Holiday in Holland

Day 1 - Second Christmas dinner

We arrived in Amsterdam the morning of December 26^th, commonly known as “Second Christmas Day” in Holland.  To our delight, we were met at the airport by seven family members and two family dogs.  Wanda, Marrrek’s oldest sister and with whom we would spend the first three days was there, along with Linda, Mark’s youngest sister.  Linda brought her husband Leo, and their four sons, Dawi, (14) Toby, (17) Youri (21) and Lion (23).  In keeping with Dutch tradition, we ordered coffee and pastries at the airport, shared a few laughs and Tony and I listened to fluent Dutch, being exchanged very rapidly.  Despite the fact that Mark’s family speaks fluent English, Tony and I realized right then that English was not the native language.  Before our trip was over, we would ask for many conversations to be interpreted for us. 

We left the airport for Wanda’s home, a brownstone in the south area of Amsterdam.  She lived on the second floor and getting up the narrow, steep, winding stairs to her flat, with our heavy suitcases, required careful maneuvering.  Wanda lives alone and at 61 years old, has the style and energy of a younger person.  I was immediately comfortable in her home, as it reminded me of Karen’s home in Scarsdale.  The apartment smelled like incense, she had beads hanging in the window, a perfectly set holiday table awaiting the first family gathering, a Christmas tree decorated and lit, animal prints throughout the home, a very welcoming cat and almost every inch of wall space covered with photographs and memorabilia. 

Wanda’s home was warm and inviting.  She had arranged for a small family gathering and gift exchange in her home that evening, and we were the guests of honor!  During this five course dinner, complete with champagne, Tony and I met Wanda’s son, Manou and his wife, Tessa, along with their two young sons, Rául and Liam.  Mark’s parents, eighty seven years old and eighty six years old in age, also joined us, making for a party of ten.  Dinner was exceptional and the welcome even more so! 

 Welcoming  drinks and pastry at the airport.
Youri, Dawi, Tony, Marrrek, Polly, Linda, Lion, Wanda, and Tobi
 

Wanda at home
 

 Dinner Chez Wanda's
 

 Tarte de Tessa pastry
Pa & Ma Pelt, Manou
 

Day 2 - Bikes, Boats and Boots

On this day, we took a walking tour of Amsterdam.  Wanda was our guide, as we spent time in the clothing district, shopping for a sweater for me.  Like me, Wanda is a bargain hunter and we found a lot in common as we went from booth to booth, checking and comparing prices.  As the day went on, my familiarity with the Euro became greater and I was able to easily interpret the cost in dollars, so I could compare the cost with comparable goods in America.  What fun! 

As we walked the cobblestone streets, dodged the bicycles and kept our eyes open for cars (the pecking order in Holland is bicycles first, cars second and pedestrians third)…I noticed that all women were wearing boots – a very ‘European’ boot, unlike what we wear in the US.  I liked the look of skinny jeans tucked into high, flat boots and decided a pair of these boots would be my second souvenir. (Wanda has several pairs of these, including a purple pair!)

I found a warm pink wool sweater and immediately put it on under my down coat, with my gloves, hat, hood, etc.  It was very cold – I never grew used to how cold it was while we were there, and seldom took my coat off. 

After lunch at a quaint restaurant, where we had pea soup and hot chocolate, we boarded a tour boat, and rode the canals of Amsterdam, where we were able to see a great deal of the older areas of Amsterdam.  The tall brownstone buildings represent the architecture so well known to Holland.  Peppered with bicycles everywhere and charming bridges under which we rode, we took pictures and enjoyed the views of a floating restaurant, the thinnest building in Holland and the peace of the waterway.   

