DAILY JOURNAL

Woke up Monday morning refreshed and ready for the big travel day. Katherine's muscle spasms in her back were much improved from the weekend. Her cough and cold symptoms were much improved as well. We left the house at 11AM with Mike and Pam Ausmus who provided transport to the airport. We boarded the plane, A KLM 747-400 for our 10 hour ride to Schipol International airport in Amsterdam, NL. The bad news was that the plane which was supposed to push back from the gate at 1:55PM didn't until almost 2:30PM. The good news was that the current jet stream was going to give us an extra push cutting down our flight time to just over 9 hours!! At 9:15 local and 12:15AM PDT (5-21-13), we touched down at Schipol. The cloud cover was very thick and very low with our first views of the ground coming as we were ~150 ft or so above the runway. Due to the inclement weather there were delays on traffic in and out of Schipol, which meant the our parking place at gate F3 was still occupied, hence we had to wait an additional 10 minutes before we could disembark. We quickly passed through passport control before being reunited with the remainder of our luggage. A short time later we were warmly greeted by Becky and a smiling and happy Gioia. After a quick pit stop at Starbucks, we boarded the train for a short ride to Zoetermeer. At Zoetermeer we were met by Nate's mother, Margriet, who provided us umbrellas for our short walk to Nate and Becky's home, as well as providing vehicle transport for our luggage. Afterwards we enjoyed a walk to a small shopping area nearby where we met Nate and enjoyed lunch at a small deli. We then walked back to the apartment where we took a much needed 2 hour nap. About 8:30PM we were driven to the home of Joseba and Martijn van Egdom, where we called it a night about 10:30

After a good night sleep we awoke at 7:30AM local time, refreshed for a new day. The weather outside was still cloudy but by 9:30AM the sun was beginning to break thru the clouds. After a light breakfast we headed off to the train station (about a 1/2 mile walk) where we had our first solo attempts to add money to our ov-chipkaart (ticket) and to board the right train. Fortunately for us there was a train station maintenance man who was attending to one of the machines who graciously assisted us in adding funds to our card. (The English tab on the touchscreen unit was not functioning). While he was at it, he also directed us to the proper end of the platform to catch our train to Zoetermeer. !5 minutes later we were at our destination where we had another 275 yards to walk to Becky and Nates apartment. After a bowl of soup and fresh fruit we were out the door and off to a local church where we enjoyed free lunch time concert featuring a cello and piano duet. We took several pictures, both inside and out, of the church which dates back to the 15th century. Following the concert we strolled around parts of Zoetermeer, with our personal tour guide pointing out points of interest such as her midwifes residence and the local doctors office. We then walked over to the town library followed by a brief stop at the local mall. We arrived back at Nate and Becky's (N&B) place where we were both ready to take a short nap. Dinner was Indian cuisine which was delicious followed by a rousing one round of a card game called Hand & Foot. About 10:15PM we packed up our belongings and made our way to the train back to our hosts home in Voorburg. We arrived home shortly after 11PM and after a short visit were off to bed. Be sure to check out our photos from Day 3

Our bodies let us know they are still trying to recalibrate to the time change as we both woke up in the middle of the night wide awake feeling like we should be not be lying in bed. After an hour or so and with it still being dark we managed to fall back to sleep till around 6AM. Rain returned intermittently to the Zoetermeer area today. So with umbrellas in hand we were out the door and on our way to the train station for the short 15 minute train ride from Voorburg to Zoetermeer. Partially due to weather we decided to stay in doors most of the day, allowing Gioia to entertain us. We did manage to leave the house for a lunchtime outing. Becky took us to one of her favorite eating places called De Bakkerswinkle . It is not a large place, but enjoyed a very satisfying lunch. On our way out we decided to purchase some of the baked desserts to take home for dessert following dinner. With Gioia in need of a nap Becky took her on home while Katherine and I, took a stroll down the Dorpstraat, a street lined with a variety of shops. We then returned back to the warmth of N&B apartment. Later that evening N&B cooked us a wonderful steak dinner followed by the tasty desserts purchased earlier. The rest of the evening we spent playing 2 more rounds of hand and foot. Shortly after 10PM we headed out the door for our train trip back to Voorburg. We wasted no time in getting to bed as we will need to be out the door early tomorrow morning.

