Monday, 2 June

Today we woke at 8:30, and heard the school children over the road at the primary school. We guessed that there might not be much hot water left so we shared a shower and had the water running very slowly. And by the time I finished it was ice-cold. Only later did we find out that we needed to turn the water on hard to make it hot!
I did a bit of tidying and unpacking.

While Pappa went into town, we sat on the couch and read 1 John, waiting for him to come back and have breakfast with us. Jacqui made hard-boiled eggs, which we ate on brown bread (oh, we also had fresh strawberries on another slice)
I spent too much time trying to get MMS working here, as Pappa was hoping to test it. But I couldn't get anywhere.

It was a boiling day! We were cooking in the sun outside and tried to get the umbrella up, but we couldn't find it's pole. So we wound up holding it in one hand, trying to eat with the other, taking turns.

Then, we all went for a cycle, including Pappa! We did a short ride, about 300m up the cycle path, and then sat on a bench, and watched the electric mills, the ducks, and whatever else in the fields. Jacqui was so hot that she went an extra distance, just to get the wind in her face!

Then we came back home, and I disassembled the gear lever on my bike because it wasn't working. Well, I didn't have the right tools, and 1 gear seemed to be sufficient. Better left alone rather than break Hanneke's bike! The saddle is HUGE. Comfortable to sit on, but awkward to pedal with!

You must understand that the days are very relaxed. Because we have so many hours of daylight, we're able to take things in their own time. There is no rush at all, and it is excellent. So a ride to go sit on the bench, and then some time fixing the garden, and then having a slow lunch, does not feel like a waste of our special time in Holland.

After some bubble and squeak lunch (left overs and scrambled egg) Jacqui and I went cycling to Gaast to see Laurens and Lucinda in their new place. Jacqui spotted a hare in the field, and we krept quietly up to it to get a good look. We could hardly see it because it had detected us, but as we waited, its ears slowly raised like radars, and then its head. Before we got a better look though, it suddenly hopped away.

Gaast is just as small as Verwoude, a very farm-y village. Their house has a lounge, kitchen, toilet and 1 room on ground floor, and a very steep staircase up to the attic, which is in the process of being made into 2 or 3 rooms. These guys get everything they can out of the smallest space. Laurens was busy painting his window sills and borders in the typical Dutch colourful way – they've chosen dark blue, against the bright white walling. Really cool. We sat down and had a good cup of fresh juice and chatted about possibly going with them when they move their boat to the next harbour. We're really hoping we can arrange this.

After this we cycled a bit around the place, and then moved on to Workum, the other side of Pappa's village. We had the wind behind us and it didn't take us too long (about 6 km's).
Workum is a real tourist's town. It has the typical canal wide enough for big boats, with raising bridges and an operator who swings a clogg down to the boat with a stick and string (much like a fishing rod) so that the travellers can pay their toll – they pop a coin or so into the shoe, and he hoists is up and plops it into his bucket. The town has plenty of shops – bakers, groceries, drugstores, restaurants, you name it, but they are all in the old fashioned styling. Most of them are actually houses, with the business on 1st level and the living quarters upstairs. And we found a batptist church there too! I want to go on Sunday. It is called Beth-El, a very small building squashed between 2 larger ones. It is minute compared to the huge dutch reformed church on the opposite side, some way down, which has an array of bells that play different tunes, much like the Dromedaris in Enkhuizen.
Our first stop was a bakery. Jacqui had a merg pypje and I had a cream/nuts/meringue deal – don't know what it was called. We sat outside on the pavement and watched the bridge operator and passers by doing their thing. There were a couple of fancy fast cars zooting about the place, and most of them were driven by young guys, probably yuppies.
After that we went to the Kruitvat to get some pressies and a packet of mixed 'drop' (like liquorice, but much nicer) While we were there we heard the church bells ringing for 6 o'clock, and no sooner than when the shop keeper came to us urgently to tell us they were closing. Again it surprised me that at 6 o'clock the sun is so high. But this was home time for them!
Our cycle back was against the wind this time. And that was difficult. And the sun was still beating down on us! No wonder we took a shower when we got back.

Before supper, we sat outside and discussed a bit about Christianity with Pappa.

Mum would have a terrible time here with the hayfever. We've been battling so much at a particular time in the day. The dandelion seeds come floating like a swarm of butterflies and get in your eyes and nose. We must have used many sheets of toilet paper to keep our nose dry! We also had a spot of rain.

Jacqui made us a Mexican dish (how appropriate!) with beans (like a chile con carne). Pappa's spirits were high that evening. He has been getting excited to have us come, and it spurred him on to getting the place ready for us – fixing the toilet lid, replacing the kitchen lights, and getting the maid to do a great big clean-up. He's very impressed with her (Giertje is her name and she comes on Friday mornings to help him out). He is hoping to move to a 'retirement home' where he'll have his own apartment, but where there are all the necessary facilities, including care, for when he gets a older and more in need of help. He doesn't want to be stuck here with his bad legs. (ha ha, sounds like he wants to leave them behind!) After discussing that, he went on to reminisce about the dogs he's owned, and how he grew up looking after a dog kennel, and about the queen's dog that died, stuck in a rabbit hole, and the fantastic nature of the 'bujierre' (no idea how to spell that!), and how it knocked Oomsie flat on her bag causing her to crack her tail bone! Then, we sat in the lounge while we chatted about kids and babies, and pet names. It was quite a funny evening, and had good moments of laughter.

Another good night, late, but good!