Afterwards, we took the tram to the center of the City, where we did more shopping (this time for boots without success) and eventually, ended up back at Wanda’s home.  That evening, Linda’s family joined us for the night as her sons, Toby and Dawi, stayed at Wanda’s to play guitar hero with Tony, while the rest of us headed to a nearby disco named ‘The Panama’, to dance.  Dancing at the disco, a popular nightly activity in Holland, proved to be more than I could take, (I am not a dancer) so after an hour or so, Marrrek and I called it a night and we returned to Wanda’s to make popcorn and watch a movie.  The boys played music until around 2:00 am when we all fell asleep.  The others returned much later.

 Amsterdam canal boat tour

 The new baby-seat-in-front bikes
 

 In search of Das Boot
 

Day 3 - Pa & Ma, Indonesian Rijsttafel

We awoke around noon and quickly dressed.  This was the day we had all been awaiting – the big family gathering at a local Indonesian restaurant for a traditional dinner.  But first, we wanted to visit Marrrek’s parents at their home in The Hague, which is outside Amsterdam about 30 miles. 

Tony and I had met his parents previously in Virginia when we visited Washington D.C. five years ago.  At the time, they were selling their home in Virginia to return to Holland, for their final move.  When we saw them at Wanda’s house on Second Christmas Day, they looked wonderful; thin but not frail, upbeat and full of stories to tell. 

I was looking forward to visiting Marrrek’s parents at their home, for I had seen pictures of it and anticipated it would be very different from Wanda’s small brownstone.  Dutch homes are traditionally small, so when we arrived at his parents’ home, which is a condominium in a high rise residential neighborhood, we felt very comfortable with all the space. 

The home itself was not huge by American standards, but it was open and sunny and airy; none of which Wanda’s home was, and the layout was much more like an American home.  Marrrek’s folks were happy to see us, offered tea and pastries and we chatted for about an hour.  However, we were all due back at Wanda’s home around 3:00 pm, so after our brief visit, we returned to Amsterdam, arriving shortly after 3:00 pm.

Up ‘til 5:00 pm, Wanda’s home filled with excited family members, some of whom lived right up the street, while some as far away as Iceland.  In addition to everyone we had already met, Marrrek’s second oldest sister, Inger, and her family of four, (husband Raymond, daughters Juno and Elin) flew in from Iceland.  Wanda’s daughter Sacha, and her two daughters, Nikki and Latanja, joined us, and Monique and Dirk (Marrrek’s sister-in-law and her son) came as well. 

Tony and I listened to various accents, (we’ve been told that you can tell a lot about where a person is from and their education from their dialect) introduced ourselves to numerous family members, accepted hugs and kisses in the Dutch tradition (a kiss on one cheek, then the other and back to the first) and got to know a little about a lot of people, in a short period of time. 

The big night had finally arrived:  The Pelt family, four generations of an Indonesian family, primarily born in Holland, was together for a traditional Indonesian rice table dinner ("Rijsttafel").  Marrrek’s great Aunt Ad and her husband Pim, in their 80’s, sat across from Marrrek’s parents. 

With two family members sick and not able to attend, twenty three of us shared a feast with a total of nineteen kinds of food!  Marrrek’s father provided an itemized menu for each course, in three languages of Indonesian, Dutch and English!   Tony and I used it extensively; others, not at all.  But those of us pulling it from our pockets found “others” looking over our shoulders more than once.  Dinner was delicious and the conversation, loud and lively. 

After several hours of dining, we walked back to Wanda’s home, where a dozen or so family members shared pastries and memories and said their good-byes.

 Visiting mom & dad's flat
(Marrrek, Ma & Pa, Tony)

 The big Indonesian Rijsttafel family dinner
 

Purple passion
Leo & Linda

Day 4 - Pastries from heaven, hostel

We awoke this day knowing we would be saying good-bye to Wanda.  But before doing so, we ventured downtown to find the cake bakery we had heard so much about.  One mission of mine was to take pictures of Dutch pastries, taste as many as possible and report back on how their pastries differ from ours.  To this point in time, I had tasted several well known and popular baked goods (stroopwafels, kerstkrans, ontbijtkoek, kerststol) but no traditional cakes!  Tony, Marrrek and I parked the rental car and walked several long blocks to the bakery.  Inside, it was filled with odd sized tables and couches, every seat taken.  This bakery did not only sell cakes; it was a nice place in which to duck out of the cold, have some coffee, and while there…sample a piece of cake.  Customers were not leaving, so, we waited our turn and grabbed a table as soon as possible.  After an hour, Marrrek re-parked the car and added more money to the meter.  After another thirty minutes we were finally served and able to test three different cakes.  Although good, not one of us thought they were worth the wait. 

