times had here...

Greg had made a quick trip to work while we were at the playground. His colleagues had gifts for him - actually for the whole family. Dutch birthday calendar and stroops for Greg, Dutch cookbook for me, Dutch puzzle for Ben, and Dutch snuggle blanket for Tulip. So incredibly sweet!! Back to our favorite things...

Walking along Brouwersgracht and lunch at Cafe Thijssen. Who knew we would have ended up living on one of the prettiest canals in the whole city? And, on a canal that had a cafe that served the best tomato soup ever! What luck!

Walking along the Prinsengracht in the Jordaan. I'm a broken record here, but we can't get over the beauty of this city and how much we loved living in the Jordaan. We came upon the Tulip Museum, which I had never been in. A quick peek inside, and then more strolling past the Anne Frank House and Westerkerk. I told Greg that he should go climb the tower, as this was something that he had not yet done. So, Ben and I walked home for naptime while Greg climbed the tower.

Views of amazing Amsterdam from above. You know my love of seeing a city from above, and Greg had a beautiful day to really soak in this great city and it's unique architecture.

Corner of Brouwersgracht and Prinsengracht. This came to be a special spot for us. On one side is Cafe Tabac, the cafe that we visited 18 months ago during our apartment hunting trip. After a second day of seeing apartments, we were feeling very overwhelmed and confused. We came back to this area to walk around and see if we liked it enough to choose Brouwersgracht 230E. We stopped in this cafe for some coffee and to just rest and talk...and the rest is history! The other photo is near the top of the list when it comes to our favorite views of the city. The canals coming together, the bridge, the canalhouses - all right down the street from our home. We even found an etching of this location that will hang in our home back in the States to remind us of our "second home".

Views of Amsterdam from the canals. There is probably no better way to see Amsterdam than from a canal boat. Greg had the idea that we should take one last cruise around the city, now that we know it so well. After Ben's nap, we hopped on a boat and cruised around - seeing sights that were so foreign to us 18 months ago, but now many of these places hold memories of time with family and friends. Funny side note, we finally saw De Poezenboot (The Cat Boat), home to more than 100 stray cats. Too bad it was gesloten. :(

Pannekoeken and poffertjes. Of course we would spend our last meal at The Pancake Bakery. We were so hungry that I didn't remember to snap a photo until there was one last, lonely poffertje on the plate. Seems a pretty fitting testament to our love of Dutch pancakes!

Well, that was just a few of our favorite Amsterdam things, but a pretty great way to spend a last day in our adopted city. We were home around 8 p.m. to finish packing and get some rest before our travels tomorrow. It is so hard to believe that our time in Amsterdam has come to an end already.

Saying Goodbye to Work and Play

2009-10-28T12:10:00.005-07:00

Wow, can it really be our last Monday in Amsterdam? It feels like we just got here!

On Monday, October 12th, we traveled with Greg to Aon to see his office and say goodbye to his colleagues. We had always talked about going to his office to have lunch with Daddy, but it had just never happened. He had a big corner office, with wonderful views of the outdoors and IKEA. :) We are absolutely forever in debt to his colleagues, especially Pauline, who were so helpful with all things "Dutch". They translated bills, shared ideas on where to travel, and made us feel very at home. Not to mention that they are all hard workers and good friends that Greg enjoyed being with at the office every day. From left to right...Victor, Ursula, Greg, and Pauline. As Greg was walking us out, I couldn't help get a photo of him with the office coffee machine. European office coffee machines actually provide quality coffee, not like most American office coffee, and this is where my hubby developed his addiction. I love it!!

From Aon, Ben and I went to have one last playdate with our pals Kirsten and Ethan at their home. Ben loved Miss Kirsten and loved playing with Ethan and his cool toys - trains, balls, and 64 pack of Crayolas. So many pinks to choose from! It was almost physically impossible to get our two active guys to sit still for a photo, so the best I could do was a quick snap while they happened to be laying on the floor near one another. It was so, so hard saying goodbye to our dear friends. Couldn't have done 18 months in Amsterdam without them!!

So Long to Weekends in the City

2009-10-28T12:10:00.003-07:00

Our last weekend in Amsterdam, sniff sniff. Here goes...

Saturday morning was market morning. This will be one of the things that we miss most about Amsterdam - and specifically, about our neighborhood. We were so "blind" when hunting for our apartment 18 months ago, but God really guided us to the perfect spot. Although we were a bit far from friends we met who lived in Oud Zuid, we would not have traded living in the city center for anything. Being so close to two amazing Saturday markets was fun - and delicious!! Here's Ben enjoying fresh squeezed OJ (with a PINK straw, naturally). We shopped the produce and fish stands, which we did every week. No, we never ate the squid. Ewwww. We bought flowers for ourselves and for Ben's Sunday school teacher for the next day. I am going to be in serious flower withdrawal once we move. We shopped a bit more - bread, chocolate-covered peanuts, dried fruit - before heading home with our goodies.

As we walked to tram 10 to head to Leidseplein, I had to snap a photo of tram 3 Nieuwe Willemstraat stop by our home. We saw a lot of this tram stop; it took us to Vondelpark, countless Moms and Tots playdates, and Museumplein. I really believe that by the time we got bikes, I was already so used to the tram system that I didn't feel like I "needed" the bike. I learned a lot of Dutch pronunciation on the public transportation system, and I got to practice a bit of Dutch too. :)

We went to Leidseplein in search of an oranje Dutch voetbal jersey for Greg. Here's a photo of the Stadsschouwburg in Leidseplein square. This theatre stages plays by local and international companies. Also interesting is that whenever the Ajax football (soccer) club wins an important competition, the players gather on the theatre's balcony to greet their fans. Ben wasn't too interested in shopping, so he and I walked nearby to Vondel Park. Daddy joined us for playtime after finding his jersey, and we spent a while just soaking in the sun and enjoying this great park. Ben had a major full-blown tantrum when it was time to go. I can't blame him really...I don't want to leave either. :)

Next, we hopped on the tram to the Albert Cuyper market. Greg had never been, and I just felt like it was something that he needed to see before we moved. On our walk from the tram stop to the market, there was an olieballen stand!! Usually, these pop up closer to Sinterklaas time, but what luck!! It was unanimous that we needed to indulge in one last sugary donut ball. Yum! Then, on to the market. So many people! It's amazing all of the things you can find here...clothes, shoes, flowers, cheese, baby strollers, jewelry, guy making homemade stroopwafels (only one in the city), bikes, and of course, fries with mayo!! I have a feeling I'll be working off a lot of "Dutch" pregnancy weight come January...

After the market, we walked down the 'antiques' street, Spiegelgracht, looking for an old jenever bottle for Greg. Jenever is Dutch gin, and the country's most popular spirit. Greg, not really being a big drinker, just thought the old brown bottles were cool. During our hunt, Ben was sleeping, so we stopped off for a latte in the cool air. Cute little cafe, and here is Greg showing us that he has truly become a coffee man. God bless Europe!! He was also trying to make a sad face (in reference to our last Saturday)...it came out as kind of a sad smirk or a 'this coffee tastes gross' look (even though it didn't). Silly. No luck on the bottle, but some pretty canal sights anyways.

As we walked home, we walked by De Krijtberg (The Chalk Mountain) church near the Spui square. Pretty sure I've snapped an exterior photo before, but we'd never gone inside. Well, if not today, then when? ;) So glad we decided to stop...a beautiful Catholic church that was consecrated in 1883 and dedicated to St. Francis Xavier.

For Saturday night dinner, we enjoyed some of our market faves...lekkerbek (amazingly delicious fried fish), spruitjes (mini brussel sprouts), and aardbeien (Holland strawberries).

On Sunday, we went to church as usual. But, I brought along my camera to get photos. On our way to Central Station, they were already starting to decorate for the Sinterklaas/Christmas season. Once we got to the bus stop, we realized we had forgotten the flowers we bought for Miss Sandra. Ugh! Greg ran into Central Station and found another pretty bouquet and snapped this 'pedestrians walking' sign that had clearly been altered by some fine artist. :)

Here is Crossroads Church, services held in Amstelveen College. Although we missed our church in the States, there was a real intimacy here that was refreshing. We enjoyed Gerard Kelly's teachings and the Dutch/English worship time. Most of all, we will miss Miss Sandra, Ben's Sunday school teacher. Ben adores her, and we even made up a whole song about riding the bus to see Miss Sandra at church! I will miss her too, as I have helped out a lot in his class. She is a fabulous woman who loves God and loves 2 year olds. Ben learned so much from her...mostly lots of Bible songs that he loves for me to sing. Thank you Miss Sandra!

I also want to share a new tradition that we started way too late into our Amsterdam stay. There is a fabulous little deli/cafe called Small World Catering about 100 steps from our front door. I walked by it nearly every day on my way to shop or catch the bus. We had been in for their well-known carrot cake and other baked goodies before. But, they have a delicious sandwich board that we had always said we should try sometime. Well, in the last month, on our way home from church on Sundays, we stop in and get two sandwiches to go. Then, we split them in half and share. Oh my goodness!! These are some of the most amazing sandwiches I've ever eaten. The ingredients are homemade and fresh, and the focaccia bread is out of this world! We were determined to conquer the board as best we could in our last few weeks, and here is a photo of one wonderful Sunday lunch!

On Sunday afternoon, Greg braved the rain for one last hunt for a jenever bottle. No luck, so he stopped into the VOC cafe in the Schreisertoren for some coffee to warm up before coming home. He noticed some jenever bottles behind the bar and asked about buying one. It wasn't 'antique', but for 18 euro he came home with a jenever bottle containing half a bottle's worth of jenever. He tasted a bit of it too...decided it wasn't for him. Yay, mission accomplished!

I couldn't help ending this blog with a photo of flowers! These are the flowers that were originally meant for Miss Sandra. I have to say though that I am glad we got to enjoy them for our last few days in Amsterdam - even if we did have to use a teapot as a vase since all ours were on their way to Illinois. ;)

Last Full Week in the Dam

2009-10-28T12:10:00.001-07:00

On Monday, October 5th, Ben and I were treated to a "last playdate" at Kirsten's house. Everyone that was invited came, which meant there were 11 adults and 13 kids. Wow, I was so touched, and Kirsten was so great for hosting such chaos in her home. Ben and I were 'presented' with a beautiful Delft plate and a photobook of our friends and adventures in Amsterdam...two gifts that we will treasure forever. Sadly, we didn't get ANY photos from the big party. There was so much going on that I don't think I even remembered I had my camera until friends were walking out the door. :(

On Tuesday, I spent most of the day packing the apartment. Wow, didn't realize a 2 bedroom apartment could hold so much stuff! :) At 6:30 p.m., babysitter Maria arrived soaking wet from her bike ride in the pouring rain...poor thing! She watched Ben while Greg and I enjoyed an unbelievable dinner around the block with Greg's colleague, Caja, and his wife, Elvira. They wanted to treat us to dinner before leaving Amsterdam. Very thoughtful! We dined at Bordewijk, a French restaurant that is considered one of the best in the city. And boy, was it amazing! A "fancy" experience, yet completely unpretentious. We were still enjoying ourselves and our desserts at 10 p.m. when I phoned Maria to see if she was ok with us staying out a bit later. She said Ben had gone to bed without any trouble, so she was just relaxing on the couch. We got home at 11 p.m. from a truly great evening - wonderful company and wonderful food. We should have been doing this 'babysitter thing' months ago! :) (Night photo is hard to see, so we took a day photo too. Wouldn't really know this is such a fabulous and famous restaurant based on the outside appearance, huh?)

Wednesday was more packing. That night, I had another great evening out - this time with my AWCA gals at Rose's Cantina...mexican food, yummy! It was a small group, but they did a great job of drinking my margaritas for me! We talked a lot about expat life, an experience that is truly understood by those living it. It was very hard to say goodbye at the end of the night; these women have become so special to me and my family. I will be forever thankful that God led me to such a great group of friends.

Thursday, October 8th - the big day had arrived. MOVING DAY! We had things in pretty good order for the movers to just throw stuff in boxes or wrap it up. We had to be strategic and pack suitcases at the same time...had to make sure everything was either being shipped or that we had room to bring it with us on the plane. You can see the before and after...the apartment looks so empty now! Thank heavens Ben is used to sleeping wherever; poor guy will be in his pack-n-play for the next week!

Friday the 9th was my last midwife appointment with Lotte. (Photo is of the office building. No, none of those bikes out front are mine - I never rode mine...pathetic.) The baby and I were in good health - my blood pressure was good, and the baby's heartbeat and growth were fine as well. I made sure to get a "fit to fly" note from her to take with us, just in case. (United policy says that you only need this note in your 9th month of pregnancy, but I didn't really want to be turned away at check-in if they didn't believe I was only 28 weeks.) Also got a copy of all my records for my doctor in the States - all in Dutch, of course. After dinner that night, we went for a walk around the city. It was chilly (Ben's showing you that it's hat season already!), but beautiful.

Is it really true that our last weekend in Amsterdam is upon us??? Better make the most of it...

Brother & Beer!

2009-10-04T13:17:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday, September 29th, Jon and Kristin arrived! (Jon = Greg's brother, Kristin = Jon's girlfriend). Greg had been hounding Jon to visit since we moved to Amsterdam, and with a little over 2 weeks until we move back to the U.S., he finally made it! Timing didn't matter for us, we were thrilled to have them come and to have one last set of visitors to share our beloved city with. It was a rainy evening when Greg met them at Central Station, so they got a taste of Amsterdam weather right away. :) Ben was in love with Kristin and her long blonde hair in no time. We stayed up late chatting and hearing all about their previous 3 days in Paris.

The next morning, Greg and I quietly celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary while our guests were snoozing. A pair of cufflinks for him, and a watch from Zurich for me. Greg had been sneaky and planned ahead on his last work trip to Switzerland. :) Jon and Kristin spent the day seeing the sights - Anne Frank House, Van Gogh Museum. They enjoyed dinner out that evening in the Jordaan, and we spent another late night catching up.

On Thursday, October 1st, Greg was at work (poor guy) while the rest of us enjoyed lunch at the Pancake Bakery. Jon and Kristin loved their pannekoeken and poffertjes - big fans of the savory pancake. Ben and I came home for naptime, while Jon and Kristin explored. Halfway up Westerkerk tower (nerves kicked in with the narrow, steep steps so they didn't make it to the top), shopping in the 9 Streets, canal cruise, and tomato soup at Cafe Thijssen. In my opinion, I'd say that was a great Amsterdam day! They were home by 6:30 p.m. - in time to babysit the nephew. :)

Jon and Kristin were very sweet to offer to babysit Ben that evening so Greg and I could celebrate our anniversary with a dinner out in the city. We helped with bathtime before we left and gave a quick diaper lesson. :) The walk to the restaurant was great - the air was crisp and the canals were beautiful with the lights and their reflections.

