Around the house in Wijchen

Thursday, August 27, 2015

As Leonie got very tired from walking on Wednesday we spend the day mostly around the house.  It's a rainy day anyway, so not much to loose...  It also gives me the necessary time to catch up on emails and my blog.

One thing we have to do and that is making a trip to Arnhem for Leonie and Ferdi to pick up their tickets for Paris.  They will be away for a long weekend from Saturday morning.

After Leonie has received her tickets we sit down for a cuppa at Starbucks after which we drive home again.  We do the washing and go to Jumbo in Wijchen to get some more groceries.

Leonie' had a driving lesson earlier in the week, now it's Ferdi's turn.  He learns to use the GPS as well as how to drive on the right side of the road. ;-)  All goes well...

Friday, August 28, 2015

It's high time for me to get my hair done, so that's on the program for today.  I've made an appointment yesterday, so in the afternoon I get on the bike and pedal to the shops.  Leonie and Ferdi are going to work out how to use the GPS without my help and plan to go back to Wijchen to the telephone shop to top up their card.

While I'm at the hairdresser and waiting for my colour to set Patricia skypes from Sweden.  What timing!  We chat for about half an hour and decide on the dates for our trip to New Zealand, after which I am ready to have my haircut too.

When I come back Leonie and Ferdi are still at home and haven't gotten any further with the GPS.  Just one tiny little thing can upset instructions that have been given, so we start again and I think it's sunk in. :-)  They depart for the shops and I get on the bike, because I feel like a bike ride and I also want to pick up a cache if I can.

Not on this bike ride, but on the one earlier in the week we have discovered bushes with blackberries, of which I will post a picture and on Saturday, last weekend, we saw lots of hot air balloons pass over, of which I also have forgotten to post pictures, so they are following below:

one of the hot air balloons in the distance

it's years since I have picked blackberries in the wild

And next the story about the cache I found in Wijchen.  Here in the Netherlands caches are often hidden on private property (with permission) or in front yards.  The front yards I skip, because I feel too self-conscious, but private property I will try in some cases.

When arrived near GZ and had driven up the driveway a lady asked me if she could help me.  I though I'd better explain, but of course she knew all about it. ;-)  So, she left me to my own devices, but... of course my phone was playing up and I had a hard time finding the right spot.  The compass kept jumping around as usual.  She kindly guided me to GZ in a roundabout way and when there I understood where it was, but it wasn't until she told me that I needed muscles that I knew I had to upturn a wooden construction.  Underneath was the cache and the pictures show you what a beauty it was.  When you see it you will know why a container like this was hidden near a music school.

WIJ(ca)CHEN: MuziekDorp

 

 

 

When I came home we sat in the garden for a drink and a play with the dog.  The owners bring their dog to play in the backyard when they are out playing golf.

Max playing soccer

At home, Beuningen, and 's-Hertogenbosch

Monday, August 24, 2015

 On Monday we stay mainly at home to acclimatise. We only go out to stock up on groceries, as on Saturday we only bought immediate supplies.  Later we went for a short bike ride to try out the bicycles.  It wasn't a great success.  All three of us had a go on the folding bike, but as we have long legs it was very hard to ride.  The seat had to be on almost the highest setting, which meant bending the back down to the handlebars.  Something Leonie and I have a problem with, so, Ferdi was the lucky one to ride the folding bike.  I was the second lucky one, because I got to ride the men's bike.  Not a great joy either, having the bar at a height too high for my (still long) legs for standing.  Having to stop suddenly could have disastrous results, but I made it home with minimal injuries...

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

You may remember that I have been to Gouda with Patricia and we visited the dollshouse & miniatures shop there.  Jolanda, the daughter of the shop owners told me then that she lived in Beuningen and since I had to wait for an order to come in she would take it home and I would be able to pick it up from her place, since Beuningen is a stone's throw from Wijchen.

We did this on Tuesday morning, but since it was raining it wasn't a good day for bike riding.  We took the car instead. 

Jolanda received us with a lovely cuppa and we talked about her preferred holiday destination and of course, also her dollshouse.  I will need to ask Leonie for the pictures she took and will update the blog later.

I think Leonie and I went for another bike ride together late in the afternoon, but I can't quite remember if that was on Tuesday or not...

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

The weather had much improved, so we decided that a trip to 's-Hertogenbosch (my place of birth) was in order.  It took us half an hour to get there and I parked the car close to my parents' flat as usual.  Unfortunately the walk to the city took a lot longer than planned, because the bridge over the canal was open, probably being repaired or so, and we had to walk all the way to the next one.

We went to buy tickets for a boat trip on the Dieze first, so we knew what time we had to be there.  When we have the tickets and know that we have to be back by 1 pm we can plan the rest of the day.  Lunch first.  At a take-away stand we buy a worstenbroodje (a kind of bread roll with a sausage similar to that of a [...] and coffee and cold drinks.

Next we walk to the city centre and to my surprise the kermis (country fair) is on.  It seems to start sooner every year.  The school holidays haven't even finished in Brabant. 

One round around the market place and a few historic buildings and some of the market stalls that are now situated in the streets off the market place and then we head back to line up for the boat.

While waiting in line and for Leonie to come back from a 'rest stop' I spot a sister-in-law of mine and Frank's.  It's a small world indeed.  However, as we are no longer on speaking terms (I got the phone slammed in my face last year) I don't have to bother... ;-)

Part of the group (with dear s-i-l) steps into the first boat and we are allotted a place in the second one.  I didn't take many pictures of this boat trip since Frank and I had made the trip in 2007, but instead will mainly place some of the pictures from back then as I'd started my blog in 2008 only.  The tour is basically still the same.

2008

 

2015

 

After the tour we walk towards the centre again where we're having a drink and, of course, a Bossche Bol:

A glass of Oud Bruin and a Bossche Bol

 

Ferdi relaxing

Leonie enjoying her treat

Leonie would like to see the St Jan's Kathedraal (Cathedral of St. John) so we walk past the market stalls to the old church.  We walk around and I stop at the Maria Chapel for a moment of reflection.  The fair has spread out to the square next to the church and draws all the folk so we join the crowd and have a look around too.

The Factory (name of the ride)

The Gost House, now called: Thriller

Not for me, thanks!

Bizarre combination: Thriller with the cathedral in the background

Then it's time to walk back again, because we have go the long way around because of the bridge. And then we're on our way home after another pleasant day.

A day in Houten again

Sunday, August 23, 2015

As Wim and Gerrie, and also Pim and Heidi wanted to see/meet Leonie and Ferdi we go to Houten for a visit.

We spend a mostly sunny day there, while having coffee and lunch.  Guido, of course, is the centre of attention.  He happened to stay in Houten overnight and is being picked up by his parents later in the day. We're having a pleasant time together and all to soon it's time to take our leave again.

Not much else to talk about, so I just place the pictures below:

'I don't like that cap very much!'

another try?

'I like you from a distance...'

'And do I ever like your earrings!'

'And I like your hair too!'