Thursday, 5 June

Goeie Morgen! This is the common expression when we wake up and see family. This morning we didn't want to get up late because we had to walk Pelle to his nursery school. So, a quick bown of museli, strawberries, and honey and milk, some breakfast cake (ontbyt koek) with marge, one or 2 berries, and then off we went. He wasn't happy at all to go without mommy, but Jacqui picked him up and consoled him with her fluent Dutch and mommy-talk. I didn't have much to say, so I felt a bit spare!

Very neat nursery school, in an old building (ok, all the buildings are old). We sat with him, as do most parents, for about 15 minutes, Jacqui reading a book to him, and then we left.

Laura took a taxi to the airport - she had so much luggage with the baby - and paid about E30 for the trip! We looked up the trip to get to Tante Janny and then Tante Jopie, but just 1 ticket, 1 way to Tante Janny, train only (let alone the bus fare) is E10 (R120), which means that for the 2 of us, it is going to be so expensive. I don't think we can make it. I'm guessing over R500, and then it is for not much of a stay, because the way things are turning out, we won't be able to spend much time there.

Jacqui and I took a walk into the Leiden shopping area again, enjoyed fritte met zous, and a kroukette on a roll. We also visited a cheese shop and asked the guy to give us different slices of cheese, so that we could taste them all. We had to take a picture outside, and he thought it was rather funny - these tourists, you know!

We did get a little bit lost in the town, but one way or another we found our route and made it back, with a bit of drizzly weather. When we got back, we look a long nap, and got up about 4 so that Jacqui could cook tonight. We lost our bean sprouts somehow, and I needed to exchange some cash, so while she cooked, I went out again. The exchange rate was terrible, but that is how it goes.

There is a great big old windmill museum, which closes at 17h00 and I just missed it. I really hope we can still get into one. They're actually homes at the bottom, with the mill functioning above them.

Jantien's house is a beautiful place. It was built in the 1800's and they are 'restoring it', which basically means completely clearing out the insides, and leaving on ly the walls, and then building from scratch. We are staying in the loft, accessed by a very steep staircase, reminiscent of the yacht, and can see the windmill from the windows. It's very quiet here, even though they're in the middle of town. I think it's because most people are on bicycles, and the houses also have good insulation.

Tonight we'll be driving back to Ferwoude to stay with Pappa.

Quite a few of the family have asked us about living here and seem to think that we wouldn't have difficulty coming. There is a shortage of pastors, and of course, Jacqui has a dutch passport (which would also earn her a study bursary in Holland). Whether we ever would come here is another question, but I had always thought that moving here would be near impossible, or very difficult.

I can start smelling the yummy cooking down in the kitchen. Here's me signing off!