Hello again! Once again I feel I am
a bit behind in my blogging! How can I possibly prevent this?! Lately it seems that
I write a blog and suddenly its 4 weeks later and I need to write another one!
Well as most of you know, my dear Mother came to visit me for nearly three
weeks in October. Fun is not EVEN the word to describe our activities so I’ll
just say; we really had the best time together. She was able to bring her dog
Savannah (Charlie’s younger sister and best friend!) and the four of us had a
ball strutting around Europe together!
First, we started our trip off in
Amsterdam where we walked nearly the entire city (the pups were so tired!)
including the Albert Cyup Market, Vondalpark, the flower district, The Royal Palace,
central station and we even took a ferry across the northern canal to the Eye
Theater for lunch in their awesome café which looks across the water back at
the city. Aside from all the site
seeing, Mom did ample shopping and I tested out my limited Dutch with sales
clerks, waitresses, tram drivers and information office attendants, which was
shaky at best, but a hoot all the same. We
were also able to have a quick coffee with a friend of mine, who recommended us
all the best things to do in the city. Thanks Tuan for all your advice!
Also while in Amsterdam, Mom and I
shared the first of many birthdays to come without Neil. He would have been 22
on October 10 this year so Mom and I had a beer and said a prayer to honor the
occasion. We prayed he had a joyous celebration all the same and was still
spreading his love everywhere as always. On the side I selfishly added that I
would be much appreciative if he helped watch over me and that future birthdays
of his would feel less soul crushing, but we will see.
After Amsterdam had all it could handle of us, we hoped on a
train and headed for Belgium. To clarify, when I say “hopped” I really mean
boarded and waited for hours due to a suicide jumper ahead on the tracks….It
was a very messy travel day filled with jam-packed trains and changing schedules,
taxis, busses, broken phones and late arrivals, BUT we did eventually make it
to Bruges where we stayed in a wonderful bed and breakfast in the city center.
Although the pups were hard pressed to find a patch of grass in the mid-evil city
to relieve themselves on, Mom and I spent the next 4 days testing Belgian
cheese, beer and chocolate and taking photos of the iconic gothic style
buildings. Although it was quite cold we bundled up Charlie and Savannah and
visited the local brewery, bell tower square market, shopping districts and
surrounding windmill farms. It was a really lovely city that I would truly
recommend and enjoy returning to.
I thought after our previous
journey, Mom would never get back on other European train, but after 4 days in
Bruges we found ourselves yet again on the train, this time bound for my home
city of Groningen. The return trip went much smoother and we arrived in the
pouring rain and exhausted. Good to be home! :D
Mom rented the same apartment I
used to live in for a week and a half and we really got our mother-daughter
time on! We took the pups for long daily walks, hit the gym, made strawberry
jam, picked rosehips on the canal, ate out, ate in, made future plans, chatted,
teased each other and generally had a dandy time! I took her on a canal boat
tour of the city, to high tea and to eat the biggest pancakes in town. Gerben
accompanied us when he could and even hung out with Mom when I was busy, which
was good because it took a few days for her to get accustomed to biking
everywhere! Go Mama Go!!! :D
We were also able to rent a car for
a few days, one of which we visited The Water Lily spa where we had nice
massages and lunch. The last few days we visited Gerben’s parents house in
Delfzijl where we stayed for a night and visited with the family. It was really
a lot of fun to have Mom meet Geb's parents and get everyone together! That
Sunday Geb, Nienke (Gerben’s brother’s girlfriend) and I ran the Sea Mile fun run
in the harbor. The weather w as great and it was nice to run in a new place.
Mom, Gerard and Marian (Geb’s parents) all brought the dogs and cheered us on
from the sidelines. That evening we packed up the car and drove back to
Amsterdam where we checked into a hotel for a night as Mom’s flight left quite
early in the morning. Although our visit was quite short we had a great time!
Thanks Gerard and Marian for having us again! 
As we unloaded Mom at the airport, I
was very sad to see her go and miss her already! Now everything is going back
to normal and I am diving head first into my thesis work. Wish me luck! :D
