I Heart Cheese

Willie Nelson once said, “The early bird catches the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese.” Oh to be the lucky little second mouse. What luck he had by being a little slower than his friend.

Since moving to Europe my weekly trips to the market have been a shopper’s delight. My favorite store in town always has little stations set up along the route taken around the store for sampling. One time I arrived and I was handed a wine glass. Wine vendors from around Europe were all stationed around the store letting people sample their fine wines. I had to sober up by the time I got over to the paper goods section. Now that’s the way to get me to spend my money in their store. Another time... I was strolling past the wine section when a vendor asked me if I’d like a shot of Tequila. I laughed and said “Are you serious?” I declined but then strolled back a few minutes later for a little taste. And yes, I purchased a bottle.

But I do have to say, my favorite section is the cheese section. My youngest daughter won’t even walk near the cheese because she has such disdain for cheese. The smell, the taste, the texture…. But these are all things I love about cheese. Each week, I stop to chat with the people selling the cheese and having a nibble or two before making my selections. My friend Hans will usually just walk over to me and hand me this one cheese I love. Still to this day, I don’t even know what it is.. but he knows.

I was having guests from America a few weeks ago and told Hans this as I was trying to make good selections for an appetizer. Hans said, “Well, you have to give them the heart cheese and then tell them the story.” I had never heard the story so Hans shared it with me… and I thought I’d share it here. It’s a beautiful little story and even if you don’t love cheese… you may love this little story.

Neufchatel is one of oldest cheeses from France dating back to the year 1035 from a village in the Normandy area called Neufchatel-en-Bray. The story of the heart shaped cheese is believed to have begun during the 100 years’ war when the French farm girls fell in love with the English soldiers and started making the cheese in heart shapes to show their affection. The Coeur de Bray or Heart of Bray, is a delicious addition to any day… especially with a charming little love story such as this.

So if you’re as smart as that second little mouse, take a stroll through the cheese section of your local market and look for the heart shaped cheese. A white thick outer layer filled with soft creamy delight on top of a cracker or all alone is perfect.  Just say cheese… and smile!

Lisa’s Top Ten Places to Go in the Summer

With the onset of the beautiful long days of summer all around us here in The Netherlands, I thought I would share my Top Ten Things to do here that would require only a short bike, car or train ride. If you are having visitors or need something fun to do with your family, these places are always on my list. I have only lived here two short years but am so appreciative of the beauty that surrounds this lovely area we call home.

10. Biking to the Market: Riding my bike to the market that is held in my local shopping area once a week is pure joy. Not only do I get to choose the freshest fruits, vegetables and flowers, it’s a wonderful way to get to know the people in my neighborhood. People wave, we chat, smile all while catching up on how we are all doing. There are markets all over the area held each day of the week. Mine is on Wednesdays.

9. Postel, Belgium: Driving just 20 minutes from my home, I’m able to take visitors or lunch with my friends in Belgium. It’s a great way for people to be able to visit another country on their European vacation. The Postel Abbey is my go to place for peace and happiness and just across the street is my favorite little place to have lunch or dinner. De Drie Linden is a great place to either sit out on the patio to enjoy the view or inside for a little cozier atmosphere. By the way… order the asparagus soup…. It’s lekker!

8. Drinks in the Centrum: I love that each little city here in The Netherlands has a centrum or center or the city. People gather from all over the areas to shop, dine and just sit and enjoy a drink or two while chatting with friends. It’s a great way to meet others and the perfect way to relax. My favorite centrum… of course… Eindhoven!

7. Wings of Liberation Museum: Spending a day walking through the Wings of Liberation Museum in Son is a great way to appreciate with gratitude and remembrance a group of soldiers that liberated Holland during a horrific time in history. Operation Market Garden was not a military success but in the eyes and hearts of the people of The Netherlands, it’s a time that will never be taken lightly or ever forgotten.

6. Eersel:  Weather I’m having lunch or drinks with friends at Promessa, picking up some chocolate at Struben,  shopping in the centrum square at or picking out a new wine or appetizer at Ad Kuyten Specialteiten, Eersel is one of my favorite little cities just  a hop, skip and a jump away from Eindhoven.