We were up bright and early this morning to take what has become our customary train ride to Zoetermeer to B&N's apartment. We arrived on time at 10AM for a nicely prepared brunch of dollar sized pancakes called poffertjes and scrambled eggs. Following breakfast we had a chance to play with Gioia or was she playing with us and then we settled down to play our final round of hand and foot. Becky was the big winner narrowly edging out her dad. After the game we made our way via train to Voorburg to pack our bags for our trip to Brussels this evening. Margriet brought Becky and Gioia to Voorburg and then graciously provided transportation for the 3 of us to the train station. We met Nate at the station and began our ~2hr train trip. We arrived in Brussels at 7:30PM and took a short bus ride to the Ramada Hotel. After a lite meal together we called it a day and retired to our room. Tomorrow will be spent sightseeing around the old city center.

We woke up this morning not feeling as refreshed as we would have liked but still were looking forward to exploring around Brussels. We enjoyed a wonderful buffet style breakfast. The breakfast buffet included a wide assortment of pastries, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, cereal, fresh fruit, deli meats, cheeses, and an assortment of juices and coffee.

Following breakfast we boarded the 79 line bus at the stop located not more than 100 ft from our hotel for the <10 minute ride to the train station. We boarded the #7 train for the ride which would take us to the site of the 1958 Worlds Fair. Once there we spent most of our time going thru Mini-Europe, Mini-Europe is a collection of landmarks from each of the countries which make up the EU. The remainder of our time was spent going thru the Atomium structure. Following this we boarded the train and then bus for transport back to our hotel to rest up a bit. That evening we went back to the city center to browse around. A 3 day jazz festival was in progress in the town square and attracted quite a crowd. Becky chose the spot for dinner, a Greek restaurant which provided not only good food but musical entertainment from our waiters. As dinner concluded about 10PM, and with Nate wanting to get back to the hotel to watch a championship soccer match, we made our way back to the train station. While Nate wouldn't make it back for the soccer game, he did get to watch at one of several locations where the game was being shown on big screen TV's while we waited for our bus. By 10:45PM we were back in our rooms and ready to call it a day. Considering the weather forecast for today was cold and rainy we were quite grateful that it was for the most part sunny and dry. Be sure to check out today's pictures.

Sunday was our final day in Brussels. Following another wonderful breakfast, we gathered our things and made our way to the bus stop for our now familiar ride to the train station. There are many fine buildings to see in Brussels and we certainly would have liked to see more of them, but as this was our last full day in Brussels we decided to visit the Basilica, a building which was visible from our views from the Atomium the previous day. As N&B needed to leave to return home that afternoon, we spent the remainder of our time in the downtown area before returning back to our hotel room. Before leaving for our hotel we stopped at a Haagen Dazs cafe for my first Belgium waffle topped with 2 scoops of ice cream and assorted high calorie toppings. We were tempted to go back out for more site seeing later in the day but decided that we would be better served by staying close to home as tomorrow will be an early start (4:45AM) and a long travel day. Enjoy the pictures from today.

