dailylife

From Ghent we took the train to Haarlem, the city where lived until we moved to the United States. It was the first visit for Sasha in 10 years and to walk together through the city was amazing, from the very first moment we got off the train.

We saw the completion of several infrastructure projects that were in the early stages when we left a decade ago: the Raakskwartier, the Appelaar parking garage at the Grote Markt and the car-restrictions on many additional streets in the city, including at the station. It was like a jump in time.

We had dinner on the Grote Markt at a tapas place we have good memories of and it was delicious. The owner changed eight years ago, the waitress told me, but the food was still great. I had a Jopen Adriaan beer, very good.

We were lucky and there was a Bach concert in the Grote Kerk that same night. To be honest, I bailed out after the first song. It was beautiful but listening to a whole concert was a little too much, so I went to Den Uiver and had a nice beer there. They also have a new owner -- a nicer guy than the previous one -- but the atmosphere was still the same.

We stayed in an excellent bed and breakfast at the Zijlstraat, a few minutes from the Grote Markt. The location was great, it made it easy to go back to the room to change diapers. Sasha and I had poffertjes.

The next morning we met my parents at the Appelaar and we walked to the Grote Markt where we had coffee together. After that, we walked to the Adriaan and the Hooimarkt. It was special to be back there. After lunch Nora went to take a nap.

Nora didn't join us on our trip to Ghent but stayed with Opa & Oma in Middenmeer. She didn't mind at all and had a great time with Opa & Oma.

On Saturday tante Ettie and the kids came for a visit and they all went to Medemblik to the farm and castle Radboud.

After a fun evening with my friends the alarm went at 7.30 am. We were at Oma Groen a little before 10.00 am. Nora and her great-grandmother were happy to see each other.

Ettie and Evelien came a little later and Evelien immediately recognized me. She laughed and said: "tou tou tou!".

Mieke and Evelien later went for a walk. We all had lunch together and then we said goodbye.

This year there was no good opportunity for a big party. Life is different with a toddler!

I really wanted to see my friends, and have them meet Nora, and several made the long trip to Middenmeer on a weekday, which was awesome.

It was very special to meet Max and Lex, Jerry and Marjolein's children. They are two sweet, lively boys. Max, the oldest, is quite protective of his little brother. When I took hesitant Lex in my arms Max came running and said: "Blijf van m'n broertje af!" -- leave my little brother alone!

Later in the evening the 3 toddlers played together.

We left at 8.50 am and had a nice trip. My parents explained Nora that we were on the Afsluitdijk and pointed out the Lely Monument and other sights.

It was wonderful to see Oma in person. Nora was a little shy with Grootoma in the beginning but that didn't last long. It is a strange idea that Nora now looks at Grootoma the same way I did 33 years ago.

We had lunch together. On the way home we stopped by Ettie's work, also in Heerenveen and it was interesting to see her office. Tante Ettie gave Nora gifts and Nora enjoyed the turning office chair.

Yesterday we spent a great day with Ettie and her family in Middenmeer. We went for a walk to feed the duckies and to the playground. Jasper and I played Ganzenbord together. He is a very sweet boy. Evelien, the youngest, enjoys adventures and loud noises.

Saturday morning is the traditional time for my parents to do groceries and Nora and I joined them. It is great to do these things together.

At the cheese monger we got a slice of cheese to try. I bought an extra carry-on suitcase for all the goodies we will be bringing home, including the many children's books Mieke has ordered for us from Marktplaats.nl.

After the rainy days in Hoorn, Alkmaar and Edam we enjoyed a sunny afternoon in Medemblik. It's such a beautiful city! I remember it mainly from when I was very little when we lived in Opperdoes; obviously a 35-year old looks at things differently.

We walked through the main street and some of the small streets along the canal, and the to the harbor and the Radboud castle. These little streets and canals are so cute.

At the harbor we found a cafe with outdoor seating and we had a drink -- "Texel beer" -- and bitterballen. The Radboud castle overlooks the IJsselmeer and from there we walked through a petting zoo, back to the center of the city.

The next day we went to Alkmaar, another gorgeous town nearby. Stores there were open -- but the same Kermis vendors that were in Hoorn the day before started building up in Alkmaar on the day we were there. The stores were all open though and we bought some Dutch clothes and toys for Nora.

We stayed long in a cafe at the central market, chatting and drinking coffee.

On our first weekday of the vacation we were still a little groggy because of the time difference. Nora had a cold and didn't sleep very well.

Sasha and I went to see Hoorn, an old city nearby. I used to take the train from there all the time but it had been years since I visited the historic city. It is a very pretty and well preserved town. The weather wasn't great but no major rain either.

We caught the last hour of the Kermis, the fair, and most shops and restaurants were closed because of it.

We found a great place for dinner in an Indonesian toko and I loved sampling all the different dishes. They also had spekkoek.