And we have snow!

What do you do when it snows in Holland? 

Same thing as in Canada; go out and play in it!

Follow that up with some hot chocolate and whipped cream. 

Then you put some Christmas music on and play games with Mama.

Watching the Excavations

Kevin loves to hit the road every morning right after breakfast... KE, on the other hand, could sit in this window all day, watching the digging machines and dump trucks strengthening the dike.

Look at all that mud!

OM III

I came up just in time to hear Kevin saying, “...and people would go inside this box and use that phone in there to call people...”

I posted a picture just like this last year; ‘zact same coats and everything, and I remember my sister saying how young we looked. I’m hoping she’ll make some similar comment this year; it will balance out Mama’s frank comment that we looked so tired in our official family picture this year. 

And once again, KE doesn’t want to be rushed. “You go ahead, Mom. I’ll just stay here and watch the tram.”

Look at those wires.

OpenAir Museum II

KE found a leaf pile. 

And we found a forge. The blacksmith was making a tool for cutting shingles, I think. It was a slightly curved blade with a wooden handle at each end. 

The blacksmith seemed so comfortable with his role. Usually you don’t see this kind of competent contentment in someone so young. 

When it was time to go, KE decided to stay and watch. 

“There’s fire in here, Mom.”

Look at those flames.

Openlucht Museum

On the tram. We rode all the way around the village first, to get it out of our system, and then started through the village backwards; farm first. Sometimes the be-moustached conductor acts as a tour guide and gives you some village history. Today he told us that way back in 1912, when this museum opened, a photographer accidentally set fire to one of the barns while taking a photograph. “By the end of opening day,” he continued, “instead of five farms, we had four.”

How awkward for the photographer!

Enormous pigs. Like many good parents, Kevin always tries to make sure the children get all possible educational benefits available in each place we visit, so we went over what pigs are good for, namely, bacon. 

 

“Why work when the wind will do it for you?” Said the man in the windmill, switching to English so the children could understand. 

The bakery fairly pulled us in, with a fire blazing a welcome in the big open oven. We had a fresh apple turnover and bokkepotjes; not as good as Papa’s  potjes of course. It was hard to leave that building! 

Palais Het Loo

We found Juliana’s room, so we took a picture for Aunt Juli. The girls’ enthusiasm waned when they found out we wouldn’t be seeing any real live princesses. Holland does have three, but they don’t live here. 

O liked this bear rug.

A cake shaped like a swan.

Inside the palace, it was dimly lit and opulent. There were a lot of things that really shouldn’t be touched, and guides everywhere to watch your children almost touch things. 

It was better outside.

Market Square in Gouda

Gouda

I imagine that the book “The Cow Who Fell in the Canal” was set here in this market square. We saw no cheese, nor straw hats with ribbons, but we did find delicious fries, piping hot, with mayo, and croquettes. 

I told Kevin, “This is how to make Mama happy, right here. Give her a croquette.”

So good. 

We were there at two minutes after 2, the perfect time to see the carillon. The bells above played a tune, and Count Floris V (1272) came out to grant the people of Gouda a city charter. You can watch it here: 

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Walking Gouda

The weather is beautifully mild, and so we have hit the ground running, planning day excursions for the first three days of our first week in the Netherlands. Here we are in Gouda, getting ready to walk to SintJanskerk.

In our first meeting with Oom Adri, he said he thought Esther was “ondeugend;” (mischievous). Maybe she was making this face then.


This is a church we walked by; it was too beautiful to forget. “Everyone Welcome,” said the sign on the front.