Daytrippin' in Antwerpen

This past Saturday, we took a daytrip to Antwerp, Belgium. We had been considering an overnight to Brugges, but hotel prices and choices were getting us down until we realized Antwerp (where we hadn't been before) was close enough for an easy daytrip. Hooray! Belgian waffles, Belgian chocolate, Belgian beer...all within easy reach!
We arrived relatively early in the day and made the magnificent Our Lady's Cathedral (named for Mary, its patroness) our first stop. Markus and Jennifer enjoy visiting old cathedrals for the art and the architecture; Ellie enjoys them for the running space. She took particular pleasure in running up and down the main aisle for at least 15 laps. Fortunately, there were few other visitors that morning, so no one seemed to mind.


Our Lady's Cathedral has suffered repeated damage and plundering throughout its history, leaving relatively little of its glorious art intact. A careful restoration has been underway, but there seems to be little to restore. Most of the frescoes are gone, though small patches remain in odd places. The damaged walls have been scraped smooth and whitewashed in efforts at beautification. While it made us sad to realize how much has clearly been lost, modern efforts have provided a bright, airy space in what would otherwise be a dark grey interior.



When we left the cathedral an hour or so later, we went in search of a cafe on the main square. Before you say it, we know this was in error. Anyone who has traveled much in tourist Europe can tell you that the most beautiful spots for people watching and view-admiring are often claimed by high-price, low-quality venues. Having never been to Antwerp and relishing some rare winter sunshine, we nonetheless opted for a cafe with a view...and some of the nastiest coffee and sorriest excuses for Belgian waffles you can imagine. At least we had a warm, dry spot to feed Ellie her snack. She didn't mind at all. This stop was also the first of the day where we would pay to use the toilets. The collector in this establishment was an old woman who held open my stall door for me to enter and then stood outside the door and hummed tunes, presumably for my enjoyment. At least I got my 35 cents worth, right?
The cafe was across the square from the city hall. While there, we witnessed two wedding parties enter and exit. They really had a beautiful morning for photos!



As we walked around the old parts of town, we saw many Madonna and Child sculptures on the sides of buildings. I only took this one picture, but it would make an interesting project to collect photos of all the different sculptures around. We wonder how many there are. Bonus points to anyone who finds this out!



Our next cultural stop was the Rubenshuis, home of artist Peter Paul Rubens. The house is amazing! Ellie had opted for a nap in her stroller by this point, so Markus and I took turns viewing the interior while the other wandered with the stroller in the garden.




The circumstances caused us to make only a quick run-through of the buildings, but both of us agree that the Rubenshuis is a fabulous museum and well-worth another visit! If you discount the paintings and artwork, it is worth viewing the architecture and interior alone in such a well-preserved old Flemmish home. Of course, you really shouldn't discount the paintings, as they are all fantastic and worth a thorough perusal.

Not much left remains to report. After a delicious lunch at a nearby bistro (recommended by the cashier in the museum shop) and some tasty De Konnick beers, we wandered the city on foot in the afternoon drizzle (thus no photos). We wandered down to the Diamond District, which wasn't much to get excited about (very touristy, unattractive shops; most were closed anyway for Sabbath). Surely there must be a more attractive area for jewelry in the Diamond Center of the World! We just didn't find it. We DID, however, find the most fabulous chocolate shop in town! If this blog were scratch and sniff, you would understand Jennifer's joy (and peril) over this find.



We also found a nice little cafe for tea before we headed out, which was most appreciated given the cold, wet turn of the weather. Yes, the weather turned foul indeed, but we can't complain. All in all, we had a lovely day and it felt so great to get out and see something new!

Musings

With a little over two weeks away from the parade, some of you are still scratching your heads wondering "What the heck is Muses, anyway, and why is Jennifer so excited about it?" The New Orleans Magazine published a story on Muses as their cover article this month, and you can check it out at March of the Muses if you're truly curious. Who knows? Some of you curious ladies out there may even want to join yourselves!

