The Netherlands - Tuesday to Thursday (dinner, geocaching, Ikea)

Like I mentioned in my last post I headed home on New Year's Day.  As Steve had 'borrowed' some of my food items I had to find a shop that was open.  Not an easy feat on a public holiday, but I did find one and so I did the necessary shopping and then was home.

The house was dark and cold when I arrived and I discovered that the central heating wasn't working.  I went upstairs to investigate and noticed that the pressure was low and the error code told me that the water needed to be topped up.  This I did, but the only result was a leaking connection.  I rang Steve, who couldn't come out, so left it for the following day and went to bed to warm up...

The next two days were busy and interesting.

I had joined a geocaching group on facebook a while back and asked if there were group members who would join me for a day out geocaching.  I had two positive responses.  So on Tuesday I left for Sint Oedenrode where I met Ingrid de Mol and together we went in search of some caches.  She hadn't found many in the area, so we were in for a productive day.

Tuesday, 2 January 2018

#1810 - Kanniewaarzijn 7 Mega bout cache (serie 2)! (cache)

#1811 - Nr. 48 (cache)

A clever puzzle

#1812 - Kanniewaarzijn 8 Spin petling* set (serie 2)! (cache)

*Petling for the Australian readers is the same as preform

#1813 - Het geheim van het Verborgen Rijk. (multi cache)

Here too was a cup of coffee ready for geocachers

#1814 - Kanniewaarzijn 11. Filmkoker!(serie 3) (cache)

#1815 - Kanniewaarzijn 12. Kakkerlak petling! (serie 3) (cache)

A wobbly little 'bridge' across the creek was
not my favourite crossing on a cold and wet day,
but we made it across safely

#1816- Kanniewaarzijn 13. Micro - Bout type 1!(serie 3) (cache)

#1817 - Kanniewaarzijn 14. Knotwilg! (serie 3) (cache)

At midday we had lunch at a lovely little restaurant in the centre of town and took our chance to warm up a little.  We stopped at about 3.30pm as I had a 'dinner-date' with my cousin Jos and wanted to be home in time. Ingrid and I said our goodbyes with the promise to keep in touch.  A great day!

The town is getting ready for carnival

The central heating was still not working of course.  Jos and Steve arrived almost simultaneously.  Both had a look at the boiler, but to no avail.  So, I decided to shout Jos dinner at a restaurant of his choice, which was De Likkepot at Rosmalen near Den Bosch.  We were early and started with a drink and a borrelgarnituur, the latter being a dish of miniature fried items like e.g. loempia's, croquettes, etc.  The main dish was carpaccio with a side dish of garlic bread.  We had a lovely meal.

As it was, Steve had been able to get the heater going (temporarily) during our absence, so the house was not too cold and Jos and I spent the rest of the evening chatting.

Wednesday, 3 January 2018

Wednesday shaped up as another great geocaching day.  That day I met Ria van Kuijk.  She lives in Sint Oedenrode and thus had found most of the caches in the area, but was prepared to take me to do the rounds and finish the day with a recently published series which she hadn't found yet.

It was a bitterly cold day and the weather bureau had issued code orange, meaning that everyone was advised that it was safer to stay indoors because of the storm.  It was indeed very windy, besides wet and cold, but hey, we're geocachers! We're a bit mad! ;-)  I could add the word muddy as well!

However, Ria and I set out to find a few caches and find them we did:

#1818 - De legende van het Kienehoef volk Extraatje (cache)

#1819 - The invisible cache (cache)

#1820 - Kanniewaarzijn 3, magnetische Electra plaat (cache)

#1821 - Kanniewaarzijn 2, geocaching Paal box 2.0 (cache)

#1822 - Kanniewaarzijn 6 Magneten (Serie 2) (cache)

#1823 - Eerbetoon aan Djpebe -Magic Boxen- (cache)

#1824 - Teek Away (cache)

#1825 - GSM Verbelst (cache)

#1826 - Kanniewaarzijn 16. Reflector! (serie 4) (cache)

#1827 - Kanniewaarzijn 17. Aansluitdoos-Hengelen (serie 4) (cache)

#1828 - Kanniewaarzijn 18. Kraai! (serie 4) (cache)

#1829 - Kanniewaarzijn 19. Slakkenhuis - leeg! (serie 4) (cache)

#1830 - Kanniewaarzijn 20. Paddestoel Bonus! (serie 4) (cache)

#1832 - Spiegelei (cache)

Another productive day.  For lunch we went to De Helden van Kien, a delightful restaurant with good service and great food.  We were very, very cold and wet and needed time to warm up and dry out, which I did with a bowl of an original Dutch dish of ham-and-pea soup with a side of roggebrood met katenspek (rye bread and a kind of speck).

I think the hardest part of the day was getting hoisted in our cold and wet jackets again! ;-)

When we had gathered enough caches, even one of Ria's, we said goodbye and I attempted to drive back to Liempde.  I said 'attempted' because somehow my data hadn't been topped-up automatically and my phone could not find the route without internet connection, so I had to try and make my way from memory and by using the road signs. Getting out of the built-up area was not easy, but once I hit the main road it was less complicated.

Unfortunately there was no warm house waiting for me, nor a nice hot shower, so all I could do was dry off and put on some dry clothes...  Not nice, but sometimes one doesn't have much choice.

