Bonjour

Since moving to The Netherlands a few months ago, my bucket list has dramatically changed. Going to Paris was at the top. During our first long break from school, we made the four hour car drive to the city of lights. I had many things that I wanted to see there for my first visit, so we got started right away.

We arrived just in time for lunch at a little corner café then we took off to the Père Lachaise Cemetery  to see where Jim Morrison was buried. A short walk to the Metro train and a few confused minutes later we were surrounded by real down to earth Parisians. My favorite part about riding the Metro besides the easiness of gliding all over town underground was when a Parisian who was looking for some money would get on board to entertain us. Men would play their accordions or guitars while singing for a few euro coins. I found this wonderfully entertaining and quite beautiful! I always made sure I had money for them.

It may sound weird to want to visit a cemetery but I’ve always found them peaceful and interesting. I love looking at the dates and the names and the type of headstone or monument. The Pere Lachaise Cemetery was so different from the cemeteries I’ve visited before. Most families have a family tomb that is big enough to leave a message or some flowers after a prayer. I love this! The cemetery twists and turns and goes on forever. I ran out of time looking for Jim Morrison’s grave. They shut it down and they’re very serious about getting out. Next time!

That night, it was onto the Eiffel Tower. My daughter wanted to see it at night and her wish came true. We got there just around dusk. The lights were just beginning to come on. To stand under this massive tower was truly amazing. Its beauty calls to you from miles away. I loved seeing so many people that had come from around the world to have a look. But the look on my daughter’s face made me smile.   

Throughout the next few days we did many things. We saw the show Moulin Rouge, shopped till we dropped, sat at little cafes drinking wine and enjoying a meal and walked the streets looking at the beautiful buildings. But, I had two more things on my bucket list that I wanted to see. We had been told that the Louvre was an enormous museum and was meant to be seen in several different days. We decided to conquer this task with a section at a time. This time we headed straight for the Mona Lisa. Hundreds of people were swarming to see this beautiful painting. It was then, that I realized my training at the grocery stores in Holland was finally going to pay off. I pushed and shoved my way to the front. (Ok, maybe I said “Excuse me, pardon me” and gently waited my turn). And there she was… wonderful! And yes, she smiled at me.

 Then we walked along the Seine River buying art from street vendors on our way to my favorite bucket list item of the week. We walked around a corner and there it was... Our Lady of Paris, the Notre Dame Cathedral. This magnificent church, with the gargoyles hanging out of the sides, stood tall and glorious. I stepped inside, dipped my fingers into the holy water, made the sign of the cross on my forehead and then went to light two candles. I lit one for my parents and one for all the unborn children in the world. I do this at most of the churches I visit. Now my heart was at peace and I could move on to whatever lay in front of me.

Is this the real life.... Queen's Day

Back in April, my daughter and I came over to The Netherlands to visit her new school and to find a new house. Our trip ended with a day in Amsterdam. This city, which sits on the North Sea, has many canals that wind their way through the tiny streets. There are thousands of bikes lined up and parked all over. I quite honestly have no idea how each person finds their own bike or remembers where they’ve parked their bike. I do know that bikes are stolen here all the time. I guess it’s a little give and take philosophy. I’ll take yours but I’ll give you mine, if you can find it.

On a normal day, Amsterdam is a busy city of over a million people. We happened to visit the city on the day the whole county celebrates the Queen’s birthday. This day is called Queen’s Day. We took a train into the center and couldn’t believe our eyes. First of all, no one sent us the memo that wearing orange is a must! It’s the color of the royal family and all of Holland wears it proudly. Second, this party was the party of all parties … EVER! The beer was flowing, the vendors were busy selling their wares, the children were in carnival ride heaven, and people everywhere were all over the streets, canals and literally hanging from the windows.

A day to party…. You bet! But I had one more quest in mind. I wanted to visit Anne Frank’s house. The line to get in was short. We entered knowing there were no photos allowed to be taken. I could not help the thoughts that were running through my mind. This was one little girl’s story. This one brave little girl, wrote down her inner most thoughts and prayers. Her courageous father, who had the heart to share her story with the world, not knowing what a huge impact his little girl would have on the world.  I couldn’t help but notice the sick comparison that I was in the middle of. Outside, there were thousands of people celebrating and going about their normal life. Inside, not one person was speaking. Not one person walked with heavy steps. Not one person dared to make a sound. It must have been like the insanity of Anne’s little life in that house before her death. This was one story, but there were many, many more that were left untold.

Tut Tut.. It Looks Like Rain

One rainy day, my friend Wendy invited me to her house in Venlo, to learn how to blog. She has a wonderful blog that I love reading. To me, she is so brave and adventuresome. Wendy has so many great stories! She’s an avid walker and is doing this walk through The Netherlands called the Pieter Padhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pieterpad. She just hops on trains and goes to her starting point, walks her destination for the day and then stays the night with random people who are part of a biking group. She’s met so many interesting people. I just love listening to her stories!

 After Blogging 101 we had a delicious warm ham and cheese toastie and French Onion soup. Perfect for a cold day!

Venlo is located on the border of The Netherlands and Germany. I had never been to Germany before so we ventured out to make my first crossing. We found a rest stop area where there was a welcome to Germany sign and captured the moment on Camera! With that checked off my bucket list, we drove onto the little town of Kaldenkirchen. We were headed to a grocery store that sells a lot of American products but got distracted when we found a thrift store. We could not get enough into our bags. The prices were great and the money was going to help children in need. We are definitely going back there!