We returned to Wanda’s house and said our goodbyes.  We then moved on to our second location, Soest, a rather small town southeast of Amsterdam.  We chose this location so we could experience the countryside of Holland, away from the crowded streets of Amsterdam. 

We had reservations for one night at a local hostel, called ‘StayOkay’.  The hostel offered a substantially less expensive night’s stay from a hotel.  We reserved a private room with a private bath.  We were happy to find the place very clean, warm and inviting, and immediately began the process of making our bunk beds with the linens provided. We had arrived rather late in the day, so we soon ventured out for dinner at a Chinese restaurant (where we were offered menus in either Dutch or English) and then back for a few games of pool, before bed. 

Marrrek surprised us with pastries after dinner and we set the alarm for 7:00 am. 

 De Taart van Mijn Tante bakery

 Limburgse vlaai
 

 StayOkay hostel in Soest

 Guess what I bought for later ?
 

Day 5 - Steppen, Pannekoeken

The next day, we awoke, had breakfast at the hostel and then rented push scooters (known as "steppen").  We took the path suggested around sand dunes and through the local wilderness, winding through country estates…rugged and beautiful!  The sun was out and the sky clear which made for an even more enjoyable time. 

After so many days of visiting with people and being inside, it felt great to be outside appreciating nature.  We returned the scooters, checked out of the hostel and then met Monique, Marrrek’s sister-in-law, in a town called Lage Vuursche, a mere twenty minutes away.  The plan was to have Dutch pancakes and then take a hike in the country. 

We met her at the Vuursche Boer Pancake House, a mainstay of the community.  The restaurant offered many delectable choices of pancakes; Monique had one and Marrrek and I shared one, while Tony, who was tired of sweets, had ham and bread. 

Off we went for a wonderful 10 km hike…in the gorgeous countryside.  With the exception of Monique, we all wore our coats fully buttoned, with hoods up and gloves on.  It was very cold, but sunny and the trees were stunning.  The forest was much different from ours, with evergreen trees that were only green at the tops as they reached for the sun and moss that grew on tree trunks and on the ground. 

The air was fresh and we enjoyed our three hours together, taking pictures and reacquainting ourselves. I had met Monique with her three sons, Dirk, Daan and Joost, in San Diego in 2007.  She is the widow of Marrrek’s brother, Charlie.  Charlie died in 1993, at the age of 40, from aplastic anemia.  Monique never remarried, but spends many months out of the year traveling, having just returned from a trip to China, this past month.  India is next on her list in the spring. Currently, her son Daan is in India with his girlfriend and Joost is in Costa Rica with his girlfriend.

On our way back to Monique’s home for dinner, following our hike, Tony, Marrrek and I stopped at the cemetery to visit the grave of his brother.  It was a beautiful old cemetery, near the water, and many of the headstones were hundreds of years old.

Monique promised us a home-cooked meal and that is what we had at her home – Indonesian meatloaf, potatoes, beet salad, ice cake, coffee and pastries.   Her home was roomy, with four bedrooms, with a traditional American bathroom, and we slept soundly afterwards, following a busy day. 

 Steppen in the dunes

 Pancake house the Vuursche Boer
Polly, Tony, Monique

 10km Hike through the woods
 

Day 6 - Vuurwerk & Oliebollen

We awoke early, saying goodbye to Monique after breakfast at 8:00 am of homemade jams, bread and coffee.  We were off to shop and then to Linda’s home, to spend the following two nights with her family.  Linda’s family lives in Alphen a/d Rijn, west of Monique, toward The Hague (where Marrrek’s parents live). 