Thursday, 4 Juanuary 2018

On  Thursday my bestie, Jose, came to visit.  Together we enjoyed a cuppa and a chat, after which we went to the nearest Ikea, where we had lunch first and then had a good look around.  As you do! :-)

Jose had a shopping list. I didn't, because my suitcase is full enough as it is, although I did fall for a couple of runners for my new table.

Once home again we had dinner and had to say goodbye after a pleasant evening together.  Luckily we didn't have to sit in the cold, because Steve had arranged for a cv repairman to come out earlier in the day and the central heating was working again. And I could have a hot shower again. Yay!

The Netherlands - Festive Season

I am getting behind more and more and don't really have a lot of spare time to write, but will do my best to get at least through a few days.

On Christmas Eve I travelled to Houten to my niece Heidi, daughter of Wim, where I would stay for a few days, or rather, till after New Year's Eve.  Together we spent the evening with Wim and Gerrie watching 'All you need is Love'. I was warned to bring a box of tissues, but I managed alright.  We finished the night with a very late supper.  When we were young we would go to the midnight Service and then have breakfast before going to bed.  The Service is a thing of the past, but the traditional meal is great.

That night I didn't have to sleep on an air mattress, as I was told before, but Heidi had bought a great bed for the spare bedroom, which looked grand and I slept well the whole week long.

Christmas Day was a quiet but pleasant affair.  I talked to Adele, Kevin and the kids on Skype early in the morning and later in the day Wim & Gerrie, and Tom, Su & Julia arrived.  Together we had dinner to which everyone had contributed something.  

On Boxing Day Pim arrived with Guido and Nils who I hadn't seen for over a year and boy, they had grown.  Delightful, if not noisy at times, to have around....  Pim stayed for lunch so we had time to catch up as well.

The next day we went for a walk with the children and on Thursday Heidi and Gerrie took Guido to Disney on Ice: Cars. Wim wanted to take little Nils for a trip on the train and the bus to Utrecht and I joined them.  We had a great morning.  Nils behaved very well when Wim and I had a cup of coffee at a little restaurant in the city.  He loved the pieces of apple cake with cream that he got from Wim and me. ;-)  Later the others returned from also a great day.  The boys had been given a car each which kept them occupied for a while.

Friday was a day at home again.  I walked to the shops and bought Heidi a small gift for her hospitality and watched the fun on the ice rink.  I would have loved to join in, but felt a bit self-conscious on my own.

And then on Saturday I met with Nicole again for a day geocachen.  I met her at her new home in Houten and then she had a surprise for me: she took me to her new house she was in the process of buying!

After that we went to Goudriaan.  We had planned to find a cache there which was quite a marvellous one and had been 'cache of the month' a while ago.  I heard of it when I was in France and made sure we would go and find this one. 

#1804 - BIJ DE BIJ

 The actual cache was hidden in somewhere in this delightful little Gypsy waggon.  I made the find, we signed the log and sat down for a chat.  There were all sorts of things, from a coffee machine to a tin with Christmas biscuits.  We didn't make coffee, because it was too cold, but ate a few biscuits, took pictures and were on our way again  This really was a cache to never forget.

On the way back to Houten we found a few of a series, but it was too windy and too cold to do much more than that.

 #1805 - Hoogblokland

 #1806 - Vijfheerenlanden 2-8

After this cache we looked for a warmer sport and went to a little café where we had a meal of hot chips and a lovely cup of hot chocolate. Then a few more caches...

#1807 - Vijfheerenlanden 2-7

#1808 - Vijfheerenlanden 2-6

#1809 - Plein

This was the last one, in the Oude Dorp Houten.  Like all the other ones an easy find, and then it was time to go home.  Later we found a great restaurant in Houten where we had dinner together: .....

And then Sunday came around again.  We walked to the shops, but they were closed, contrary to the hours stated on the Internet.  I had already been wondering why all the bins in every town were closed off at the top and had big white plastic bags hanging on the sides. Heidi told me that this was done by the councils to prevent the youngsters from blowing up the bins with fireworks.  They had already been going off all week long, which was quite annoying and actually not legal, but....  We all know about that story....

In the afternoon we went to Heidi's friend Carolien's parents' house where we met a large number of the family and had oliebollen, the traditional Dutch treat on New Year's Eve.  

Later that night Wim & Gerrie, Tom, Su & Julia came around again as well as Carolien & Frank.  At midnight we watched the fireworks which were all around us.  Unlike other countries, in the Netherlands it's still legal to launch fireworks at New Year's Eve.  Although I am generally no longer in favour of it, it's annoying during the days ahead of the actual night and it's dangerous as well, it sure is exciting and a sight to behold.

Eighteen month old Nils was awake and watched the fireworks in awe with us.  Guido was wearing headphones in bed to protect him from the noise and he slept right through it all.

On New Year's Day I had the chance again to watch the New Year's concert from Vienna, which I always liked to watch from childhood onwards and have missed all those years in Australia.  Pim arrived later and we all had lunch together.  After that Pim took the boys home to spend time with him and I packed up and headed home to Liempde.  It was a great week altogether.

We're already a few days down the track now, but the rest will have to wait till I have a moment to do another write up.  Till then.