USA / Netherlands family trip

May 11, 2008: Back Home.
We’re home after approximately 41,500 km and 52 hours flying time in 8 different planes. (I did another 6 plain rides extra within the USA to visit previous guests and do presentations). We managed to change to the 7:05 AM flight on Saturday after arrival from Shanghai, and Erik was on the Saxton field soccer pitch at 9 for his game and Michelle at the netball court for her game after almost three days of travel straight from Amsterdam. Weather wise we came from an unusually warm (26-28C)pre summer in the Netherlands to the frosty nights in Thorpe.

Aside from the family visits in Illinois –which was the highlight for all in the US, the Netherlands highlights for Erik were all the soccer stadiums we saw and the Dutch breakfasts, Joan liked the Amsterdam canal boat ride best, Michelle’s favorite was a visit to Anne Frank’s house and shopping and I enjoyed seeing all those people from my “previous life’ again.

APRIL 28, 2008; AMSTERDAM
Early AM arrival in Amsterdam.
Check into hotel downtown, and after a quick rest we get our first impressions of the city. In two days time it is ‘Koninginnedag’ (Queens Birthday) and preparations are in full swing everywhere for the festivities. The 29th we all take a canal boat ride and get off at several stops, one being the Anne Frank House. Walking a lot around downtown, ‘Kermis’ (fair) at the Dam and just taking in all the bicycles in their many shapes and forms. A common saying was ‘death By Bicycle’ you have to have eyes back and front. The interesting style of houses, the (brown water) canals and the many café’s and restaurants are impressive. The weather however is cold and rainy, something which will entirely change later when we get to Fryslan.
On Queens birthday we travel to Rotterdam via Schevingen and Den Haag. The weather is still cold and rainy so we decide against a walk on the beach. Robert’s friends in Rotterdam takes us around all the interesting places like the Euromast, harbor bridge, Feyenoord Stadium and Robert’s old neighborhood which is now renovated and mostly occupied with people from Turkey.
May 1st is also a holiday here: Labor Day. So again, quiet on the roads driving North from Rotterdam via Lisse and Sassenheim along the many fields with colorful bulbs. We skip the Keukenhof as there are many vast fields of bright colors all over. We stop at old fishing towns of Medemblik, Hoorn and Enkhuizen where the old houses dominate, the large traditional sailing ships are moored and the people are friendly. Crossing the Afsluitdijk and entering Fryslan, stopping for dinner in Harlingen, a port which serves the ferry to some of the islands north and also harbors a large ‘Bruine Vloot” (Brown fleet of traditional sailing ships). We arrive late at the small town of Langweer (pop. 800) a place where I spent more than 15 years before coming to New Zealand. From here we cycle, sail on a skutsje from (again) very old friends of mine (unfortunately not much wind at all) and bicycle some more. This evening Michelle plays tennis at the Langwar tennis club and at the same time Erik trains with the Langwar soccer club. We all are welcomed and integrated in the lives of the families we stay with which is a special experience for all.
A day with Henk and Anneke in Snits, sailing (this time there is a reasonable wind) in their Schouw.
One very obvious landmark pops up all over; many windmills and not only from the original traditional type but the electricity generating huge 3 bladed ones. Also several ‘aquaducts’: roads under the river or canals. Funny driving a car right under a sailing boat.
From there we spend the last days in Grou, a place I lived for a short time before moving to New Zealand. Sailing and a big party with 30 or so old friends from yesteryear. Very moving and great to see all these people again. Some I had not seen for almost 30 years.

Heerenveen is an eredivisie soccer club who is 4th and are playing for a place in the UEFA cup. We visited their stadium, and we lucked out seeing the stadium from the Sky box owned by my very old company I worked with through an old co-worker who is still with the company and happened to be at the stadium for a meeting. Pure chance!
One relaxing day, last minute shopping for memorabilia and we are in the camper from Janneke and Email on our way to Schiphol Airport. It’s all over now. Boarding our KLM flight and via Shanghai we get back to Auckland.
Pu Dong Airport at Shanghai is large, and Air New Zealand has just started to use these facilities. Unfortunately we have to go through customs (in and out) and from one terminal to another, searching for ANZ counter, where the check in line is an hour long. Customs did not have any clue as what to do with ‘transit passengers’ and the language barrier did not help either.