These towns are all within an hour of one another, but the roadways in Holland are complicated with long names, which make following signs challenging, and with roundabouts that are confusing. 

Linda’s home was the most unique and smallest in size considering the number of people living there; we slept in the attic.  Dutch homes typically have a bathroom separate from the toilet, which has a small room to itself. That was the case in Wanda’s home, as it was here.   However, this home had the bathroom on the second floor and the toilet on the first floor.  The winding, narrow staircase from our attic bedroom, to the toilet, was a challenge and definitely made for careful stepping in the middle of the night. 

Linda is Marrrek’s youngest sister and the one with whom he is closest in age.  She turned 50 this year.  They have four boys, from 14 – 23 years of age and two dogs, Malut and Luna.  We joined them at their home (which has just one large common living/dining room) and then went to the mall to shop for clothes. 

Leo had told me that he knew the perfect store to buy boots, and that was all I needed to know!  Leo is a cobbler, so I valued his opinion on a quality shoe store.  I was lucky to find a Dutch pair of boots that were just what I wanted! 

We came home that evening to celebrate New Year’s Eve with fireworks and lots of food (including the traditional "Oliebollen" or "Oil Balls") !  Citizens everywhere were celebrating the holiday – the firework displays went on well into the morning.  Leo loves to shoot off fireworks, so Tony and I watched from the safety of the doorstep as he and his sons lit one after another in the street.  Marrrek took a  video of the event.

Leo & Linda's living room
Leo, Marrrek, Linda, Tony, Lion

Day 7 - A New Year's Day Hike

On our last full day in Holland, we went for a long walk around the lake, with Linda and Leo.  It was a beautiful, partially frozen lake, with thousands of ducks.  As the Canadian geese frequent our water to stay warm during the winter, the same holds true for birds from Belgium and Sweden, here.  We took our binoculars and tracked the many varieties. 

The day was overcast and couples were everywhere, walking the lake.  Malut, the Malamute, was with us enjoying the fresh air and exercise.  Later that day, we visited Leo’s cobbler shop, where he shortened a leather belt for me (one that Marrrek had purchased for me last year while he was in Holland and which I had brought with me intentionally to be shortened) and I got to see the back-room of a cobbler shop.  Leo explained the different pieces of equipment to me including the leather sewing machine, which is heavy and black and the sewing machine used for interior stitching.   

That night, Tony watched Dawi play video games (Tony brought back 6000 game guides for World of War Craft!) and following that, everyone gathered to watch a comedy, while eating snacks and talking.  We left the following morning, at 9:00 am, for the airport.

Hike around the lake of the thousand ducks
 

The gentle giant: Malut the maliamute

Final thoughts 

The Dutch are hardy people.  They ride bikes everywhere, bear brutal cold weather, eat pastries and dairy products constantly, (amazingly, I saw virtually no obesity) tolerate small homes and very congested streets, and yet…appear healthy and happy. 

Under a social system, much of which I don’t fully understand, where housing is regulated and taxes are high…many find the time and finances to travel extensively.  Education is important and from speaking with family members, I learned it isn’t unusual to have friends pursuing advanced degrees in countries throughout Europe. (Most of Marrrek’s family has advanced degrees) Almost everyone speaks fluent English, as well as Dutch, French and German. 

With the Euro currently very strong in comparison to the US dollar, prices are high (I traded $200 for 130 Euros), yet restaurants and shops are very busy.  There are many things I enjoyed about Holland…the energy, the beautiful countryside, the architecture and the food. 

But perhaps most of all…I was touched by how Marrrek’s family members extended themselves to us.  Not only on this trip, but in a way that reminds us always that we have family in Holland…Monique invited Tony to stay with her should he ever travel in Holland again.  I hope he does! 

Leo at his shoe repair shop "Brand New Shoes"