Cycling

Mia and Abi on their bicycles.
I read today that there are 16 million bicycles in the Netherlands, which is virtually one for everyone living here. There are bicycle tracks everywhere and apparently there is talk of building 'Bicycle Highways' from city to city.

Most bicycles are black and solid and you ride in a sit-up-and-beg position. Many of the bicycles look ancient, especially those chained to canal fences. Bicycles have right away, even if you ride down a one way street the wrong way and without lights and get hit by a car, the car is in the wrong!

As a pedestrian the bicycles are a major hazard, and you must be alert at all times. They come from all directions and are upon you in seconds. There is certainly no dawdling or daydreaming whilst out walking.

A bicycle path in Houten.

Life in Houten

We did succumb to the Utrecht tummy bug - or the one that is resident in this flat. So Monday was a very quiet day for Walter and me. The positive part is that I have not felt like eating much since so hopefully this will contribute to some weight loss, especially as I am doing lots of walking.

More about the girls' school. Today I took them to school and was very impressed with the informality of the 'before school' routine. Parents took their children into the school, helped them with their coats and bags and talked informally to staff members. It was all very relaxed. I can remember the same routines when I first arrived in England. I think it is very sad for the parents and children in England, that this level of trust and openness is no more.

I was also interested to see that each child has a very large cotton bag in which they put their coats, hats and jumpers and other assorted bits and pieces. The cloak rooms are very tidy! Helps with 'bug' control too!

The children finish school at 11.30 each Wednesday, which is a great idea from a teachers point of view. All that time for organisation and staff meetings. As children start school at 8.30 a.m. and finish at 3.15 p.m. the extra 2 1/2 hours per week accounts for some of the time on Wednesday afternoons.

We also fell into the disorganised family category yesterday. Kylie turned up with the children to find the school closed for a teacher training day. Neither Aaron or Kylie had read the letter (which is still in Mia's desk drawer!) or had seen the notice on the school door. It is interesting to be Oma instead of the Headteacher complaining about parents who do not read important information.

Half of the shopping centre in Houten (with flats above). Looks a bit soul less but seems to work well for shopping. It has a great community feel about the place.

The view looking back from the shopping centre going towards Aaron and Kylie's house.A difficult job! Taking the luxury three corner spa bath out through the roof.
The bathroom before it was taken apart. What a shame but very impractical as the room was in fact two rooms.

Schools

It was much easier walking and catching the train today, due to the shops being closed. However there were loads of young people returning from their ski holidays, and they were clogging up the trains with their snow boards and skis.

The sorting out of the house is coming along at a very fast pace with the downstairs looking very tidy and homely.

Riding bikes in the woods behind the house.

I took Mia and Abi for a walk to their school so that I could take some photographs. It was lovely to see children playing in the playground plus a family kicking a football on the paving at the front of the school. Mia's teachers (job share) were working in the front classroom and gave us a wave and a smile.

This is all so different from English schools, where there is such a paranoia about security and people entering the school playgrounds during the weekend as well as school time. Schools here have low fences and during the week the doors are open. The Director of the school told me it was more important that parents feel welcome in the school rather than to worry unnecessarily about people walking off the street into a classrom. This is also true in NZ and in Australia - the openness and lack of high fences around schools is very evident in all countries.

Is England the only country that is so paranoid about security? Probably America too! I think I need to enlighten those of you who do not live in England. In England, schools are tightly shut when children are in school, and if you wish to enter you need to ring a bell, be admitted, sign a register, wear stickers stating you are a visiter and be generally escorted around the school. The reasoning is that everyone in the community might harm the children and therefore they need to be protected. Also in many schools, parents have to wait in the street and children are escorted to the front gate and delivered to parents there. Then the gates are locked! As a Headteacher of a primary school I found this obsessive attitude towards security very disturbing and often worried about the long term effect it would have on children.

Part of the playground at the school.

Mia and Abi swinging on the gate at the front of the school.

And standing in front of their school.