5. Blueberry and Raspberry picking: One of my favorite things about summer is the fresh fruit. As a child I would love to pick fresh blueberries at our cottage in Michigan first thing in the morning. My Grandma would then make them into blueberry pancakes. So getting the opportunity to pick fresh blueberries and raspberries is not only delicious…. It’s an instant call to my memories. The blueberry farm is in Nuenen at Vorsterdijk 16A and the raspberry farm is in Meijel at Steenoven 28 http://raspberry-maxx.opdepc.nl/index.php?actie=home.

4. Amsterdam: I feel so blessed to be near a city as cool as Amsterdam. To me…. it is just so much fun to ride the train into Amsterdam Central, walk across the street from the station and hop on a canal ride. Cruising past the stunning Amsterdam houses all pressed together standing tall and proud is just amazing. I especially enjoy listening to the history of the city. My favorite canal ride is the hop on and hop off tour. This tour not only takes you through all of the city but also to the museums in town. The Anne Frank and the Rijksmuseum are my favorites. Next on my list will be a trip to the Van Gogh Museum.

3. De Oude Rechtbank: De Oude Rechtbank is my new favorite place to go in Eindhoven.  The old court house on Stratumseind has kept the historical feel of the building along with transforming it into an eclectic trendy place to be. Events, parties, bands, theatrical and comedy groups and much more are featured here all of the time.  Lunch, dinner or just hanging out with friends having a drink, it’s the perfect place to go.

2. Kinderdijk: To me… there is no better place to see the beauty of The Netherland windmills than to see them at the Kinderdijk. Situated in the tiny village of Kinderdijk about 15 miles from Rotterdam, this area is one of The Netherlands most famous tour sights. For 4.50 euro’s you are able to go on a leisurely ferry boat ride and sail past 19 windmills that date back hundreds of years. They still work but water is now pumped from one of the largest pumping stations in the world. Walking and biking are also very popular ways to view the windmills. A summer day at the Kinderdijk… perfect!

AND MY NUMBER 1 FAVORITE PLACE TO GO IN THE SUMMER

1. Scheveningen: There’s nothing like a summer day spent at the beach and luckily for the great people of The Netherlands, we live close enough to drive or train over to Scheveningen. Swim gear, sunblock, towels, shorts and a little money if you decide to dine at one of the great restaurants along the boardwalk is all that is needed. Oh that… and a little sun! But if the sun does peek out a bit, get there fast and get your spot. It fills up fast.

Have fun and be safe!

Little Miss Manners

Today I had something shocking happen to me. I was at my local shopping center in Gestel. Walking through the crowds of people I looked up to see a man coming directly toward me. On a normal day I would dodge out of the way because for some reason since moving to The Netherlands I’ve become invisible in such situations. Usually people just plow right into me. There’s no “I’m sorry or Pardon me”, they just run right into me. I’m constantly saying “I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry”.  But today as I dodged to one side of him, he made a similar move. We both danced back and forth trying to figure out which way each person was trying to go. The man finally gallantly stepped back and gestured with a long bow allowing me to pass by. I went past and said “Thank you kind Sir”.

What is shocking about this behavior was not that it was done but that it was the first time it’s been done to me since moving to The Netherlands.

I come from a southern state in the United States of America. In the south, Gentlemen and Ladies always use good manners when around someone of the opposite sex. People here laugh at me when I call them Sir or Madam. I really don’t know any other way. It’s not saying the person is old it’s saying that you respect that person. I would use this language with a child and expect that they use it with me. My own children when speaking to me or another adult most often will say “Yes, Ma’am or No Sir”.

I was with some Dutch teenagers the other day. I had been helping them with their English skills helping prepare them for their Cambridge exam. The boys and I were walking out of the classroom and my hands were full. As we got to the door, they looked at me and knew what was happening. One boy reached ahead of me and grabbed the door pulling it open for all of us to follow through.  I looked at him with surprise.. as did he..He said… “I’ve never held the door open for another person before.” I was shocked! “How was that possible?” He said he didn’t know and I told him that in America, it was very common to hold the door for a lady. I told them that my husband always held the door for me and that I appreciated it and was kind to him in other ways.

