COMPANY'S COMING

Monday, June 8, 2009

Today is going to be a very special day. Our friend Dee will be arriving from Canada and will spend the week with us in Heerhugowaard.
Fred drives us to the airport to welcome Dee. 
Although she has been in Holland before, all this is new to her, because she will see the country from a different angle.





It’s a gorgeous day so we can have lunch outside, which is always a bonus.
While Fred and Ramiro do some chores. Annemieke takes the afternoon off and the three ladies take the train to Alkmaar, where we walk to many of the attractions.
Fred and Ramiro meet up with us for dinner at the square of the cheese market.














Tuesday, June 9, 2009
We had hope to take a boat from Enkhuizen to Urk, but the weather is not suitable for a boat ride, so instead we take the train to Leiden, the birthplace of Rembrandt. It takes us a while to find the places we want to visit and after lunch in one of the many restaurants we walk Dee to the Laken Museum, where she can see Rembrandt and other historical displays and Ramiro and I walk the city tour, and doing some caches along the way.





It rains off and on, but later in the afternoon the sun comes out and once we meet up with Dee again, we feed the pigeons before we have dinner at El Gaucho, a Argentinean restaurant.
When we take the train back to Heerhugowaard, Dee is obviously pretty tired, but that’s the nice thing about the train, you can snooze all you want.
































Wednesday, June 10
We sleep in a little and take our time. After lunch we go to the Broeker Veiling. The only original vegetable Auction left in the world. We take a complete tour and learn a lot about the history.
We place a bid on some fruit and walk away with a bunch of grapes. Later we are treated to a boat ride in between the many polders.
Tonight Rotary meets right here at the Auction Museum. The presenter talk about the new building and all the red tape it took to get it where it is. One of the Rotarians drives us home.







































Thursday, June 11
We take the morning off and all do out thing. First Fred, then Elly and finally Annemieke, we all get a haircut. It is handy to have the hairdresser come right to your home.
Annemieke is free again this afternoon and we drive to the Zaanse Schans. A typical area where all the homes and farms are painted the same colour. Many of the farms are demonstration farms and we get to see how the cheese is made. Of course we also have to buy some cheese.

A shame that it is so windy and wet. On a nice day this place would be so much more enjoyable. We make a quick drive to Edam and have to rush home because I have a Skype meeting at 5:30, while the rest is enjoying their happy hour.
Annemieke does not forget about me and brings me a glass of wine and some snacks.
We have a very relaxing dinner at home and while Fred takes Ramiro and Dee for a ride in his Borgward, Elly and Annemieke go for a brisk walk. It feels good to be outside, now it is dry again.






















































Friday, June 12
The sun is out again. I am up early and pack for our departure to Amsterdam. Fred drives us. And after we drop Dee of at her hotel, we go to Osdorp one of the suburbs of Amsterdam. This is where my long time friend Paula lives.
Ramiro’s cousin Michael is also invited and Fred stays for lunch.
He takes Dee back to her hotel. She is ready for some down time. Ramiro and Michael go to the city and Paula lend me her old bicycle and we spend the entire afternoon touring the country side.
I love bike riding and get enough of it.
We meet the guys in the city for dinner at Paso Doble, which is a tapas restaurant. They have amazing food.
We take the train back to Paula’s place and spend the night.

Saturday, June 13
Dee arrives at Paula’s by taxi, just in time for coffee. We discuss our plans and take the train to the centre.
Paula likes to see Dee to experience a real Dutch day in Amsterdam. We pack a lunch and after walking through the historical part of the city, visiting the old orphanage and some of the many painting, we find a place to eat our lunch. Most benches and spots on the stairs have already been taken, so we decided to sit right along the canal on the concrete barriers. We’re right behind the Red Lights District and the Coffee Shop. Dee learned not to ask where there is a coffee shop. Or she will be served a joint.
She is however not afraid to take a picture of the ladies in the windows. As soon as they spot her with her camera they come yelling outside.
We walk some more and take the ferry to the other side of the IJ.
Make a restaurant with a nice patio at the shore and take the ferry back. This part of Amsterdam is being reorganized, many businesses are starting to develop as they try to give the “North” a different image. One of the interesting places is the neighborhood with the apartments made of containers.
They cut out some windows, installed a kitchen and bathroom and voila. Instant housing for students.
After we take the train back to Paula again, we pick up our luggage and take the train to De’s hotel, from where the shuttle takes us to the Airport. We are flying to London.
Before we board we visit an Irish pub to get in the mood. Our flight is an hour earlier than Dee’s. So we wait for her at the terminal, from where we take the train to London where our Hotel is.
We get there quite late and are not impressed with our room. But we are tired so we deal with it in the morning.
Should we have booked at the same hotel as Dee after all?