Before we went to the Netherlands, I read a book about the expat experience. Of course the book pretty much assumed that every expat is a man with a wife who organizes all the details of the home and family. But my feminist sensibilities are not the point of this blog post. The book had a hilarious chapter about “your first home leave visit.” Most expat contracts allow you to go back home once a year to visit family. This is known as “home leave.” Apparently most expats have a disastrous experience with their first home leave. It involves running around to visit everyone you are obligated to visit, buying gobs of clothes and needing to buy a new suitcase to carry it back, and feeling guilty about not visiting the rest of the family. Check. I can now say that I am a pretty typical expat in this regard. Even after reading the warnings and vowing not to make the same mistakes, we made them all. I guess some things you just have to learn the hard way.
As we made our arrangements to go back to the US, we knew we had to make some hard decisions about the house. We had been renting the front office to a neighbor who was working from home with 3 young children. But he decided to take advantage of the bad economy by building an addition on his garage. The guy who was using the bedroom like an extended stay hotel room when he was on business trips to Chicago also took advantage of the real estate market to buy a condo. And because everything happens in threes, the neighbors who were helping to take care of the house are expecting a baby soon. With a new baby, they won’t have time to pick up our mail and mow the lawn. We know that an empty house is not good for the house or for the neighborhood. We spent a long time debating between selling and renting the house. In the end we decided to rent it out with the help of a management company, but it was an agonizing decision.
When we arrived at our Chicago house, we had a welcome dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant with our neighbors. Day 1, we started doing all the outside yard work – trimming bushes, scrubbing the porch rails, and cleaning out gutters. So many of our neighbors stopped by to say hello that it was actually hard to get any work done. It just reminded me how much I liked living there. Day 2 was the dentist, eye doctor and of course packing the rest of our junk into boxes. Day 3 was renting the moving truck and moving everything to the storage unit. Good thing we had the neighbor kids to help with the heavy lifting – they worked from 8 in the morning to 9 that night. We spent Day 4 trying to figure out what to do with the rest of the junk that wouldn’t fit in the storage unit.
Day 5 we left Chicago for Minnesota. Flying Southwest Airline was a pleasure, but after all the work we had done, I think any airline would have seemed nice. The guilt portion of the trip occurred in the Twin Cities. We have quite a few friends and family there, but we flew it around noon on Thursday and still had a 4 hour drive to Dennis’ home town. So we didn’t stop – sorry everyone there just wasn’t enough time! In southwest Minnesota I managed to go shopping in Sioux Falls with my sister and mother-in-law, we went to a baptism for the twins of Dennis’ cousin, had a great steak dinner, got my hair highlighted, and helped to bail hay on the farm. We picked fresh apples, had homegrown tomatoes and had a fun BBQ with the family. We even visited the End of the Line Museum in Curry. Too bad we had to go back to Chicago a day early to finish the rest of the stuff for the house. Day 11 was traveling back to Chicago. With all the driving and the flying, it takes about 9 hours to make the trip. We did manage to see our old house in Minnesota before we went to the airport.
Back in Chicago, we were pleased to see that the kids had done the painting on the front porch and patio as arranged. They did a really nice job, too. But we still had lots to do – installing a new front door handle (old one was rusting), throwing away tons of trash, cleaning carpets, changing furnace filters, and fixing the leaky condenser pipe on the air conditioner. Image saving all of the home maintenance repairs for 18 months and trying to get them all done in less than a week. Yes, it’s a nightmare.
On Friday night, we had dinner reservations at our favorite Italian restaurant at 8:00. After stopping at 2 shoe stores, we finally sat down at 8:15. We had a relaxing dinner for our last night in Chicago. Saturday morning, Dennis ran the last of the stuff to the storage unit (vacuum cleaner and other cleaning stuff) and dropped off the old paint, pesticide and weed killer at the toxic waste facility. He also wanted to stop at the bike store to do a bit more shopping, but he had to be back home by 12:15 so he could shower before leaving for the airport. I went to Wal-Mart to buy the extra suitcase for all the junk we bought. At 12:15, Dennis made it home. Our newest neighbor dropped by to see the power tools that Dennis was trying to sell. A very quick transaction resulted in the neighbor taking most of the large tools and a lawn mower. We left feeling a little bit better about the last remaining things that have to be sold.
