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  • Day 101

    Flemish Weekend Invasion!

    August 15, 2018 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Manu and Katelijn arrived on Friday midday and we set off in their auto to the Singer museum in Laren. Augie joined us for the day. We didn't quite make it without a stop in Blaricum at the deHoop ice cream shop. The exhibit of Impressionist garden paintings was still running at the Singer. Manu and Katelijn were pleased with the connection to the colony of artists along the river Leie near their home in Wannegem-Lede. Afterwards we once again stopped for Poffertrjes in the park at Laren. Katelijn tried her hand at the griddle and a link to the video can be found here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/H8YXHY94sHPo7Y5GA Our friends in Bilthoven, Sjoerd and Martha deserve credit for our itinerary. On the way home we found a place to park their car at Amsterdam Zuid Park and Ride. 1€ per day on the weekends. We rode the metro to the center and emerged from the station in a downpour. Uber got us back to Tuinstraat.

    The next morning Mo and Nazi arrived from Gent. Mo and I found a place to park their car to the west. Parking is somewhat expensive and difficult in Amsterdam. We used the site 'free-parking-amsterdam' to locate the only block-long street with no enforcement within several miles of the Center. The middle of the day was spent at the Noordermarkt. Pea soup and bratwurst. In the afternoon Augie and I set off to collect the rental boat from Manuel on Admiralgraact. The boat trip was a great success. Nancy, Nazi, and Katelijn put together a picnic complete with bubbly. Once home Manu and Katelijn set off back to their friend's apartment in den Haag.

    Sunday morning Augie left us for Berlin and the four of us left on a tour of the villages to the north. Hoorn, Edam, Volendam, Marken, and Monnickendam. Hoorn was inundated with a carnival. Rides, food stalls, and Hawkers took up the streets for a square kilometer. All the way from the main bus stop to the main square. We had a quick walk and some fish and chips before boarding the bus to Edam. A new exhibit opening was taking place in the Grotekerk. The works by Johan Sticky stuck out. The walk along the seawall and ferry trip to Marken were pleasant and windless.

    The next morning Nancy and I left Mo and Nazi to their own devices and took a bicycle ride through the polders to the south of the city. The afternoon was spent visiting the Albert Cuyp market and strolling toward home through the Museumplein and Vondelpark. As we passed by the US consulate, we couldn't help grabbing a photo of our Iranian friend in front of the entrance. A military guard came out of the building to observe us. We're both hoping for regime change in our respective countries sooner rather than later. Dinner was Ethiopian food at Lalibela. See photo below.

    All in all it was a great visit with very good friends.

    Here is a link to our shared Google Photos album.
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/Mpaqd2r7eTVgLjdv6
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