Yesterday - Amsterdam

I wouldn't have thought you could see a lot of Amsterdam in 6 hours but we crammed in a lot.

We took a canal ride which gave us a lot of information about the city and the architecture. We wandered around the shops - and yes, we saw tons of head shops and smelled a lot of pot!

We even took a trip down to see the ladies in the windows - strange culture in Holland - they talk about it being Calvinist and pious but they have a lot of tolerance for stuff we would shy away from. The women were not that attractive and really gave the impression of how lousy a business it is to be in. We must have looked quite strange Cliff and I with the two older aunts - obviously tourists. More so then the prostitution is the storefront selling of sexual devices and porn - really more shocking than the women! Nothing I haven't seen before but not usually right on the street.

The architecture is beautiful, the shops are interesting but we were definitely in the touristy area.

Today we go overnight for a few days - I'm not sure where.

Vicki

Update-More Windmills

Today we go to Amsterdam for the day and tomorrow we go for a few days to the coast where we will see more windmills, cheese and a dam. Some of these things are preplanned so I will make the most of it!

I have found the candy, soccer shirt and little ceramic house I have been asked to find. Still keeping an eye open for lockets.

It has been raining every day and brightening in the afternoon. I don't mind but I think Marta is disappointed. The weather is mild so even the rain is not a big deal.

Sometimes I need to sneak away for a break - I'm an introvert so continually being with company - especially with so much Dutch - is draining. Sometimes I don't really know what is going on!

We visited Marta's brother whose wife was very concerned that she does not speak English. Marta taught Cliff to say - I take my coffee with a bit of milk in Dutch. When Marta's sister-in-law came out with the coffee Cliff said his bit and she was so shocked - she said "How is this possible that he learns Dutch so fast". We had a good laugh!

Send me your emails!

Hi Guys:

I can pick up my emails but I can't remember most addresses. If you happen to read this can you send me an email to shipmaker@primus.ca so I can get your address?

Thanks, Vic

Too Much of the Good Life

Okay, I can never go back to real life. Marta has been treating us very well - too well in fact. We are offered a drink at least twice a day - once in the late afternoon (I usually have a sherry) and again after dinner (I usually skip this one). We have had pan fried breast of duck for one meal, another meal we had Coquilles St Jacques from Paris. Each evening we normally have an appetizer - today was salmon and mackerel on crackers. The other day it was some other kind of fish. Breakfast is a selection of thinly sliced luncheon meats, cheeses, yogurts and breads. Cliff keeps telling me that I will not gain weight because we are actually eating 3 meals a day which is better for our bodies then the half-hazard way we normally eat. I don't believe him.

Some Observations

1. All the cars here look brand new. No one drives with a dirty car - no one drives with newspapers and crap in the backseat either.

2. There is tons of farmland - but every tree you see appears to have been purposely planted - as you drive you can see that they are in neat rows to cut down on the wind. I have seen very few "woods".

3. I suspect this is a country of conformity. The interiors of houses look mostly the same. Most people have something in their windows - usually in pairs - 2 vases, 2 candles, 2 lamps, 2 statues. Everything is very neat. Along the highway there was an area where they trim the grass on the shoulder for the first two feet and leave the rest until the birds have all hatched. Once hatched and safely able to fly they come back and trim the entire shoulder. This is land that is not really used by people - just strips along the highway next to farms. I don't really understand it but there is a need for everything to be taken care of.

4. Gas is expensive - 1.44 euros (1.5 canadian to a euro) for a litre.

5. The accents really vary based on the area. I have not heard very many people with the strong accents that I hear at the church. I wonder if the European accent as soften with time.

6. I am still getting used to the bicycles. You have to be careful crossing the bike lanes as well as the road. No one wears a helmet - I haven't seen one likely because with dedicated lanes you are not as likely to be hit by a car!

7. Candy, candy, candy. There are lots of different sweets here and every shop has a big section of candy.

8. The houses I have been in have killer staircases. The one here is about at a 20 degree angle curving to the second floor. It is very narrow for your footing. It was explained to me that this is because space is at a premium yet the principle rooms are fairly large.

9. People are pretty open - curtains are not closed during the day. I can see right into the houses through to the other side. Even on busy streets, families sit in their living rooms with only the glass separating them from the busy pedestrians on the street. One house had a baby sleeping in a crib by the fron window bordered by a busy sidewalk. It seemed strange to see this baby by himself "on display". It's like going to a pet store. I realise that Canadians are very private in comparison!

