Hang time in Horst

31/07/11

Exercising and fine dining!

After 33 days of travel I hav accumulated quite a few magnets, postcards and other souvenirs and I wanted to send them home. We checked out a few internet sites and the prices ranged from 95-120 euro for 2kgs – no thanks I’ll carry it.

I needed some exercise and an adrenalin kick so I went for a bike ride around the block and to Aunty Toos and Uncle Gere’s. She was adamant that we could send the parcel for about 20 euro so looked again and hey presto – post.nl send packages for 18 euro – yeh! After packing it all and going through all my stuff and putting in Aunty Truus’ gifts we were up to 4 kgs – uh oh, no worries only 34 euro and I’ll be glad to pay that so I don’t have to carry it around with me for the next 57 days.

In the afternoon Albert, Gerty and I went around the area my dad grew up in and followed some walking tracks. It was cool to be back as I remembered some areas from 6 years ago and exploring with my Dad – such precious memories.

Later in the afternoon we went into town had caught up with Gerty’s side of the family for drinks and a fabulous dinner of bruschetta, wedges and a tortilla. We talked about family and what traits we have of our relatives – something else I feel I missed out on, getting to know my aunts and uncles and thinking – wow I’m just likes that, or ‘that’s where I get that from.’ I can’t exactly ring my older rellies as they only speak a few words of English. Made me realise the importance and special time we share face to face with people. Make the most of it and really get to know them, share your story with them, who you are and enjoy the time with them, make every moment count.

Looking forward to going to the ‘3 lands point’ tomorrow and being in 3 places at once – don’t we wish we could do that sometimes!

Hanging out with the Hanssens

30/07/11

We are family!

I had been looking forward to today as I woud get to see lots of family in one place – including all my aunts and uncle. I wasn’t too sure however how  I would go with few English speakers around me. It turned out really great, once Aunty Nellie heard, ‘Australie’ she said, from Gerrit so she knew who I was – yeh! Aunty Grada looked shocked so I asked if she recognised me and she said she but was surprised to see me there. Aunty Truus gave me an awesome book of Holland in pictures-only problem will be transporting them ; ). We got all seven Hanssen siblings together and I jumped in for a picture too. Harry and Nellie had a birthday dance and then they had a dance with thir children. Uncle Harry seemed a little emotional and I was a little sad too-

seeing many of my aunts and uncles for the last time perhaps. Was feeling a little down when I went to bed until Glen, or Dominic or Sophie accidently called me. I heard them talking and tidying and stuff from the background and it cheered me up.

With Harry & Nellie

 

Afterwards Albert, Gerty and I went to the cinema – Dutch style! A little lamp in front of your seat and table and press the button for service! Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 with Dutch subtitles, sometimes I found myself reading the subtitles as well. The visual effects were good and they pretty much stuck to the book.

I Amsterdam!

29/07/11

Canals, hooks, houses, paintings, parks, bagels and ice-cream – 12 hours in Amsterdam.

Another action packed site seeing day – very much like my Top Deck city in a day times. Met up with my second cousin Linda just before 8am and headed off on the train to the nation capital – the city of canals – Amsterdam. Now when someone mentions the Nederlands I think canals, house boats and the very Dutch style of housing – little brown bricks all squished together – welcome to Amsterdam.

Kicked off our whirlwind tour of Amsterdam with a canal cruise to see a bit of the city and orientate ourselves a little. Some great site seeing, learnt why houses have a hook on them at the top – got to see it first hand being used to – to move furniture as the stairs are too small and steep – take a window out and hoist it up or down. Saw some old churches and went down the Amstel and gentleman’s canal, through the large harbur and past the Nemo type  boat shaped building which is the start of the underground tunnel and a floating Asian restaurant.

We then headed to the Dam, home of the old town hall – Royal Palace, new Church and Madam Tussards. For 5 euro entry into the church we decided to go to the old Church instead – only problem was- it is in the red light district, yikes. The oldest monument in Amsterdam this church was build from around 1250. Many tombs lay beneath our feet including a famous Dutch composer and an artist’s wife.

Stopped at bagels and beans for a beat lunch – BLT bagel and a hot chocolate, what I really liked about the hot choccy was that I got to mix the chocolate drops into it and the cream, or just eat the choc melts – yum. Found the huis of Anne Frank and there was a little line up – uh oh. Decided to stay a while and see how the line went, then Linda went to get a museum fast track ticket for both of us whilst I held the fort at Anne Frank’s house. Only I got to the front of the line pretty quickly and couldn’t spot Linda. Eventually I went in. It was a very moving experience, reading diary excerpts on the walls and hearing video interviews with some of the people involved with hiding them. We got to actually go up the annex, through the bookshelf entrance and all through their hide out home for two years. I could feel my eyes well up as I recalled reading through her diary, hearing World War II stories from my dad and imagining the area occupied by the Germans and them tip-toeing through out the house and being imprisoned in the rooms wistfully looking at the outside world. One of Anne’s quotes is something like, “How I long to go outside and run and dance and remember what it is like to be free.” This was a stark reminder to me of how we take so much for granted, the sacrifice so many made for us during the wars, the price they paid for our freedom, I remember one quote, ‘Go back and tell them – for oyur tomorrow we gave  our today.’ The simple pleasure of walking outside, speaking our mind and remembering all the wonderful blessings in my life, what I have and not to dwell on what I don’t have.

