Rainy days

Hello again! Goet morning! It is 12 at night again here in Holland, I don’t know how I manage to do this so late when I should be sleeping. It will cost me I’m sure. You might have noticed some problems with the last blog.. blame that on computer troubles. What a headache! But that is all over. : ) Well, I feel like it is the first time I can sit at ease and chat away about my trip! I have done this once before but we lost the whole thing so the next one was short and sweet. But I’m writing this up in Word so if I loose it it won’t be such a big loss. I love Holland! We have left my aunt and Uncle’s house for 3 days. We are now in the Dutch province of Drente, where my mother was born. The past weekend was spent in serene relaxation with my aunt and uncle. I saw some of my cousins (one of which I had never met) and we took a walk out to a windmill. We had coffee and coffee and coffee and coffee … etc outside all day and the weather was beautiful! The cows were out grazing in the fields and came and checked us out a number of times. Man if I had a loonie everytime someone offered me coffee I would be stinking rich! I am so stuffed full of food and drink I don’t think I will eat again for days. But I will. Because it will be offered. Again and again and again.So yah, today we left for Drente in the morning. We rented a really cool car (the cars here are sooo small!! I love them! Joel, we saw a really great Volk’s wagon… it was a sweet little car!) and travelled most of the morning. We stopped in a little fishing town called Urk. I wish you guys could have seen it. The houses here were all connected and they had no lawns – all brick. The streets kind of bend around the houses and are so narrow they look like large sidewalks! It’s amazing. We went out the dike too but it was raining out so we didn’t stay too long. From there we went to my Oom Harm and Tante Reike’s house. I don’t recall the name of the town but it’s near Assen. They are my mom’s aunt and uncle. With them we travelled all around the area and they showed us where my mother lived (or where my mother would have lived – the house was levelled a long while ago) and different significant places that had to do with my Opa in the war. It was soooo fascinating. But yah, then we went back, filled ourselves with supper and coffee and visited my Oom Hank and Tante Iitje in Assen. There we got a tour from my Oom Harm’s grandsons (who were, unfortunately, 12 and15). It was a little difficult with the language barrier but we managed. Now we are back at the house in Drente and planning to leave tomorrow for Friesland, where my father grew up. We’ll see if we can write. I wish I could speak more Dutch, it’s proving to be quite the hinderence and annoyance, but hey, that’s why I have my parents along! Hope you’re all doing well Steph
Hey Everyone!
This is Steph's lovely sister Trish. Yesterday we lost my message so I thought I'd say hi here. I'm enjoying Holland very much, although I think that if I eat one more piece of food I will burst. They never stop here. Although it helps that I have started drinking coffee (AHH!) so I don't have to worry about falling asleep into my food. Before I never thought I would marry a Dutchman, but if I stay here much longer I just might! There is something very attractive about a tall, blond, blue-eyed Dutchman riding a bike and speaking Dutch. Although our tour guides today were a bit young for me! Well, love you all and hope you're enjoying the monotony of everyday life in Canada or elsewhere :)
Trish