While Ellen & I were in South Africa in November 2024 there was already talk of a trip for Lynne to Europe; to visit us us in the Netherlands as well having time in the UK. Lynne took care of all of her preparations, and the definite time frame was set to the last 2 weeks of this year.
She had a number of must-do’s on her list, and left the further arranging up to us for her 8 days in the Netherlands. From the outset we knew (and warned her) that it would be hectic – cramming a lot into a small timeframe, and making sure that she had some tourist experiences to look back on. Aside from her inclusion in our daily lives, and catching up with us all, we managed to do a number of good things with her:
- we introduced Lynne to pannenkoeken, Dutch snert, haring & kibbeling at the market, Indonesian rijsttafel, as well as vette hap;
- we visted with oom Jo in Bussum, as well as with tante Eva in Hollandsche Rading; also a visit with Claudia in Eitorf (a cross-border experience without border controls …😉), as well as a stop at Scheel Seck (family history);
- we drove through Flevoland so that the scale of land reclamation was clear, together with the visible difference between the Ijsselmeer water level on the one side of the dyke and the land on the other side;
- we played the tourist in Amsterdam (used the train & tram); starting with a canalboat tour and then visiting Central Station, the Dam, the Albert Cuyp market, Rokin and the Wallen; as well as in Utrecht (used the bus); visiting the Domplein, the Oude Gracht and the Neude; eating Hema rookworst; seeing UCU & the HU;
- we tested her driving skills (albeit briefly) in a left-hand drive car, as well her cycling skills; and
- we visited a working dairy farm, including a cheesemaking tour, and visited a working windmill.
All in all, a jam-packed itinerary and a very happy tourist …! Lovely to see the effect of these new experiences on her …! And although the temperatures were low, Lynne didn’t manage to get to experience snow while she was with us – while she was in the UK we had our first serious snowfall … ❄️⛄