We enjoyed dinner at Brasserie de Poort. Brasserie de Poort is located in the building across from the Royal Palace where Heineken began brewing in the 1860's. It is known for its steaks and "typical Dutch" fare, especially the Dutch pea soup. We considered ordering steak, but then agreed that we could get steak in the States. So, we went "typical Dutch" and ordered the pea soup and Captains Dinner, which was a sampling of three Dutch meals - "meat and potatoes" kinds of things. We were beyond stuffed by the time we rolled out of there - we didn't even have room for dessert if you can imagine that!! (So sad!) Got home, and Jon shared that Ben had a poopy diaper about 5 minutes after we left - hee hee! Good thing we gave that lesson, huh?! :)

Friday, October 2nd was breakfast pie at Winkel. Delicious! The weather has turned cool and rainy already, and it is dark in the morning until about 7:15. Jon and Kristin (and their umbrellas) spent the day in Dam Square, Red Light District, and just shopping and walking around the city. Greg met them after work at the Heineken Experience around 5:30 p.m. I was at home watching Chicago lose their efforts to host the 2016 Olympics...boo hoo. I had already envisioned taking the kiddos to events. I guess we'll just have to go to Rio instead. ;) After the brewery tour, Ben and I joined the crew for a "last" dinner at - where else? - Pancake Bakery. They were hooked!

Jon and Kristin had to say goodbye on Saturday the 3rd. They were headed to Brussels for a day before flying back to Chicago on Sunday. Sad to see them go, but we loved having them visit and spending time together. And, it won't be long now before Ben can compete for Kristin's affections in Chicago. :) We spent the rest of the morning working on packing up the apartment. :(

That evening, we traveled to Amit and Michelle's house. "Miss Charel" watched Henley and Ben while the four adults went to the Heineken Experience. Yes, this is twice in two days for Greg. :) The 'experience' takes place inside the former Heineken brewing facilities dating from 1867. Before the brewery stopped functioning in 1988, it produced more than 26 million gallons annually. Wow, that's a lot of beer. It stopped producing beer in this factory because it was unable to keep up with demand, but now visitors can learn about the brewing process, marketing process, and of course, drink beer!

Cute little photo op before we began our tour.

Coasters through the ages, and there was a room showing all of the awards and honors that Heineken has won.

Brewing process...ingredients and huge copper fermentation tanks. Amit enjoying some "barley water", and I admit to snapping some random photos of the building itself because it was beautiful. (Maybe I was the only one who noticed...you know, being pregnant and sober.) :)

Gorgeous (but stinky) Heineken horses and Brew You Ride. Was hilarious! You stand on a moving platform facing a video screen and get to see and feel what it's like to be a Heineken beer brewed and bottled.

Greg enjoying his first free sample in the tasting bar. A friendly bartender explained what to look for and taste in a good beer. I have to admit, although I didn't get a taste, I did learn something new today! (Did you know that the foam is on the beer to keep it tasting fresh, not to rip you off by giving you less beer? Who knew?! And, have you ever noticed that the E's in the word Heineken "smile" at you? Cute!)

Beer bottling process. We could even order bottles with our names on them! We did get a few for others as gifts, and then got one for ourselves...Zamsterdam's Heine as a tribute to our blog!

Watching Heineken commercials from years past. Pretty funny stuff!

Last, but not least, enjoying a Heineken with friends! It was packed in there; some people were clearly drinking more than their 2 free glasses. :) We stayed for a bit, made a rocking Dutch video, and then headed for the Roy's house. Ordered some Thai food and ate and talked. Didn't get home until 10 p.m.; we were all exhausted from such a fun day!

Rembrandtplein, Rembrandthuis, Rembrandt McDonald's??

2009-10-04T13:16:00.000-07:00

Saturday, September 26th started as most Amsterdam Saturdays do. Eggs, poffertjes, and fruit for breakfast. Then, Greg made a trip to the market for produce, fish, and flowers - all the flowers in the photo below for 5 euro!! Happy early anniversary to me! It was a gorgeous day, and we had some Amsterdam sights to see...as we have less than 3 weeks left in this amazing city! First, here is an update on Tulip and my growing belly at week 24. I'm feeling good, have gained 16 pounds so far, and feel Tulip moving around - especially at night. Are you going to be a night owl like your Momma? :)

Around 11 a.m., we took the tram to Muntplein to see the Munttoren (Mint Tower). Correction, we have seen the Munttoren tons of times, but this time, we stopped for a photo. In 1487, the tower's base was part of the Reguliers Gate in the city wall. In 1620, it was topped with an ornate, lead-covered tower with carillon bells. The tower got its present name in 1672, when it housed the city mint. Nearby was an "Elephant on Parade" - one of 100 full size art elephants on the streets of Amsterdam these days. During the months of September and October, these elephants will be shown to raise attention and money for the Asian elephant that is threatened with extinction. Greg and I loved this one below, with an old Amsterdam map painted on. Ben loved calling him "Lumpy", the elephant from Winnie the Pooh, and kept screaming that he wanted to touch Lumpy. I can only imagine how amused and confused fellow by-standers were...

From the Munttoren, we walked to Rembrandtplein. (Formerly called the Botermarkt, because the butter market was held here until the mid 19th century. Renamed when statue of Rembrandt was erected in 1876.) We have visited this square many, many times since we've lived in Amsterdam. There are great street artists that sell their work here, as well as cafes and restaurants lining the square. Well, wouldn't you know that the day we intentionally bring the camera for photos would be the day that we discover the entire square has been dug up and fenced off? Seriously??!! But, I love that Amsterdam-ers will lock their bikes onto anything...see fence.

Kept on walking to Blauwbrug (Blue Bridge). This bridge crosses the Amstel at Waterlooplein (with Opera House in the background) and actually looks gray - except for the blue lanterns that were recently restored. The present bridge is made of stone and was built in preparation for the World Exhibition in 1883.

A short walk down the Amstel River is the Magere Brug (Skinny Bridge). Of Amsterdam's 1,400 or so bridges, this bridge is the city's most well-known. The original drawbridge was constructed in 1670; the present one was put up in 1969. Legend says that the bridge was built to make it easier for the two wealthy Mager sisters, who lived on opposite banks of the river, to visit each other.

We stopped to enjoy our lunch on a bench near the Amstel, and then hoped for our little guy to nap so we could visit the Rembrandt House Museum. So, at 12:30 p.m., we walked past the Opera House, through Waterlooplein to Museum Het Rembrandthuis. Ben was not the least bit sleepy at this point, so we decided to keep on walking and seeing. Passed by the Zuiderkerk (South Church), the city's first Protestant Church, designed by Hendrick de Keyser and built between 1603 and 1614. In recent years, it has succumbed to a shortage of worshippers and today houses a permanent exhibit on modern urban planning. We peeked inside - for a photo op and for a potty break. :)

Killed some time in the Waag square and saw this marching band playing tunes. Normally in the States, marching bands have funny hats. But, in the Netherlands, apparently they have funny shoes instead. :) Check out those clogs! Needless to say, the great tunes were not putting Ben to sleep, so we kept on...

...to Sint Nicolaaskerk (St. Nicholas's Church) near Central Station. We had stopped here for a visit once before, but it was not open at that time. Today, we were in luck and Greg and I took turns appreciating this 1887 Catholic church. It was originally the harbor church - primarily for seamen, as St. Nicholas is the patron saint of seafarers. The church was a bit dark on the inside, but has recently been brightened by the replacement of stained-glass windows in the dome. I actually thought it was quite beautiful with all the dark wood, windows, and wall paintings.

Ben seemed to be fading a bit by now, so we made our way back to the Rembrandt House Museum. He fell asleep on the way, around 1:45 p.m. - yay! Rembrandt van Rijn bought this house in 1639 when he was Amsterdam's most fashionable portrait painter. He lived in the ground-floor rooms with his wife, Saskia, who died here in 1642, leaving the artist with a baby son, Titus. Many of Rembrandt's most famous paintings were created in the first floor studio, and he had a room with a printing press for etchings and drawings. He worked and taught in this house until 1658, when due to his extravagant lifestyle, the artist was bankrupt and moved to a plain house on Rozengracht, where he lived until his death in 1669. The rooms have been furnished with 17th century objects and furniture that, as closely as possible, match the descriptions in Rembrandt's petition for bankruptcy. Greg and I really enjoyed our visit here. The home and all of it's pieces were amazing, and it was interesting to learn more about the life of this famous Dutch artist. Most interesting was his collection room; he collected seashells, exotic weapons, and busts of Roman emperors - just to name a few. And, his art books were his most prized possession. He kept over 8,000 drawings and prints by famous artists in these albums. Wow!

kitchen

beautiful cabinet

elegant room where Rembrandt entertained clients who would look at his art displayed on the walls

studio with printing press and some of his famous etchings/drawings

collection room

studio, largest room in the house

On the way home, we thought we'd stop at a cafe and enjoy a coffee to top off this fabulous day. No joke, every single cafe that we walked past was packed! Apparently, everyone had the same idea to sit outside and enjoy this autumn day. So, we ended up walking towards home, stopped off at Winkel for some appelgebak-to-go, and then ate dinner, ate pie, and fell into bed!

On Sunday the 27th, it was another 'clear blue sky' day. Church in the morning, quick nap, and then off to Amelie's 2nd birthday party at McDonald's near Rembrandtplein. (Quite a Rembrandt weekend, huh?) Snapped some photos of Central Station while we waited for our tram to head to the party.

And, who knew how spectacular the view from the McDonald's party room was? Here is the Munttoren and the Bloemenmarkt (flower market) on the Singel canal. And of course, here is the beautiful birthday girl, Amelie, and a rare photo of Ben sitting still even though not strapped in. I think he made it through 1 chicken nugget and 3 french fries before deciding that it was way more fun to chase balloons than to eat. At what age do we "get old" and decide that eating and sleeping are more fun than chasing balloons?

We wrapped up this weekend with our little fish floating in the tub. It was pretty funny. He was very serious at first; I think he was getting used to how it felt to have the water in his ears. Then, he couldn't stop laughing!! Love this kid!!

BeNeLux...At Last, a Trip to Lux

2009-09-22T07:51:00.003-07:00

We took a long weekend from Friday, September 18th through Monday, September 21st to enjoy our last travel experience outside the Netherlands...sniff, sniff. Where has the time gone? But, we definitely made the most of it and enjoyed our road trip to Luxembourg. And now, our BeNeLux travels are complete! (Be for Belgium, Ne for Netherlands, Lux for Luxembourg.)

Greg left home around 7:20 a.m. on the 18th to pick up our rental car. This was new for us already; normally we are on a train schedule. But, since Luxembourg is so close, we thought we'd be adventurous and travel a bit more on "our" schedule for once. Greg got home with the car around 8:30, and we were packed up and on our way around 8:45 - with borrowed GPS (HUGE thanks to the Kincaids!!). Luxembourg, here we come!!

Well, not so fast. We had barely made it down the street when we noticed the car stalling a bit and smoking. That's never good! We pulled over and called the rental place. They sent a repair man who had to come from Schipol airport. Oh brother! He finally arrived at 9:45, took one look under the hood, and said, "I'm not even going to try". In his defense, it was one of those "push the button" diesel fuel cars, so I can't really blame him, but couldn't we have figured this out an hour ago? So, we loaded suitcases, groceries, stroller, car seat, Ben, and more into the repair van, and he kindly drove us to the rental shop to get a replacement car. Finally, at 10:30 a.m., we were finally - really - on our way to Luxembourg. (Really, could I make these stories up? I swear, the blog just writes itself!!)

Greg really enjoyed driving our new blue beauty, and we were already super grateful for the GPS. Ben loved jamming to his music, and we saw lots of cows and corn on the way (could have been in the Midwest, huh?). We stopped around 12:30 for potty break, lunch, and stretching our legs. There was a lot of traffic, so we were not making great time, but it was fun to be on an "international" road trip. We drove through picturesque Liege in Belgium, and then on into Luxembourg to Luxembourg City. Only a couple of wrong turns along the way, and we arrived in Lux City around 4:30 p.m. We checked into our teeny tiny hotel room and then made our way into the city for the sights and dinner! (And, speaking of hotel room, anyone else find the last photo in this section funny? Why would they provide an ashtray with a no-smoking sign in it? Weird!)

From our hotel, we walked across the Viaduc bridge towards the city center. Crossing the bridge was so beautiful with all the trees that were just starting to change colors for fall. We wondered what the magnificent tower was off in the distance...perhaps a castle? We walked by the Notre Dame Cathedral (more on that later) and into the Place de la Constitution square. In the center of the square is the Gelle Fra monument, which commemorates those who volunteered for service in the armed forces of the Allies in World War I. By now, our little man was quite grumpy, probably hungry. So, we found the Place d'Armes square with lots of cafes and restaurants. We started walking around to consider our options, and Ben was in such a foul mood that we settled on McDonald's - for the sanity of the other diners (because we could eat outside) and because we knew it would be quick. Sad choice for me, but after some chicken nuggets and ice cream, Ben was like a whole new boy! Whew! Took a few pretty photos on the walk back to the hotel...the Cathedral at sunset and the train station. It almost felt funny not knowing what the train station looked like inside...

After a good night's rest and some yummy breakfast, I got my chance on Saturday morning to peek inside the train station. There was supposedly an information center (that we never found) inside the station, and what a magnificent stained-glass window! With no new information, we took our trusty hotel map and headed towards the Pont Adolphe (Adolphe Bridge) to connect us to the city center. On the way, we found out what the "magnificent tower" from yesterday was...the State Savings Bank. Seriously?? It was hard to get a good photo given where the sun was at, and I didn't think to ask any local if it may have been something of more "importance" before it was a bank. Oh well, very beautiful nonetheless. And, beautiful views from the bridge, which was built between 1900 and 1903 and takes road and pedestrian traffic across the Petrusse River. It has become one of Luxembourg City's main tourist attractions. (Photo of Greg is from yesterday with Adophe Bridge in the background...)

We walked again through the Place d'Armes square where we ate the night before; there was now an open air antique market in full swing. Nearby is the Place Guillaume II, see the statue of William II in the center of the square. This square was also preparing for market activity - gotta love Saturdays in Europe! We made our way behind the Notre Dame Cathedral and walked towards the entrance for a peek inside.

The Notre Dame Cathedral is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Luxembourg City. It was originally a Jesuit church, and its cornerstone was laid in 1613. It is mainly late gothic architecture, with stunning windows and an impressive organ. While Greg and I took our turns admiring its beauty, Ben passed the time by laughing at the fountain. What could be funnier to a 2 year old than silly faces spitting water at you? :)

Next, we walked by the Grand Ducal Palace - the official residence of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. This is where he performs most of his duties as head of state of the Grand Duchy. It has been used as the Grand residence since 1817 and renovated many times to match modern tastes and standards of comfort. (Although, I imagine that "standards of comfort" are much different for Royal families than they are for you and me, huh?). From 1966 through today, soldiers of the military of Luxembourg perform guard duties.

At this point, we wanted to visit the Bock Casemates to give Ben a chance to get out and explore. On the way, we walked by another church, St. Michael's. A very different experience than our visit inside Notre Dame a few minutes ago. Very quiet, very simple, and still very beautiful. It is the oldest holy building of the city, but its present appearance (was destroyed several times) goes back to 1688.

The view from above the casemates was breathtaking. Luxembourg is a bit of a hard city to explore with all of its hills and valleys. But, when you are above everything like this, it is stunning.