Last nights sleep was not as good as I would have liked. I was awake at ~ 2:30 AM and fell back to sleep ~4AM only to be awoken @ 5AM to get ourselves ready for our 5:30AM taxi ride to the airport. We arrived weary eyed at the Brussels International airport and began the search for our carriers ticket counter to check our luggage. The line was short and we were soon on our way to the security check point. We made our way through security (with our shoes on) and were on our way to our boarding gate A32. About 7:45AM we joined the line of people waiting to board. Before long we were making our way across the tarmac and up the front stairways into the jet which would take us on the short 1 hour and 5 minute flight to Geneva. Other than a slight delay in our departure, the flight to Geneva was problem free. On final approach we enjoyed our first glimpse of the snow covered alps. We rejoined with our checked luggage and were soon headed for the train, our first of three to take us from Geneva to Montreux. Before getting on the train we needed to locate the SBB office to activate our swiss rail pass which we will be using for our travel in Switzerland the next four days. Soon we were out of the airport and enjoying the scenery from our seats on the train. We arrived on schedule in Montreux, and ate lunch at the rail station. Before boarding our next train to Interlaken, we took some time to snap a few photos, stroll through parts of the town, and stretch our legs a little from being seated for much of the last 2 hours. After our walk we boarded the Classic Golden Pass Railway car, and were soon on our way. Our cameras were busy during this leg of the trip, although we found it rather challenging to take good quality pictures on a moving and sometimes bumpy train. The glass windows didn't help either. However none of that took away from the spectacular views we enjoyed. We pulled into Luzerne shortly after 7PM, and with our luggage in tow opted to walk the mile to our B&B for the next three nights, the Villa Maria. The walk from the train station to the Villa Maria is a pleasant one using a walking path along the shores of Lake Lucerne. One of the first things we noticed were the large groups of swans congregating along side the shore of the lake. As we walked we enjoyed more breath taking views of the snow covered alps. The Villa Maria is set back about 50 yards from the shores of Lake Lucerne. Upon arrival we were warmly greeted and shown our room. The room is located on the second floor and has a lovely balcony accessed through french doors with views of the lake and alps. After settling in, we ventured back out to find a place to have dinner. Unfortunately we didn't realize that many places, if open at all on Mondays,do not stay open past 8PM, so our choices were somewhat limited. We finally settled for a what amounted to a cheeseburger and fries. Weary and tired we made our way back to the Villa Maria and called it a day. Tomorrow we are off to Stanserhorn. Be sure to check out today's pictures.

It is amazing what a difference a good night sleep makes. We woke up refreshed after both sleeping well last night. We met our host Maria down in the dining room as she was serving a buffet style breakfast to her guests. Maria I would guess is in her mid sixties and makes everyone feel right at home. Communicating with Maria is no problem for her guests, as she speaks 7 languages. After completing our breakfast we were out the door to the bus stop which is about 50 yards from the house in the direction of the train station. Upon arrival we boarded the bus for the short 5 minute ride to the Luzern main train station. The Luzern train station is a fairly good sized station with 15 tracks. With our Swiss travel pass in hand we boarded the train to take us to the town of Stans, where we would begin our trip to the top of Stanserhorn. The trip to the top of Stanserhorn begins with a funicular ride up to a platform where we boarded the Cabria which is a special type of gondola with an open top level where up to 30 people can stand and get unobstructed views on there ride up. For those who prefer sitting, the lower level provide seats with views through the windows. Cameras were again quite busy trying to take in the amazing views. At the top Cabria station , we exited and took the short 300 yard or so hike to the very top of Stanserhorn and took in the 360 degree views. As we walked, if you listened carefully you could here the cow bells clanging in the distance. As most of our time here in Europe has been under cloudy skies, we felt quite thankful to have clear blue skies and temps in the upper 60's on this day. When we had finished our picture taking, we walked back to the Cabria station where they have a buffet style restaurant with a rotating dining room. After browsing through the gift shop, we boarded the Cabria for the ride down. On the way down we got clear views of the old funicular tracks which used to take people to the top of Stanserhorn, as well as the old hotel which burned to the ground in 1970 from a lightning strike. From the air, you could also see the zig zagging foot path for the more adventurous to hike to the top of Stanserhorn. Once back in Stans we boarded the train to take us back to Luzern. Feeling a bit tired we went back to the Villa Maria to rest before going out again for dinner. Tomorrow we are off to the north and east via train to see Rhein Falls and the town of St Gallen. Be sure to check out today's pictures.