After two weeks in the US, we finally were heading back home. Yes, home is where the cat is. A day of jet-lag and it’s back to work. Actually work feels a bit more relaxing than “vacation” now. Maybe next year we will go to Hawaii instead! That was the advice in the expat book, too.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Playing Hooky from Work
Numbered way-point sign on the bike path - shows all the connecting paths. No need to carry your own map, just follow the signs.
Here is the bike path (busy today) and the guy with the fashionable yellow pants.
See the cows with the white stripe in the middle?
This is a common style of barn here. The roof can move up and down on the big corner poles.
The hay had been cut was getting ready to be baled.
Old ladies with HUGE shoulder pads - the traditional dress of the Netherlands.
I was sitting outside at lunch today and when we had to back to work, everyone groaned. It was about 80 degrees and sunny, not very humid and just a light breeze blowing. It was great for being outside playing, but not so great for being in the office with no air conditioning. As we walked back to our building, I realized that I had no meetings planned for the afternoon. Nada, none, zero. If I was ever going to take an afternoon off, this was the one!
I sent my boss an email and let my colleagues know that I was leaving. Oh yeah, they were jealous. I zipped home and changed into my biking clothes. I even remembered to grab the camera as I left. Oh and I called Dennis to make sure he was also jealous.
I rode south along the freeway for a while and then turned off onto the farm roads. You’ve heard the saying “make hay while the sun shines” and today the sun was shining. The farmers were out making hay. The cows were out enjoying the sun, too. I even got a picture of the funny cows with the white stripe in the middle.
I got on a bike path along the lake and sat for a while having a snack and watching the people going by. This was a very popular path for a Wednesday afternoon. The lake was busy with sailboats and water skiers. I saw a guy with yellow pants and I wondered which store in the Netherlands sells these goofy pants – I see yellow, orange, green and even pink pants ON MEN. With local fashion being that well-developed, obviously I fit in pretty well.
My next stop was the little town of Spakenburg which is known for being very traditional. We’ve ridden through on Sunday and really everything was closed even the cafes. I was excited to see it when things were open. Normally when we ride, we follow the numbered bike paths. At every way-point, they give you a map with all the connecting routes. It’s really a fantastic network and we are getting super-spoiled. The only problem I’ve had with this system is in towns where the route makes several turns and they are not always well-marked. Today was even worse than normal because Spakenburg was having their annual festival. Only a very traditional town would have a festival on a Wednesday – and it was only running until 5:30. That’s so very Dutch! So, the town was crowded with booths and tourists and I ended up walking my bike. I also ended up quite lost. At least I managed to get a good picture of the old ladies wearing their traditional costumes. Apparently the costume involves brightly colored football shoulder pads. These ladies make those 1980’s shoulder pads look subtle!
I finally found my way out of town and thoroughly enjoyed the tailwind on the way home. I’m very lucky to live in such a beautiful place AND have more than 5 weeks of vacation so I can enjoy days like today.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Disconnected
Most of the time I feel pretty connected to the people back home. We have so much technology available with Facebook, blogs, and email that I don’t realize how much I am missing. Today, I was surfing some blogs connected to MJ the Ironman. I clicked on Run Bubba Run, not even knowing who he is. His post was about a triathlete friend of his named Michelle who died from cancer. Even though I don’t know who Bubba is, I knew immediately who he was talking about.
I googled Michelle Chaput and found her obituary from June. I was sad that it took me over a month to find out that she died. Michelle was one of my first triathlon friends. She had started the Human Racers Triathlon team about the same time that I started racing.
The team was in Orland Park, quite a drive from Downers Grove – but I went for the weekly runs and Sunday morning bike rides on the Old Plank Trail. The bike rides were great fun. Dennis was always a little bit shocked and awed when Michelle passed him on the rides when he was going all out! Michelle taught us tons about riding and triathlons.
