Day 66 - Beach Bums

Today we went to the North Sea. Being the North Sea, it is COLD. OK, so it's less cold than the rivers I splashed in on the Camino, but still pretty chilly. I might have gone in if there hadn't been a brisk breeze, but HS, B, and I settled for just wetting our feet. The boys didn't even come near the water.

The beach itself is very pretty and quite clean considering how many people use it. There is a pier where brave (or foolish) souls can try bungee jumping. I was not even tempted. The platform wasn't nearly high enough, and besides, I'm holding out for South Africa where one can dive off a bridge into a 1200 foot ravine. Really, if you're going to do something, do it right!

Above the beach is a boardwalk with the standard stalls of arcade games and overpriced junk food. Soft ice-cream is the specialty. I don't remember if "soft" is spelled differently, but ice cream is spelled "ijs" and pronounced "ice". We each had a cone, and it certainly lived up to its reputation.

The whole experience is like a slightly European-feeling Coney Island. I'm not sure quite what makes it distinct from Americzn beaches - all the elements are there - sand, surf, boardwalk, families, etc but it feels slightly different. Perhaps it is more relaxed. There is not the frenetic energy that you get at Coney. People at both places are relaxing and having fun, but at the North Sea the fun is had at a more leisurly pace...That and in fine weather the women are often topless. Cz was very sad that today was cloudy.

We went back the housebout fairly early for a late lunch of chili a la B. As with everything we scarfed down in Germany/ Netherlands, it was delicious. We needed to eat early, because everyone except D was leaving to their various cities of work. We hitched a ride with M, as he drives through Belgium on his way home, and it's a country neither of us has ever been to.

We were dropped in Brussels at 7PM on a Sunday with no map, no clue where in the city we were, and nowhere to sleep. This was my choice. This generally freaks Cz out - even more so because the hour and the Sunday meant that the tourist office would be closed - but he stayed admirably calm. I popped into a video store and got directions to the hotel district. On the way we met a man with a map. I stopped him to just ask where he had gotten it, but rather than trying to direct us, simply offered us his spare. Map in hand, we were well on our way to a bed. We found a hotel that looked posh enough to expect courtesy, but no so posh as to be intimidating. I went up to the desk, complimented the place, and asked for directions to a youth hostel. The friendly concierge showed me where on the map to go (only a few blocks), and off we went. The hostel was full, but the upper floors were a budget hotel for only a few Euro more. We have decided to make this our anniversary treat, and booked two nights.

As it was too late really to go sightseeing, we decided to catch up on the blog, which was a whopping 12 days behind. On the way we passed a movie theatre showing The Simpsons Movie. In English. With French and Flanders subtitles. Double the hilarity, though we have no idea what Santa's Little Helper said to Bart (anyone care to send us the translation?). Oddly, movie popcorn is one thing I have really been missing on this trip. I'm not such a big movie buff, but I like the ritual of popcorn, soda, and comfy seats in a dark theatre. Tonight we got a fix of stupid American culture - granted it is the Simpsons and it makes fun of everything, especially Americans. Perhaps not the most cultural traveller-ish thing to do, but fun nonetheless.

The internet cafe was 24 hour, so we still even caught up on some blogging to boot!

Day 65 - When is a Language Not a Language?

When it's a throat disease! There is a joke among Germans that Dutch is not a language, but an illness of the throat. It is true that there are a LOT of "Ch's" - pronounced, like, well clearing your throat - but the assessment is a little severe. That said, today we visited The Hague. In Dutch, Den Haag - Pronounced Den Hah-gch. In the Hague, we visited the Art Gallery with its fine collection of both old and new Dutch Masters. Among the prizes are a series of classic floral still-lifes. Did you know that until the 17th century in Holland flowers were not considered worthy to be the subject of a still-life? And did you know that those still-lifes are 1) Invented - the flowers in them are rarely species that bloom at the same time 2) were considered wildly exotic. At the time the famous still-lifes, tulips, irises and poppies were exotic imports. The painter had to have an in with a botonist or hortoculturalist from whom he could borrow specimins. And we have met The Girl With a Pearl Earring. She sends her regards. She is quite small - about the size of the Mona Lisa. Surprisingly, even with a book and a movie to her credit, her painting is not mobbed with visitors like Mona. Perhaps because she lives in a small Museum in a small Dutch city, rather than the Capitol Museum of what many consider the true Capitol of European Culture. Location is everything - I say it works in her favor. After the museum, we had a nice stroll about town, admiring the buildings and window-shopping.

Home again at the houseboat we visited while HS, B, and D began preparing barbeque. Tied to the big houseboat is a [much] smaller vessel. I decided to try going for a row in the canal. Upstream is hard - breaking through the pondscum is not to far from breaking through thin ice. I made it my goal to pass at least one bridge. I succeded, much to the distress of Lake-Chicken Rosula.

She is a VERY protective mother hen. When we fed her and her brood she would not let any ducks withing 25 metres of the boat, shooing them away with much posturing and chirping. The ducks I understand - they are only slightly bigger than she is. My paddle boat is another matter altogether. This lake chicken is no...chicken. And she has no sense of scale. The route to the bridge passed right by her nest. As my boat neared, she put on the same display, chasing my boat and practically running on the water while thumping her chest with her wings. She is one tough cookie, that Rosula.

