To all our family and friends we wish you a happy and merry Christmas. We love you all and miss you. We'll post some Christmas pictures later in the day.
Love Rob, Joan, Chris, Andrew and Turbo
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Winter In Holland
It's Almost Christmas and we got a bit of Winter in Holland this week.
DAYTIME
Santa was on the Langstraat in Wassenaar. behind him is a tent where they were selling Gluhwein, a hot german concoction. We have had our fill of Gluhwein this year.....thats for sure.
This is just outside of outr house looking down Rijksstraatweg.
Looking out at a tree behind the back yard.
Another back yard tree.
A close up of the bushes in the back yard.
Turbo the Teckle in our back yard. THis may be the only time the dog sees snow until we return home.
NIGHT TIME
A winter's full moon.
A shot of the stars in Leiden across a canal at night.
After dinner outside of the Grande Cafe Stadhouder.
DAYTIME
Santa was on the Langstraat in Wassenaar. behind him is a tent where they were selling Gluhwein, a hot german concoction. We have had our fill of Gluhwein this year.....thats for sure.
The mist rolling in off the North Sea froze as the temperatures fell over the past couple of days. The effect was spectacular. All the trees were covered in a coating of white icing.
This is just outside of outr house looking down Rijksstraatweg.
Looking out at a tree behind the back yard.
Another back yard tree.
A close up of the bushes in the back yard.
Turbo the Teckle in our back yard. THis may be the only time the dog sees snow until we return home.
NIGHT TIME
A winter's full moon.
A shot of the stars in Leiden across a canal at night.
After dinner outside of the Grande Cafe Stadhouder.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
American Womens' Club Gala
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Brugge - Post Thanksgiving Get Away
Brugge, Belgium
We spent the Post Thanksgiving Weekend in Brugge, Belgium. Brugge is a little town just on the North Sea about 2 hours south of our town in Wassenaar. It was founded in the 9th century by Scandinavian Vikings. Like Holland there are canals everywhere. Here are a couple of them.
Below is Joan enjoying a cold winter day on the Belgiun Canals.
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Brugge has some really cool things going for it. It has a small Chapel called the Chapel of the Holy Blood. It was built in the 12th century by the Bishop of Flanders. He received a piece of cloth stained with the blood of Jesus from his Crucifixion. We spoke to the guide on duty at the Chapel and he said they have records dating back to 1400 indicating the relic was brought to Brugge and has never left since. Based on some recently discovered records in Istanbul researchers believe there were 3 pieces from the cloth, one taken to Brugge, one to Italy and one remained in Intanbul. The whereabouts two other relics are known.
Above is The Chapel of the Holy Blood
Above is The Relic of Jesus kept in the Chapel
The Chapel of the Holy Blood has beautiful stained glass windows.
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In Our Lady's Church in another part of Brugge, there is the only sculpture done by Michelangelo that can be fould outside of Italy.
Modonna and Child by Michelangelo
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Christmas Market ....the real reason we came to Brugge! Our hotel was just on the Burg Square, the setting of the City Hall. They were just setting up the town Christmas tree. By the time we came back from dinner it was up and lit.
The Brugge town tree.
Gluehwein (Glow Wine)....the fuel of the Christmas Markets all throughout Europe. €2 a glass and it will warm you right up. Good thing we brought lots of €2 coins.
Chris and Andrew outside of one of the many food stands. I think Chris spent €2 on some Gluehwein.
Chris walking down one of Brugge's many shopping streets.
Andrew outside the Skating Rink in the middle of the Christmas Market.
Another Successful Trip. See you all soon.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Sunday, November 18, 2007
The Saturday Leiden Market
The Saturday Market in Leiden
Every Saturday the market shows up in Leiden. Along the New Rhine River Canal . There are hundreds of market sellers setting up along the Canal. You can get absoutely anything you want (well alomst...its Holland by the way). We go about every other week for the "stuff" we need.
A typical market seller stall. Thos is one of the "Bread Men" selling Turkish loaves, French Baguetts, Rolls and the like. As they say in Holland, its bread day 1, bread crumbs day 2 and bird feed day 3. With no preservatives (a good thing by the way), it goes quickly.
The StroopWaffel man. There are 5 stands making fresh Stroops. Hot, gooey, dripping and good.
The chesses are fantastic. These big wheel pieces are 15 - 20 kilos each.
Andrew in the market.....just before a Stroop.
We found this wall of vines on the way to the market from our little parking spot. It was just awsome, all in fall bloom with reds and greens and yellows.
Every Saturday the market shows up in Leiden. Along the New Rhine River Canal . There are hundreds of market sellers setting up along the Canal. You can get absoutely anything you want (well alomst...its Holland by the way). We go about every other week for the "stuff" we need.
A typical market seller stall. Thos is one of the "Bread Men" selling Turkish loaves, French Baguetts, Rolls and the like. As they say in Holland, its bread day 1, bread crumbs day 2 and bird feed day 3. With no preservatives (a good thing by the way), it goes quickly.
It wouldn't be Holland without Flower sellers. These bunches were 5 euro a piece.
Nuts you say, we have pleanty. These guys have bowls of nuts, spices, olives and herbs for sale.
The StroopWaffel man. There are 5 stands making fresh Stroops. Hot, gooey, dripping and good.
The chesses are fantastic. These big wheel pieces are 15 - 20 kilos each.