10. It would take me a long time to drive here. They use round abouts instead of four way stops and the room for error is pretty small. It works well but would take me time to get the rhthym of it! Parking is tight and if you can't parallel park you may as well give up!

Busy Day in Holland

I wish I had a way of uploading a picture from today - I was eating herring the traditional Dutch way - not something I planned to do - eating raw herring hadn't made it onto my list of things I needed to do before I die.

Today we visited a working windmill, a cheese shop where we got cheese at such a cheap price I couldn't believe it, a huge dam system where they regulate the water coming out of Europe into the sea, a fish shop where we had herring and finally Chinese buffet for dinner. I'm exhausted.

Tomorrow church - unfortunately I will be lost as it is Roman Catholic in Dutch. Cliff will have to poke me when to stand and sit!

First Days in Holland

I typed it up and it disappeared:

Here are some teasers

winding staircases, huge snake skin, interior design,

I am staying in Best near Eindhoven if you want to get an idea where we are!

Requests from Holland

If you want something from Holland leave your requests under "comments".

The Accident

May 2 I said it was the "Summer of Vicki"
(from Seinfeld where George plans the Summer of George). The next day I travelled on the 427, the Gardiner, the DVP, the 401 in heavy traffic and lighter traffic. But I got nailed at Don Mills and Sheppard. That's life isn't it!

Our family car is a write off and we are very sad to lose it - I don't know what we will be offered for it but I know that we won't get what it is worth because it was in great condition. I put the pictures up for the friend we bought the car from - he babied it for years so even after our high mileage for the past two years it only had 89,000 on it.

I was coming through a green westbound on Sheppard and was behind two people turning right. As the second car turned, I proceeded to go through the intersection - as I enter it I see a car turning left suddenly accelerate to make his turn. I veered as far to the right as I could and for a split second I thought he was going to miss me - I think I assumed he was going to stop a lot faster than he did. Anyhow, the hit was hard but luckily the first hit was absorbed mostly by the tire and the body ahead of the passenger side. I have no idea how people do such smart things in split seconds. All I had time for was "Oh shit!" and a quick jerk to the right. I got out pretty angry because I assumed that this was an idiot who thought he could beat me - but the other driver was very shocked and stunned so I felt bad. He's turning 20, driving his dad's car and was very nervous because he didn't know what to do. I was upset and really shaken because it was a hard hit and I knew the car was probably not going to be fixed when I saw the damage to the wheel and body. But I helped him through it and was as kind as I could be. At least he didn't try to snow the police at the reporting center and took responsibility. Before we exchanged informaton he said "I'm still trying to figure out what happened". I'm pretty sure he assumed I was turning right and just didn't expect me to be going straight through. I feel badly for him because his insurance is going to really take a hit.

Of course it is very good that no one was injured and other than a few sore muscles for the next few days I really am lucky. The other driver noted that it was good we were going slow - it didn't feel slow too me - I was thrown towards the passenger seat and whipped back so it was scary for a brief moment.

I was pretty upset Thursday night ( at one point in the reporting center I thought I would cry but I refuse to cry over stupid things like this - especially in front of a bunch of cops) and Friday I was still pretty shook up even as a passenger (well with Cliff maybe that is fair!). But I nervously got back into the other car to drive on Saturday.

I am back to normal now and am thinking about all the good things that will come out of not having a car!

The funny part of the story - Cliff's sister was crossing the crosswalk just before the second car turned. She told Cliff's mom that she was pretty sure that she saw me get in an accident - but no, she didn't call to see if I was okay.

The Summer of Vicki will require some walking and TTC tickets. We will have to hope the Warthog hangs in a bit longer. We have the summer to think about our next steps.

Ten Reasons I Don't Need a Car

1. A subway, a bus, a subway and a bus is available to get to work. The last bus I could skip and walk. Probably take me over an hour but then that is time to read.

2. I have been living in multiple bubbles - my car, my church, my school and my home. Taking the TTC is going to allow me to get back in touch with the real world.

3. The environment. I'm adding it because it is politically correct - I love driving and would be lying if I suggested I would give my car up willingly because its the right thing!

4. Cliff is on shift work - I can either drive him in or pick him up and use the car when I really need it.

5. Exercise! I'll be getting tons more without the car. Also no ability to go to a drive through!

6. Some savings. I'm still not convinced of this - yes cars are expensive but I think I need to be without one to see the difference. When I quit smoking I can't say I suddenly saw more money - of course I saved money but it wasn't really noticeable.

I can only come up with 6!