One year, Michelle had signed up for her first iron-distance race in the fall. You always have to sign up a year in advance for the long races. That winter, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Knowing that she couldn’t do the whole race after going through all the cancer treatments, she called the organizers and asked to change her registration to a team instead of individual entry. She asked a couple of friends to do the 2.4 mile swim and 26.2 mile run and she would train for the 112 mile bike ride. I got involved shortly before the race when one of her friends dropped out. I stepped in to do the swim. It was the closest I’ve been to an ironman and I was glad it was over after the swim! Most of all, it was inspiring to watch Michelle race after the mastectomy, chemo, and radiation. I can’t imagine where she found the energy to train!
Dennis and I gradually drifted away from the Human Racers team as we found training partners closer to home. We still ran into the old gang at some of the local races and I had heard that Michelle’s cancer had come back. But I hadn’t heard that it was back for a third round or that it had spread. She was only 41. Even though we had lost touch, she left a lasting impression on me. I’m sad about her death and I’m also sad to realize how disconnected I’ve become.
I googled Michelle Chaput and found her obituary from June. I was sad that it took me over a month to find out that she died. Michelle was one of my first triathlon friends. She had started the Human Racers Triathlon team about the same time that I started racing.
The team was in Orland Park, quite a drive from Downers Grove – but I went for the weekly runs and Sunday morning bike rides on the Old Plank Trail. The bike rides were great fun. Dennis was always a little bit shocked and awed when Michelle passed him on the rides when he was going all out! Michelle taught us tons about riding and triathlons.
One year, Michelle had signed up for her first iron-distance race in the fall. You always have to sign up a year in advance for the long races. That winter, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Knowing that she couldn’t do the whole race after going through all the cancer treatments, she called the organizers and asked to change her registration to a team instead of individual entry. She asked a couple of friends to do the 2.4 mile swim and 26.2 mile run and she would train for the 112 mile bike ride. I got involved shortly before the race when one of her friends dropped out. I stepped in to do the swim. It was the closest I’ve been to an ironman and I was glad it was over after the swim! Most of all, it was inspiring to watch Michelle race after the mastectomy, chemo, and radiation. I can’t imagine where she found the energy to train!
Dennis and I gradually drifted away from the Human Racers team as we found training partners closer to home. We still ran into the old gang at some of the local races and I had heard that Michelle’s cancer had come back. But I hadn’t heard that it was back for a third round or that it had spread. She was only 41. Even though we had lost touch, she left a lasting impression on me. I’m sad about her death and I’m also sad to realize how disconnected I’ve become.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Delft
New Church
Old Church - see how it leans?
One of the more creapy tomb stones on the church floor.
The weather this weekend was pretty yucky for biking or kayaking so Dennis and I decided to do some sightseeing. We took the train to Delft – about an hour and half ride from here. Delft is close to Den Hague and is known for the blue and white pottery. I had also heard that it’s just a really cute city center and nice for a day-trip.
Armed with our guide book, we arrived in town in time for lunch. We stopped at the recommended pannekoeken restaurant and sat down next to the Red Hat ladies. Apparently the Red Hat craziness extends beyond the US borders because this was definitely a Dutch-speaking group. For those who are unfamiliar, Red Hat is a club for women who are over age 50. The group is based on a poem about a woman who stopped caring what other people would think and said she would wear a red hat with a purple dress if she wanted to. So, the Red Hat ladies all wear purple clothes and red hats – they are unmistakable.
After lunch, we visited the Old Church and the New Church. The New Church is still very old by our standards, but it houses the tombs of the Dutch royal family – the House of Orange and Nassau. You may not have noticed, but orange is the unofficial color of the Netherlands even though their flag is red white and blue. In the Tour de France, the Rabobank team wears orange uniforms. Dutch people always recognize each other when they are traveling because they are the only people in the world who think orange pants are cool (and can actually buy them at a store!). Anyway, the church had a pretty nice display showing the history of the royal family.
The Old Church was cool, too. The tower of the church has a 2 meter lean which you can see in the picture above. I also found the tomb of Anton van Leeuwenhoek. Two points for anyone who actually knows the historical significance of this guy… Some of the tomb stones in the churches were pretty cool. Apparently, burying people in the floor of the church went out of style during the plague. The clergy realized that the risk of catching the plague might keep people away from church.