The house in Houten

A day of unpacking and putting cupboards together for Aaron and Kylie, with Walter helping of course. My tasks were shopping, cooking dinner and looking after the children. Walter took Kylie in the car, Aaron rode his bike and I took the three children the slow way - walking to the station, train (2 stops) and walking from the station to the house. The children were excellent and very much used to the trek (1 hour). A great way to get fit but very exhausting if you have to do twice a day, every day of the week, which is what Kylie has had to do for the last few months.
The house, with most of the bathroom and Aaron's bike in front of it.
Kievitweide - a very quiet area.
Kylie and Raphy sorting out the kitchen.

Mia and Abi playing amongst the boxes in the lounge room. This room wll be extended another 2 1/2 metres, with lots of light wells and a glass wall. A lovely room.

The new dormer window in Aaron and Kylie's bedroom and study

which has the most fantastic view of the woods and canal

and the neighbours' gardens.

Today I think everyone was in the centre of Utrecht, together with their bicycles (thousands of them) going in all directions. Chaotic!

For dinner I cooked meatballs in gravy, fried potatoes and leeks, and boerenkool (Kale) with lardons. The leeks and kale had been shredded before they were sold which makes cooking much easier. A real Dutch meal!

On the move again

We are on the move again! This time we are going back to Utrecht to help Aaron and Kylie with their new house.

I am currently sitting on the ferry which travels from Harwich to Hoek van Holland – a six and 1/2 hour trip. As we also had to drive up to Harwich (1 ¼ hours) and from Hoek van Holland to Utrecht (1 hr?) it would have been quicker to go via Dover. Even taking the ferry across from Dover to Calais would have meant a journey of nine hours as against eleven hours via Harwich. The cost is about the same for two people.

However, this is a luxurious way of travelling to Holland and we are enjoying it greatly. It helps that the sea is very calm and it feels as if the boat is just floating along the top of the sea. Mind you I may feel differently if it was a rough crossing!

There are hardly any passengers so we have the place ourselves – very nearly anyway. The ferry is very large and mostly has cabins so there is only half a deck for lounging and eating. The half of the deck has been allocated to truck drivers, who probably make up most of the passengers during the day.

There are really lovely eating areas and decent food (makes a change from the Dover crossing) plus lounge areas. There is also a cinema (you have to pay for this), a shop and a casino (a captive audience). There is free internet but it is very slow which accounts for the fact that it is free.

Walter relaxing in the lounge.

Dover Castle

On Monday we took the motorhome, so that we could eat our picnic lunch in comfort, and visited Dover Castle.
The tour of the World War II tunnels was limited due to the renovations of the entrance and the second level of tunnels. They will reopen again in June. We were able to see the hospital and listen to the sound effects of a military hospital in progress - lights flickering on and off, groans of a wounded airman and workers gossiping. A little scary for children.
The castle, which has been furnished as it would have been in Henry II's time (1100 AD), impressed Jay and Jespa. They were very excited by it all. They also liked the Medieval tunnels with its twists, dead ends and gloominess.
At the end we had coffee and hot chocolate in the NAAFI restaurant. Much needed.

A view of the church, the Roman lighthouse and the English channel. The views from the top of the castle are fantastic.
The King's bedroom! I do not think the catered for tall people as all the beds were very short (in relation to beds today).Jay and Jespa in front of the King's chair.

Last night, Darren, Billie, Jay and Jespa flew out from Heathrow - no snow, strikes or anything else that hampers travel from Heathrow. We were very sad to see them go as its been wonderful having them visit us. One of the problems of living so far apart is the length of time between visits. Still we can look forward to seeing them again this coming Christmas. And we also have that wonderful invention - Skype.

Back Home

We left Rouen in the rain, which then turned to fog as we travelled along the motorway. We stopped in the aire in Calais and ate a delicious lunch at a restaurant overlooking the entrance to the harbour. We could just see the ferries as they arrived and left. The fog was very thick.