Unlike yesterday, clouds and precipitation returned to the Luzern area. The alps which glistened in the sunlight, now stood shrouded in the clouds. As mentioned yesterday, our plans for today are to take make essentially a big loop. The first leg takes us to Rhein Falls, very near the Swiss/German border. From there we go south and east to the town of St Gallen. The final leg takes us west back to Luzern. With fully charged cameras and umbrellas in hand we were out the door at 8:30 this morning for our bus to the train station. We caught the 9:10 train for our short ride to Zurich where we would transfer to another train. We would transfer one more time in Winterhur, before reaching our destination station of Schloss Laufen AM Rheinfall. From there it was a short walk to the falls. The falls were certainly not in the same league as Niagara or Yosemite, nevertheless, the volume of water flowing past was still impressive and worth the ride to go see. After snapping a few photos we made our way back to the small train station with the big name for the second leg of our trip to St Gallen. We retraced our way back to Winterhur and transferred to the train bound for St Gallen. We arrived in St Gallen at 1:53PM to more clouds and sprinkles, located our position on our GPS enabled map and plotted our way to our destination which was the Stiftsbezirk Cathedral and Bibliothek. The Bibliothek, as the name implies, is a library which in this case houses very old books. Due to the nature of the library contents, were required to remove and store all coats and backpacks. We were to put slippers over our shoes to walk into the room, and no photography was permitted. The book shelves were full of books behind a protective screen. Many of the books were from the 14th to 15th century. In the center of the room were display cases with hand written copies of the Bible or portions, such as the Pauline epistles or the Psalms, which were written as early as the 6th century. After leaving the library we went down stairs to the lapidarium, a display of artifacts from the original monastery from the 9th century, as well as other stonework dating back to Carolingian and Ottonian periods, It also contained a few minor exhibits and charts explaining the history and development of St Gallen. All well and good if you can read German and/or Latin. From the library we wandered over to the Cathedral where we took more pictures both inside and out. Picture taking outside was made a bit more difficult due to a rather large set being built for an upcoming opera in the abbey square. About 5PM we boarded our train for the 2hr 15min ride back to Luzern. Tomorrow we plan to do some city sightseeing here in Luzern. Of particular interest is the city wall tour. More on that tomorrow. Enjoy the photos from today.

When we first woke up and peered out the window, we optimistically thought we might enjoy a dry and sunny day. Energized by that thought and because we needed to prepare to depart Luzern today, we got up to enjoy yet one more breakfast at the Villa Maria. With bags packed we checked out of our room. Our hosts graciously allowed us to store our luggage in a utility closet so as not to have to drag them around Luzern. We had no more stepped out the front door when we felt the first drops of rain. The rain didn't last long however, which was a blessing. Our first excursion for the day was the view the Lion Monument . We were not alone as 3 other guided tour groups joined us. From the Lion we made our way over to the city wall. Remnants of the old city wall and the towers that connect them are up in the hills above Luzern. Three of the towers can be entered and explored. Upon exiting the first of the three towers open for entry, you walk on top of the wall to the second tower. The second tower contained a clock dating back to 1535 and still keeps perfect time. The final of the 3 towers provides great views of the city of Luzern. After completing the wall tour we walked around the shopping area, which for the most part was closed due to a holiday. We walked across 2 covered bridges, the longer of the two known as the Chapel bridge was originally built in 1333 and is the oldest covered bridge in Europe. The bridge crosses the Reuss River which flows out of Lake Luzern. Following a quick snack at Starbucks, we made our way back to the Villa Maria one last time to pick up our luggage and head for the train station. Soon we were being whisked away from Luzern heading northeast towards the town of Romanshorn on the shores of Lake Constance. Somewhere across the lake lies the border between Switzerland and Germany. Unaware of where to purchase tickets for the ferry across the lake, we decided to go ahead and board the ferry (figuring they wouldn't throw us off). We later discovered we would purchase them on the ferry. We arrived at Friedrichshafen after the short 30-40 minute ferry ride and walked the 500 yards to our hotel for the night. Tomorrow we only have one tourist stop to make at the Zepllin Museum before heading out by train to Memmingen where we will be met by the Guethler family for a ride to their home in Ottoburen. Enjoy the pictures from today.

As we only have one item on the agenda for today which was the Zepplin museum, we were in hurry to get out the door this morning. When we looked out the window, we were even less inclined, as it was raining pretty steadily. We decided to stay in the room until we had to check out at 11AM. About 6:30AM I could smell the aroma of breakfast wafting up the three levels of the hotel to our room. By 8AM I just had to go down and see what was causing the wonderful aroma. The breakfast buffet was truly amazing assortments of breads, pastries, and desserts as well as the more typical breakfast fare of bacon, eggs, and sausages. There also cereals, yogurt, and fresh fruit. Beverages included coffee, and an assortment of juices. When 11AM arrived, we headed to the lobby to check out. The hotel provided a convenient storage area to hold our luggage while we left to go to the Zepplin museum. The Zepplin museum was an interesting place to visit, however they could stand to learn a thing or two about how best to move traffic through some of their exhibits, particularly under crowded conditions. With rain continuing to come down, we took our time going through the exhibits. By 3:15PM and both feeling a bit hungry it was time to leave the Zepplin Museum and make our way back to the hotel to retrieve our luggage, grab a bite to eat and prepare to board our our 4:32PM train to Memmingen via Ulm, Germany. We pulled into the station in Memmingen and were warmly greeted by Joanie Guethler. Peter her husband was waiting for us in the car. We had a short drive and soon were sitting in their beautiful home in Ottoburen, a town of about 10,000 people. We were treated to a special treat as Becky their daughter had made 3 different dessert which we willingly sampled and enjoyed very much. Conversation to us to about 12:30AM before we decided to continue things in the morning. Tomorrow is scheduled to be low key and weather dependent. Be sure to check out pictures from today.