This past Sunday, our dear friends from Qatar arrived for a visit as they made their way home from a trip to the US, and we enjoyed a brief though fabulous time with them! The weather didn't encourage us to get out much, but we had lots of fun indoors or simply strolling through town...and, of course, sampling different cafes' offerings of hot chocolate. When it was time for them to leave Wednesday morning, Jennifer seriously considered hiding their passports.
Since we've moved here, we have had quite a few wonderful houseguests, but this was the first time Ellie had a visitor of her own. Her buddy Cy is about 6 months younger than she is, making them a perfect pair for all manner of baby fun and joint exploration of the house. They dined side by side at meals, encouraging each other to try new things. They played together in the bath. They danced and chewed and explored their way through the toys and miscellaneous items in the playroom and kitchen. Having another baby in the house was so much fun!



During their visit, the temperatures ranged from fairly mild to freezing cold. On the morning of their departure, we awoke to a beautiful dusting of pure white snow. This was Ellie's first exposure to snow on the ground, and she was eager to tromp around in it and seemed appalled to find it so cold to the touch.


She seems to have turned 2 several months ahead of schedule, and she lets us know when things are not as they should be (observe the look in the photo above).

Yesterday, a severe winter wind storm tore through Western Europe. The gusts in Holland were in the neighborhood of 120km per hour! An article in this morning's International Herald Tribune reports this as the worst storm since 2002. The craziest thing about it (from my perspective, anyway) was the temperature. A severe winter storm in January in Europe and the temperatures were in the low 50s (Fahrenheit)! If it weren't for the wind (and yes, I know the wind was the issue), we wouldn't have needed coats. Amazing.
Apparently, the storm caused significant damage in this part of the world. A tree fell on some parked cars in Amsterdam, and two people were killed. From Germany to the UK, reports run from 10 to 27 deaths, and thousands were stranded as flights and trains were disrupted. We noticed that the winds even affected tram travel yesterday when Markus tried leaving the office. The company had advised employees to leave early to avoid heaviest traffic, anticipating serious trouble with the evening commute. It was incredible to hear the wind tearing through the city at intervals (more gusty than constant). Our friend Tony, visiting for the week, accused us of bringing hurricanes with us wherever we go and seemed surprised we hadn't managed to bring one to Qatar. Maybe we didn't stay long enough.

There is something magical about witnessing a sunset. Watching the sun until the last glorious moment as it disappears completely below the horizon...wow! This evening, we were treated to a beautiful display of color and light when we took a short trip to the dunes near Wassenar (sorry, no pics; didn't bring the camera). Of course, Markus has any number of comments on how magical it is to see the sun at all these days...(welcome to Holland!)

This morning's adventures led us to Kinderdijk, a small town with 19 windmills dating back to the 1700s. The windmills were used to pump water from the peat-bogs into the river and prevent the settlement from flooding. These days, the pumping system has been fully modernized, but the windmills are still there and apparently still work! Kinderdijk has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The trail through the bogs past the windmills is a lovely walk, even when the weather unexpectedly clouded over on us and the wind kicked up. Jennifer had fun playing with the camera's sepia filter (just seemed appropriate!).


classic image of The Netherlands: windmill and swans

European winters aren't known for being especially fabulous, and Dutch weather has a particularly poor (and well-founded!) reputation in that department. The nights have been remarkably clear, giving way to drizzle or rain by morning. Sigh. Yesterday, we caught a break! Saturday morning offered sunny skies, so we ignored the cold and cycled to the playground on the Mother Ship. What is that, you ask? My new bike, of course! The Dutch are serious cyclists! Someone told me there are more bikes in this country than any other but China, and I believe it (almost). I'm actually really amazed and impressed with the bikes for parents. I've seen people cycling with three kiddie seats on a bike (with three kiddies in those seats)--wow! My bike is called "the Mother Bike." It has specially designed handlebars to extend well around a front-mounted child seat. I had to change the name to "the Mother Ship", and off we went!