Lunch consisted mainly of fish and we chose the 14 Euro menu. Entree - Walter had mussels in a cream sauce, Darren had fish soup and I chose lightly - sliced tomatoes with a dash of dressing. We all had poached hake in a sauce made of leeks plus frites of course. Dessert included ice cream for Walter, cheese for Darren and Creme Caramel (my favourite) for me. We then drove to the port, where we did not experience any problems with the Border Control. The man even asked Darren if he lived in the areas which were affected by the floods, and he sounded concerned.


So back home again. We now have four families squeezed into two houses. Emma, Steve, Jackson and Isabel have moved into Donna's house as the renovations on their new house will not be completed for another four weeks. Darren, Billie, Jay and Jespa are staying with us until they leave on Tuesday. So there is much coming and going, talking and organising and plans changing constantly. As we all like to organise this adds to the complexity of it all. Luckily we get along well.

This afternoon Billie and I took five children to a pantomine in the Joydens Wood Community Hall. It was put on by the local drama group called Pavilion Players and it was very well acted, I might add. This evening Darren and Donna are at a party, Scott is at a party, Emma, Steve and Billie are at a prayer meeting and I babysat the five children at Donna's house. They were very well behaved and I hardly heard a peep from them so could concentrate on my blog writing. Walter was having a quiet few hours at home.

Over in Utrecht the van Dam family are recovering from what I think is an outbreak of Norovirus, probably caused by the arrival of a large influx of people all trying to live in a heated apartment in cold weather. They have taken over their new house in Houten, which also has to have some changes made (a dormer window and bathroom reduced in size in order to gain a bedroom back) before they move in.

Life is busy!

Rouen

The sales in France started at 8.30 a.m. There was great excitement and lots of people ready to find the ultimate bargain. So we went off to the shops in Bayeux to find our bargain. This did not take very long. We went into a men’s clothing store where they had a ‘small defects for small prices’ rack and were selling clothes for 3 Euros ($6NZ) each. Of course there is always someone ahead of you who manages to grab most of the bargains before you can. Darren was just too slow as he was puzzling over the French sign. However he still managed to procure three tops and Walter bought one top so they were very pleased with themselves. You do have to be quick! At another shop I bought a new hat and scarf plus a jumper (all for 17 Euros). The sales in France are very regulated and this particular sale started on the 12th January and will continue until the 17th February.

Then we set off for Rouen and drove around in heavy traffic looking for a carpark, which was non existent. Of course we had forgotton it was the beginning of the sales so people had come into the city to go shopping. Eventually we saw a huge car park on the other side of the river and then found out from the man in the Tourist Office we could stay there all night.

During the afternoon we went on a tour of the old city, with its old buildings,and narrow streets.

The Joan of Arc church was very special, with its motifs of fish and a ceiling which represented a ships hull (or flames) depending on which brochure you read. The church is built on the square where Joan of Arc was burned alive.

This is the building which is now the School of Art. However I believe it once held lots of skeletons!

The beautiful old cathedral is getting a facelift and the door surrounds looks almost brand new, except for World War II shell damage and some defacing that occurred during the Reformation. After walking around Rouen we went to a bar to view the world passing by us.
We ended the evening sitting in our motor home on the edge of the river Seine.

We had a fantastic view of the river with the older part of Rouen on the opposite side.

There was also river traffic and barges parked alongside our van. And there was no cost.

Bayeux

We left the camping ground feeling rather relieved as the one toilet and shower that was open was very dirty. In fact it is was dirtier than the facilities at one or two of the camping grounds in the North Island of NZ. It would appear that some people just cannot be bothered to keep their facilities clean for the few campers that may use their site. The thing is you are still paying the camping charges, which are not cheap. The Wifi was excellent though and only 2 Euros (NZ $4) for three hours and the bandwidth was excellent.

The chateau in the village by the campsite is called Montreuil-Bellay. The village is really lovely, full of atmosphere and friendly people. There are camping grounds in the village so will be paying a return visit to see the chateau, which is closed on Tuesdays so we could only view it from the outside.