The Bock Casemates have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage sight since 1994. These undergroud defensive tunnels were first built in 1644 during an era of Spanish domination. Originally 14 miles long, some as deep as 131 feet! After the dismantling of the fortress in 1867, some of the casemates were spared and opened to the public. Ben was quite thankful for this, because he absolutely adored being able to explore these dark passages. He is quite a brave one - running down dark tunnels on uneven stones. He took a few spills...could have cared less! It was really interesting and there were more great views of the valley areas. We explored for over an hour, once dead-ending down deep in a tunnel with no air. I'm normally not a claustrophobic person, but I was ready to see daylight again after that.

After a small snack, we were ready to head back into the city center for some lunch. Before that, we walked by the Spanish Turrets, large fortifications initiated by the Spaniards in the middle of the 17th century. Actual purpose? No one knows. Hee hee! Fun to look at, more beautiful scenery, and a view across the valley to what we believe is the financial district of the city.

Had some tostis (grilled sandwiches) for lunch, then we walked around the Place d'Armes and shopping streets while Ben napped. It was about 2 p.m., and Greg and I were ready for a break to sit and chat. We found a spot outside at Oberweis, a cute little French cafe where we treated ourselves to some decadent cakes and coffee. We have to splurge a bit when Ben is napping...after all, we had McD's last night for dinner, remember? ;)

After naptime, we ventured off for more casemate activity. This time on the south of the city, the Petrusse Casemates. These were built in 1746 by the Austrians to improve the plateau's defenses on the south flank. We ended up skipping the casemates themselves, and just walked around and played in the Petrusse valley for a few hours. The weather was gorgeous, and we were all ready for some down time. Greg and Ben ran up and down a steep hill - probably a million times. And, once again, Ben will make an Asian scrapbook somewhere...note the gentlemen taking photos of him enjoying his hill time.

Around 6 p.m., we walked under the Viaduc bridge toward the Grund area of Luxembourg City. This is an older valley area of the city, with the Alzette river running through it. Lots of pubs down here that were packed with people enjoying dinner and the nice weather. We took some photos and then wanted to make our way back to the Center to find some dinner of our own. As I said, this is a valley area, and we were not looking forward to the climb up and out. Thankfully, we happened to spot a 'lift' sign - hurray! So, we rode the elevator up, which dropped us near Notre Dame church. We walked into the Center and ate dinner at...Pizza Hut. I know, we should be seriously ashamed for having eaten at McDonald's last night and now Pizza Hut, but Ben had been such a trooper all day, we thought it best to find someplace that would be "kid-friendly". And, it really did work out great - we sat outside (it was a gorgeous evening) and listened to live music playing in the Place d'Armes square. Well worth it. On the walk back to the hotel over the Viaduc bridge, we had a beautiful evening view of the "castle" (aka State Savings Bank).

On Sunday, September 20th, we checked out of our hotel around 9 a.m., gassed up the car, and drove to the World War II Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial in Hamm - about 10 minutes from Lux City. It was a wet morning, but Ben didn't mind. He rather enjoyed getting all geared up to splash in the puddles. The Cemetery is the final resting place for 5,076 American military men and women, most of them lost during the Battle of the Bulge. It is also the final resting place for General George S. Patton. The Cemetery reminded us of our visit to Normandy, with so many white crosses and stars. Such a place of sadness, but also it was quite beautiful (even in the rain) with the tall trees and flowers in bloom.

From the Cemetery, we left for a drive through the Valley of the Seven Castles. This is the informal name given to the Eisch valley in central Luxembourg, with a group of seven castles that line its route. Most of the castles cannot be visited (not open to the public), but the drive was really pretty. I admit that I know very little about each of our stops, so this section will be brief.

Castle #1, Koerich. A medieval castle and probably our most enjoyable stop. There was a medieval festival going on, and so everyone was dressed up in their medieval best. We felt very out of place in our "2009" jeans and sneakers. Had a blast walking around and watching all the activity, and our little "knight" left with a shield to remember the day. :)

Castle #2, Septfontaines. Had to drive up a very steep and narrow hill to get to the top for a closer view of this 13th century castle. Below the castle are the seven springs (sept fontaines) that give the village its name.

Castles #3 and #4, Ansembourg. There are two castles in Ansembourg - 12th century medieval versus 17th century modern. It is quite a hike up to the older castle, so we simply took some photos of the newer castle and gardens that were located near the road and then kept on truckin'.

Castle #5, Hollenfels. 14th century castle that is now a youth hostel.

Castle #6, Schoenfels. Located in the Mamer Valley and is the tallest castle in Luxembourg?? 19th century renovations have greatly altered the castle's original condition.

Castle #7, Mersch. In trying to find some more information about this castle online, I came to find out that my pictures below are not of the castle in Mersch, but apparently of some other "ruined" thing in Luxembourg. Turns out to be the Pettingen Castle, just north of the town of Mersch. Apparently, we had a miscommunication with the GPS. :) So, alas - enjoy these pictures of the newest "8th" castle in the Valley of the Seven Castles.

Greg was quite ready to be done with chasing down these castles, and I commend him very much for his impressive driving skills (and his patience, as this experience took far longer than anticipated). It was nearly 2 p.m. and time to arrive at our next destination, Vianden. After checking into our hotel and taking a quick peek at the church next door, we began to make our way through the rain towards the Vianden Castle. Yep, another castle...

As we walked up to the castle, Ben fell asleep in his stroller. We must have been quite a sight...Greg pushing the stroller up a very steep, uneven road and then through gravel with a pregnant wife huffing slowly behind him. But look at this castle, doesn't it look worth it??

Vianden Castle was constructed from the 11th century to the 14th century on the foundations of a roman fort and a carolingian refuge. In 1820, under the reign of King William I of Holland, the castle was sold piece by piece and fell into a state of ruin. It was a pile of rubble until the family of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg transferred it to State's ownership in 1977 and was then restored to its former glory...

Arms Hall, White Walkway with view and surrounding the Upper Chapel.

Bedroom Hall, Banqueting Hall, and Grand Kitchen.

We had started our visit at the Castle by viewing a room or floor individually, since Ben was sleeping in his stroller and the castle was not stroller accessible. We eventually woke our sleeping giant because this strategy was not very easy with so many rooms and floors. He was a little grumpy at first, but soon got into the castle spirit. Actually, he just liked dancing around in the rain and splashing in puddles. Whatever works.

Back to Main Street around 5 p.m. to look for dinner. Lots of places were closed since it was Sunday evening, but we did find a little ice cream spot that also sold crepes and omelettes. Not very tasty, but at least we were out of the rain to fill our bellies. Back to the hotel around 6:30 p.m. for a relaxing evening of playing trains, reading books, and playing in the shower.

Monday was "head for home" day, but not without a quick walk around Vianden since it was dry and we really hadn't seen the little town itself yet. Stadhous (Town Hall), the quaint streets, views of the Castle, the chairlift, and a photo op by the "Benni the Train" sign with our little Benni. Left for Clervaux...

Clervaux was another little town about 20 minutes from Vianden. We had debated about whether or not to visit, but it was such a beautiful day that we decided to stop. More quaint streets as we walked towards the tall church. The Church of Clervaux was magnificent, and Ben enjoyed looking up to the big clock and counting the 11 chimes when the clock struck 11 a.m.

Also during our short visit, we saw the Clervaux Castle. It was reduced to ruins during the Battle of the Bulge, but the Luxembourg State acquired and restored the Castle. The tank shown is the only known surviving combat vehicle from the 9th armored division (U.S.). It was put out of action on December 17, 1944 while defending Clervaux. And, there was a plaque on the Castle wall honoring the infantry division who held the castle against German forces from December 16th through 18th.

And now, at about noon, it was time for home. After exhausting all music options, Ben finally relented to sleep around 1 p.m., surrounded by all things he holds dear...Thomas the Train, books, his blanket, and Mr. Elephant. What a trooper this kid has been! The drive home was very scenic, and we were so glad we decided on this road trip. Well worth it and another great adventure!

Open Monument Day in Amsterdam

2009-09-22T07:51:00.001-07:00

We are always so grateful to Greg's colleague, Pauline, for keeping us updated on the city's activities. Ever since we moved, she's been filling us in on great places to visit in NL and how to get there via public transportation. She's awesome!! Well, she came through again...this time with Amsterdam's Open Monument Day, which was Saturday, September 12th. Basically, there are lots of monuments and other places open to the public that normally are not, or they are free of charge, when normally there would be admission fees. A day of exploring some hidden gems of Amsterdam and it's free? Count us in!!

We started the day at 11 a.m. at De Bazel, the info location for OMD (Open Monument Day). This building is named after its architect and was built between 1919 and 1926 for the Dutch Trading Company. Today, it is used as a conference center. We wanted to get some general information about what to visit, and we were really hoping to score some tickets for the Koninklijk Paleis (the Royal Palace) on Dam Square. We had to wait in line quite a while, but we did get free tickets for 12:45 p.m. So, we thought it best to head back to Dam Square and wait there. We hoped to walk around and get Ben good and sleepy by 12:44. :)

Once back in Dam Square, Greg and I took turns visiting the Nieuwe Kerk. Typically, the Nieuwe Kerk is open only during exhibitions and for cultural activities. This church dates from the 14th century and was Amsterdam's second parish church to be built after the population outgrew the Oude Kerk. Since 1814, all the Dutch monarchs have been crowned here. As Ben and I were snacking while Greg enjoyed the church, I noticed "Mozes en Aaronstraat". We've been by the Nieuwe Kerk many times before, but hadn't ever noticed this street sign. Since Ben likes to read about baby Moses, I thought it was fitting I take a photo...

Also while we waited, we just strolled around Dam Square and acted like tourists. Got photos of the square from all sides...the Palace, De Bijenkorf (the "Bee Hive" department store), the National Monument (from 1956, commemorating Dutch World War II casualties), and Madame Tussaud's.

By now it was nearly 12:45 and time for our visit inside the Royal Palace. Ben was wide awake, so we were hoping it wouldn't be too "museum-like". The Palace was originally built as the Stadhuis (town hall) beginning in 1648. In 1808, Louis Napoleon declared the building his royal palace, and most of the furniture on display and chandeliers date from this time. Today, the Dutch royal family still uses the Palace for official functions on occasion. We were only allowed to visit the first floor, as the other floors are currently undergoing a major refurbishment. But, it was really magnificent! Our favorite part was the Burgerzaal (citizen's hall - see last photo), which is 95 feet high and runs the length of the building. The marble floor was inlaid with maps of the eastern and western hemispheres - wow!!

We finished at the Palace around 1:30 p.m. From there, we walked through Chinatown on our way to the Waag. The Waag is Amsterdam's oldest surviving gatehouse from 1488. Public executions were held there until 1617 when the building became the public weigh house. It has also been the meeting room of the Guild of Surgeons, a fire station, and a city museum. It currently is a cafe/restaurant, and Greg and I were hoping to get a glimpse of the inside and then sit and relax with a coffee. Oops! We read our OMD Guide wrong...it is only open to the public on Sunday. Oh well. Since Ben had fallen asleep at this point, we figured it was good to skip the coffee and keep on with the sightseeing...

We made our way through the Red Light District and past the Oude Kerk (so pretty, couldn't help snapping another photo) to the Museum Amstelkring. This is the canal house I spoke of earlier in the blog that housed Our Lord in the Attic secret Catholic church. But this time, no picture of the OUTside - I ventured INside. The museum does have rooms that have been refurbished and decorated as from the 17th century style, but it was definitely the church in the attic that impressed me the most. There was a "mock" marble altar with beautiful artwork, an organ, and even a tiny confessional! This church was built in 1663, extended for more seating in 1735, and served the Catholic community until 1887 when St. Nicolaaskerk was finished.

Next on the list was to head back towards Dam Square to the Beurs van Berlage building, only open during exhibitions. It was designed by Hendrik Berlage as the stock exchange building and completed in 1903. It is now used for concerts, shows, changing exhibitions, and is home to the Nederlands Philharmonic Orchestra. I thought the Great Hall looked like a fantastic place for a wedding reception...too bad I don't know anyone getting married in Amsterdam.

Next, Greg wanted to visit the Makelaars Comptoir building, a guild hall built in 1633. The broker's guild was founded in Amsterdam in 1612 - a broker being an independent intermediary in the trade of loose goods such as coffee, tobacco, and grain. The hall was built on the site of an older house, and is thus one of the best preserved 17th century houses in Amsterdam. Greg didn't snap many photos inside, but came out and said, "did you see me stick my head out the window and wave?" I hadn't seen him, so he left the camera with me and went back in to re-create the moment. Silly goose...

Another one of the remaining guild houses in Amsterdam is the Corn Meter House. From 1620, meetings took place here in the guild of...you guessed it, corn! There was a restoration to the house in the late 1800's and has been used as the headquarters of the Federal Heemschut since 1967, a private association that protects cultural monuments. I have to admit that I love that these buildings are being used and protected today - whether it is office space or for exhibitions, etc. They are too fantastic to just sit and not be enjoyed by someone or be torn down!! Look at these amazing windows! Oh, and right down the street was "Coffeeshop Ben", and I just had to snap a photo...

Last on our stop for the day was Brug 9 (Bridge 9), with an interesting tale of a bridge and her tower. Brug 9 is now the oldest of the remaining bridges of Amsterdam, from 1480. The January Red & Port Tower (a fortification gate, see drawing courtesy of the brug9 website) stood on the bridge from 1480 until 1829, when it was demolished. The bridge is 42 meters wide, the widest bridge in Amsterdam. There are three arches and an alley, which has been used as a prison and storage space. In 1648, the wooden bridge was replaced by a stone bridge. Then, from 1960-1962, the bridge foundation was reinforced with 240 concrete piles. At that time, there were plans for rebuilding the tower, but they didn't materialize. The last restoration took place in 2006, a resurfacing of the bridge deck with an outline of the old tower in stones. Check out the old Delft tile inside the alley, and it was cool being level with the canal water...

I thought it was interesting how they have recently been using the "alley" space. In the late 1980's, art exhibitions were held here. In the late 1990's, a nearby cafe rented the space and would sponsor small events, like watching football and small dance parties. Then, from 2003 through 2007, more renovation - which included floor heating, cleaning the walls, sewer connection so toilets were installed, electricity (with telephone and internet!). The monumental nature of Brug 9 remains intact, but the new elements allow for the space to be used even more, and it appears quite a 'trendy' thing to do - how fun!! (Found this photo of a movie showing on the brug9 website. Would this be the canal version of a 'drive in'?)

It was quite a full day, but we were thrilled to see more of our adopted city and the sights she has to offer. Thanks again Pauline!!