Here’s another example of being kind to one another.  I biked  to the market the other day to get milk and pick up Todd’s shirts. After walking out to go put my milk in the saddlebags (I got 2 so I wouldn't tip over) I looked at my husband’s neatly pressed shirts. They had a nice plastic covering and were all on hangers. hmmmm So as I backed up my bike I realized this probably wasn't the best idea for getting his shirts home without messing them up... when all of a sudden out runs Nico. "Lisa Lisa.. you are by bike? I will bag up your shirts to make it easier." No, he couldn't see me from a window... His wife Marie had reminded him that we were just talking about me riding my bike and they wanted to make sure I was ok. KINDNESS.... IT'S A GOOD THING!

The Old Man

Duty, loyalty and patriotism are just a few words that come to mind when thinking of General George S. Patton, so when friends asked if we would like to drive to see where Patton was buried, we said yes! As an American, what better way to celebrate Memorial Day. 

There has been a lot of information written about General Patton but I thought I would just like to include this prayer he sent his men of the Third Army on December 8, 1944. To me, this says it all… a God loving man who believed in helping others in a land far away from his family.

General Patton died on December 21, 1945, due to complications from a car accident and was laid to rest per his request with his men at the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial in Hamm, Luxembourg. 

(The view from behind General Patton's grave~looking over his men)

 It was an honor to be able to visit this magnificent cemetery that is the resting place for 5076 fallen soldiers. Among them there are 101 unknown soldiers, 22 sets of brothers and 1 female nurse, all with their leader forever watching over them.

Wars may be won with weapons, but they are fought by men"

General George Smith Patton Junior

Down & Out ~My Night with Slowhand

Have you ever been with someone and you know instantly you’re in the presence of someone special? You get tingles all over your body and sometimes the hair on the back of your neck will, as they say, stand up. Well… that’s what my night with Eric Clapton was like.

My husband and I skipped across the pond from Amsterdam to London for a weekend to see Eric Clapton live in concert.  London is by far one of my favorite cities in Europe. First of all.. they speak English, the signs are in English, I understand the English and did I mention.. it’s all in English? Second.. London is the essence of Cool! It seems like everywhere you turn there’s something fun to see. But for the concert would be held at the Royal Albert Hall and that was just the icing on the cake.

Our flight arrived mid afternoon. We had just enough time to change and head across the street from our hotel right in Paddington Station to have a bite to eat before the concert.

I’m always ever so grateful to the British for putting signs on the ground on which way you should look before stepping into traffic.

We arrived at the Royal Albert Hall in time to purchase a few goodies and find our seats. My husband had purchased the tickets on line right as they went on sale. As the concert got closer and closer we only worried a tad that the tickets were fake. Gentle e mail reminders kept informing us that we would receive them in the mail before the concert. The week before the concert, we received an e mail saying that our tickets were over booked. Ummmm how is that possible? But the company assured us that they were working very hard to clear up the matter and we would have tickets. They would deliver our tickets to the hotel. And when we arrived.. yes they were there. And the seats were better than we had purchased. NICE!

 "Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0"

 The Royal Albert Hall was opened in 1871 by Queen Victoria and is absolutely stunning!

After a nice warm up guitarist, a man in a blue short sleeved Polo shirt, well-worn jeans and a pair of cumfy Sperry’s came on stage. The background music started as someone handed him a guitar. He easily let his hands bring the guitar to life and the place came alive.

Eric Clapton played for three hours straight. There were no wardrobe changes and he never leapt off the stage. Just a man and his guitar... it was perfect!

My Waltz with the Waffle Man

My life here in The Netherlands has become dramatically better with in the last week. Our grocery store C1000 has been sold to a competitor named Jumbo (the J is pronounced like a Y.. just like my last name). It’s a beautiful new market perfectly close to my house. I just bought saddle bags for my bike so I plan to bike to the market to get most of my food. I’ll just have to go more often which is what the Dutch like to do.