Today's journal is a bit shorter than previous days. The weather report for today is rain. In fact so much so that there are weather warnings for potential flooding in the general area so, needless to say, outdoor activities will be greatly limited. We slept very well last night after getting to bed after midnight. I had to check several clocks to confirm, yes it was really 10:23AM. We enjoyed a delicious late breakfast after which the Katherine, Joanie and her daughter, Becky, braved the elements for a shopping excursion, whilst the guys stayed in the warm and dry confines of the house. Katherine found a couple tops at a thrift shop, some neck scarves and lots of specialty chocolate for gifts. Later in the evening we watched a soccer match between two German teams, the prelim to the really big game tomorrow evening, between the German national team and the US national team. More on that tomorrow.

Joanie made us a wonderful dinner of spaetzl which is a little like mac & cheese, but much better. Later in the evening when the rain subsided a bit we took a short walk through town to look at the river levels which had been rising all day. The waterway heights had grown from a normal 30cm to 175cm and were flowing at a very rapid rate. While nice to get some fresh air, it was nicer still to come back to a warm home. To ensure we got up a little earlier tomorrow, we decided to get to call it a day and climb into bed by 11PM tonight. Tomorrow we plan to attend church with the Guethler family, maybe see some more sights of Ottobueren by daylight and of course the big soccer match later in the evening. Of course, Weather will be a big factor.

After breakfast, we all took a brisk 20 minute walk (only light rain) to the building where the local assembly met. Joanie was kind enough to translate for us and there was a meal for everyone after the service. One of the members is a cook for the local prison and prepared a delicious meal of cucumber salad, rice and pan fried turkey with tatziki sauce. Yum!

Afterwards, Joanie took us through the local flea market where Katherine found a couple shirts for Gioia. We then went through the grounds towards the Basilika which overshadows the town. There was a large abbey surrounding the Basilika which now houses other things, but is intact. The Basilika itself is quite impressive with amazing paintings throughout including the ceiling. There are many altars, and most have either whole or parts of skulls and various bone parts of saints which are encased on velvet pillows with many trimmings, gold and otherwise. There are several organs - one very large one in the balcony over the doors you enter, and two large ones on either side of the main altar at the front. There are also 4 full skeletons in glass cases which are fully dressed in rich velvets and brocades in the four corners of the cross section near the front altar. Strangely makes one think of the Pirates of the Caribbean. Much to see and we hope you'll look at the photos we took. We didn't have the money on us, nor the fortitude to go through the church museum, but hopefully we will be able to visit again - perhaps then.

Since we were chilled - there doesn't seem to be any heat in the Basilika - we went home to have hot tea and hot chocolate. Bob took a nap, while Joanie, Peter, Lukas and Katherine went for a walk during the rain break to a hillside outside of Ottobueren. We visited a small chapel on the hillside which was originally part of an old fortress. After returning home, we had a look at the chicken coop and collected the eggs (almost a dozen), then looked at their rabbits who have a neat little playhouse built next to the coop and share it with a parakeet. We had a light dinner of salad with veggies from their greenhouse, then visited till it was time for the big soccer game between USA and Germany. Peter was suffering from a cold, so only lasted through half the game before going to bed. The rest of us watched the USA prevail 4-3. Lukas, the resident soccer player, informed us that the really good German players had been in play-offs and many were not available for the national team. We called it a day about 11PM. Before going to bed, we checked the local weather conditions which for many regions were still touch and go, with some communities already suffering from flooded conditions. Thankfully, the Ottobueren area was faring much better with river levels actually subsiding a bit. Tomorrow we are off for the Netherlands departing the Memmingen station at 10:05AM. Be sure to check out today's pictures. Our sincere thanks to the Guethler family for their hospitality and making our stay a pleasant and enjoyable one in spite of the rain.