After some quiet refelction we continued our site seeing Amsterdam tour. We stopped off at the Begijnhof – Amsterdam’s housing for the pious young ladies. I even got to squeeze in a visit to Hard Rock café and grabbed a shirt and then a crazy canal shirt on the way to Vondel Park. We planned on going to the Reijks Museum next as our map said it open til 8pm – maybe two years ago apparently. On the way we did the touristy thing at the I Amsterdam sign and I went through the E for the picky! Thankfully it was Friday and the Van Gogh museum was open till 10pm – wohoo. Some interesting pieces and I was glad some work by Renoir, Monet, Manet and Toulous-Letrec were there too. My favourites were the courting couples, Irises, Almond Blossom, yellow house and the bedroom. After some souvenir shopping it was time to catch the tram to the train and a 2 hour trip back to the Horst. A fantastic day seeing the sites of Amsterdam with my private tour guide, my second cousin- thanks Linda, you’re a gem.

Angel of Haarlem

27/07/11

Old City Haarlem, historical sites, a trip across country in a few hours and visiting my oldest aunt – a vintage 94 years.

As an Aussie it seems crazy that you can pretty much drive across a whole country in the same time it takes us to go from Toowoomba to the airport in Brisbane. Aunty Toos, my cousin Jacqueline and I headed to one of the oldest cities in The Nederlands – Haarlem. On the way we had to stop in the middle of the highway for the road to lift up – so that the tall ships could pass through below.Luckily we were at the front so that I could get out and take some happy snaps.

The whole trip all I kept singing in my head was U2’s ‘Angels of Haarlem.’ We went and had a very Dutch morning tea/lunch of bread, different hams and cheeses at my cousin Gert and Ans’ place. Gert is a collector as well, must be in the blood and he had some gold framed reading glasses, a 17^th century bottle, old pipes and lights to name a few. They them took us on a guided tour of Haarlem. We drove past some old bunkvers off the coast built by the Germans that went 6 layers underground. '

Our walking tour started at an old church which is now home to the oldest beer in the Nederlands and then went through the old town square. Gert is a history buff too, maybe something else in the Hanssen blood and we went past and through buildings up to 700 years old. Haarlem had some housing specifically for single people and only women lived in some and then men in others.  We also went through St Baz’s Church which was built back in the 1500s. The organ is pretty special-even Beethoven played on them years ago, according to my cousin and many rich people were buried in the Church floor – the richer the more ornate the decorative flooring.

Afterwards we kept walking through the city and all the little streets my cousin seems to know like the back of his hands, a free museum, went past the oldest museum and the canals and a nice windmill.

Next stop was my Aunty Truus’ place. She is in marvellously great shape for 94. We shared photos and stories of travel and she told me to learn Dutch so that she could talk to me. The language barrier hasn’t bothered me as much this trip to Holland, maybe I have learned to zone out better or I play with my phone, chat to God or pick up a few words and pretty much know what they are talking about just not the details.

Some more apple cakes and we were off headed back to Horst. Stopped off at a servo for dinner and yeh – didn’t have to pay for the toilet this time – Europe hey!

28/07/11

Gardens, gardens and more gardens, a museum and ten pin bowling – what a mix.

Spent the day with my Aunty Reiki and Uncle Cor. First we went to my second cousin’s place, Iris and had a great mornig tea- cream filled donut balls – yummy, checked out their garden and then we were off to the Casteel Gardens. This castle was around 400 years old and had a moat, which I find pretty cool and then acres and acres of gardens. All with different themes and types of flora. I particularly liked the 400+ year old tree, the monkeys and flamingos.

In the afternoon we went to the The Lochte. The is a an old farm, housing area with artefacts and memorabilia from the near and far past. It had the old washing sinks, sewing machines, farm equipment, hair salon stuff, cameras and the world’s longest asparagus- over 3 metres long! Had a quick dinner break at Cor and Reiki’s place in Meerlo and then headed back to Horst.

Taurus was great fun – bowling, dining, games, laser skirmish and simulator rides. Had quite a crowd of expert bowlers – it was a tough competition – Albert, Joey, Jacqueline, Iris, Tim, Tanja and myself. First two games I bowled ok, several spares but a strike eluded me. So in our third game I went for the traditional ‘silly stuff’ and got a strike backwards between my legs, a spare kicking the ball and with my eyes closed. I quit while I was ahead – nah, we finished up and then Tim and I went in a choose your own adventure simulator ride – it was in the ice and we had cork screws, big dippers and a mystery track. The others got to watch us on a screen so I played it up for them, biting my fingers and trying to look scared. The only problem was it was over too quickly!

Another great day spent with family and seeing the sites of the Nederlands. Amsterdam tomorrow, reminds me of a Top Deck day in the major cities – I hope to go on a canal ride, see Anne Frank’s house and a few other very touristy things. Hoya!