("stock photo" of the Mother Ship on its maiden voyage)

Jennifer and Ellie on Saturday, whizzing through the woods


Although I'm sure there are many playgrounds in The Hague, there is a small one near our first, temporary apartment that is sized well for toddlers. The steps leading up the slide are perfectly Ellie-sized, and she loves it there. We've even met a few new friends. Although we don't speak the same language, the kids don't seem to care. A 2 year-old boy named Maurits was VERY excited to meet Ellie and talked to her incessantly in baby Dutch while Ellie just stared in wide-eyed wonder.

At the recommendation of an American friend, we went out to lunch on Saturday at an Italian-Greek restaurant in town. Dining out, though a favorite with us, has been a bit tricky here. We find Dutch restaurants are not overwhelmingly receptive to children, and Dutch restaurant patrons often less so. Ellie is (blessedly!) well-behaved when we're out, but no one knows that when we step in the door and we often feel (and are) unwelcome. This has resulted in our repeated patronage of two family-friendly spots. In search of variety, we tried a new place this weekend, one that our friend had said was not only open to families, but also where the owners brought their own little boy from time to time. We couldn't have been more pleased with the place! It was a nice setting, the food was delicious, and our server, Sanem, LOVED Ellie so much that she took her to see the fish tank and a movie and Ellie felt no need to return to us and the table. Sanem even said we should have the owner call her if she's not working the next time we come, and she will come play with Ellie. Hooray!



Other than that, we don't have much else to report. We have enjoyed relaxing more into a family routine. Ellie's sleep patterns have finally settled down after the move, and things are returning to normal around here...at least for another month. In the second week of February, we will head back to the US for Ocean Springs, New Orleans, and Mardi Gras! Muses rolls February 15th, everyone!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Wishing you and yours a beautiful, happy 2007!


(after the photo, our intrepid little explorer gets back to business)

Well, folks...we're back!

For a while there, we were beginning to be ominously reminiscent of X-Pat Files: Adventures in Nigeria (friends who blogged a few times in July and then mysteriously disappeared...). Our lives have taken on such a pace of late that Markus and I have been doing our best to keep our heads above water...and seem to accomplish little else. Amazingly enough, all that hard work seems to be paying off. For the first time in months, we are starting to wind down a bit and catch our breath. There seems to be so much to catch you up on, so I'll just pick someplace to start and go from there.

Our move to The Hague proved its worth right away, as we were able to celebrate Christmas with both sides of the family for the first time ever in our own home! My mom (Stephanie) arrived the day after we unpacked the last box (whew!), and Markus's mom (Rita) and sister (Ulla) arrived the day after my mom and I returned from Mother-Daughter Party Time in London (three days, two nights of whirlwind FUN!). The idea of having everyone here so soon after the move was a bit stressful, but the reality was quite lovely. On Christmas Eve, we enjoyed a beautiful, delicious, and surprisingly relaxing dinner of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, peas (Ellie's favorite!), and biscuits--all homemade from scratch by a proud (and somewhat overwrought) Jennifer. That night, we kept up both sides of the family tradition. Rita and Ulla opened all their presents, as is the custom in Germany, and Stephanie joined in. Markus, Jennifer, and Ellie opened one present each, saving the rest for Christmas morning, as is the custom from Jennifer's childhood. Christmas Day found almost everyone still sleeping off the turkey from the day before. We didn't open presents until after 11:30.


After a leisurely lunch, most of us went to Amsterdam to wander the streets and enjoy different sights. On Boxing Day, Stephanie and Ulla departed for home. Rita is still here visiting. We are so happy this move made all of these things possible!