We said goodbye to the Guethler family this morning as we boarded the train for the first leg of our trip home. Total travel time is 7 hours and 45 minutes including a 41 minute stop in Cologne. The first leg of our trip (on an Inter regional or IR train) took us back to the town of Ulm, where we then boarded our first of 2 ICE high speed trains. As mentioned in previous entries, many towns in southern Germany had been suffering from flooding conditions. As we traveled on the train we noticed more examples of this threat with one river being right to the tops of it's banks. The further north we traveled the fewer clouds we saw and before long were traveling under mostly sunny skies. We transferred back to the IR train in Holland at the Utrecht Centraal station, one of Holland's largest train stations, for the remainder of our train trip. Nate met us at the Zoetermeer Oost station for vehicle transport back to their place. The remainder of the evening was spent enjoying pizza and playing two rounds of the card game hand and foot, before returning to our home away from home in Voorburg. Tomorrow the plan is to go to the Rijks Museum in Amsterdam as well as the Corrie ten Boom museum in Haarlem. We only have a few pictures from today, so enjoy.

We woke up today refreshed from a good night sleep.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous with lots of blue sky and temperatures in the mid to upper 60's F. Our plans changed a bit as we decided to only go to Haarlem today. The Rijks museum would have to wait for another day.  With some extra time this morning, we took a walk (about 1/2 mile) to the Albert Heijn to do a little grocery shopping.  After unloading our groceries, we made our way back out the door to meet Becky at the local train station in Voorburg for our train ride to Haarlem.  We exited the Haarlem station and walked the short distance to the Corrie ten Boom home and museum.  The walk was a pleasant one down narrow streets lined with shops, many in the original buildings from the 15th century.  We stopped briefly at a coffee shop where we purchased some coffee and cookies to supplement our sandwiches purchased that morning.  The three of us sat outside the coffee shop, an ideal place to enjoy the weather and watch the variety of people passing by.  Following lunch we made our way to the museum for our English speaking tour.  Our tour guide gave an excellent presentation of the Corrie ten Boom story.  Afterwards we went to the town square and enjoyed another small snack before heading over to the Grote Kerk which is located on the central market square.  Particularly impressive is the organ which upon it's completion was the largest organ in the world.  Concerning the organ it is prominently advertised the Mozart once played this organ.  The floor of the church is made of grave stones from many illustrious Haarlemmers through the centuries.  The train ride home from Haarlem was standing room only, at least part of the way.  Dinner this evening was a group effort and included tossed green salad with chicken in a pepper sauce over rice.  With an early start tomorrow, we soon were on our way back to Voorburg and to bed.  Tomorrow is a slower day.  One of the highlights will be to join Gioia @ the local pool for a swim. 

Today was a relaxing day - the major event of the day (and all of today's photos) was pool time with Gioia. We were accompanied by Joseba and Becky to a local indoor pool and before long were enjoying the soothing effects of the pool. This indoor facility actually had 2 pools, one designed for play (which was much warmer than the "serious" pool) and the other for swim lessons and lap swimming. The play pool had jets which created a type of lazy river which was relaxing to just float around in. In addition there was a small slide with start and finish buttons with a wall mounted clock which made for some competition between Bob and Becky to see who could have the fastest times. Becky won the competition by 4 tenths of a second. Gioia had a good time as well splashing around and relaxing in her new flotation device. Following our swim time we came back to Voorburg, and enjoyed a meal prepared for us by Martijn since Joseba had more pool time with a group of autistic children she provides swimming lessons for. After dinner we travelled back to Zoetermeer to complete our final two rounds of the Hand and Foot game. Bob wound up the winner this time. That concluded our activities for today. Tomorrow we travel to the south and east through Rotterdam to the town of Dordrecht to visit with Nate's brother Andre and his new bride Judith. Check out today's pool photos. More tomorrow.