Utrecht: Rode the Train to See the Trains

2009-09-22T07:50:00.004-07:00

On Sunday, September 6th, we decided to make a visit to Utrecht - mainly to visit the Nederlands Spoorwegmuseum (Railway Museum). I happened to meet an American mom and her 7 year old son at a playground one day this summer, and the little boy asked if we'd visited this museum yet (because he saw Ben carrying around his Thomas trains). He loved it, and I thought that it must be pretty great for a little boy to talk about loving a museum! Utrecht is only a 30 minute train ride from Amsterdam, so Ben was running up to the doors at 10:30 a.m. :)

As you enter Maliebaan Station, the clock turns back to how the station looked in the 1870's. We walked through the back doors, and Ben was face to face with some big engines...he was in heaven!! He could hardly contain his excitement, and it was pure torture to get him to stand still for 2 seconds to take a photo with Daddy. It was awesome - we were able to climb onto the trains, and there was even coal in the coal car! (Ben wanted to take some with him...) It didn't take long before Ben started to give 'Thomas' names to all the trains he was seeing. Even though this first one was black, it was 'Thomas'. The green one he's pointing to was 'Percy'. It was like getting to visit his best friends in person... :)

We were finally able to tear Ben away from Thomas and Percy to explore the rest of the museum. Well, the Workshop anyways. As we headed towards the Workshop, Ben made sure to look both ways to see if Thomas was puffing down the tracks. Nope, so we kept on going...

The Workshop is just one of the "Worlds" to discover, and it happens to be the only "world" we discovered. There were so many trains to look at and climb on, Ben was quite content to just run back and forth, greeting all his 'Island of Sodor' friends. (Sorry for those of you who don't speak "train" or "Thomas", but that is what my life revolves around these days, so ask me anything!). You can see Ben pointing to 'Neville's' buffer, and 'Emily' sat right beside him. It was so cute, he would say, "This one is just like Spencer!" He climbed aboard Neville and even got to blow the whistle! Seriously, this kid was squealing with excitement!

Some smart people are running this museum. They also have a couple "rides" for the little ones. The green one was "just like Smudger", and of course, Ben was thrilled to ride on Thomas. That scowl is for another sweet child who got too close to "his" Thomas. Oh brother! At this point, I can see that we are going to have to move in to the Railway Museum, because Ben is not going to leave willingly!

The weather was cool, but we were still able to enjoy the children's play area behind the museum. First, Ben had to throw some rocks through the grates, naturally. A little after noon, the Junior Railway started giving short rides on a little train for the kiddos. We weren't sure about putting Ben in with no adult or seatbelt; we didn't trust that he wouldn't try to make a leap overboard. But, he loved it and sat relatively still too. I think he rode at least 4 times before we ate our picnic lunch on the tables outside.

We coaxed Ben inside and had a potty break. I couldn't help take a photo of the kid's potty - what kid wouldn't want to be the conductor on this cute train? ;) We shopped a little, looked around a bit more, and slowly tried to make our way to the exit. Before we left, we did peek in a few more trains. I thought the mail train was fun; there was even mail to sort! It took quite a while to personally say good-bye to all of his friends, but we finally made our way out of the museum around 1:30. Ben was not very happy, and he didn't go quietly. I don't blame him, it was a pretty fantastic place - so glad that little American boy shared the idea with us!!

It only took a matter of minutes before Ben was fast asleep in his stroller. We walked back towards the city center, to the Dom Church (aka St. Martin's Cathedral). The first chapel was founded around 600, but the church was repeatedly destroyed by fires and rebuilt. The construction of the church standing today started in 1254 and continued well into the 16th century. We walked around a beautiful courtyard garden. On the other side of the church was the Dom Tower. The Cathedral and Tower have not been connected since the collapse of the nave in 1674 due to a thunderstorm (the nave was still unfinished and not sufficiently supported). It was never rebuilt, and the site is now a square lined with trees, the Domplein. The Tower is the tallest church tower in the Netherlands at 368 feet high! It was built between 1321 and 1382 and is the symbol of Utrecht. I asked Greg if he was interested in climbing the 465 steps to the top, and he declined. I wasn't sure I could handle that with Tulip - at least not in a timely manner. :) We were up for a visit inside the church, but we would have to make our way back to the Cathedral, as it was not yet open to the public due to Sunday services.

We walked through the city center a bit, lots of people out and about shopping and eating. We passed by a gyros restaurant, and the smell was too much for us. So, Greg ordered a couple of gyros, and we went back to Domplein to sit and enjoy - my first gyro, and it was really delicious! We noticed all the gravestones in the square, as they used to be inside the nave of the church. After 2 p.m., Greg and I were able to visit a church at the same time (this never happens!) since Ben was still sleeping. It was lovely and felt small (short), which makes sense given that it was missing a large chunk!

After our visit, we sat down at a nearby cafe for coffee to warm up a bit. The view of the Dom church and tower were spectacular, but the coffee was not. Probably worst I've had in all of Europe! Bummer. But, it was good to sit and relax for a bit. Around 3:30, we made our way to the train station and were back in Amsterdam by 4:30 p.m. What a fun day in Utrecht, and Ben gives the Spoorwegmuseum two big thumbs up!

Around Amsterdam...Again!

2009-09-22T07:50:00.003-07:00

The first week of September flew by with Greg traveling to Zurich and Milan. Sadly, he didn't take the camera, so no photos from his travels. Although, he was so busy, I'm not sure he got much time to sightsee.

Ben and I had an exciting, eventful few days...

Monday: playdate at the Melkhuis with friends Alison and Ellie. It was Alison's due date, so we were a bit preoccupied with baby talk. :) I felt like a hero at lunch time, getting Ben to eat raw carrots by giving him a spoonful of cream cheese to dip them in. We'd tried ranch dressing and other things, but this did the trick! I was so proud of myself and laughed hysterically when he said, "yum, these taste like bunny!". We don't really eat rabbit at the Zabikow house, but I would pretend to eat carrots like a bunny in hopes of him thinking it was fun and playing along. I guess that's what he was referring to??

Tuesday: errands, park time, worked on details for Luxembourg trip

Wednesday: hung around the house in the morning to wait for the movers to come take inventory. Apparently, the moving company hired by Aon is from Brussels, so this poor woman drove almost 3 hours each way - and was only in our apartment for about 10 minutes! I hope she had other things to do in Amsterdam, or at least stayed for a nice lunch!

Thursday: Ben and I left for errands in the rain (this is Amsterdam, remember? There is no waiting until it stops...you just get out and go!). I was wearing cheap flip flops and stepped onto a slippery part of the sidewalk. I fell, banging my knee quite badly on the hard, uneven brick. Took Ben down with me, but was able to brace his fall with my impact. He was quite shaken up, but physically fine. We turned right around and headed for home. As I was opening our gate, Ben cries, "keep going, keep going!". At this point, I'm feeling a bit faint and sick to my stomach, so I tell him that we cannot keep going. Instead we make it inside, I let him loose from the stroller, and lay down on the floor. Ben watched Thomas while I drank some juice and bandaged up my wounds. Ugh! I have quite a bruised and cut-up knee and it hurts a lot, but thankful that it wasn't more serious, especially with Greg out of town. Needless to say, we did not make it back out that day and had eggs and toast for dinner....

I was so glad when Greg returned late on Thursday night. Friday was rainy again, as was Saturday, September 5th. But, we persevered, and ventured out for another round of exploring Amsterdam. We had never gotten photos yet of the Museumplein area, so that is where we went. Hopped off the tram, and our first photo was of the Concertgebouw (Concert Building). It opened its doors in 1888 and is home to the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. It is said to be one of the world's most acoustically perfect concert halls, and it happens to be quite a pretty building on the outside as well. I was reading that there are free lunchtime rehearsal concerts at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays from October through June. Do you think Ben would be interested in doing this one day at lunchtime? Yeah, me neither...bummer.

Museumplein is the main cultural center of the city, with the Concertgebouw and the three major museums - Rijks, Van Gogh, and Stedelijk in close proximity. There is so much green space to relax and run, too bad it was all soggy from the rain. And, can you see that I'm just a tad bit late in getting my photos of the Rijks? The cranes and scaffolding had just appeared recently...I guess that is what I deserve for having lived in this city for nearly 18 months and not yet taking a proper photo of the country's premier museum.

We walked up closer to the Rijks and let Ben out for a run. Well, with water and rocks nearby, the run quickly turned into a game of tossing little stones into the water. He was having a great time splashing about in his boots and raincoat. Shall I explain the "I amsterdam" sign? This is basically the slogan of the Amsterdam Tourist Board, and we've seen this huge display move around the city. In fact, I'm convinced there are at least a few, because I swear I just saw another one the other day while on a tram. Anyways, we love the "double meaning" that our pastor, Gerard, gave us. People say that God is not in Amsterdam, but when Gerard first arrived in Amsterdam, he saw this sign that says, "I am". :) I love it!!

We walked around the Rijksmuseum toward Spiegelgracht, a canal/street known for it's antiques. We were looking for an old map of Amsterdam as a souvenir to bring home with us. I was able to get a picture of the canal, and we were able to find a great map from the late 1700's before it started raining and the camera was put away for a bit. We window-shopped all of the wonderful and tiny shops - selling old clocks, antique Delft tiles, jewelry, etc. Lots of beautiful things, for those who have lots of cash!

That night after dinner, we went for a walk as the rain had finally stopped. We just strolled around the Jordaan and made sure we had some photos of "our" canal and "our" building. We still find it so funny that we ended up in such a popular part of the city, considering we had no idea what we were looking at in February 2008. We've read many things about our building, De Blauwe Burgt, in regards to how modern it is in contrast to the rest of the canalhouses on Brouwersgracht. I'm having a hard time finding history about our building, but on the facade is this plaque with the dates 1710 and 1919. Assuming it was torn down in 1919, but can't find any info on when it was rebuilt. All we know is that it has been our home away from home for 18 months, and we love it!

Around Amsterdam

2009-09-07T13:21:00.000-07:00

Saturday, August 29th, was a slow morning. Had our usual Saturday a.m. breakfast of poffertjes, eggs, and fruit. With only about 7 weeks left in Amsterdam, we decided to start crossing a few things off our list and go "explore" Amsterdam. Sounds silly to say since we feel like we know the city by now, but there is still so much this amazing city has to offer!!

We left home around 11 a.m. and walked down our "shopping street", Haarlemmerstraat, towards Centraal Station. We saw the Posthoornkerk (church), built in 1863. There are no longer services held here; I believe it is now used for concerts, exhibitions, and other events. Also saw the West Indisch Huis (West India House) on Herenmarkt, which was the Dutch West India Company's 17th century headquarters, handling trade (including slave trade) between Holland, the Americas, and Africa. I also snapped a few photos of things I don't want to forget - like Barney's coffeeshop, we get a strong whiff every time we pass by. And, another coffeeshop down the street has an "Amsterdam coffee cup" ad painted on the building. Greg and I think it's a pretty smart and fun ad.

We walked past Centraal Station, and even though we have been in and out of this building hundreds of times by now, I still think it is a very beautiful place. The station was built between 1884 and 1889 on three man-made islands (supported on 30,000 pilings) in the IJ channel. I guess there was controversy with the location, as it effectively cuts off Amsterdam from its own waterfront, making it basically an inland city. Interesting. We walked by Sint-Nicolaaskerk, but it does not open until noon, so we planned to come back to it. We kept walking along to nearby Schreierstoren (Tower of Tears), built in 1480. It was once a strong point in the city wall, and the name allegedly comes from the tears shed by wives as their men sailed away on voyages from which they might never return. We turned inward towards the city center and walked behind St. Nicholas's Church, a pretty view which we'd never seen before.

We neared the Red Light District to see, surprisingly, two more churches. We just snapped a photo of Museum Amstelkring from the outside, which houses Our Lord in the Attic. After the Protestant Changeover in 1578, Catholics were forced to worship in secret. A wealthy Catholic merchant transformed his attic in 1661-1663 into a secret church, and it has been preserved for visitors to see. Even the canal house itself is among the oldest you can visit, and so the house furnished as it would have been in the mid-18th century with heavy oak furniture, Delft tiles, and period paintings is worth a visit...I've heard. With Ben still wide awake, we decided to keep going...

Right down the street (actually, canal) is the Oude Kerk (Old Church). I had seen it before from the outside, but it was time for Greg and I to take turns and see the beautiful interior. The church was begun in 1250 and essentially completed with the extension of the bell tower in 1566. The church houses three organs; the main organ built in 1724 is regarded as one of the finest baroque organs in Europe. The floor consists entirely of gravestones - because the church was built on a cemetery. Rembrandt's wife is buried here, and all of his children were christened here.

Because we were in the "neighborhood", I couldn't help snap a "forbidden" photo of a red light. There isn't anyone in the window, so I figured I was safe from having my camera thrown in the canal. Also thought a photo of the classic urinals in this part of town was appropriate. What will Ben think one day when he is old enough to know that we let him 'play' in the RLD of Amsterdam?? He had a fabulous time throwing leaves and rocks into the canal - his new favorite pasttime. (Which is hard, because there are canals everywhere, and we don't always have the leaves or rocks he 'needs'. We have started to keep an emergency stash of 'nature' products in his stroller pocket...leaves, rocks, sticks, etc. We're nuts, but it's what you do to hold off a meltdown!)

Another item on our list was kind of silly, but we felt it was a must-see. We pass by Magna Plaza all the time on trams, buses, or just walking in the city. Magna Plaza is basically a shopping mall, but in a really magnificent building. It is actually the former central post office, which dates from 1908. Quite pretty inside, and filled with lots of expensive shops. So, no buying, just browsing. As we made our way back to the Jordaan area and home, we passed by another thing that we see all the time - the Multatuli statue. I have to admit, I had no idea who he was until I came home and looked him up. He was a Dutch writer famous for his satirical novel which exposed the abuse of free labor in the Dutch Indies (Indonesia). Even proclaimed as the "most important Dutch writer of all time" in 2002 by the Society for Dutch Literature. I guess that deserves a statue, right? :)

At this point, Ben had fallen asleep and so Greg and I decided to take a little detour before going home and have coffee, tea, lunch at Spanjer en van Twist on the Leliegracht canal. I love this little cafe, as it sits literally right on the canal - you could fall in if not careful! It's fun to watch the big museum boats, Dutchies in their personal boats, and tourists in paddleboats go by. It was a chilly day, so we enjoyed some yummy soup, mint tea, and cappuccino as we sat and talked while Ben napped. I sure am going to miss getting all those tasty little treats with my tea/coffee - what a nice touch and a great way to top off a day of being out and about around Amsterdam!

The next day, Sunday, August 30th, Greg left for 4+ days of travel - this time to Zurich on Monday/Tuesday and then Milan on Wednesday/Thursday. Time to put on his work travel hat, and for me to put on my single mommy hat...here we go!

Cheese & Tulip!

2009-08-28T05:38:00.001-07:00

Once we arrived in Amsterdam on Wednesday, August 19th, Greg got a short nap before heading out that afternoon for work in London until Saturday evening. That meant I was doing "jet-lagged toddler" duty on my own. :) It definitely wasn't easy, but thankfully there was unseasonably warm weather (in the 80's!) to get us outside and enjoy the hours that we were awake and somewhat functional. Here is some play time in the water at Westerpark. I am obviously getting more Dutch by the day...I was not at all bothered by the fact that Ben was just in a swim diaper with no trunks. Not sure that I would ever get to the "let him swim naked" stage, but this is progress, right? The Mirakelbrug photo is on our way into the park, and I always love the beauty of the park from this spot and the name of the bridge itself. And to wrap up, a few shots of my tired tot (who only uses one-fourth of his crib space) and some serious jet-lag bedhead. :)

Greg arrived home on Saturday evening, and it took us all another 3 or 4 days at least to get back on Amsterdam awake/sleep time. We were feeling pretty good by Thursday, August 27th for our day trip to Gouda. We had planned this trip a while ago and were determined to visit on a Thursday in the summer, when the cheese market is re-enacted in front of the Town Hall. Greg took the day off, and we hopped on the 8:30 a.m. train, arriving about 9:15.