Canals, Chocolate and Lace... Oh My!

On a rainy day at the end of august before school began, we took drive to Bruges, Belgium.  This picturesque city is nicknamed "The Venice of North Europe". It was a wonderful day to take in all the beautiful lace, great beer and to die for chocolate. We wandered around shopping in the oval shaped city while people floated alongside us on boats in the canals.

The smell of chocolate fills the air outside the shops. There was no way I was leaving without  some melt in my mouth chocolate. Pretty lace, fills windows enticing you to come in and purchase something special. I found a few small pieces that were affordable enough to purchase one for close friends and family.

We were lucky enough to stumble into an art show that had items for sale. I had been looking for unique birthday cards and found an artist who was selling post cards. They are beautiful and when I send them to my friends or family I’m able to say I met the artist. We also bought a drawing of one of the canals. The artist was turning 80 that day.

Finally, we were exhausted from the day. We found a wonderful little Italian place right on the square in the Centrum. Blonde Leffe beer in hand… ahh good day!

A Little Day Tripper

's-Hertogenbosch or more commonly known as Den Bosch is one of the many close delightful cities near Eindhoven. The town’s name means The Duke’s Forest and is named for Henry 1, Duke of Brabant. The city dates back to1185 and has many historic buildings still intact.

Only about a half hour drive, we made the way to Den Bosch one day for a little shopping. We had heard there was a lot to choose from and were delighted to see the city the day a carnival was also in town. The city centrum was full of people, booths, games, rides and food. We made our way through winding streets, looked down at the beautiful canals with boats parked lining the edge of the canal. It’s one of the only places in Europe where the boats go under the buildings. We finally found an adorable little restaurant and sat outside sipping wine, watching the people pass… a favorite European pastime.

Lost in Translation

I’ve decided I’m going to add Dutch to one of the languages I know because when I call a company and I’m put on hold, I’m able to randomly push buttons until I get a live person to talk to me.

One of the many joys of moving to a foreign country is the joy of learning a new language. I’ve always been amazed and had the upmost respect for someone who can speak more than one language.  I am very proud of my English language and also so appreciative that around the world most people know how to speak English. In The Netherlands, most children begin their English lessons around the age of 10 and within a few short years are fluent. Everyone has been very excited to try out their English with me and they are so happy to be able to help.

The Dutch people by nature are very direct. Sometimes that comes across as rude but I usually laugh because it’s shocking and we all have our little quirks. When you ask someone from here if they speak English their answer is usually “Yes, of course!” Which to me means, “Who in their right mind would not be able to speak several languages?”  Sometimes when asked, they reply “A little.”  This means, “Yes I can, but I’d like to test the water slowly.” Then you discover that yes, they can speak English.

One day I was asking a very nice Dutch woman at the meat market if she had turkey. I was having a little difficulty getting her to understand my English.. until I said “Gobble, Gobble, Gobble!” She started laughing and said “No, she did not have that!”

One of our favorite channels is The Discovery Channel (it’s in English). We are getting so much smarter.. but we’ve picked up a peculiar British accent.

So I have one final question… If your bills all come in a foreign language and you don’t know what they say, does this mean you have to pay them? Google Translate!

Eet smakelijk

I've discovered that shopping for groceries is a sport! Not only do I have to drive my cart sideways, I have to bag my own groceries! (yes, I know I'm a brat) but the worst part is the old ladies. If you're walking, they just plow right into you. After apologizing several times to several different people.. I thought WTH... Now.. I just plow them back!

Shopping for food is a great way to meet new friends and neighbors. The people in The Netherlands are always very kind and ready to help me translate the labels.  In the meat department.. there truly is mystery meat. My newest discovery was rabbit.. just laid up there right next to the chickens.

One day I did find a bunch of new snacks. Between the Chocolade Shooters and the Disco Bits, I'm thinking these may be good! But ya gotta wonder about Come and Get it though.

My daughter and I were looking for syrup for our poffertjes (little pancakes) and had found that it was basically sugary sludge. She said..I'm thinking that if it says "All Natural" that means it's disgusting! Where's Aunt Jemima when you need her?

Trying to Catch Up... and no not Ketchup

I'm getting a late start on this little story of mine as I've used the first couple of months of getting to know the area. One thing I learned very quickly is that in The Netherlands there are many food groups, not just four. There's meat, dairy, grains, fruits and vegatables, deserts and French fries. Yes, French fries could be their own course of a meal. They serve French fries with everything! When reading about coming to Holland, my daughter and I were laughing because one book described with delight the French fries served with globs of mayonaise. We thought, who would eat French fries with mayonaise. So when we came over to find a house we decided to carefully try.Well, it's wonderful!!! But after a while, an American girl has just got to have some ketchup to go with those fries. And yes, that's possible for .50c a pack. Are you kidding me?!

Hit the Road Jack

I don't know how it is for others that have to learn to drive in a foreign country, but for me it was very intimidating. Let's just get this out in the open.. I know how to drive and I do it well. I was born and raised near Detroit, the motor city. Cars were a big part of my childhood and being afraid to drive was not an option. But, take all of those life lessons, scramble them up like eggs, add thousands of pedestrians and bikers, a foreign language (that you don't speak or read) and plop yourself on the other side of the world and you have one confused little driver. But a few months under my belt and I’m doing just fine. Only 3 speeding tickets so far. I've decided the biggest inconvenience is the fact that they have speeding cameras, so there is no way to talk your way out of a ticket. They just mail it to you and say pay the fine.