I returned unharmed for delicious barbecue cooked on the boat's back patio. Yeah, It's a houseboat, with a paddleboat, and a back patio. I have some serious apartment envy right now. Once again, the food and the company were both great, but we were all so tired that we barely stayed up until 10:30. We are a pathetic excuse for young people.

Day 64 - Not Quite Cats

OK, the Delft Cast of characters.

HS - High school friend. She was an exchange student at my High School, and we were her host family. One of very few highschool friends with whom I am still in touch

B - Her sister. Also studied in the states for a year at a different school, and visited with my family and I in the summer.

M - HS's boyfriend. Very nice guy.

D - B's Boyfriend. Also very nice guy. A dentist in Delft and the official leaser of the houseboat.

B and D had planned to get a cat for their houseboat, but they decided aginst it because their schedules were so hectic, and B will be moving to Cologne for work. However, they have been adopted by a pair of lake chickens and their chicks. Rosula, Gunther, and their brood stop by the boat every morning between 6:30 and 7 demanding to be fed. B and D keep a bag of old bread for just this reason. Rosula and crew are very entertaining, and very, very persuasive (read loud). Who needs a cat for a wake-up call when one has five hungry birds lurking about the boat?

M was going to be arriving at around 10:30, but got heald up in traffic, so HS, Cz and I decided to go for a walk around town. Delft is like a smaller, cleaner, more picturesque Amsterdam. Some canals are full of green goo because they are dammed for construction work, but we saw no used condoms floating by. We meandered through winding streets and over canals, eventually finding ourselves at the tourist office. We got info on the canal tours, and spent a little time online (finally had a chance to check the blog!) while HS went to meet M at the houseboat.

When they returned, we headed out for some proper sight-seeing. First we went to New Church...16th century. New and Old are on a different scale over here. The church was built around an older, wooden church. In places, slight errors in the plans caused the walls of New Church to pass too close to the walls of the temporary wooden one. The result is some rather interesting bows and bulges along the walls. These are especially evident viewed from the top of the tower. To get to the top of said tower, one must climb a steep spiral staircase. Some steps are stone and closed, and those are OK. Other steps, however are narrow wooden planks set in a spiral with a view down into the abyss. The whole affair is very skinny, so meeting someone going the other direction presents a logistical challenge, with one party flattened against the wall, and the other picking their way up or down the narrowest part of the stair. We muddled through though, and the views truly were amazing. A perk of the land being so flat is that one can see for miles, even across international borders, these countries are so tiny.

After New Church, we visited Old Church. Old church also had some difficulties in its building. Namely that its main tower leans. There is a 1 metre lean to the North and a 2 metre lean to the East I believe. It looks as if it is about to topple into the canal, which its builders feared would happen, but so far it just tilts as if it's leaning over to peek around the buildings next door. The designers did try some tricks to make it appear straighter, such as adjusting the heights of its surrounding spires and putting its ornaments off center, but they weren't too successful.

Johannes Vermeer's original grave was located inside the church, along with some of the king's relatives and former mayors...also Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, who invented the first microscope and considered the father of microbiology, is also buried in the church. Nice to have two notable people of the Arts and Science under the same church.

From the churches, we stopped for a little snack at AppleFlappen, a bakery with the funnest name to say. Fortified with pastries, we hopped on the canal tourboat. Our guide had a little difficulty getting free of the moorings, but once we were on our way, it was a lovely lazy float down the water. The guide spoke in both Dutch and English, and I am just brimful with useless facts about Delft architecture, bridges and history.

B arrived in time for dinner and drinks at the houseboat. B and D have a great little tabletop grill, sort of like a fondue set, but with the grill above, and little pans for melting cheese or toasting other treats below. We talked, laughed, ate and drank for hours. Emphasis on the drinking and laughing. We have experienced Dutch liquor. A lot. I don't think Cz will be touching the sauce for a while. We had a great time, and it is wonderful to see our friends.

Day 63 - Altena to Delft

A and E are driving us to Delft today. We are stopping at the Kroeller Mueller Museum on the way, and then continuing on to meet some of my friends who are now living on a houseboat in Delft. It is great to have the ride, and we really appreciate both the company and not having to worry about transportation.

The museum is just over the border in the Netherlands. It is a Bauhaus building (one of the first) located in the middle of a huge national park. There are bike racks scattered throughout the lands with white bicycles. If you want to, you can park at the edge of the grounds, and borrow any of the white bikes for free to explore or go to the museum.

The museum itself houses works from across the spectrum of art history. I believe it is most well-known for its outdoor sculptures and large collection of Van Goh's. My favourite exhibit was "Longing for the Garden". Many sculptures donated or purchased for the outdoor sculpture gardens never made it out, and have been lounging in storage for years. In this exhibit, they line the corridors of the museum, gazing out and, as the title says, "longing for the garden."

Naturally we have cofee and kuchen int he museum cafe. Great bowls of tea and coffee with apple cake.

A few hours later, and we are in Delft. The houseboat is adorable, and it is great to see my friends again! We take a nice long walk along the canal and lakes before returning to our boat for dinner, drinks, and general catching up. Tomorrow the rest of the crew arrives, and we will celebrate even more!

Bonus pic: This lady really likes to see her art up close and personal...