Today was much like yesterday with clear blue skies and very comfortable temperatures (about 70 degrees when we left the house). We took our now familiar walk to the Den Haag Van NOI train station to meet up with Becky and Gioia. After adding money to our OV chipkaarts, (something we are getting quite proficient at) we boarded the train for the ride to Dordrecht via Rotterdam Centraal. Andre and Judith met us at the bus stop just outside the main train station in Dordrecht. It was really good to be able to spend the day with them. It was a short bus ride from the train station to our first destination which was a true-to-scale replica of Noahs Ark. We enjoyed touring all the levels in the ark with its collection of animals, some live, some not. Gioia particularly enjoyed sitting on an elephant trunk (not live) and watching a couple of squirrels chase each other around their cage. After a bite of lunch on the ark and browsing the gift shop Gioia and Becky left to go back to Zoetermeer. The rest of us strolled through the market area in Dordrecht which included a large market square area where many people were enjoying outdoor dining in the 77F weather. Upon seeing an ice cream store, we decided to have dessert first. Following a bit of shopping we chose to eat at a Spanish tapas resaurant on the market square. After dinner we were able to meet Judith's mother who graciously drove us back to the train station, where we boarded the train for the ride back to Voorburg via Den Haag Centraal. 45 minutes later, in twilight conditions at 10:30PM, we were walking back to our home-away-from-home. Tomorrow we hope to visit mini-Holland in Den Haag. Be sure to check out todays pictures.

The plan to visit mini-Holland has been pushed off till Monday. Today we spent most of the day @ home. One reason for having the day off was because we were going to have a family gathering in the evening. It also provided an opportunity to get caught up on journal entries and pictures we had been taking. Gioia, Nate, and Becky arrived first this evening with the other family members who were coming arriving not too much later. It was a good time of fellowship prior to the meal. Katherine had the honor of feeding Gioia her dinner, with an assist from Bob. Before long, we all gathered around the dining room table for a delightful Turkish meal. After some time to allow for digestion of our meal a dessert of Italian ice cream was served. More fellowship was enjoyed following the meal and next thing we knew it was 11:00PM. We said our good nights to all and went straight to bed. Tomorrow we plan to go to the island of Trexel, which is in northern Holland with our hosts Martijn and Joseba. I hear it will include a bicycle ride. More on that tomorrow.

With public transportation in Holland it can often be all about the connections. Today's trip involved, trains, busses, and ferries. To make our connections required us to leave the house at our earliest to date. By 7:35 AM we were out the front door and on our way ( a familiar one by now) to the Van NOI train station. From there we would travel by train about 2 hours to the train station in Den Helder. There we caught a bus for a brief ride to the ferry port. The ferry port is adjacent to a ship yard containing many Dutch naval vessels. Before long we were making our way from Den Helder to the port on Texel. We left the ferry and walked 100 yards or so to a Bicycle rental place where we rented some bikes to continue our journey. Our first stop was at the Ecomare, a interactive wildlife exhibit. Prior to going through the exhibit, we fueled our bodies at the facility cafeteria. After touring the exhibits, we mounted up on our bikes and continued our journey to the northern tip of Texel, and the lighthouse. The trip north was made more difficult due to persistent winds in the 25-30mph range. We arrived at the lighthouse weary, but with the consolation that on the trip home, the winds which had been opposed to us would become our friend. The lighthouse on Texel was actually two lighthouses in one. The inside one had been riddled with bullets during World War 2 and so a second lighthouse was built around it. On the top level accessible to tourists, you could walk around the lighthouse between the two walls. At the top level on the outside platform were signs indicating the distance in a straight line to places such as England (~225KM) and the North Pole. (4900KM). One could also make out the island adjacent to Texel. Before leaving the lighthouse we warmed ourselves with some hot chocolate and tea. Katherine and I stepped away from the table for a few minutes and on our return discovered some delicious pastries had been added compliments of Martijn and Joseba. Following our break we mounted our bikes, a bit more gingerly than at first and began the long trek south to the port at Den Hoorn. Along the way we passed a couple of grass runways at the Texel International airport. We made our way to the port in time to return our bicycles and catch the ferry back to the mainland at Den Helder. From Den Helder we were a two hour train ride back home. There were no late night conversations, this evening. Tired and weary we did the minimum to get ready for bed and were soon fast asleep. Tomorrow is church, followed by high tea at the home of Martijn and Joseba. Later that evening is a special surprise. You'll have to wait along with us on that one. Be sure to check out today's pictures.