There was also a nice antique market going on. We snooped around quite a bit and found a great set of Delft vases at a really unusual booth. When we walked up there was a Dutch lady teasing the sales guy about his accent. To demonstrate, he spoke in English – Texan English – to show her what it sounds like. I might add here that it was Texan English with a bit of a gay lisp. The other guy in the booth was actually Dutch. Both of them were very friendly and gave us lots of tips on looking for Delft pottery and also on sightseeing in the Netherlands. I’m sure the Netherlands is more welcoming of their lifestyle than anywhere in Texas. It ended up that these guys had the nicest vases and the best prices in town. We got a set of two vases and a matching urn for 65 euros. I’m sure they are not hand-painted, but at least they aren’t from China.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Summer in the Netherlands
Since getting home from Australia and Singapore, I've been sick twice (a cold from the airplane home and then food poisoning from who-knows-what). I've also been crazy-busy at work and being sick didn't help any. It also doesn't help when it's gorgeous outside - sunny and beautiful - and it's yucky hot inside with no air-conditioning. Last year, summer was so short-lived that we're trying to appreciate it as much as possible this year. So far, we've been pretty lucky and it's been especially nice on the weekends.
Last weekend, Dennis and I took the kayaks out on the Vecht River (see pictures above). A couple weeks before, we had looked for the kayak dock that was supposed to be near the Hemelje Lock, but we couldn't find it. I was out on a bike ride in the area and decided to look again. Lo and behold, the dock was right where it was supposed to be and exactly where we had looked. But from the car, you couldn't see the dock down the steep river bank. It's hard to find a good place to get the kayaks in the water because most of the land along the river is private property. But we finally found the right spot.
The Vecht river doesn't have any current to speak of. It sort of flows south, except after a rain when it goes north. So, it's easy to paddle out and back and not have to worry about which direction you go. We had a really warm day for paddling and there were lots of boats and kids playing in the water. I am not so sure the water is clean enough for swimming, but that doesn't seem to stop the kids. There are a lot of house-boats along the river and I'm pretty sure they dump their sewage into the water. It was really cool to see the house boats and pretty gardens along the river. The hydrangeas are in bloom and they thrive in this climate. I'm amazed at the colors of the hydrangeas - everything from dark pink to baby blue to snow white.
This weekend is a little cooler - barely 70 degrees, but the sun is still out. It's perfect biking weather. We got out for a ride today and went past a bunch of dairy farms. The cows always look so happy when they can relax on the cool grass with the sun on their backs. We keep saying that we should take the time to see the rest of Europe while we're here, but honestly the Netherlands is so beautiful I don't want to miss it.
I did manage to see a bit of Germany last week. I had a training class in Solingen, a small town outside of Dusseldorf. It's only a two-hour drive away. It was my first time driving in Germany and I didn't think too much about it until I noticed some cars going super fast. Yes, I was driving on the autobahn! Too bad I drive like a grandmother on Sunday. I had to be careful when I was passing slower vehicles because the cars would come up so fast behind me. Most of the really fast drivers were in BMWs, Porches, and Ferraris. The Toyota Rav4 is just not made to go much over 70mph.
Maybe as we get closer to fall, we'll do some more sightseeing outside of the Netherlands. We are still planning to get to Paris, but we can do that when it's cold. We are also planning to get back to the US this fall. We just need a rainy day so we can make some plans.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Australia
The last couple of weeks I’ve been on a business trip to Australia and Singapore. The flight to Sydney was pretty grueling. Its 12 hours from Amsterdam to Singapore. I had to kill 3 hours in the Singapore airport and then another 8 hours on to Sydney. With an 8 hour time difference, it’s a recipe for serious jetlag. I arrived on Saturday night and fell asleep quickly. But on Sunday, I didn’t have any energy and my stomach was feeling rebellious.
I spent Sunday in my hotel room reading tourist brochures. The hotel was in a suburb and not really close to any of the sight anyway. And it was raining. Its fall in Australia, but the temperatures were still pretty nice (high 60’s/low 70’s).
Monday through Thursday was spent working – I was helping with an internal training course. On Friday, I played hooky from work. I changed to a hotel in the downtown area very close to the Opera House. Armed with my list of things I wanted to do, I hit the town.
