Home Sweet Home

Garden corn, beet salad...grown by my parents!

Corn eating is an art form in this household.

Greeted by such beauty...

Thanks for following, everyone!

Biggest Gift

This is Andrea, a student Cecilie and I had as a 7th grader in Norway. This morning Cecilie saw an instagram post from Andrea showing a canal in Amsterdam. She commented on it and wa-la, we found out she lives about a block from our airbnb in the jordaan district (the best in Amsterdam). So we went on a three-hour walk with her. This girl...I loved her in 7th grade and she has developed into this super human adult who is studying to be an osteopathic doctor. Speaks five languages, has lived all over the world. You know. 

She took us to a place called Prince Island (or something like that). Houseboats and a yellow submarine! Great neighboorhood.

After she left we went to the Saturday market, right outside our door. And that was after our second amazing breakfast provided by our host: eggs, bread, ham, fruit...and get this, she, Leneke, is taking us to the airport at 5 am tomorrow. Unbelievable!

This is the classic Dutch pancake.

Beet salad, just like the one I make at home.

Lumpia

Tons of cheese. Could not have been a better last day!

One Last Museum

Cecilie in front of Grand Central station. At this point we had walked about 15 out of 20 km. My feet are dead...

Went to the Rikjsmuseum. Rembrant's masterpiece The Night Watch. Truly brilliant.

Vermeer below. I'm in love.

We went to the red light district but had to get out quick. Hate the lingering pot smell everywhere and all of the sex shops. We ended up back at the canal outside our airbnb eating take out Indian with drinks. Perfect location!

Last Stop: Amsterdam

Meeting my friend Cecilie from Norway days here tomorrow and this is our airbnb. It was built in 1627 and was identified by the "Faith Hope and Love" insignia over the door.

Inside the door. My room is down below and cecilie's is above.

The kitchen, looking from my bedroom. So cute.

And it's in the middle of everything. Canals right outside the door.

The airbnb owner told me this was something to see: a hidden Catholic church. Catholicism was forbidden in the 17 th century, so this five story "house" church was secret.

It's so old they make you wear these shoe covers

The line for the Anne Frank house. Gonna check back on that line later...

Dutch Angel in Den Bosch

This is a picture of a picture of Walter, whom I have referred to as my "Dutch Angel" since we met in Mexico 15 years ago. I love this picture because it was taken in his beloved Cuba a few years ago. He has been a significant friend to me and I hadn't seen him for 12 years. I took the train from the airport to his city, s'Hertogenbosch, the best city in Holland.

This is Thysj and Walter, my two tour guides. What a beautiful night in this city...

St. John's Church, the biggest church in Holland (only 30 parishioners tho)

One of the stained glass windows depicts an angel using a cell phone.

Another window depicts a plane flying into the Twin Towers. They could not explain this, only qualified that Holland LOVES America.

Fish fry stand in the city center. We had Alaskan halibut.

We toured the underground canals, really interesting.

Now how could you tell that this is Holland?

Their sweet specialty, bosche ball. Basically a round eclair. Heineken in the back, of course.

Near Walter's house is a replica of Greenlake...

This is a cable boat. You have to crank a wheel to get the boat across to your side, then crank it back across.

Croquettes

Beautiful countryside. And old school Seattle temperatures, at last!

The Wedding!

Wedding at city hall at 10 am.

 Classic Alice. Coulda been a movie star but instead teaches kindergarten...

View from the villa where the reception took place, in grasse - the perfume capital of France.

Pool at the villa

Five of us were in the wedding. We got these wrap dresses and wore them different ways.

 
Right after this picture the photographer got stung by a bee!

A really great day. Later alice and axels' band played. So great to hear them live...