The town of Gouda is known for its famous cheese and for the stained glass windows of the St. Janskerk. The cheese market began at 10 a.m. with farmers driving their brightly painted wagons piled high with round cheese in orange skins to the square behind the Stadhuis (Town Hall). Then, we saw the cheese buyers and sellers engage in negotiations. They were speaking in Dutch, but it went something like this. The seller would promote his cheese. The buyer would offer a price as he slapped the seller's hand. Then, the seller would come back with another price as he slapped the buyer's hand. They would go on like this until buyer or seller would walk away, or until they agreed on a price and then clasped hands and shook on it. The buyer would try some of the cheese, and then the cheese wheel would be carried off to the weighing house (Waag) to be weighed. It was pretty fun to watch, although Ben didn't think so. He was quite bored after only about 10 minutes, so we moved along.

We took a peek inside the Waag, Gouda's pride and joy, dating from 1669. Ben and I (and Tulip) even got weighed together and were presented with a certificate. Cute!! Then we were off in search of the Red Lion Windmill. Gouda, like almost every other Dutch city we've visited, had beautiful, quiet canals running through the city. We passed by Gouwekerk and to the Molen de Roode Leeuw (Red Lion Windmill). Oh brother! More restoration. I'm all for restoration, just bummed that we miss out on seeing things as they should be. So, we frowned and grumbled, then kept strolling.

We walked to see some of the water locks, and Ben proceeded to have a massive meltdown. We figured it was time to find some green space and a spot to eat snacks - and fast! We found a park and let our little monster, I mean boy, out to play. And, we happened to be right near a windmill that didn't have a bunch of white sheets wrapped around it...Molen 'T Slot. Spent a while just running around, looking at leaves, and eating snacks/lunch.

We were able to corral Ben and be on our way around noon. Greg and I took turns visiting St. Janskerk. It is the longest church of the Netherlands, dating back to approximately 1280. But, the church is most famous for its stained glass windows that depict scenes from biblical and national history. These were donated between 1555 and 1603 and became popular almost immediately. We read that before the outbreak of WWII, all the windows were removed and put in safety somewhere else. Good thinking!! As one of us enjoyed the beauty of the church, the other one enjoyed the beauty of watching Ben say, "aim, throw!" as he hurled rocks into a canal. We also walked through the arched gatehouse (1609) of the Museum Het Catharina Gasthuis and browsed the many engravings on the building walls. This house was built in the 14th century as a hospice for travellers, converted into a museum in 1910 and, among other things, displays portraits and landscapes by Dutch Impressionists.

After the church, we walked back towards the Stadhuis and the main square. Besides the cheese market on Thursdays, there is also a general outdoor market with food, fabrics, etc. It was quite crowded, and we circled the square a few times to find a cafe to sit and have lunch. (No, we did not have lunch at Subway, but for some reason I found it very funny that Subway was on the lower level of this very old and beautifully gabled Dutch house.) Well, by the time we circled, Ben had fallen asleep. We did find a spot to sit outside and enjoy the weather and the market action, and we also enjoyed the famous "kaassoep" - cheese soup. Had to - we're in Gouda, the land of cheese! It was a bit different than the cheese soup we think of in the States, more broth-based. But, still quite tasty, especially with all that yummy brown bread to soak it up with! We had tea and coffee after our sandwiches and just relaxed. Finally, around 2:30 p.m., we walked over to the Stadhuis for Greg to take a peek inside. It was built between 1448 and 1450 and is one of the oldest town halls in the Netherlands. It is still used mostly as town hall office space, so Greg didn't find it too exciting. The market was packing up now, and we decided to pack it up too. Ben woke up as we headed to the train station and caught the 3 p.m. train back to Amsterdam. I really don't know what we'll do when we move back to Illinois; Ben sure will miss kickin' back on the train with his Daddy pillow!

Once back in Amsterdam, we walked to the Mark Raven art store near Dam Square. We had been considering buying a piece of his unique artwork for some time and figured that today was as good a day as any. Mark himself was there, and he was very kind for the hour that we spent in the store looking again and again at his paintings - it was such a tough decision! At last we decided, and as he was wrapping it up, we got to chatting. Come to find out, we're neighbors! He lives on the Brouwersgracht too! Even funnier, we were out that evening playing with Ben on the neighborhood swings, and Mark rides by on his bike. He rings his bell and waves at us! How awesome is it that we are now best friends with a famous Dutch artist?! ;)

Well, I covered the "cheese" part of this blog entry, now onto a "Tulip" update. On Friday, August 28th, we had our 20 week ultrasound appointment. Notice the baby bump becoming much more visible! Greg and Ben came with, but sadly Ben wasn't as cooperative as he was 10 weeks ago. So, they missed most of the "show", but did get to see a little bit of Tulip's action. The ultrasound technician was very thorough and helpful at pointing out what she was seeing...closed skull, spine, 4 chambers of the beating heart. All good things! Yes, I'm sure she was able to see boy or girl, but no, we stayed strong (although it was hard!) and are still waiting until January. We even got a picture in 3D, very cool! It was so good to see our little Tulip again, and now I'm ready to start feeling him/her kick and jab! I know, I know...be careful what I wish for...

Flying, Family, & From This Day Forward

2009-08-28T05:33:00.001-07:00

Our trip to the States was full of flying, family, and "from this day forward" - meaning weddings. We even had time to enjoy a few visits with good friends too. As always, the time went by too fast, but we were so glad to have made the trip!

On July 25th, the taxi van arrived at 8 a.m. The driver asked if we were moving; it sure looked that way, huh? I had read on the "Dutch News in English" website that July 25/26 was expected to be Schipol's busiest weekend of the year - over 453,000 passengers in one weekend! Our flight was leaving at 11 a.m., so it seemed that 2.5 hours at the airport would be plenty. Well, just barely this time. First of all, thank heavens for business class. We were able to avoid the long economy line and check our bags right away. That probably saved us an hour, seriously. We then waited almost an hour to go through passport control. There were a handful of people that we let "budge" in front of us. For example, one man walked up and said, "May I stand in front of you? My flight takes off in 2 minutes." How do you say no to that? By the time we made it to our gate and went through security, they were boarding the plane! Fun fact: new seating in business class. It had a very "space-age" look to it, and the best part was that the seats recline now to an absolutely horizontal position. Clearly, that made for a great nap - just look at Ben's bedhead! :) As always, he did great on the flight. This kid may have plenty of other issues that we need to work on (sharing, hitting, etc.), but I must admit that God has blessed us with one fantastic traveler!

We arrived at O'hare around 1 p.m., got our bags, and met Mom & Dad Z and Jon at the arrivals hall. Ben was spoiled by GreeMa immediately with 2 new Thomas trains - including his first actual "Thomas". After that, I don't think he noticed anything or anyone. We got home, and I made a trip to visit my friend, Betsy, to drop off our apartment keys. Her parents and brother were going to be visiting Amsterdam and staying at our place while we were away. What a great deal for all of us! Greg headed off with his Dad and brothers to get fitted for his suit for Nick's wedding in less than a week. We've only been home for an hour and already busy, busy! Ben stayed at home with GreeMa, who shared 3 more Thomas trains! Spoiled rotten, I tell ya!! Of course, we had Lou's deep-dish pizza for dinner (so yummy!), then eventually hit the hay. Ben woke up around 2 a.m., slept on and off until he stood up at 4:45 saying "do something else...let's do something else, Mommy". Pretty cute, so I had to oblige. I went into our bedroom, and Greg was unpacking! So, Daddy and Ben had some together time while Mommy slept another couple hours. I finally made it downstairs a little before 7 a.m., and Greg was cleaning the kitchen. He had already straightened up the laundry room and set up the DVD player for Ben to relax on the couch! Wow, he really was awake! Well, it hit them later, because I caught both of them napping in Ben's chair. :) Dad, Sherry, Stacie, and Kara came for a visit later that afternoon, and we felt so lucky to be at home and sharing time with family. And of course, more goodies for Ben from Maw Maw and Paw Paw...are we noticing a trend that the grandparents have missed their grandson?

On Monday morning, Greg went to work. Ben and I went to Target (love it!!) and then shared a picnic lunch in the backyard. We visited Nick and Megan in their new home later that afternoon. Ben can't get enough of playing with his "cousin", dog Zoe. Greg worked Tuesday and Wednesday, but had Thursday and Friday off for the wedding. Thursday morning was errands - picking up the suit, finding Ben wedding shoes, etc. We spent some time at Nick and Megan's helping to prepare the house for the post-wedding brunch on Saturday. Early bedtime that night because Friday was wedding day!

On Friday, July 31st, we celebrated Nick and Megan's wedding! I got a little pampering that morning (toes, hair, make-up) before Greg left around 11:30 to join all of the groomsmen at Nick's house. Dad and Sherry arrived at our place around 1:30, and we got the little man all suited up and ready to go.

The wedding and reception were held at The Herrington Inn & Spa in Geneva, IL - a beautiful location right on the Fox River. It was a warm, sunny day - just perfect! We spent some time hanging out with the guys, and Uncle Nick showed Ben the little pond outside with fishies. No big surprise, Ben started tossing stones in right away. He was not at all happy when we had to tear him away around 4:15 for pictures.

The weather really cooperated for all of the outdoor pictures; they turned out great! Don't be too impressed by my photo or mothering skills - there was no way I could take photos this beautiful (downloaded from photographer), and no way I'd have been able to take all these photos while also watching Ben. As I mentioned, you can see that Ben wasn't too happy about leaving the pond. When it got time for a Zabikow family photo, Ben was in time-out for not behaving. Finally, Mommy and GreeMa were able to talk him into a couple photos. Then, Dad Z had the best idea of the century - we were able to "borrow" one of the groomsmen's rooms at the inn to relax and let Ben unwind for the next hour before the ceremony was to start. Praise God, that is exactly what he needed!!

The ceremony was lovely - or so I heard. It began at 6 p.m., and you'll be shocked to hear that Ben and I were outside tossing stones into the pond as the music began to play. Correction: Ben was doing the tossing; I was watching him get dirty and begging him to stop. I had no idea if this "walking down the aisle" thing was going to happen or not. Somehow, by God's grace, I coaxed him inside just as Chase and Connor, Megan's nephews, were walking down the aisle. The wedding coordinator told me, "if you are going to go, go now!". So, we raced around the corner, I handed Ben his pillow, and prayed. He tossed the pillow aside immediately and started charging up the aisle, literally running. At some point, he dropped the rock that he was carrying. Um, had no idea that was there. Of course, he had to turn around and go back for it, and I was just thankful it didn't hit anyone. When he got to the front of the aisle, the grandmas had agreed to grab him, and I would make my way down the side of the room to be with him. Well, they couldn't get their hands on him fast enough before he turned around and took off back down the aisle. By now, most everyone was getting a good chuckle. Clearly, a ringbearer career is not in his future, but perhaps a comedian or short-distance sprinter? Anyhow, he was not very interested in staying quietly in the back of the room, so he and I did our best to "sneak" out after Megan and her father walked down the aisle. Ben and I spent the rest of the ceremony throwing rocks in the Fox River. Correction: Ben threw rocks, and I was trying not to be sad that I was missing my brother-in-law's wedding. And such is the life of a mother with a toddler...

After the ceremony, there was a cocktail hour where we got to snack and chat with family and friends. Ben spent most of his time eating berries, playing trains, and making out with Maw Maw. He would grab her face and kiss like crazy. It really was pretty cute, and good thing Maw Maw was a good sport. ;)

Everyone settled into their tables for dinner. Megan's sister, Greg, and Jon all made great speeches toasting the newly married couple. They cut the cake, and dinner was served. The food was delicious, and Ben was being very well-behaved considering it was now close to 9 p.m. He wasn't at all interested in eating though, and nearly fell asleep a handful of times. Poor kid, I had been reminding him all day about cake after dinner, and I was pretty sure he was going to miss it. He was barely awake when it came to the table, but boy did that perk him up! He ate 2 pieces in a matter of minutes! Then, we went to visit the grandparents, and he was able to scam some of Maw Maw's cake. Then he wanted to "see GreeMa". Well, kind of. He saw that she had cake left and ate half of her piece too. Uh oh...this can't be good.

And then began the dancing. The cake must have given Ben his second-wind, because he was a dancing fool! He loved being out on the floor with Uncle Nick lifting him high in the air and everyone cheering for him. It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. He was also quite smitten with GreeMa. Would not let PeePaw come close at all. Dad and Sherry were so nice to offer to take him home and put him to bed while Greg and I stayed to enjoy the party a bit. It took forever to get him off the dance floor though - 11 p.m.! - and you can see that he was not the least bit happy about having to go. We all had a wonderful time, and we wish many happy blessings to Mr. & Mrs. Nick Zabikow!!

On Saturday, there was a brunch at the newlyweds home hosted by Mom and Dad Z. The weather was warm, but wet, so things were mostly inside. Better that day than the wedding day, right? It was really lovely, and we were really exhausted by the time we got home that evening. Didn't get any pictures, ugh!

We got to see some friends while home too. Our small group from church had a gathering on Sunday, and it was good to be together. Also enjoyed the hot, sunny day that we could kick back a little while the kiddos played in the yard. Then, on Monday, it was Betsy Day! My friend Betsy had run a half marathon the day before and was taking the day off to recover and be with us. I'm not sure that a day with a toddler was "recovery", but we had pancakes and walked around Spring Valley Nature Center and Heritage Farm. Then relaxed the day away at chez Zabikow.

Tuesday was Ben's first visit to the dentist. Well, he got to "ride in the chair" and said "ahhh" for about 3 seconds for Dr. Blake to look inside. Not so bad for a first visit, huh? I also had an ob visit later that afternoon, just to check in with them and let them know I am expecting. Everything was fine. Had dinner in Rockford that night with Mom and Dad Z - and got to see our kitty, Peanut. Looking forward to having her back with our family in October, and I know Mom Z is looking forward to having one less critter in the house. :)

On Wednesday, August 5th, Ben and I left for Towanda in the afternoon. Greg was going to the Willow Leadership Summit on Thursday and Friday, and so the little man and I were spending a few days with family. Enjoyed Tobin's Pizza that night for dinner...oh, how I miss Illinois! :) On Thursday, Paw Paw, Ben, and I went to Miller Park in hopes of climbing aboard an old locomotive they have there. Well, the train is all fenced in, but Ben still loved getting to see such a BIG train! Played in the sand on the baseball diamond, blew dandelions, and really just loved getting so much time with Dad/Paw Paw. Ben sure was tuckered out when we got home!!

