Brett Visits...

On November 23, Veronica became a business owner in the Netherlands after visiting the KvK (Chamber of Commerce) to open Impact Communications, a science communications consulting business. She eventually applied for a DAFT (Dutch American Friendship Treaty) visa to be able to stay in Holland beyond March 2022, after her search-year visa expired.  

It was so nice to have Veronica at home to join me on many dog walks, many of which involved stopping by the farm. 

She was thrilled that Brett arrived on November 27 for one week before heading to San Diego for Christmas. 

We greeted him with Cruesli, his favorite cereal, which isn’t available in England.

We also presented him with a Brett Brawler, a special beer from Kompaan, our favorite local brewery. 

Of course, they didn’t just hang out at home. Here they are in the Hague...

and in Amsterdam with the Rijksmuseum in the background.
 

Final Day with the Bytes...

Theresa and Kevin decided to stay in a hotel near the airport the night before their morning flight so we went with them to drop off their bags before heading into Amsterdam.

It was a gray December day, but thankfully it wasn’t windy. While it was too complicated to show them the entire city, at least they got to see a few special spots. 

There were new signs around reminding us that drinking alcohol outside is no longer allowed within the city center. 

This is one of the iconic shots that appears on official tourist sites (with blue skies, of course), but one that I usually miss catching.  

I have photographed this spot before, but still couldn’t resist taking more shots.

Our first stop was for the Bytes to take COVID tests for their flight. Then due to extensive construction along some of the canals, we dragged them further across town then we expected while in search for a tram to a restaurant for a late lunch. Along the way, we came across this lock...

…this smiley face ghost trapped on a wall...

…and this unique collection of dolls in the window of a bar.

 

A Hanukkah Celebration...

On the final night of their visit, we had a Hanukkah dinner featuring Jimmy’s delicious latkes and my kugel. 

We were low on candles, so Jimmy got creative and made some of his own. 

They were a bit wobbly, but managed to stay upright. 

 

Visiting The Hague...

I’d warned them that the weather wouldn’t be great that time of year, but at least we were rewarded with a nice rainbow on our walk from the station to the Mauritshuis. 

After their fill of Old Masters, we caught a tram to Scheveningen. After checking menus, we chose Brooklyn Burgers. I failed to catch the name of my cocktail, but really liked tequila topped by a bottle of Mexican beer. 

I also really enjoyed the Bux Burger: Tasty, healthy, eco-friendly and ethical. The waitress was new so couldn’t tell me exactly which kind of bugs I was eating, but she suspected they were crickets. 

It was windy, but that didn’t stop us from walking out onto the pier.  

It was strange to see such a large drop off along the beach.

Olaf, from Frozen, was in the mall to help remind us that Christmas was around the corner. 
 

Visiting Rotterdam and Leiden...

Sorry for the long delay....we went to several back-to-back hash weekends and have had a lot to catch up on.

After spending a day in Voorschoten with the Bytes, it was time to venture further afield. Our first journey was to Rotterdam, where we visited the Markthal. 

We had lunch at Ekmekci, a Turkish stand that specializes in gozleme, stuffed dough... 

…that is then grilled. 

It was yummy! 

I was happy to see OxAlien, my favorite Rotterdam street artist, had painted a mural in an empty food stand.

The following day we did a quick trip into Leiden...

…and came across this funky wall.