The weather has been persistently grey and cold, but thankfully, it hasn't rained. We've been able to get outside and walk every day, and the fresh air is always welcome. The Dutch are a hardy breed, let me tell you. Yesterday, we went to the beach for a stroll. The traffic was HIDEOUS and the beach lots were completely full. I understand that it was a holiday and everyone wanted to get out of the house, but keep in mind that the weather was thickly foggy, just a few degrees above freezing, and (let's face it) rather unpleasant. You would have thought the sun was shining bright and the air was warm and welcoming. Everyone and their dogs were out! Hardy breed.
We witnessed the same at Madurodam a few days before. Madurodam is a model town with representations of all major features in Holland. The scale and detail is astonishing. Really worth a visit! Just not on the day we went. We picked the coldest day yet. Ooooo....too cold to be outside standing still while admiring models. We didn't last long, which was a shame. Madurodam is rather impressive. I'm sure we'll be back. But again, it was pretty busy. Lots of Dutch people without hats or gloves or scarves. Hardy breed.





My mom and I had an amazing time in London! I have wanted to take her there for years, and we finally got her to make the plan this year! For me, it was special for two big reasons: 1) it was the first time I've had alone to enjoy with my mom in longer than I can remember, and 2) it was my first time away from Ellie overnight. We stayed for three days, two nights, which was perfect. Our days were full of city touring on foot (a great way to see London). We saw (in no particular order) Tower Bridge (my favorite), the Tower of London, Buckingham, St. James' Park, Trafalgar Square, Halls of Parliament, Big Ben, Shakespeare's Globe Theater, Tate Modern, the Millennium footbridge, Harrod's, and on and on. We took a "flight" on the London Eye, a first for both of us and a truly incredible experience.


I took lots of pictures in my fascination, though I did have to sit and read a book as we neared the top (it's 135m high). Those of us who aren't thrilled with great heights should exercise restraint, you know.


The most indulgent part of the trip was catching two plays in two nights. The first night was The Lion King (Mom’s Christmas present from us); the second night was Evita. Both are must-sees!

From the volume of screeching from downstairs, it seems my time has expired on the baby meter, which is just as well. This posting is quite long enough! Comments, please!

Well, folks...it's been a wild two weeks, but the boxes are gone and the house is unpacked! Disarray is still the order of the day, but it's mostly small stuff at this point. Markus and Jennifer burned the midnight oil a few nights in a row to get there, but hooray for being that much closer to home!
Today, Mimi arrived for her Christmas visit! Yippee! We are soooooo excited and happy to see her! We can hardly wait to start showing her all around. Having visitors gives us an EXCELLENT excuse to do all of our favorite things in the area, and it's always fun to introduce newcomers to museums, sights, shops, restaurants, etc. for the first time. We are soooo happy Mimi is here for a visit! And not a day too early...even as it was, we had to uncover sheets for her bed after her arrival (oops).

Whew! Four days into the moving in adventure, and the house is an explosion of consumer debris. Americans and people who have lived in America for extended periods really shouldn't move. Except to discover the truly excessive amounts of STUFF one has come to own. It's quite impressive, really. Not necessarily a good thing, but impressive just the same.
I have (ridiculously) high hopes to get it under control by the end of this weekend (hey, I mastered the kitchen already!), at which point I want to get going on Christmas cards and decorations. Would you believe this will be the first year we will celebrate Christmas in our home? With family coming to us too! Hooray! All thanks to the Ellie Bear. We are really looking forward to it!

Before leaving this post, I have to share our latest Fun-with-Dutch-Bureaucracy story.
Markus went to change his driver's license from Germany to Holland this week. He had been told it would cost 20 Euro, and that he had to appear in person. No big deal. Cash in hand, he made his way to the appropriate office. There, his 20 Euro allowed him to acquire not a driver's license, but a FORM to begin application for a driver's license. Completion of this form plus supplemental paperwork will allow him to apply for a license change. When accepted, he will give up his license for up to 3 weeks during processing.
Good thing we don't actually NEED a car most days.
Markus found this experience most ridiculous and mildly exasperating.
Jennifer, on the other hand, began to laugh hysterically.
I must be having an allergic reaction to all the red tape around here.