Later that evening, more family came over for a cookout - Aunt Reta and Uncle Jim, Aunt Stacie, and cousins Eric, Di, Megan, and AJ. We ate, talked, and laughed. I loved watching Ben play with Megan and AJ. We have a picture of them in Amsterdam and even have lunch with them from time to time (putting the picture on the table). So, I think Ben was thrilled that he got to play and eat with them in person! Love these last couple photos...trying to get a photo where Ben wasn't distracting either Megan or AJ was challenging. :)

Friday morning was "Project with Paw Paw". (You can tell it was early, notice Ben and Paw Paw's bedhead.) ;) Dad and Sherry had bought this stepping stone a long while ago for us to make/decorate with Ben's hand and then they would put it in their beautiful garden. Well, I brought it back down to their house so that we could do it together, and then leave the stone there. We finally got Ben to put down the baby dolls and cooperate. My "I don't like to get messy kid" was not too sure about sticking his hand in wet cement, but eventually did it. He loved putting in the colored rocks though, and then trying to take them back out and put them in again. It's definitely not going to win a "stepping stone award" of any kind, but I hope it turned out ok and can't wait to see the finished product in October. Oh, and back to the baby dolls. Ben loves all of the toy choices that are at Maw Maw and Paw Paw's house that he doesn't have at our house...baby dolls being a big one, because of their granddaughter, Kara. Ben was very gentle with them, that seems to be a good sign with Tulip coming, right? His other faves at their house, besides the grandfather clock, are running up and down the line in the driveway (nearly giving Paw Paw a heart attack because of his speed), and watching Tigger bounce. I just loved that we spent the morning outside in our jammies. What fun!

Ben stayed at Dad and Sherry's that night while I drove home to meet my hubby and friends, Betsy and Marc, for dinner and a movie. Dinner was really tasty, but the movie was the main event - Harry Potter 6!! It was fantastic, and I'm already anxious for #7! Greg and I got to sleep in until 9 a.m. on Saturday morning!! When is the last time that has happened??? Met Dad, Sherry, and Ben for lunch - uh oh, without Thomas the Train. Good thing we are seeing them again on Wednesday!

Monday, August 10th, was a visit with Robin and her kiddos. Ben was in awe of all the Thomas stuff that Drew has, and Robin treated us to homemade pizza. Yum! On Wednesday, I met Dad halfway to swap Ben again. He was going to stay with grandparents while Greg worked the rest of the week and I traveled to CA with friends for a wedding. Got all packed up that afternoon, and Amy and Debbie arrived at our home around 9 p.m. Stayed up chatting until 10:30, then had to get some sleep for our early flight in the morning!

Left home with chauffeur Greg around 5:45 a.m. for Midway airport. (Pretty impressive getting 3 women out of the house before 6 a.m., right?) We checked in without any problems, and then grabbed some coffee (sadly, decaf for me) and headed to the gate to sit and relax. We were already having such a great time catching up and laughing, I couldn't wait for what the rest of the weekend would bring! Our flight left at 8:30 a.m., arrived 10:30 a.m. CA time. Our first stop was to visit my Grandma in Costa Mesa. It was so good to see her!! She treated us to lunch, and then was very sweet to drive us to Newport Beach for a few hours of California sun. It was my turn to treat for dinner - to celebrate Grandma's (belated) 84th birthday! We got back home and talked for a bit, then to bed around 10 p.m. (midnight IL time). We were wiped!

Had a slow Friday morning, walked for Starbucks and amazing strawberry coffeecake. Talked more, showered, packed up, had quick lunch, and hopped on our charter to Los Angeles around 1 p.m. It was hard saying goodbye to Grandma since our time together was so short. We arrived in LA at our hotel around 2 p.m. and were surprised to receive a goodie bag from Krista and Mike (the bride and groom) with treats, but also with suggestions on things to do around the city. We decided on a visit to Olvera Street - the birthplace of Los Angeles. Took the DASH bus (only 25 cents per person!) to Union Station, then walked to nearby Olvera Street. We took a peek inside the Avila Adobe, the oldest existing house in LA (built about 1818) and browsed the shops and street vendors. Ate a churro - had to, right? :)

We still had some more time to kill before the welcome reception that evening, so we walked to Chinatown around 4 p.m. Strolled through a large market - with no prices. Don't ask Debbie about that...she bought a little drum for her son for $2. I bought the same drum about 3 minutes later for $1.50. :) We enjoyed some Chinese food for dinner around 5 p.m. and then DASH'd back to our hotel. Before getting ready, we headed up to check out the view from the rooftop pool area. The sun was starting to go down and made the skyscrapers look really fabulous, and we dipped our tired toes in the hot tub too.

We changed clothes and headed a few blocks to Casey's Bar for a welcome reception hosted by Mike's parents. What a great way for us to spend time with Krista and Mike, knowing how busy the bride and groom are on the day of the wedding. Krista, Amy, and Debbie are all great friends of mine from high school, and I LOVE that we are still so close - even after all these years and all these miles apart! We were so honored to be invited to share in Krista's big day, and we were so thankful to our hubbies and parents for watching the kiddos to let us have a "girls' weekend in LA"! The reception was lots of fun - catching up with Krista, her parents, and meeting Mike's family. It was another late night, but wouldn't have missed it!!

Saturday, August 15th - wedding day! We started off the morning with ladies only yoga at the Standard Hotel. Pretty sure it was the first lesson for all three of us...we're such Midwesterners. :) I was impressed I was able to keep up - except for some "crow" move that I was not getting my preggo booty in the air for. The Standard Hotel is very trendy and popular these days, all very funky. For example, the bathroom is separated from the bedroom area by a glass wall. Um, again - not for the Midwestern gals. But, we did check out the rooftop pool area here too and relaxed on the waterbed lounger for a photo. Back to the hotel for a bit, then out to lunch, then back to get all pretty for the wedding!

Krista and Mike were very thoughtful to have shuttles for the hotel guests from the hotel to Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral. I think there was some confusion as we waited for quite a while and were getting nervous that we were going to need to hop in a cab! But, we made it to the church just before the ceremony started at 5:30 - whew! The Cathedral itself was amazing, less than 10 years old and huge! Krista looked absolutely stunning, and the ceremony was beautiful. Not without a few laughs too - the priest threw in a few "Kristina's" at the end - oops! We took the shuttle to Union Station for the reception.

The reception was just as beautiful and fun as the rest of the weekend. Yummy food, a great DJ, and a "photo booth" where guests could go take pix of themselves on the computer. Amy, Debbie, and I had fun watching as some people were getting pretty wacky, especially as the night went on. We enjoyed dancing and chatting, especially catching up with Krista's parents. Warm chocolate chip cookies with shot glasses of milk at 11 p.m. were perfect - and made us realize how ready we were to go get warm and cozy in bed (is that the Midwestern in us again, or the Mommy?). We said our goodbyes and headed out around 11:30. After all, 4:30 a.m. will come mighty quickly!

We made it to LAX airport in plenty of time, as there is no traffic on the road at 6 a.m. on a Sunday morning! Had breakfast, and it felt like a long wait for our 9 a.m. flight. The flight was a bumpy one that did not agree with Debbie at all, poor thing. We landed safely, got some lunch and our bags, and Greg and Ben picked us up at 3:30. Chicago roads were a mess of traffic, so it took a while to get home. I felt bad that the girls still had another couple hours to drive to get home to their families, but I was so grateful that we had this time together! It was too much fun, and we are already starting to brainstorm when and where to go next! :)

While I was away, Dad S and Dad Z made a Ben swap on Friday afternoon so that Ben could spend some time with both sets of grandparents. Greg met them after work, and they all drove up to the lake house in Wisconsin to spend some time there. Arrived late on Friday night, but clearly enjoyed some sunshine, sand, and splashing on Saturday. No jet ski for Ben on this trip...maybe next time. Greg and Ben came back home on Saturday evening, so I think Greg was just as exhausted as I was when we saw each other on Sunday evening. Hence the Chinese takeout for dinner and straight to bed for all 3 of us!

We got all packed up and cleaned up on Monday, and Dad and Sherry surprised us with a visit in the afternoon. They brought Bill and Ben (more Thomas trains) with them, so I think that gave Ben a total of 8 new trains in about 24 days. How spoiled is this kid?? :) Saw Mom Z later that night, and Dad Z the next day for a bit before Uncle Nick drove us to the airport on Tuesday, August 18th. We checked in, and I couldn't help taking a picture of Greg under gate C19 - as that is the gate that I think we have flown to Amsterdam from nearly every time, and this would be the last time we'd see C19. Ah, bittersweet. As usual, Ben did well on the flight, but didn't drift off to sleep until 10:30 p.m. I didn't really sleep, but I was glad that Greg got a little shut-eye, as he was going to be flying out to London in a few short hours after we landed in Amsterdam. And it seems the Zabikows just keep on traveling...

Sunshine and Sadness

2009-08-28T05:32:00.004-07:00

The middle of July in Amsterdam has been especially beautiful. Ben and I have enjoyed time at the park and the pool - with friends or just by ourselves. Feels like a small way to get us ready for some Midwest summer heat when we travel back to the States on July 25th.

Our playtime at Westerpark below. They have a playground with slide and sandbox, but Ben always asks to go play in the grass instead. He loves finding leaves, rocks, flowers, sticks - anything that he can then throw in the pond. :) And, we like to kick around a ball and blow bubbles. Ben asks for "big bubbles". Do you know how hard it is to blow a big bubble from those tiny bubble wands on a windy day? Loved the wildlife we saw this day and all the beautiful summer colors in bloom...

Our time with friends at Vondelpark Pool. Ben loves splashing in the water, and I love that I got to share some time with some of my favorite gals and babes. It's always amazing though if anyone actually gets to finish a complete thought...we're always so busy chasing after those little ones!

Our time relaxin' at home. After so much sunshine in the mornings, we usually take it easy inside after Ben's naptime while I make dinner. One afternoon, Ben was watching Thomas the Train, and I went to change the laundry. I came back out, and Ben had found himself a rather comfy, and completely unsafe, place to relax on the couch. Poor kid, I almost hated to ask him to get down because he just looked so "zen".

July wasn't all sunshine though. We did have to say goodbye to some very dear friends, the Tusts. They are moving back to the States on August 17th, and we don't return from our 3 week visit to the States until August 19th. So, on July 24th, the night before we flew to IL, we had Meghan, Rob, and little Kaia over for a goodbye dinner. It will be hard not having them here once we get back to Amsterdam, but we feel so lucky to have gotten to know them over the past 15 months. The ex-pat experience bonds people together like no other experience, and Kaia was Ben's first little "crush", so they will always have a special place in our hearts. My favorite photos are the last 2...Kaia giving one last WWF move to her buddy, and then a very serious Kaia and a very wacky Benjamin with their mommies. :) We'll miss you guys!!

And now it is time for 3 weeks in the States to visit family, attend weddings, and enjoy some Midwest summer. We can't wait!! (Except, of course, for that 9 hour flight...with an exhausted hubby who has been traveling for the previous 5 days for work, an exhausted wife who has been packing and cleaning all week and is pregnant, and a toddler who can't sit still. Oh, and don't even get me started on the jet lag...)

Meet Tulip!

2009-08-28T05:32:00.003-07:00

As most of you already know by now, Greg and I got some wonderful news back on Thursday, May 7th - we are expecting our second little Zabikow! Actually, to be completely truthful, I (only me) found out on May 7th via home test. Greg was traveling for work in Norway at the time, and he called me about 10 minutes after I took the test to just say hello. What timing! It was SO hard not telling him our good news, but this didn't feel like "over the phone" kind of news, you know? So, once he got home in the evening on May 8th, he was thrilled to hear that he was going to be a Daddy again! It sure made Mother's Day that weekend extra special!

At the time we learned the news, I was about 5 weeks pregnant, so here is the "it's official" photo. When pregnant with Ben, I was very good about taking a photo every 4 weeks to show how my tummy was growing. This photo was snapped close to 6 weeks, so already it appears that this baby is getting to have a reason for the "poor me second child" syndrome. :)

Also while pregnant with Ben, since we weren't going to find out the gender, we gave him a "baby name", so as not to have to refer to the baby as "it". We called him "Appleseed", because I remember reading that was how big the fetus was at the time. Well, we have decided not to find out the gender with this baby either, so his/her baby name is "Tulip". Seems logical for a baby conceived in Holland, right? It was either Tulip, Windmill, or Van Gogh... :) The story behind these wooden tulips below is funny. I have always thought that these are a bit silly really, why would you want to put a vaseful of wooden flowers in your home? Well, one day not long after hearing that Tulip was on his/her way, Greg came home with pink and blue tulips. OK, I guess they are pretty cute now... ;)

Early on, I was feeling ok - a little nauseous and exhausted. Is that from being pregnant or from chasing after an active 2 year old?? Either way, the absolute best thing about being a stay-at-home mommy right now is that I can take a nap when Ben naps. Never could do that at Experian (and get away with it). :) Here's another tummy photo, taken around 9 weeks on my 31st birthday. Nothing changing just yet...

In case you are wondering, the "pregnancy process" is a bit different in the Netherlands versus the States. First of all, when I saw our general doctor (Dr. Groot) at about 6 weeks and told her I thought I was pregnant, she says "ok". No urine test, initial bloodwork, or early ultrasound to confirm. Just, "yep, if you say you are, then you probably are". Especially since this is my second pregnancy. I was sent to a lab for blood work around week 9, and then to an ultrasound office at week 10 for an ultrasound. Nothing is done at the same place here, ugh. Once the bloodwork and ultrasound results were sent to Dr. Groot, and since all was well, I was referred to a midwife. In most cases, you would only see an ob/gyn if you have a medical need.

Speaking of ultrasound, our 10 week ultrasound on June 8th was great. Tulip was active with a strong heartbeat. Whew! Ben wasn't totally sure what was happening, but he thought it was pretty cool that the lady was putting goo on Mommy's tummy, and he liked watching the "TV". Tulip's estimated date of arrival is January 11th, 2010! That means I won't be giving birth in Holland, since we move back to the States on October 15th. A little bummed about that, as I've heard good things about the process. I would have strongly considered an 'at home' birth, which is much more common here than the U.S. But, don't get me wrong...I LOVE knowing that we have lots of family and friends to share in our joy and help us out once Tulip arrives!

The very next day, June 9th, was a day that Greg and I had been waiting for...Mom Z arrived for a visit to Amsterdam, and that meant that we could finally share the news with family and friends!! We thought we deserved to see at least one reaction to our news in person, so we were holding out for her arrival. It was worth it! She saw Ben's "Big Brother" t-shirt and says "really??". We spent the next few days calling family and close friends. It was so good to have loved ones know our exciting news and to be praying with us for a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby.