I had planned to take a harbor cruise, but when I looked at the schedule, I decided that a whale watching tour would be more fun. Dennis doesn’t like boats very much so whale watching is an activity best done on my own. We actually saw quite a few whales. They were humpback whales on their annual migration. Even more fun than the whales were the dolphins that played around the boat racing and surfing in the wake. Who can resist such playful creatures?
After the tour, I went to dinner with a couple of people from work. We went to a seafood restaurant in the harbor with a view of the Opera House. There was a light show going on that involved projecting images on the building. It was really spectacular -but hard to photograph.
On Saturday, I took the hop-on / hop-off bus tour of Sydney. These kinds of tours are hokey, but if you are short on time, they are a good way to see the main sights and learn a little bit about the city. I hopped off at Darling Harbor and went to Wildlife World. This is a new exhibit right next to the famous Sydney Aquarium. I love the fishies, but I really wanted to see Koala Bears! Wildlife World is not a regular zoo because its all indoors. They have all the creepy crawly poisonous spiders and snakes as well as the typical Australian cuties. The Koala exhibit is on the roof and I arrived just in time for the presentation. As soon as the zoo-keeper entered the enclosure, one of the little koala bears climbed down from his tree and walked around the fence line. He was super-cute. I also saw the kangaroos, lots of different birds, and wombats. I don’t think I had ever seen a wombat before. They are kind of like badgers in size and shape. Funny looking critters!
My other priority in Australia was to buy opals. I’ve always liked opals and I have a pair of opal earrings that I love from the opal mine in Idaho. I have mostly given up on buying jewelry because I don’t want to finance the conflicts in Africa. Since almost all of the world’s opals come from Australia, they are pretty much conflict-free. I managed to find a nice pair of earrings that weren’t too expensive. I also found a kangaroo charm for my charm-bracelet.
On Sunday, we headed to Singapore for the next training session. Singapore is HOT and HUMID. On Monday night we went out for a group dinner. Inexplicably, it was a Spanish restaurant and we had to sit outside in the courtyard where there was no hope of a breeze. I was OK at the beginning of the meal, but by the end I was melting. The food was just as yucky as you would expect from Spanish food in Asia. The next night we went out for Chili Crab – the national dish of Singapore. Mercifully, we sat inside in the air conditioning. It was much better. And Chili Crab is one of my favorites.
By Thursday, I was ready to get home. The flight from Singapore to Amsterdam leaves at midnight. I was glad that my colleague told me that you can pay for ½ a night in the hotel and check out at 8:00 pm. I was able to walk around Singapore a little bit, have dinner, and then shower in the hotel before my flight. On the plane, I fell asleep before take-off, woke up long enough to recline the seat and slept for 8 hours straight. The jetlag coming home was not nearly so bad in part because I was so happy to be back home!
I spent Sunday in my hotel room reading tourist brochures. The hotel was in a suburb and not really close to any of the sight anyway. And it was raining. Its fall in Australia, but the temperatures were still pretty nice (high 60’s/low 70’s).
Monday through Thursday was spent working – I was helping with an internal training course. On Friday, I played hooky from work. I changed to a hotel in the downtown area very close to the Opera House. Armed with my list of things I wanted to do, I hit the town.
I had planned to take a harbor cruise, but when I looked at the schedule, I decided that a whale watching tour would be more fun. Dennis doesn’t like boats very much so whale watching is an activity best done on my own. We actually saw quite a few whales. They were humpback whales on their annual migration. Even more fun than the whales were the dolphins that played around the boat racing and surfing in the wake. Who can resist such playful creatures?
After the tour, I went to dinner with a couple of people from work. We went to a seafood restaurant in the harbor with a view of the Opera House. There was a light show going on that involved projecting images on the building. It was really spectacular -but hard to photograph.
On Saturday, I took the hop-on / hop-off bus tour of Sydney. These kinds of tours are hokey, but if you are short on time, they are a good way to see the main sights and learn a little bit about the city. I hopped off at Darling Harbor and went to Wildlife World. This is a new exhibit right next to the famous Sydney Aquarium. I love the fishies, but I really wanted to see Koala Bears! Wildlife World is not a regular zoo because its all indoors. They have all the creepy crawly poisonous spiders and snakes as well as the typical Australian cuties. The Koala exhibit is on the roof and I arrived just in time for the presentation. As soon as the zoo-keeper entered the enclosure, one of the little koala bears climbed down from his tree and walked around the fence line. He was super-cute. I also saw the kangaroos, lots of different birds, and wombats. I don’t think I had ever seen a wombat before. They are kind of like badgers in size and shape. Funny looking critters!