Hallo from The Netherlands!
We arrived safe and sound back in Holland about a week ago, and we are oh-so-close to moving into our new home (and oh-so-happy about it!)! The keys were placed in our eager hands yesterday, and the movers are coming on Monday. You read that correctly! Although we had been warned that customs would hold up our items for 4-6 weeks from paperwork completion in mid-November, we have had the most pleasant surprise of a speedy process! With both families wishing to be present at Christmas, we were a bit afraid we'd have nowhere for anyone to sleep with possibly no furniture until January...but fear not! We hope to be fully moved in by the end of next week! Such excitement cannot possibly be communicated in this blog, but we are sooooooo very ready to settle down and STAY in a place for a while! Yippee!
Of course, everything is a process in Holland. We currently lack private internet access (I'm updating from a cafe), but we hope to be online soon. Meanwhile, please keep checking in and letting us know how you are doing. We had over 100 emails built-up from this past email-less week, and it was WONDERFUL to read up on our friends lives. Starting over in a new place can be hard, so keep those messages coming! We'll respond and update when we can, and we hope to get private access again soon.

A dear friend of ours has been suffering from severe vertigo issues for a few weeks now. She finally went to see a doctor about it today and learned some amazing things. Apparently, we have calcium crystals in our inner ears. When they become loose and move about, a sensation of vertigo results. This condition is easy to treat, and now she feels great! But to recap: today my friend learned that her marbles were loose. I could have told her that!

Greetings from Virginia! Ellie and I flew up here this morning from New Orleans. Luckily, the weather that just left the Gulf Coast didn't catch us. It was raining here, but nothing more serious than that. We used the grey day as an excellent napping opportunity! Now we're here with the Mimi and are set for some big fun! Only two more days before Markus joins us! Hooray!
We're so happy that our good friend Mary is doing so well. We're sure her healing will progress even more smoothly now that temptation has left the building. She wasn't supposed to lift anything heavier than 10 pounds for 6 weeks. Ellie weighs 21 pounds. What do you suspect Mary was doing when Jennifer wasn't looking?
As life would have it, we have another dear friend scheduled to undergo surgery tomorrow. He seems well taken care of though, so we will keep him in our thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery!

Good thing we didn't get too uppity about our tide-turning festivities.
The contractor didn't work today. We were supposed to meet today, but that didn't happen either. He is sick and had a doctor's appointment. But we're handling it. We're cool.


We're keeping our fingers crossed anyway. The contractor doesn't realize that tomorrow is my last full day in town, so let's hope he manages to keep our meeting then!

As an aside, today was another GORGEOUS Southern fall day here in Ocean Springs. Temperature around 70 and sunny, clear blue skies. We took a drive along the beach and stopped at the harbor to visit some friends.



And last but not least, we drove past a Katrina demolished beach house that sported a spray-painted warning: NO TRESS PASSING
Does this mean wig swapping is out?

Could we be witnessing the turn of the tide?

Item #1:
The contractor is at work on the house in Ocean Springs! He has been working every day for nearly two weeks since I called and made it clear in my best junior-high-school-teacher, not-taking-any-more-crap voice that he best get busy. The foundation should be completely repaired before I leave on Wednesday if all goes well. Of course, he doesn't know I'm leaving Wednesday. It helps keep him busy if he thinks I could pop in at any moment. Let's be hopeful that phase 2 (porch and roof) will actually progress after I'm gone. He claims that the foundation was the only part beyond his control, since his crew can do everything but that (thus he had to contract that out and therein lay the problem). I won't hold my breath that the rest will progress smoothly, but I am hoping to be pleasantly surprised.
Yesterday, I priced new kitchens. Dad's appliances all need replacing and the cabinets sustained water during Katrina...besides, it hasn't been updated since it was built. Time to redo! Now, I had heard through the home repair grapevine that the kitchen is the most expensive room in the house to redo, but I had NO IDEA what that meant until I sat down with a kitchen guy yesterday and worked up a quote. Keep in mind that I selected fairly mid-range items from cabinets to appliances. The ballpark was between $15- and $25 THOUSAND DOLLARS! YOW! No wonder Dad never updated it. Holy moly.
The foundation doesn't cost that much.
Sheesh.

