Friendship-Saturday in Zoetermeer

The hotel we have been staying in is just great! Close enough to the action to here the lads singing Dutch drinking songs as the wander past on their way to the bar (just one group so it was cute!) but also easy access to the highway so we can get out of town. It is a good time to leave because the Rotterdam Marathon is Sunday and all kinds of disgusting fit people are starting to wander past, stopping unexpectedly to lean against buildings to stretch their calves. Wearing gorgeous expensive running outfits of course, because that is how "sport" is done here! We enjoyed an early morning stroll through the Saturday markt, picking up flowers, frittes, dip and sesame rings, sugar donuts and coffee. I wanted to shop more but alas , no more room in the suitcases!

Chilly and her husband enjoy the markt

oh Holland, how I love your stroopwafl

FRITTES!!!

 From Rotterdam we head north east to Gouda (pronounced How-da) and spend a lovely hour or so walking around this old village.  It is a pretty little place northeast of Rotterdam, and it is everything you'd expect of a Dutch country town, with its ring of quiet canals encircling ancient buildings set amid a tangle of narrow lanes and alleys. More surprisingly, its Markt is the largest in the Netherlands, a wide and airy piazza that remains an attractive reminder of the town's prominence as a center of the medieval cloth trade, and later of its success in the manufacture of cheeses and that old Dutch favourite, the clay pipe. Gouda was granted it's city charter in 1272, can you imagine! It was a pleasure to meander around though we did not have time to tour the famous church, we peered in the doors and viewed the beautiful stained glass windows. During the reformation when Holland was turning from Catholicism to Protestant many beautiful statues,windows and altars in Catholic churches were destroyed, but the windows in St. Jans kerk were so gorgeous that even the reformationists could not bear to destroy them. The feature prominent townspeople who payed for them mixed in to religious scenes like the beheading of John the Baptist, to whom the church was dedicated when it was built.

Jerry's amazing parking job, note-no guard rail!

isn't this a cool house?

medieval village at the town lego shop!

lego replica of St. Jans kerk

kaas shop selling Gouda kaas of  course

Old City Hall at the Markt square - built between 1448 and 1450, one of the oldest Gothic city halls in the Netherlands

the city hall

this used to be a hospital, it is now a museum

statue of Erasmus who lived in Gouda

1622! and below 1896!

the windows on a cool bar

The highlight of our day was reconnecting with The Family Pronk, Machiel, Diana, Claudia and Ilse. Machiel runs the Cappelle office and was a good friend to Jerry during his assignment here last year. Claudia is one year older than Danny and Ilse is one year younger, and they all get along tremendously. Ilse had a field hockey game, one of the biggest sports here...even bigger than korfball if you can believe it! See blog archive if you are not sure what korfball is! The Dutch National Team, The Oranje, is always at the top of the world standings, and by the way Ilse played it would not be surprising if she is a member some day. The sun finally came out and we enjoyed standing outside on the field and chatting and learning about the game. Diana and Claudia cracked up every time I yelled out things in English like "Go Zoetermeer, Go Green!" I didn't do any extreme cheers, don't worry. Danny and Claudia spent some time on an empty field playing one on one and Danny learned a bit about the game. After the match was completed, victory for Ilse's team and a continued number one spot in the standings, everyone repairs to the patio area for drinks and social time. Isn't that nice? So the team and parents have a chance to establish friendships. It just seems like in the US everyone jumps in their cars with the kids and they zoom off. I enjoy the social time. We continued our visit at the latest gathering spot in Zoetermeer, The Happy Moose. This is a newly constructed Log Cabin style restaurant on the banks of a polder(small lake) with a typical Dutch menu. Kip satay, salmon, lasagna,a plain chicken dish, and a salad with optional chicken. And of course DRINKS! Jerry was happy to be able to have his one dark Belgian beer before we leave this continent. Danny taught the girls how to play Phase 10 which we had brought with them in mind. We left them the game and also Quidler, which will help them with their English. We were also invited back to the Pronk home for a coffee and a bit more visiting which was so great. Diana lost her Dad a year ago, he was sick when we first met, and we bonded over that. Jerry and Machiel talk work of course, and the kids, well they need nothing special to laugh over. To me, continuing this friendship was a highlight of the trip. When we left we drove down one way lanes between canal and farm fields to reach the highway, it was quick, but TomTom certainly expects some good driving ability, especially given the driving rain! Eventually we made it to our clean,safe hotel with free parking and a gas station with coffee right across the car park--American style! Good stuff!

Claudia and Danny

Ilse takes a short rest on her stick

The Dutch are very tall!

aren't they cute?

Ilse, Machiel and Claudia

Diana wanted to photograph us

playing cards while the grownups have coffee

Goodbye Holland!

last stop before home!