Around week 11, I started feeling heartburn in addition to the nausea and exhaustion. At that time, I also noticed the beginnings of a baby bump. Hee hee!! Cravings?? Grapefruit juice. Finally, around weeks 14/15, I was feeling much less nauseous and started regaining some energy. I had my first midwife appointment on July 14th with Lotte. She was awesome! She took my general medical history, pregnancy history, and was very impressed with my "no meds" birth with Ben. We listened to Tulip's heartbeat again, and she said that everything looked and sounded good so far. She was very clear to have me call if I needed anything at all - even if I was just feeling anxious and wanted to come hear the baby's heartbeat again. I thought that was really sweet - very "customer service" for a culture that is not always known for their customer service. I will see her again in early September after my 20 week ultrasound. In the meantime, here is a week 14 picture...2 pounds gained so far.

Hope you enjoyed "meeting" Tulip, and we feel so blessed to be expecting such a fabulous and precious gift after we return to the States from this grand adventure.

Denmark: Friends, Food, and Fun!

2009-08-28T05:32:00.001-07:00

As usual when we travel, our adventures to Denmark started early in the a.m. and with some excitement. We were up by 4:30 a.m. on Friday, July 3rd and on a bus to Central Station before 6:30. We bought our train tickets for Schipol, and as we were looking for the platform, I thought I could make out something about "no trains" and "Schipol" using my limited Dutch. Thankfully, English came next, but we were not thankful for the message. "No trains running to Schipol due to power failure. There is no alternative." Come on, it's only 6:30 a.m. on Day 1 - do we really have to be confronted with travel changes already? We walked outside (with our useless 5 euro worth of "valid for today" train tickets) and grabbed a 50 euro cab instead. Ouch.

We checked in for our flight, and as would be the nature of our day so far, Greg gets personally searched behind a curtain due to his knee brace. Oops, forgot to take it off! As we waited at our gate, we noticed our pilots climb out of the cockpit and start washing windows. Seriously. At first, I was a little concerned that they could just pop out the window like that, but then I figured that I prefer that they can see where they are going, so clean away! Our flight took off on time - and with shiny windows - at 8:50 a.m.

We landed in Billund, Denmark at 9:45 a.m. We were headed to see our friends, the Podulkas, who had moved to Aarhus in late March. Kristen and Ryan so thoughtful to pick us up from the airport, and they received quite a hello from Ben...he squealed and laughed, way too excited!! We drove an hour from Billund to Aarhus (Denmark's second largest city) and chatted the whole way; it was so good to be together! It was a bit of a comical scene too...Greg chose to sandwich himself in between the 2 car seats in the back and took care of all of the boys' needs...snacks, drinks, books, blankets, etc. They kept him busy! We saw some beautiful Danish countryside along the way, and the harbor is right down the street from their home - just gorgeous! Kristen made us some yummy lunch, while the boys ran around and squealed some more. The boys were finally able to settle down for naps, while the adults (minus Joe who was working) got to sit outside in the backyard and enjoy the sunshine. Yes, I said backyard...what a change from Amsterdam already! Ben and Ryan woke up around 4 p.m., shared some smoothie, and we got packed up and on our way to the city center to look around and meet Joe for dinner.

The downtown was beautiful, and it didn't take us long to notice how expensive Denmark is...we saw shirts on "sale" - 2 for $100! That's a sale?? We walked by the Aarhus Cathedral, which is the longest cathedral in Denmark. (Silly refurbishments make for much less beautiful photos, sorry!). The boys were much more interested in playing in the fountain nearby, so we didn't actually get to take a peek inside the church. Joe rode up on his bike, and we walked down the Vadestedet canal area with lots of cute cafes with waterfront seating. Around the corner was Bones restaurant - a great steakhouse with a playroom for the kids. They were back and forth all night, but I think both of them managed to eat a little dinner too. :) Home for some bathtime fun, and then bed for the boys. The adults got to stay up, chat, watch a movie, and best of all - enjoy Kristen's homemade strawberry pie! The day obviously ended WAY better than it began. :)

Happy 4th of July! Kristen treated us to french toast casserole for breakfast, and then we all got ready for the beach. We drove (Joe biked...no room for him in the car!) to Moesgard beach on the Aarhus Bay, which leads to the North Sea. It was warm and sunny, and the boys had a blast playing in the sand, splashing in the water, and collecting shells (and Ben would then bury them in the sand). The sand was a bit rocky, so there was lots of throwing rocks into the water too - these are boys, remember? :) We were surprised to see so many jellyfish in the water, and to see all of the Danish children catching them! Apparently, as long as they aren't "pink", they are safe to touch. Joe managed to catch a few too! Ryan loved that...Ben stuck with the shells. I don't think he was afraid, he just didn't seem interested. Headed for home around 12:30 for lunch and naps. Kristen took me to the grocery store, Kvickly, to get some things for the picnic later that night. Wow, it was HUGE! Very different than the Albert Heijns of Amsterdam. More like the size of a Costco, but with normal grocery store sizes. But, with Denmark prices, a small carton of strawberries was $6! Bought a huge triangle danish to enjoy later...

After naptime, we walked to Mindepark for our 4th of July picnic with the Illgs (more friends from Amsterdam that have moved to Aarhus), and a few more Aarhus friends. The park was huge, and the boys played and played. We were very excited when Karen and Larry arrived - with baby Katie! About 6 weeks old, she was tiny and so adorable! We enjoyed sandwiches, pasta salad, fruit, and just getting to spend time with friends. By the time we left at 8 p.m., Ben had scraped elbows, and Ryan had scraped knees. I'd say that's a sign of a great holiday picnic, don't you? :) Put the boys to bed and enjoyed our gigantic danish. Yep, the Danish know how to do danishes!

Enjoyed breakfast on Sunday morning, and then we decided to visit the Modelbane Europa train museum in Hadsten - a little town about 30 minutes away. Sadly, we had to leave Joe behind...he decided not to ride in the trunk. :) The train museum was a bit comical, very small and very simple. The children's "activity center" was a few sheets of paper and a handful of crayons. But, the boys really seemed to enjoy it, and that was the point, right? We stayed for about an hour, then drove back home for lunch and naptime.

While the boys napped, Joe and Kristen were nice enough to 'babysit' while Greg and I walked along the harbor. The Aarhus harbor is one of the largest industrial harbors in northern Europe and the largest in Denmark. Joe's office is located right near the marina, and he has a fantastic view of the water from his office window. Makes it a little easier to go to work every day, hopefully? :) We also strolled by Mindepark again to see the Queen's summer house. Wow.

Around 5 p.m. we went to the Illg's home for a cookout, to see their home, and to spend time with baby Katie. Ben loved looking at her in the swing and watching Karen feed her. But, he wasn't too sure about Mommy holding her. :) Dinner was delicious - Larry makes a mean steak! We left around 8:30, bath and bed for the boys, and then the 4 of us stayed up chatting until midnight! It was so good to visit with them, and we feel so blessed to have made lifelong friends in such a short amount of time.

On Monday, July 6th, it was hard saying goodbye to the Podulkas. We were very appreciative of their hospitality and hope to repay the favor someday. We caught the 8:30 a.m. train to Copenhagen - a 3 hour ride. Once we arrived at Central Station (photo below), we stopped by the tourist office for a city map, then to check in to our hotel and plan our "strategy". Ben was sleeping, Greg was having a work crisis, and I was plotting a course. We left the hotel after 1 p.m. for lunch and the city sights!

We started with a view of the Radhus (Town Hall), which is actually a newer building - built from 1892 until 1905. From there, we thought we would head out of the city center a ways and then work our way back in. So, we hopped on a city bus to see Den Lille Havfrue (The Little Mermaid), the famous statue that has been sitting in the Copenhagen harbor since 1913. From there, as we walked toward the Kastellet, we saw a windmill! Hey, this isn't Holland?! We also saw St. Alban's Church and Churchill park. Ben loved the fountain outside the church, and naturally we heard - "money, money"! We had him toss in 1 or 2 cent euro coins...Danish money is too valuable at the prices we were seeing!!

The Kastellet (The Citadel) is one of the best preserved fortifications in northern Europe. Construction began in 1626, and the fortification was used in 1807 in the city's defense against England. Today it is used by the Defense Ministry as an active military area. That would explain all the very serious men and women in uniform. :) The complex also has a church built in 1704, and it turns out that the windmill we saw belongs to the Kastellet. (Can you see the blades behind the church?) The windmill standing today was built in 1847, a year after the original mill from 1718 was destroyed in a storm. A fortified city needs supplies like flour and rolled oats, don't you think?

After some "free" time at the Kastellet, we packed Ben up in his stroller again for more sights. We walked to Frederik's Church, popularly known as the Marble Church, and I was seriously bummed when we came across this huge display of scaffolding. Good thing I had my map reading a bit off, because the next block up was the Marble Church. Whew! The church's first stone was laid in 1749, but it stood as a ruin for nearly 150 years until it was finally completed in 1894. We didn't make it inside; it was late in the day and the church was already closed. It was a short walk down the street to the Amalienborg Palace - the winter home of the Danish royal family. It is actually a complex of 4 palaces around an octagonal courtyard. Building of all the palaces took place in the mid 1700's and were built for 4 noble families. But, when Christiansborg Palace (thr original royal residence) burnt down in 1794, the royal family bought the palaces and moved in. Again, no visit inside, but Ben liked watching the guards with the funny hats march back and forth. Behind the Palace and across the water was a view of the Opera House - built in 2005 and one of the most modern opera houses in the world. A huge contrast from the buildings we were just admiring, but also fantastic in it's own way. Would love to have gone to the opera...(sigh).

By now, we were getting quite tired and a bit hungry. We decided to stroll through Nyhavn - a colorful 17th century canal lined with townhouses, bars, and restaurants - and possibly stop for dinner or at least work our way back to the hotel. The canal itself was packed with old wooden ships. We read that Danish author Hans Christian Andersen lived at Nyhavn for several years. Being a canal filled with narrow homes, it was slightly reminiscent of Amsterdam - but with much more color. Very cute and very lively for a Monday evening. We walked through to Kongens Nytorv square, the largest square in the city. Many important buildings face the square, including the Royal Danish Theater. There was a small market set up, so we bought some fresh fruit. We were able to catch a bus back to our hotel/train station area. We stopped in a grocery store to grab some bread, cheese, yogurt, milk, cookies. Made our way back to the hotel and enjoyed a little picnic in our room - with Ben running around, turning the bathroom light on and off, pushing his trains under the bed - while we sat on the bed and watched, glad to be off our feet for the night.

Tuesday morning was nice and slow. Breakfast was full of hard choices, which danish do I try first?? Ben liked the chocolate one, go figure. We started off walking towards Town Hall, which led us to the Stroget - the longest pedestrian shopping area in Europe! We stopped into a Danish souvenir shop to buy some postcards and had to give a Danish "shout out" to the Podulkas, who are always sending photos of Ryan in funny hats from their journeys. We liked the "football/viking" mix of the one below, and so did Ben. I thought for a minute we were going to have to buy it...he wouldn't let us take it off! That could have been disasterous, as it was equivalent to a $30 hat! Did we mention yet how expensive Denmark is? :) Actually, I did read an article that Copenhagen is the 7th most expensive place to live in the world...we believe it! Here's a picture of the "funny money", officially known as "kroner".

We veered off the Stroget to see Our Lady's Church, the national cathedral of Denmark. The present version of the church was completed in 1829. It didn't look that grand from the outside, but the interior was breathtaking. Makes sense why the Crown Prince of Denmark was married here in 2004. We happened to pass by St. Petri Church on the way to the Round Tower.

The Rundetaarn (Round Tower) was built on the initiative of King Christian IV, with the foundation stone laid on July 7th, 1637. Wait a minute, today is July 7th! How funny to be there on the "anniversary"! It was built as an astronomical observatory and is most noted for it's 7.5 turns around the hollow core of the tower leading to the top - and for it's view of the city. It is the oldest functioning observatory in Europe. The Tower is part of the Trinitatis Complex, which provided scholars of the time with a student church and university library as well. We wound our way up to the top, with a quick look in the teeny-tiny "privy" (potty). The views were pretty spectacular, and despite looking like he's sleeping in Greg's arms, Ben enjoyed running around and around and around the safely-enclosed platform. We took a look inside the church on our way out, also very beautiful. Happy anniversary Rundetaarn, and thanks for the visit!

Ben was ready for a little more room to roam, so we were happy to oblige at the nearby King's Gardens, Denmark's oldest royal garden. It was a gorgeous, warm day, and there were plenty of wildflowers to keep Ben entertained. There is a pathway from the Gardens that leads to the Rosenborg Castle. It was originally built by Christian IV as a country summerhouse in 1606, but is now a museum housing Danish royal artifacts. Next to the castle are barracks where the Royal Life Guards are stationed. These are guards from the Danish Royal Army that guard the castle.

It was about 1 p.m., and Ben fell asleep as we walked down the Kobmagergade shopping street to the Hojbro Plads, an entertainment square where we saw this giant poster for the upcoming Harry Potter 6 movie. I couldn't help but snap a photo...getting excited to see it, and apparently so are the Danish! Kept walking, saw the Holmens Church and the Borsen (stock exchange) building. The Borsen was another project by Christian IV built from 1619-1640 and is the oldest stock exchange in Europe. It is particularly known for its "Dragon Spire", as the tails of four dragons are twined together to the top. Very near the Borsen is Christiansborg Palace, home of the Danish Parliament, the Supreme Court, Office of the Prime Minister, and official reception area of the Queen. The first castle was built here in 1167, but fires in 1794 and 1884 gave way to the current version, finished in 1928. We have a photo from the "Borsen" side, a photo of Danish regalia as we passed through the gate, and a photo of the back (and I think more charming) side of the palace.

At this point, our tummies could not take it any longer, and we needed lunch!! It was a short walk to the Latin Quarter, where we found a square with lots of choices. We considered Danish, Chinese, and more - but settled on a bagel shop. When I say settled, I definitely do NOT mean "settled". This was the most amazing bagel sandwich I have ever tasted (holding my prized possession below)!! An 'everything' bagel with cream cheese, sliced cheese, avocado (with lemon), greens, cucumber, and sweet/sour pickles. Maybe it doesn't sound that good to you, but I thought about asking Greg to go buy another one for later, just because I couldn't imagine that this would be my first and only chance to taste this yummy goodness. I decided against it, I knew I'd never be able to finish another one, and it seemed like torture to waste such a masterpiece. I don't think Greg and Ben were nearly as "over the top" about their bagels, but what do they know?? OK, enough about bagels and back to the Copenhagen sights. (PS for all those concerned...I have tried to recreate the bagel sensation back in Amsterdam, but I can't get it quite right just yet. Quality of bagels here are not great, and in the last 18 months have still not found a decent pickle to enjoy. Maybe in the States...)

It was time to walk back to the hotel for work; Greg had a quick call that he needed to be a part of. Ben and I were fine with the idea of a little R&R. On the way, we passed by a Tivoli entrance (the H.C. Andersen castle)...I'll explain Tivoli in a minute. We also saw the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek art museum, with a collection inside built around the personal collection of the son of the founder of Carlsberg Breweries, Carl Jacobsen. We are not big on touring art museums with a toddler, but I did at least enjoy the view of the fabulous building from the outside.

As it turns out, Greg's meeting was cancelled. It was still good to get a little relaxing in before heading back out at 5 p.m. for Tivoli! Tivoli is a famous amusement park in the heart of Copenhagen, first opened in August 1843. I believe it is the second-oldest amusement park in the world. It is a combination of amusement rides, theaters, restaurants, and flower gardens.