As I arrived at our new store ready to explore what new items they were stocking I was greeted by a friendly Jumbo greeter with a magic wand in her hand that she handed to me. It was yellow and shiny and oh so much fun! As I glided around my new store with my pointing, scanning and bagging my goodies all by myself… elation took over my body. I was giddy with delight of having so much power. I would no longer have to avoid eye contact with the other people in line who held a loaf of bread while I checked out my weeks’ worth of groceries, I would no longer have to avoid their glares as I slammed all of my food into bags at the speed of light, over packing and smooshing my bread and eggs in the process.

I would now have the freedom to shop leisurely, scan the price and place it immediately into my bag in the place that worked best for that item. As I turned a corner, my eyes caught a glimpse of a man and a cart. There was music coming from his music/boom box cart. And on the top he was making waffles.  This jolly ole fellow with his tall baker cap was in such a wonderful mood. He was tapping his foot to the music and I smiled as I watched him. What a joy to enjoy your job so much you wanted to dance and smile all day long.

Here’s a little music to help put you in the mood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD_uz_kBS1E

Well, he saw me standing there smiling and watching and he reached out to grab my hand. He circled me around and around the Jumbo market all while I laughed and giggled with delight at my new found favorite grocery store.

I checked out within seconds. All I had to do was hand my yellow shiny toy back to the cashier and pay. It was all very painless.

Dancing with the Waffle Man while doing a little shopping ~ pure joy!!

I’ll Have Some Mora Vilamoura!

The Dutch or Europe for that matter have living away from work figured out. People around the world seem to get so caught up in the everyday grind of working that sometimes, they forget to live. With today’s technology it is truly difficult to not be connected with your work even when you are on vacation, or as Europe calls it Holiday.

The school holiday schedule is different from the States. There’s a long stretch between fall break and Christmas break. For some reason, they don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. I find this truly sad as who doesn't want to give thanks by eating way too much food and watching football all day. That would be American football by the way. But in The Netherlands in the spring there seems to be holiday after holiday. So when given two weeks for spring break, we knew we wanted to actually get away from the daily grind. Laptops and cells phones clenched to our hands we took off for a glorious week in Portugal.

Several years ago, my husband and I made one of the best decisions of our lives.  For years we attended the free seminars from various vacation time shares in order to get a free night stay or free prize. We usually only had to give up one hour and listen to some boring person describe how life would be so much better if we bought a time share. So after paying off our college loans and other life choices we made the plunge to purchase a time share. We were already taking time every year to travel with friends in the states so we looked at this as an investment. And this would be one we would never look back on and regret. And with moving to Europe we were ready to explore an area we never thought we would be going to… Portugal.

Not only does Europe have giving their people time off from work to rest and enjoy life, they also know part of that enjoyment is making it affordable. Getting to Portugal from the States would be a serious amount of cha ching, but flying with in the European Union is usually affordable.

We flew into Faro in southern Portugal and then took a 30 minute cab ride to our time share in Vilamoura. Taking in the beautiful scenery I couldn’t help but shut my eyes and lift my head up to soak in the sun. This American girl who has lived most of her life in Texas has missed the sun! I grew up in Michigan but somehow had blocked winters, lack of sunshine and cold and had traded them for the memories I had gathered as an adult… summer vacations and sunshine. Over the years as I talked to my friends they would describe how cold they were or depressed because they missed the sun. I’d sympathetically listen as I’d sip coffee from my patio enjoying the Texas sun. But in The Netherlands people flock outside at the slightest showing of the sun. Something I found funny at first but after this past winter… not so funny. It’s definitely true… the sun helps to lift your spirits.

We were traveling with good friends and really looking forward to a relaxing week of sun, swimming, games and much more. Here are a few of our favorite moments.

  

To our friends The Pulliam’s~ Thank you so much for a wonderful week we will never forget. We’ll go “Off Grid” with you anytime!