My other priority in Australia was to buy opals. I’ve always liked opals and I have a pair of opal earrings that I love from the opal mine in Idaho. I have mostly given up on buying jewelry because I don’t want to finance the conflicts in Africa. Since almost all of the world’s opals come from Australia, they are pretty much conflict-free. I managed to find a nice pair of earrings that weren’t too expensive. I also found a kangaroo charm for my charm-bracelet.
On Sunday, we headed to Singapore for the next training session. Singapore is HOT and HUMID. On Monday night we went out for a group dinner. Inexplicably, it was a Spanish restaurant and we had to sit outside in the courtyard where there was no hope of a breeze. I was OK at the beginning of the meal, but by the end I was melting. The food was just as yucky as you would expect from Spanish food in Asia. The next night we went out for Chili Crab – the national dish of Singapore. Mercifully, we sat inside in the air conditioning. It was much better. And Chili Crab is one of my favorites.
By Thursday, I was ready to get home. The flight from Singapore to Amsterdam leaves at midnight. I was glad that my colleague told me that you can pay for ½ a night in the hotel and check out at 8:00 pm. I was able to walk around Singapore a little bit, have dinner, and then shower in the hotel before my flight. On the plane, I fell asleep before take-off, woke up long enough to recline the seat and slept for 8 hours straight. The jetlag coming home was not nearly so bad in part because I was so happy to be back home!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Long Holiday Weekend
Thursday was a holiday here in the Netherlands (Ascension Day) and Dennis also had Friday off. Naturally he didn't realize he had a four day weekend until Tuesday so we didn't have time to plan anything special. But I was able to take Friday off and the weather has been fantastic! Sorry, no pictures for this post. If you want to see how beautiful it is, you'll just have to visit!
On Thursday, we took a long bike ride (46 miles). We went on one of our regular routes around Flevoland - more of training ride than a site-seeing ride. On Friday, the weather was a bit cooler with a chance of rain. We headed to Arnhem to see the Hoge Veluwe National Park. I had been there with Mom and Dad and realized that this was a place that needed some more exploration. Dennis and I hiked from the park entrance to the art museum (which was closed the day I was there with Mom and Dad). It was about an hour walk through the forest. The birds were singing and the pine trees smelled amazing! The art museum was established by a wealthy family who collected paintings from French and Dutch artists and then donated everything, including the park land to the Dutch government. It was a really nice collection of Van Gogh and other art from that period. While we were walking through the museum, we noticed that it was suddenly very crowded. We heard some strange noise and finally realized that it was pouring rain outside! There was even thunder. After the thunderstorm, we went outside again to see the outdoor sculpture garden. The sculptures were placed at random through the forest which made for an interesting walk. Every time the wind blew, the water would fall from the trees. But the sun was out and everything had that fresh-rain feel to it. We hiked back to the car without encountering any more rain.
On Sautrday, we took the kayaks out on one of the nearby lakes. We had been kayaking in the area before, but hadn't explored the lake yet. We shared the water with everything from sailboats to yachts. There were some islands with campgrounds so people had parked their boats and had their tents set up on the shore. With the long weekend and the warm weather, it was pretty busy on the lake. Dennis and I were finished by about 2:00. As we pulled the boats out of the water, we noticed the clouds coming over. The rest of the day was cloudy, so I guess we were super-lucky!
This morning, we took another bike ride. Our goal was sight-seeing this time. We wanted to find a place to put the kayaks into the Vecht river. So, we planned our bike ride along the Vecht. This is a very scenic area to bike around. We saw hoardes of other bikers. We stopped in a historic town with a little manually operated drawbridge. The operator actually had to open and close the traffic gates himself. He said good morning to us both times that we stopped for his bridge. There were also a few castles along this route. The weather was sunny and mid-seventies and we were really enjoying just being outside. We rode for about 37 miles, but it took a long time. We had to stop and look at a lot of things along the way. Some of the bike paths were pretty narrow and hard to get a lot of speed. But I think we found a couple places to put the kayaks in and park the car, so it was a successful trip.