Slowly and carefully we eased out of bed this morning, testing to see how stiff we would be from yesterday's ride. Surprisingly things went pretty well. We left the house for a short drive to the chapel in Zoetermeer. It was wonderful to be able to fellowship with the group in spite of the language difference. Martijn and Joseba helped with translation for us and we did our best to sing along in Dutch on the hymns. One special event which occurred was the baby dedication of Gioia Vellekoop. It was an honor both to be there as well as to participate. Following the church service we met back at Voorburg for a high tea with many of the family joining us. There was plenty of delicious food as you can see in our picture page for today. About 5PM we left with Becky and Nate for a what was described as a big surprise. The family had done a good job of keeping the secret as we were clueless. We got off the train in Amsterdam and walked past a large soccer stadium, heading towards a smaller venue with a seating capacity of ~6,000. As we walked up popped a picture of Josh Groban on the marquee, with the concert date of June 9, 2013. What a wonderful surprise and gift!! At the conclusion of the concert we left the concert hall quickly as Nate and Becky needed to get back to the Lan van Noi station to catch the final tram of the evening to their station in Zoetermeer. The walk from the station seemed to pass quicker tonight and so soon we were warm inside the home in Voorburg. Tomorrow is our final day before returning home. We plan to go to Den Haag to visit mini Holland. Be sure to check out today's pictures.

Today brought with it a tinge of sadness, as our first task today was to pack. There were two reasons for that. The first was to minimize what is needed before leaving for the airport tomorrow. The second reason was we are moving from Voorburg to Zoetermeer for our final night stay in Holland. As is our usual custom when travelling, I left Katherine to take care of the packing, while I occupied myself catching up on some of the pictures we had been taking, doing web updates, and assisting Joseba with keeping Gioia occupied. By noon our packing was complete, so we took time to have lunch most of which came from an assortment of leftovers from the tea yesterday. Becky came to Voorburg by train and about 2:30PM we departed to go visit miniature Holland, or as I called it, Gioia sized Holland. Miniature Holland is as it's name implies contains a collection of miniature sized replicas of significant places throughout the Netherlands. We spent about 2 hours going through the exhibit and of course snapping many pictures. Our final outing for the day, as we had Gioia with us, was to go to the beach so Bob could dip his feet in the North Sea, and yes we have photographic evidence. From the beach we headed back to the tram stop after a quick stop at a gellato shop, and were soon on our way to Zoetermeer. Joseba was most gracious to drive our luggage from Voorburg to Zoetermeer for which we are very grateful. She also left some goodies for us to have when we return home. The night was a quiet one as Nate was suffering from a cold. We sat down for dinner together and enjoyed watching another episode in an Agatha Christie detective series. After that it was time to end the day, as tomorrow we need to be out the door by 7AM for our ride to the airport. Enjoy all the pictures from today!

We woke up before the alarm this morning. With most of our suitcases already packed from the previous day, we needed only to pack a few remaining items, get dressed and head out the door. With Nate still suffering cold symptoms, plans changed and Nate's mom, Margriet, would drive us to the airport instead. By 7:20AM we were on our way for the ~30 minute drive to Schipol. Traffic was light on the roadways. Weather conditions were much different than when we arrived 3 weeks ago. Rather than low clouds and rain, we had high clouds with the early morning sun trying to push its way through. Becky and Margriet assisted us with our luggage which was a big help. With a little help we found the KLM check in counters (fully automated including luggage) where we off loaded 2 of our larger suitcases. With some extra time, we stopped at a small cafe where Margriet treated us to breakfast. After breakfast we said our goodbyes and made our way to the gate. Take off was delayed by about 40 minutes, due to delays at the gate, but soon we were airborne for our 10 hour flight back to SFO. We landed on time just before 12 noon PDT and made our way through US Customs where we rejoined our luggage. Mom came and picked the two weary travelers up, and drove us home to Hayward for which we were most appreciative. She had even made us a small dish of food to eat which we had later that evening. Reflecting on the events of the past three weeks we are so grateful to those who hosted us in their homes making us feel right at home, those who provided transportation, those who helped with language translation, those who handled the small details and made this trip a memorable one for us.

THE END (of this trip)