There are so many chateaux in the Loire Valley which portrays so clearly the extravagent spending by a few people centuries ago. No wonder there was a revolution!

The chateau in Saumur was closed for the winter.

A view of the Loire River from the chateau in Saumur.

When we arrived in Bayeux the tapestries were also closed for the week. We were not having much luck! The tapestries, which are joined together in a long line, depict the story of William the Conquerer's success at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. So Darren had to be content with reading our information about the tapestries and viewing the outside of the building. However, we did go for a long walk around the old part of Bayeux and discovered there was more to Bayeux than the tapestries.

We decided to stay in the aire, which is a busy carpark during the day. We were really lucky as there was free electrical hookup plus a working water tap, due to a medical mobile service needing power and water. The power/water unit lifted out of the ground when needed for specific purposes. We were very happy as the main water tap for motorhomes had been turned off and the power meant we did not have to rely on our leisure battery and could also use our coffee machine. All in all it was an improvement on the camping ground.

Loire Valley Continued

The chateaux visits turned to be one chateau because it took such a long time to travel to Chateau de Chaumont-sur-Loire. This was to be our first stop.

The morning dawned very brightly with a thick layer of frost on the ground. I sprinted across the white grass in my crocs, pyjamas and jumper to the shower room where surprisingly the water was lovely and hot. During breakfast I saw a man on the other side of the river with his gun, obviously out pig shooting. We saw quite a few shooters on the way here yesterday - must be pig shooting season so no walking in the woods!.

We travelled slowly through some beautiful countryside with lots of small villages and plenty of chateaux, some of them either run down or deserted. After three hours of travelling we finally arrived at Chaumont. The chateau is very cosy, having been renovated and used as a family home at the beginning of the 20^th century. A rich young heiress (sugar industry) married a prince (no doubt penniless and looking for a rich wife) and bought the chateau in 1877. They renovated it and lived there until 1938 (he died in 1917) when the heiress sold it to the State as she was by then bankrupt. The dining room!

We were going to visit the chateau at Amboise but ran out of time so went to a cafe and had a cup of coffee instead, which was the best cup of coffee since we arrived in Europe. We stayed with our friend Jackie in the camping ground in Amboise last April. The following pictures were taken during that visit.

A view of the cafe in the street where we had coffee today. This photo was taken from the chateau at Amboise.

The chapel in the chateau at Amboise where Leonardo Da Vinci was buried- he actual lived in a house not far away (for he last few years of his life). Amazing!

The gardens of the chateau - how did they manage to get those box plants looking so perfect!
Back to today - Lunch consisted of baguettes filled with ham, cheese, lettuce and tomato that we ate in the warmth and comfort of the motor home. There was no mayonnaise due to the fact that we had not replaced the jar that we dropped whilst on the Eiffel Tower. Tonight it is spaghetti bolognaise, always satisfying after a day out. Ever onwards tomorrow.

Loire Valley

We are now in the Loire Valley, staying at a camping ground somewhere out in the vineyards. We are about 12 kilometres from Saumur. It is called Camping le Thouet and it is near a village called Montreuil-Bellay. We have the company of one motor home in a large sodden field, with a river on one side and a large house with many outbuildings on the other. The facilities are pretty basic but then the camping ground is open so we are feeling fortunate. The owner is English and looks as he has stepped off a farm somewhere in rural England. It all may look much better in the morning.

We went to Saumur this evening to get the washing done in the Laundromat and luckily it was opposite a really trendy bar so we were able to have a few drinks while we waited. Then we found a restaurant open (life was getting better) where the hospitality and the food was very good. I had a large steak, which was very tender, Darren had choucroute and sausages and Walter had choucroute and a ham hock. The wine was local (Saumur) and very drinkable. We left feeling very full and happy.

Tomorrow it will be a day visiting Chateaux. That is after we clean all the mayonnaise off our coats which we acquired from two picnics in Paris.