Now I'm trying to get packed for my trip to Asia. I am leaving on the 29th for Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore to give a training class on some new ingredients that my company is launching. I'll be gone for 2 weeks. I've been out shopping for clothes the last couple weekends to make sure I have summery clothes for the hot weather in Singapore. Australia should be similar to the temps we are having here, although it will be fall instead of spring. New Zealand will be difficult because it's already getting pretty cold. How do you pack for 3 different climates in one suitcase? So far, my answer is lots of layers. As long as it all fits in the bag!
My other dilemna is what to wear on the plane. My first travel leg is from here to Australia with a stopover in Singapore. It's like 27 hours of travel. I'm not sure any clothes are comfortable after 27 hours on a plane. I'm considering bringing some sweats to change into for night-time. I'm kind of dreading the flight, but I'm really looking forward to seeing Australia and New Zealand! I'll try to post while I'm traveling so we can keep up to date.
On Thursday, we took a long bike ride (46 miles). We went on one of our regular routes around Flevoland - more of training ride than a site-seeing ride. On Friday, the weather was a bit cooler with a chance of rain. We headed to Arnhem to see the Hoge Veluwe National Park. I had been there with Mom and Dad and realized that this was a place that needed some more exploration. Dennis and I hiked from the park entrance to the art museum (which was closed the day I was there with Mom and Dad). It was about an hour walk through the forest. The birds were singing and the pine trees smelled amazing! The art museum was established by a wealthy family who collected paintings from French and Dutch artists and then donated everything, including the park land to the Dutch government. It was a really nice collection of Van Gogh and other art from that period. While we were walking through the museum, we noticed that it was suddenly very crowded. We heard some strange noise and finally realized that it was pouring rain outside! There was even thunder. After the thunderstorm, we went outside again to see the outdoor sculpture garden. The sculptures were placed at random through the forest which made for an interesting walk. Every time the wind blew, the water would fall from the trees. But the sun was out and everything had that fresh-rain feel to it. We hiked back to the car without encountering any more rain.
On Sautrday, we took the kayaks out on one of the nearby lakes. We had been kayaking in the area before, but hadn't explored the lake yet. We shared the water with everything from sailboats to yachts. There were some islands with campgrounds so people had parked their boats and had their tents set up on the shore. With the long weekend and the warm weather, it was pretty busy on the lake. Dennis and I were finished by about 2:00. As we pulled the boats out of the water, we noticed the clouds coming over. The rest of the day was cloudy, so I guess we were super-lucky!
This morning, we took another bike ride. Our goal was sight-seeing this time. We wanted to find a place to put the kayaks into the Vecht river. So, we planned our bike ride along the Vecht. This is a very scenic area to bike around. We saw hoardes of other bikers. We stopped in a historic town with a little manually operated drawbridge. The operator actually had to open and close the traffic gates himself. He said good morning to us both times that we stopped for his bridge. There were also a few castles along this route. The weather was sunny and mid-seventies and we were really enjoying just being outside. We rode for about 37 miles, but it took a long time. We had to stop and look at a lot of things along the way. Some of the bike paths were pretty narrow and hard to get a lot of speed. But I think we found a couple places to put the kayaks in and park the car, so it was a successful trip.
Now I'm trying to get packed for my trip to Asia. I am leaving on the 29th for Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore to give a training class on some new ingredients that my company is launching. I'll be gone for 2 weeks. I've been out shopping for clothes the last couple weekends to make sure I have summery clothes for the hot weather in Singapore. Australia should be similar to the temps we are having here, although it will be fall instead of spring. New Zealand will be difficult because it's already getting pretty cold. How do you pack for 3 different climates in one suitcase? So far, my answer is lots of layers. As long as it all fits in the bag!
My other dilemna is what to wear on the plane. My first travel leg is from here to Australia with a stopover in Singapore. It's like 27 hours of travel. I'm not sure any clothes are comfortable after 27 hours on a plane. I'm considering bringing some sweats to change into for night-time. I'm kind of dreading the flight, but I'm really looking forward to seeing Australia and New Zealand! I'll try to post while I'm traveling so we can keep up to date.
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