The first item on our list was dinner. Since we passed up Chinese for lunch (remember those awesome bagels??), we had it for dinner instead. The restaurant was right near one of the roller coasters, so Ben loved that every couple of minutes he could scream along with those on the ride. It was hilarious. The food was your typical Chinese fare, and Ben enjoyed a hot dog and fries. It was tasty enough, but not $80 tasty! Yep, that's right - 2 Chinese dishes and a hot dog came to the low, low price of $80! Holy cow! Let me just say this...seriously, Copenhagen is a fantastic city, and we highly recommend a visit. But, just be sure you have saved your pennies (make that $50's) before you get here and be prepared to spend.

We walked around, listened to the music, and just took it all in. What a great place to enjoy a summer evening! We considered having Greg and Ben ride on the old-fashioned cars - until we priced it out. $16 for one ride. Oh brother! Besides, Ben was just as happy to watch the cars go by - and until he gets older and wiser, that's just fine with us. :) We did treat him to some ice cream though, so we are not altogether grumpy parents. Look at that ice cream mustache and tell me he wasn't perfectly happy! By then, it was 8 p.m. and getting to be bedtime. We said goodbye to Tivoli...with Ben screaming "Tivoli, Tivoli" all the way back to the hotel. OK, I guess we are rotten parents after all. Poor kid...

We woke up on Wednesday asking Ben, "do you know what we are doing today?" His response, "going to Tivoli!!" Nope, sorry kid. But, we did get to fly on an airplane, which is pretty fun too. At the Copenhagen airport, Greg enjoyed a seriously good hot dog (kind of like my bagel experience) from Steff's Place. It's gotta be good from Steff's, right? Our flight was a little late taking off, and we landed in Amsterdam around 2 p.m. We had an incredible adventure to Denmark - visiting with friends and exploring Copenhagen. The time went by too fast, as always, and now it's time to dive headfirst into our "going to the States" planning. We leave in less than 3 weeks!

Goodbyes...already??

2009-07-13T00:59:00.003-07:00

We have already had to start saying goodbye to some of the things that we love about Amsterdam. Ben's last swim class was June 9th, and he absolutely loves the water! Especially this second session that we took since he turned 2 - they raise the bottom of the pool so that the children can walk in the water on their own. He loves floating on his back, jumping in the water, and on the last day he even dove down for a "turtle ring" with Mommy's help! And, this is where we learned many of the popular Dutch children's songs since the class was entirely in Dutch. I will have to go online to find the words to these songs - as right now I sing the tune and have to mumble through, not that Ben minds. He still asks for me to sing them again...and again...and again. His love of swim class has carried over to home time too...he went about a week where all he wanted to wear were his Thomas the Train swim trunks. Seriously. Luckily, I was able to talk him into putting a shirt on to go to the grocery store. :)

Our other goodbye on July 2nd was Little Gym class. Ben learned so much in that class - how to listen, follow directions, wait his turn, and play nicely with other children. His absolute favorite thing about the class was the jumpy mat that was blown up maybe once a month or so. He would jump, fall down, giggle - and then do it all over again. His second favorite thing about the class was definitely his teacher, Miss Annegeen. She would nearly trip over him sometimes because he was right under her feet. And, he would run full force at her (the way he does with us) and give big hugs. We will miss our Thursday Little Gym class and all the wonderful friends we met there!! OK, I'm getting sad again thinking about it - not ready for the goodbyes to start!!

Cruisin' Down the Rhine: On the Water

2009-07-13T00:58:00.002-07:00

Continuing on with our Rhine travels, we were able to "sleep in" until 6 a.m. on Monday, June 22. We ate breakfast, checked out of our Rudesheim hotel, and waited at the boat dock for our 9:15 cruise down the Rhine. The morning was chilly and windy, but we were excited to get on the water. The plan was to cruise to Bacharach for a sightseeing stop, then on to St. Goar for the night. We would cruise again on Tuesday to complete our journey, arriving in Koblenz. And, the best part, along the way are castles, castles, and more castles! The camera was loaded with batteries...and away we go!

Leaving Rudesheim...

Views of the Rudesheim vineyards, with the Niederwald Monument in the distance...

Across the river, the town of Bingen and Burg Klopp - a heavily rebuilt castle whose origins probably date from the Roman era. Just a short way up the river is the Mauseturm (the Mouse Tower), a small tower on a mid-stream island. It was originally a customs tower, now a signal tower. Legend has it that a hated archbishop of Mainz was eaten alive here by mice during the Middle Ages. Yucky.

Directly opposite the Mauseturm on the right side of the Rhine are the ruins of Burg Ehrenfels, a 13th century fortress destroyed by the French in 1689. Its location at the entrance to the Bingen Hole gave the archbishop of Mainz an opportunity to collect tolls here. (The Bingen Hole was a narrow stretch of water feared by boatsmen for its hazardous rocky cliffs. Was widened in the 19th century with the aid of explosives.)

Right after the views of Ehrenfels is the village of Assmannshausen that we visited the day before. More lovely vineyards, but this time making red instead of white. :)

Back to the left side are the Rheinstein, Reichenstein, and Sooneck Castles. The Rheinstein (in the first picture) was built by robber barons in the 13th century. Was used to extort tolls from passing boats. Less than half a mile is the Reichenstein, 11th century castle which overlooks the village of Trechtingshausen. Just beyond this is the Sooneck, dating from 1010. As with the other two, also used to collect tolls. All three of these castles were heavily restored during a wave of romanticism that swept 19th century Germany.

Speaking of romantic, it really was lovely on the water. The skies were partly cloudy, and the air was so cool (let's be honest, COLD) that we moved inside to the lower deck for a bit. Ben was even sporting his winter hat - in June!! We snacked, and I would run up to the upper deck when it came time to snap photos. A good, and warm, system.

Well, it wasn't all sunshine and roses at this point. We were approaching Bacharach, where we intended to get off the boat for a few hours to stroll through this quaint town and have lunch. We got ready and waited by the doors. As the doors opened and passengers started leaving, I asked for the stamp on our tickets that would allow us to get off and back on. The man told me to wait on the boat and started loading new passengers. Once the new passengers were on, they quickly gathered the boarding equipment as the boat was leaving the dock. (Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that they are so efficient at each stop.) I asked what was going on - we intended to get off and I was waiting for a stamp. The man told me that I needed to have my ticket stamped when I got ON the boat, not as I was exiting. At this point, Greg and I can see that we are not lunching in Bacharach, and we are very angry. I explain that no one mentioned this to us or were there any announcements made on board that would have suggested that - we were simply told to get stamped before we leave the boat. Well, frustrations continue to rise, words were exchanged (not swear words, just loud words), and we were so disappointed. We finally calmed down, what could we do about it now? Time would not allow us to get off at the next stop and backtrack...it takes MUCH longer to get back upstream than it does to sail with the current. So, no Bacharach visit. The worst part was that during our "exchange" with the boatmen, I missed photos of castles!! The Pfalzgrafenstein (Die Pfalz) - known to be "absolutely irresistible to photographers" - and the town of Kaub with the Gutenfels Castle completely passed us by. Boo. Thankfully, I caught these shots of Bacharach and the Stahleck Castle as we approached the Bacharach dock (before WW3). :)

Moving on, we approached the picturesque town of Oberwesel, with Schonburg Castle. Our friends, Betsy and Marc, stayed here during their visit to Amsterdam/Germany last fall and loved it. I looked at staying at a castle along our journey, but they were already booked months in advance! Must have to plan well ahead for summer stays along the Rhine.

A little ways up the river on the "starboard" (right) side of the boat is the legendary Loreley. This steep rock is 132 meters high, but it feels much taller because the Rhine is only 90 meters wide at this point. A well-known song suggests that in ancient times, a lovely maiden sat at the top and lured boatmen to their deaths in the turbulent waters below. Not sure about that, but one real thing about this narrow passage is the seven-fold echo...which we tried. :)

We were approaching our stopping point for the day - with St. Goarshausen on the right and St. Goar on the left. Above St. Goarshausen is the 14th century Burg Katz, destroyed in 1806. It was rebuilt according to old plans from 1896 to 1898.

We got off the boat around 11 a.m. in St. Goar, said to have been the most strongly fortified town on the Rhine. Our hotel was very close to the dock (yes, I planned it that way), but our room was not quite ready. So, we dropped off our luggage and walked in the direction of the Loreley statue. We ate some sandwiches across the river from the lovely maiden...I didn't lose either of my "boatmen" to her charm. :)

At this point, Ben seemed awake and ready to explore the main attraction - the Rheinfels Castle. Wrong...he fell asleep in his stroller before we could board the little train that takes us there. So, we walked along main street, browsed the restaurants for our dinner selection, and filled out some postcards. Oh, can't forget that we saw the "world's largest cuckoo clock". :) We checked into our hotel at 1 p.m. - a huge, apartment-style room and the owners were so nice! Ben woke up, had some berries, and we ventured out around 1:30 for the castle.

We took this cute little train up the short, but steep, hill to Rheinfels Castle. We explored the ruins for over 2 hours! We all had so much fun - up and down stairs, through dark tunnels, and admiring the beautiful views of the Rhine below. Like many of the other castles we'd seen, the Rheinfels was built in 1245 as a toll collecting station and was once the most powerful on the Rhine. It was destroyed by the French in 1796/97, hence the "ruins" that remain today. We found our way out of the maze of stone back to the entrance and took the train back into town. We enjoyed an early German dinner of brats, kraut, and potatoes - topped off by a stop for streudel on the way to the hotel. (We'd burned up a lot of calories at the castle...wink, wink.)

PS - I LOVE what Europe has done to my hubby. At dinner he says, "I've got to get a cappuccino tomorrow". Ha, laugh out loud funny! This coming from the man who "doesn't drink coffee". True, it's more fru fru than it is coffee, and he adds plenty of sugar - but hey, it's a start, right?

Tuesday was a slow, relaxing morning. We had breakfast and were able to wander around St. Goar in the sunshine before we boarded the boat again at 11 a.m. to Koblenz. You'll appreciate that our "boat buddies" from the day before were working again, but all was forgiven by now. Here is a view of the Rheinfels from the water as we left St. Goar...

Just a short way up the river was Burg Maus. It is actually Thurnberg Castle, but it was nicknamed "Mouse" by the Counts of Katzenelnbogen (of the nearby Katz Castle). Today it is a farm for eagles and falcons.

A little further are "The Hostile Brothers". These two castle ruins - Sterrenberg and Liebenstein - were built as imperial castles in the 11th and 13th centuries. The two castles are divided by the Hostility Wall. Legend says that the two brothers killed each other in the church of Bornhofen, having fought over the love of a fair maiden. Sheesh!

No castles here, but Boppard was a very picturesque town that we docked at to pick up passengers. And old, it was founded by the Romans in AD 370!

Cruising right along, we saw the best-preserved fortress along the Rhine - Marksburg - just above the little town of Braubach, which dates from the 12th century. In all of the battles that ravaged this area, Marksburg was never humbled, until 1945 (WW2). The damage has been restored, and it is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful castles on the Rhine.

Situated above Stolzenfels is the Schloss Stolzenfels, originally from the 13th century but heavily rebuilt in 1836 as a dreamy 19th century vision of the Age of Chivalry. It did look very romantic - minus the scaffolding and green construction netting.

And finally, we arrived in Koblenz with views of the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. It was dismantled in 1919 and is now a museum. We stepped off the boat around 1:30 p.m. and had a 30 minute walk to our hotel. Great location for the train station on Wednesday morning, but a haul from the boat dock! Oh well, it was good to get the blood flowing after the chilly, but fantastic, trip down the Rhine.

Checked in, relaxed a bit, and then out to see the sights of Koblenz. We thought it was cute...Ben kept saying "Klobenz". We walked to the Kurfurstliches Schloss - um, how do you like that crane and those dirt piles? Oh well, kept walking to St. Kastor Kirche, first consecrated in 836. We kept walking towards the water, and we found this 3-piece memorial section of the Berlin Wall.

The most famous sight in Koblenz is the Deutsches Eck (German Corner), a piece of land at the confluence of the rivers Moselle and Rhine. The temps were great, low 70's, but it was very windy!! We could see the Fortress across the Rhine, and there is an enormous statue of Kaiser Wilhelm, dating back to 1897. It was destroyed in 1945, and finally rebuilt in 1993. Although my "refurbishment annoyance" button is being pushed, we appreciated the views it provided. :) We walked along the water (Rhine) down to the ferry landing to ask about the ferry to the Fortress. Sadly, we did some research, and there is no other easy way to reach it unless by chair lift once we would ferry to the other side of the river. Ugh, those darn chair lifts again!

After giving up on Ehrenbreitstein, we made our way back into the Old Town to the Rathaus, the 17th century town hall that is built around a courtyard with the amusing "Schangelbrunnen" - a fountain with a naughty boy who spits water unexpectedly. Hee hee! He's even so famous, he's on the city's manhole covers.

We wandered through some small streets to the Liebfrauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), built between 1180 and 1250. Strolled through Am Plan square and on to Balduin Bridge, which spans the Moselle River. We had to look close to see the 3 of the original 14 arches that were destoyed by a bomb in 1945 and have now been replaced with a modern section. At the foot of the bridge stands the Alte Burg (Old Castle), built in the 13th century and now houses the municipal library. I just thought it was quite pretty right there along the water. Now it was decision time. There were a few more things to see, but our feet and stomachs were screaming STOP! The feet and tummies won, and so we stopped for dinner. Back to the hotel around 7 p.m., and I think we all slept well that night!

On Wednesday morning, since we chose to skip the Fortress the day before, we considered visiting Fort Konstantin instead. It sits on the hill overlooking the train station. It was built from 1821 to 1832 on the site of the Middle Age Karthause monastery. After breakfast, we walked behind the train station and expected a path or signs or something that would show us the way to the Fort. No dice. So, it was such a beautiful day, we decided to head in the opposite direction toward the water to enjoy a little play time and last looks at the Rhine before our 11:15 train to Cologne. (Had to connect through Cologne to get back to Amsterdam.) Ben made some duck friends, and we chased and were chased in the warm sunshine.

The train to Cologne was a little over an hour, and Ben fell asleep almost immediately after we started looking for a spot to enjoy lunch. We found a little cafe with a great view of the Dom to enjoy as we sat, ate, and talked. The city looks and feels very different than when we saw it last at Christmas time. We walked towards the train station and briefly peeked in the Dom. Lingered at Starbucks on the other side of the church until about 2:30. Then enjoyed our 1st class trip back to Amsterdam! Don't ask me how, but the 1st class tickets were cheaper than the 2nd class ones...so it was a no-brainer to travel in style for the 2+ hour journey home.

We were absolutely exhausted from this trip!! I think being in a new spot every night, having a full agenda, and traveling with a toddler will do that to a person, huh? But, we wouldn't have traded it for the world! The cities were great, the scenery along the Rhine was breathtaking, and we always love to eat in Germany! Now, we're home for about a week, and then traveling...again! This time to Denmark to visit friends...can't wait!