Item #2:
We got the house we wanted in The Hague! I have been so excited about this that people assume we must be buying. NOT SO! It's a rental, folks! But here's the thing... Since August 27, 2005, we have not lived in a place we actively chose to live. Katrina sent us to Houston for a few months, where we had a very temporary-feeling apartment furnished primarily by our generous friends' furniture. We moved to Qatar, where after spending almost two months in a hotel (longer for Markus), we were forced into a company house we didn't want...and even that was temporary because the company told us we would move to a different compound in a year if we had stayed. Then we move to The Hague, look for homes, find one that really suits us...and are denied it by HR. Well, denial can return to being a river in Egypt, happy campers! HR caved (why, we may never know) and gave us permission to (shocker!) choose our own residence! We already had a stellar estate agent on our side, and she secured the house for us right away! As soon as I get back, I will post pictures for you to see. FABULOUS location...and TWO guest rooms, so bring it on, people! We want to see you!

Just so we don't get too carried away with our tide-turning festivities, our air freight still has not arrived from Qatar. Air freight items are those items you want right away but cannot carry on the plane. It takes typically 2-3 days for shipment and then maybe a few more for customs on the other end. Our air freight was packed on October 2. It is now November 11th, and we still don't have it. It contains cold weather gear and all documents for my father's estate. LESSON LEARNED. Irreplaceable items MUST be hand-carried in the future, regardless. Meanwhile, Markus is freezing his stubborn heinie off in the cold, waiting for the air freight to deliver his coats, sweaters, and long underwear. I am less affected by this. It's November in Mississippi and we have the A/C on.

Ellie continues to walk like no tomorrow. Yesterday, she took to running away from me at top speed in stores. When I followed asking where she thought she was going, she shrieked with maniacal laughter and gained speed. At least I know we will be getting plenty of exercise from here on out.

Last night, Jennifer and Ellie trekked over to New Orleans to attend the first meet-and-greet with her fellow Muses. For those of you who've missed this important detail, JENNIFER IS RIDING IN MARDI GRAS IN NEW ORLEANS THIS YEAR! Woo-hoo! Mardi Gras parades are done by krewes (clubs for Mardi Gras). My favorite parade for years has been Muses, the only all-women (and diverse!) krewe! Muses puts on an AWESOME parade. While they roll a few days before Mardi Gras, they really mark the start of the better, more elaborate and fun parades. A couple of years ago, Markus and I agreed that the best way to show my enthusiasm would be to join and toss my hat into the ring for upcoming riders. This year, it's my turn! Muses is set to roll on Valentine's Day (possibly up for a date change...keep checking back), and I'd love to see as many friends and family members out there as possible!
Last night was the first opportunity I've had to meet the other ladies on my float. Just about anyone can tell you that getting a bunch of women together with food and wine can make for a crazy affair. I am happy to report that the Muses I met must all be completely insane...it looks to be an amazing year! I can hardly wait to get rolling!

A very on-top-of-it girlfriend has just pointed out that we have reached the one year anniversary for this blog. Blitzpampers has been on the web and sharing our stories for a full year now! We'd like to thank all of our dedicated readers as well as our occasional blog-checkers. Your comments and feedback make it all worthwhile...which brings up a good point. Where are all the comments and feedback? We know you are reading this, people! We'd like to hear from you!

This is one little kitten I'm sure Markus will allow me to keep. Isn't she beautiful? Hope you all had a happy Halloween!