Andrew in the market.....just before a Stroop.
We found this wall of vines on the way to the market from our little parking spot. It was just awsome, all in fall bloom with reds and greens and yellows.
Well, thats our weekend jaunt to the Leiden Market.
Hope you enjoyed.
Friday, November 2, 2007
ITS CHRISTOPHER'S BIRTHDAY
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRIS
Today is Christophers 17th Birthday.
He is off to a 3 day Model United Nations Conference at The International School of The Hague. He is the designated Delegate from Andorra, a small country on the French/Spanish border. It is a Principality in the Pyrenees with a population of 20,000. I've never heard of it.
Anyway,
Happy Birthday Christopher!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
VARIOUS PICTURES FROM OUT ADVENTURE
OK boys and girls, Here are a number of pictures from the past year. they are not necessarily in any particular order.
This is a picture of Joan and the boys in front of the largest church in Leiden. It is massive. We are on a hill about 1 kilometer away from the church.
This is a picture of Joan in our time Wassenaar. We stopped on a bike ride
Chris and Andrew in the London Eye. you can see Big Ben in the background.
Andrew in the London Eye.
This windmill had Rembrandt sails flying one weekend. It is in Leiden about 5k from where we live.
Canal Boating with friends. Need I say more?
Captain Rob at the helm of the canal boat....wearing a 2006 Winged Foot US Open hat no less.
Joan, Andrew and Claire on a canal boat trip.
Thats all for this post. more to come soon.
This is a picture of Joan and the boys in front of the largest church in Leiden. It is massive. We are on a hill about 1 kilometer away from the church.
This is a picture of Joan in our time Wassenaar. We stopped on a bike ride
Chris and Andrew in the London Eye. you can see Big Ben in the background.
Andrew in the London Eye.
This windmill had Rembrandt sails flying one weekend. It is in Leiden about 5k from where we live.
Canal Boating with friends. Need I say more?
Captain Rob at the helm of the canal boat....wearing a 2006 Winged Foot US Open hat no less.
Joan, Andrew and Claire on a canal boat trip.
Thats all for this post. more to come soon.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
ROME TRIP OCTOBER 2007
During the boy's school break in October we went to Rome. Both Joan and I had been there 30 years ago but neither boy had been. It was an awsome trip. After a 4 hour delay in Frankfurt because of a Strike at the airport in Rome we arrived.
Our first site on Tuesday was the Trevi Fountain.
Rob and Joan at Trevi Fountain. The coins are in, we'll be back to Rome some day.
On the way to the Colusseum we passed the Tomb of the Unknown.
The family inside the Colosseum
The cross in fromt of the Emperor's Box at the Colosseum. The sun could have not been more perfect for this shot.
The Forum
Our next stop was at the Roman Forum.
I had never even heard of the Forum but Christopher knew all about it. This was the ancient Central Market in Rome during the rule of Julius Caesar Octavianus in the 1st century BC. This was a really impressive site and we spent a good bit of time exploring. The ruins are really impressive and stretch from the current Rome City Hall on Capitoline Hill to the Colosseum.
Some impressive collums. These are the only remains of the Temple of Saturn.
Another view of the Forum.
We happened to get to the Vatican at the same time as the Pope.
What a coincidence. He arrived in the Pope Mobile and toured around St Peter's Square before mounting the steps to say Mass.
While we were several hundred yards away, we did see the Pope and hear his Mass. What perfect beginning to exploring the Vatican City.
Christopher loved being at the Vatican.
We mounted to the top of the Cupola and had an unbelievable view. Below was St. Peters Square from the top of the Basillica.
A View From Our Hotel
We had a great trip in Rome
During the boy's school break in October we went to Rome. Both Joan and I had been there 30 years ago but neither boy had been. It was an awsome trip. After a 4 hour delay in Frankfurt because of a Strike at the airport in Rome we arrived.
Our first site on Tuesday was the Trevi Fountain.
Rob and Joan at Trevi Fountain. The coins are in, we'll be back to Rome some day.
On the way to the Colusseum we passed the Tomb of the Unknown.
Rob, Chris and Andrew at the Tomb of the Unknown in Rome. It was an impressive site.
The Colosseum
Nothing more needs to be said.
The family inside the Colosseum
The cross in fromt of the Emperor's Box at the Colosseum. The sun could have not been more perfect for this shot.
The Forum
Our next stop was at the Roman Forum.
I had never even heard of the Forum but Christopher knew all about it. This was the ancient Central Market in Rome during the rule of Julius Caesar Octavianus in the 1st century BC. This was a really impressive site and we spent a good bit of time exploring. The ruins are really impressive and stretch from the current Rome City Hall on Capitoline Hill to the Colosseum.
Some impressive collums. These are the only remains of the Temple of Saturn.
Another view of the Forum. THE VATICAN WAS NEXT
We happened to get to the Vatican at the same time as the Pope.
What a coincidence. He arrived in the Pope Mobile and toured around St Peter's Square before mounting the steps to say Mass.
While we were several hundred yards away, we did see the Pope and hear his Mass. What perfect beginning to exploring the Vatican City.
We mounted to the top of the Cupola and had an unbelievable view. Below was St. Peters Square from the top of the Basillica.
A View From Our Hotel
Our hotel was located about 10 minutes from the Spanish Steps. It was big and nice and had a decent view from the balcony.
We had a great trip in Rome
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