Ashlynn’s Collection...

Back when we first visited Europe in May 2004, we considered what to buy from places we visited. It’d have to be small and unbreakable since we were backpacking. While in Holland, we bought each girl a pin and that led to buying pins everywhere we went. Three and a half years later, they each have quite a collection spanning 12 countries. When Ashlynn was asked to bring a collection to school while studying museums, she brought in her pins. I helped her with the display board and Veronica solved the problem of labeling the pins with the clever use of pipe cleaners. She had to do a speech in front of her class about her pins and then share them with the entire school as part of Museum Day.

It Takes Teamwork...

Besides all the individual adventure activities, Veronica’s Ardennes trip also focused on teamwork. It took cooperation to do build a raft from stakes and barrels--it actually floated, but Veronica was disappointed that she ended up with a middle seat and couldn’t help paddle.
It also took teamwork to get anywhere while on these strange skis. Other team activities included a night hike without flashlights, double kayaking and a contest for the cleanest room (despite being in the winning room, she seemed to forget those skills as soon as she returned home). It was definitely a great way for the class to bond, especially since half the students were new to the school. No doubt it’ll be one of the high points of Veronica’s final year in elementary school.

Our Adventure Girl...

Veronica has looked forward to the 5th Grade trip to the Ardennes Mountains in Belgium since she 1st toured the school in 2005. Three weeks after school started this year, she boarded a bus for the 4-hour drive to the hostel where her class along with one other would spend 3 nights. She had a great time as each day they set out to do adventure activities such as

rock climbing, the postman's walk (crossing a river while walking on a wire and holding onto another), the long zip wire across a river and, most daring of all, the telegraph pole (climbing the above pole and then jumping off while attempting to reach out to a trapeze--she was brave enough to make the jump, but missed the trapeze).

Just Bullet-Proof Glass Away from Royalty...

Through Jimmy’s office, I got a special pass for Sally and I to witness the arrival of the Golden Carriage (built in 1903) at the Ridderzaal (built in 1280) on Prinsjesdag (Prince’s Day) on September 18th for the Queen to open parliament. I was very excited about this opportunity until I realized it meant standing behind a police barricade for 3 hours waiting for Queen Beatrix, Prince Willem- Alexander and his wife Princess Maxima to pass by. It also meant watching the backs of the armed forces along the parade route for over 2 hours. Luckily, the police officer above got tired of starring in all my photos and was nice enough to move aside just in time for me to get the photo below.

Unusual Sights in Eindhoven...

After a night in Valkenburg, we headed to Eindhoven for a dollhouse show where the girls bought some great furniture for their Dutch dollhouse. We also visited a maritime festival, an art museum and a light bulb museum. However, the most interesting things we saw in this town weren’t in any museums. We’d never seen the signs above, which are missing the tell-tale red slash. They might mean no peeing in public or drinking from a glass, but could also mean no peeing in a glass. Of course, perhaps the city planners had the blokes at the bar on wheels, bike wheels that is, in mind when they put it up.

Top Ten Sights in Europe?

A week after my appendix surgery, we tagged along on one of Jimmy’s business trips to the southern part of Holland. After he finished his business, we headed to Valkenburg, the closest thing Holland has to a mountain town (although the mountain is more like a small hill). There we visited the Valkenburg Grotto Aquarium, which claims to be among the Top Ten Sights of Europe. Don’t necessarily agree with that, but did enjoy this unique underground aquarium lit only by the lights in the tanks.

A House Floating By...

We see a lot of different types of boats and barges passing in front of our windows, but this was a first--a house floating by. While clearly this is a houseboat, it’s obviously not the type that folks rent to take for a spin for summer holidays. We were surprised when we noticed that the tugboat was empty, but then saw that the fellow on the back of the house was using a remote control to steer. The other fellow hoisted up the ladder to confirm that they’d clear the train bridge, but as you can see it wasn’t by much.