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Month: November 2006

Sinterklaas in the Netherlands

Sinterklaas in the Netherlands

Hello!

I went to the Netherlands with Paul for 5 days (9-13 Nov) for Sinterklaas. Sinterklaas is supposed to be on the 5th of December, but because we didn’t have time to come in December, my parents decided to celebrate it on the 12th of November instead šŸ™‚

For Sinterklaas, we make ‘surprises’ (something you make to wrap your present in, usually something funny) and write poems for each other. We drew names over the internet in advance. I got my sister and Paul had Esther, my youngest brother’s girlfriend. Slight problem that he had never met her, but well šŸ˜‰

Anyway, more on that later!

We biked to the airport on Thursday morning, it took only 20 minutes! We flew with Flybe from Norwich to Amsterdam, it was a really nice flight with good views most of the time:

Netherlands Netherlands

Netherlands Netherlands

The Netherlands from above!

We had dinner with my parents and my sister, and at night we went to the late night shopping in Haarlem, to buy some final presents šŸ™‚ (a ‘rose’ (pink) towel from the Hema is not really available in Norwich šŸ˜‰ )

On Friday we went for a bike ride to the beach, through the dunes. The weather wasn’t great but at least it wasn’t raining – very windy though! We walked on the beach for a while, then enjoyed a hot chocolate and some cake at the restaurant there. On the way back, we found some Scottish Highlanders on the path. They are impressive, but a bit scary too – such big horns!

Netherlands Netherlands

Netherlands Netherlands

Netherlands Netherlands

Netherlands Netherlands

Netherlands

On Friday night we had a big family dinner, my mum had made pizza and we were 13 people around the table! On Saturday my parents took us for a ride to IJmuiden, we had to buy some things and they gave us a tour of the harbour and the sluices. We looked at a big ship coming through, but it was so windy and cold that we went back to the warm car fairly soon šŸ™‚

Netherlands

In the afternoon we started making our ‘surprises’. I build a cardboard pyramid for my sister, who went to Egypt last Summer. Paul had a bit more ambitious project, he wanted to make a huge ball out of straws. My project was done really quickly, so I helped him. And we worked, and worked, and worked… Until we decided to go for dinner at a really nice Mexican restaurant in Haarlem, with an unpronounceable name – Popocatepetl. We came back, and worked and worked and worked.. till it was finally finished at 2 AM!!! And our fingers were damaged from all the wires. Here are some photos, the result made it worth all the effort!

Netherlands Netherlands

Netherlands Netherlands

Netherlands Netherlands

On Sunday we slept till late – tired of all the work! We had rented inline skates on Saturday, and we wanted to try them. No matter the weather – we left in the pouring rain! Paul had never tried it before, or even ice skating, so he had to learn from the beginning. He learnt very quickly though and we went for a little tour. It was fun!

Netherlands

We came back just in time to write our poems. Everybody arrived, and we had a buffet dinner before starting the Sinterklaas evening. Here’s a photo report of the evening!

Netherlands Netherlands

Bart with the ‘farmers-golf-club’ that Esther made, and Paul&Esther;

Netherlands Netherlands

Laura made ‘Guust Flater’ for my dad, it fits my brother too šŸ˜‰

Netherlands Netherlands

Robbert reading his poem and Paul unwrapping the new version of the Big Ben: combined with a Dutch windmill! šŸ™‚ (made by Kaya)

Netherlands Netherlands

My mum amused by her poem, and her ‘surprise’ made by Robbert: a map of the UK!

Netherlands Netherlands

Opening it with everybody’s help, and Paul with his new street sign: lunchbox road šŸ™‚

Netherlands Netherlands

Laura and her pyramid and the unwrapping of the giant ball!

Netherlands Netherlands

The ball again, and Kaya reading her poem

Netherlands

Two train tickets for Kaya šŸ™‚

The evening was a big success and lots of fun! We got so many presents that we spent quite some time that evening reorganizing our bags for the flight home.

We left on Monday in the early afternoon, and had a quick flight back to Norwich. It was really nice to be back home for a couple of days, and to show Paul everything. Well, everything, there were many things we wanted to do and see, but we did not have time. It’ll have to wait for the next trip!

I have a lot more photos to post here, I’ll try to put them online this week. Stay tuned šŸ™‚

Hanneke

Autumn in Norwich

Autumn in Norwich

Hello!

It’s November already, time is flying and I have lots of photos still to post here…

On the 18th of October we went to a ceildh in the city centre. It’s a big dance evening with life folk music. It was a lot of fun! Here are some pictures of us dancing:

Ceilidh Ceilidh

Ceilidh Ceilidh

And here some photos of us not dancing ;):

Ceilidh Ceilidh

Katja & Johannes, Veronika & Colin

Ceilidh Ceilidh

Johannes & Veronika, Colin & Paul throwing his winning lottery ticket in his beer

Ceilidh Ceilidh

Don’t you love the wallpaper??? šŸ™‚

Ceilidh Ceilidh

Katja & Claudia, me & Veronika

The weekend of 21-22 October, my parents came to visit. They brought LOTS of Dutch food with them!! :)) It was like Christmas, lots of presents šŸ™‚

Rachel Close

Everybody in the living room

On Sunday we organized a surprise for my dad’s birthday, we took them to Wroxham where we hired a boat for three hours. The weather wasn’t great, but it was mostly dry and it was really nice on the Broads! It took a while before we were used to the boat, but it’s easy! Here are the pictures of that day:

Norfolk Broads Norfolk Broads

Norfolk Broads Norfolk Broads

Norfolk Broads Norfolk Broads

Norfolk Broads Norfolk Broads

Norfolk Broads Norfolk Broads

Norfolk Broads Norfolk Broads

It was a really nice tour, and we stopped halfway for lunch. We brought food and made our own lunch. It was quite busy on the river, lots of people with hired boats. There’s some really nice houses on the water, I always enjoy watching those. After the trip, we walked around Wroxham for a bit, then drove back to Norwich.

My dad took this crazy picture of us in the garden centre where there was a big Christmas show…

Christmas

My dad wanted to watch the last Formula 1/Grand Prix, he watched it at Paul’s place while we made them dinner. It was a nice weekend!

Last weekend was busy… On Friday afternoon we packed allllll my stuff (how did I get this much stuff??) and I moved in with Paul!! He has a really nice flat, very close to UEA as well. We spent all day Saturday unpacking everything, I was very tired afterwards but it was great to have it done (and not wait for weeeeeks to unpack the last boxes, as I did last time). Here’s a photo of me in the kitchen with some of the boxes:

Russet Grove

I’ll try to take some more photos of the flat soon šŸ™‚ It was fun filling the bookshelves, we have a huge collection of travel books šŸ™‚

On Sunday we went cycling around Norwich. It was really nice! But there are so many hills around here, Paul calls it flat, well it’s NOT!! šŸ™‚ We stopped in one of the tiny villages on the way for lunch, here are some photos:

Cycling Cycling

Cycling Cycling

Cycling Cycling

This week flew by as well. I have had my medical for going to Antarctica, fortunately the doctor couldn’t find anything wrong with me. Next week I need to get my blood tested and I have an appointment at the travel clinic for vaccinations. I have never seen the inside of a medical centre so often as those weeks!! Tomorrow I’m going to Cambridge for a conference to prepare for the cruise.

And on Saturday there is Sparks in the Park, the fireworks show for Bonfire Night here at UEA! I’m really looking forward to it, I like fireworks a lot and the show last year was really good. I’m taking my camera of course, I’ll try to post some photos next week!

Take care,

Hanneke