Paris

We all love Paris, even in the winter. Our day on Saturday did not start well. We got up very early, 6.30 a.m., and were on the road by 8 a.m. This was the day after visiting Disneyland so we were very tired but we needed to drive to a railway station in Mitry-Mory to catch the train to Gare du Nord in order to meet Billie at 9.30. The instructions we had, told us it would take 10 minutes to drive there. This may be so but we took the long way, in other words we got lost as it was still dark. Typical! When we finally arrived, Billie was not at the agreed meeting place so we thought she was late but in fact she was waiting at another information booth. Then we discovered we had left the children’s passports back in the mobil-home and Billie needed them because she was taking the children back to Holland and then travelling to the UK from there. So Walter and I returned to the camping ground to get the passports (the round trip took 2 ½ hours) but we saw everything in the daylight, which made it all look much better, even the squatters camp beside the railway line.

Finally we all met up at the Eiffel Tower in time to take the lift to the second level. We booked before we left the UK so walked straight passed the queue and into the lift – fantastic! Usually we walk up in order to avoid the queues but this was so much better and I did not have time to feel scared either. We found a bench and spread our food out and ate our picnic lunch, Aussie style. Mind you we did get a few strange (or maybe it was envious) looks. We also got told off by the guards for bringing a knife up (to spread the butter) so improvised with a plastic spoon. Darren also dropped the jar of mayonnaise but other than that all went well. Jay and Jespa loved being up in the tower and altogether we were there for 1 ½ hours. The lift was not working so they could not go right up to the top of the tower.

While we were collecting the passports Darren, Billie, Jay and Jespa went to the Notre Dame and had coffee and hot chocolates in a cafe in the Rive Gauche (Left Bank). Billie had been staying in Paris on her own for five days so had lots of stories to tell about her experiences. She had had a great time.

After the Eiffel Tower, and more coffee and hot chocolate we said goodbye to Billie, Jay and Jespa who were catching the late afternoon TGV back to Holland. As we were now childless we headed for a bar in the Rive Gauche and some restorative drinks and a pizza. Of course we still had the very long trip back to the camping ground. A tremendous day though, even with the initial mishaps.

Disneyland/Camping

More about where we were staying by Disneyland/Paris. We took all our bedding out of the motor home and hired a mobil-home which had three tiny bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen/lounge room. This was much better than five of us trying to sleep in a motor home.

Three years ago I took Emma, Jackson and Isabel to Disneyland in the motor home and we stayed in the motor home area of the car park. Disneyland encourages you to stay overnight there, and it costs $20 per night which is not cheap. Then they cut off the water, and block off the waste disposal area between the months of November and April, in case the water freezes in the pipes. When you think how much you pay for everything there and the profits that are made by Disneyland this is very unsatisfactory but then much of Disneyland is one big rip off anyway. The night we stayed there Emma was kept awake with the constant announcements in many languages about remembering where you parked the car.

So we decided to stay in a camping ground close by. Interestingly there are no services or camping grounds close to the Disneyland complex. We stayed at Camping Club Le Parc de Paris, Villevaude in the Marne le Vallee, 17 kms from Disneyland and 25 km from Paris. We also had dinner at a Casino restaurant in a shopping centre on the way home. Dinner at the restaurants outside Disneyland were extremely busy, long queues and very expensive.

Still we did have a fun day and we all enjoyed the rides, parade and shows. The only mishap was Walter falling over twice, and he had had nothing to drink either. No major damage done, thank goodness, just slightly sore ribs and bottom.

Euro Disney

On Thursday we travelled down from Holland - a pleasant trip. Then yesterday we went with Darren, Jay and Jespa to Euro Disney. We had a really fun time although the weather was horrendous during the morning. We went from temperatures below freezing in Holland to much warmer weather in Paris but it rained and rained during the morning. Yet it did not keep the visitors away from Euro Disney, in fact there were long queues on most rides. What is new!

Looking a little bedraggled in the morning. Luckily we found the yellow raincoats in the motorhome. Not very attractive though! We all got lost in the maze and found a card from Alice in Wonderland.

The roller coaster ridge was fantastic, although I screamed most of the time!

We all loved the parade.