Springtime and Visitors - April and May 2009

Our friend Sheila came to visit in April; perfect timing for a visit to the Keukenhof and a trip to Paris. In May, Steve’s mom came for 10 days, and it was off again to the Keukenhof – I don’t think a person can go too many times. We enjoyed being tour guides and got to see new places as well.

The Keukenhof is the big tulip display garden in Holland. It is open from the end of March until the end of May each year. The pictures speak for themselves. A person cannot take enough pictures at the Keukenhof. The Web site says it is the most photographed place in the world – a lofty claim to be sure, but it might be true. Click here for photos.

Sheila and I took a quick weekend trip to Paris during the week she visited. I loved being in Paris again. The Thalys train line was having a special, so we got a discount on first class tickets for our trip. What a difference from second class! First class passengers get served a hot meal, which comes with your choice of beverages (e.g. wine, beer, soda, etc.), and dessert. There is also free wireless internet access. Wow! We had a great ride to Paris. When we arrived, we went straight to see the Eiffel Tower, which was beautifully lit for the evening. We decided a nearby bench was the perfect spot to enjoy our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches we packed along for the train ride (b/c we did not expect to get food on the train). We spent two beautiful, busy days seeing Notre Dame, The Louvre, and The Musee d’Orsay and walking along the Champs Elysee. Photos of Paris.

One of the highlights of Steve’s mom’s visit was our afternoon at the Kroller-Muller Museum and Hoge Veluwe National Park. We brought the dogs, hopped on the free bikes, and enjoyed a nice picnic. The sculpture garden was beautiful.

During his time off, Steve and I took a day trip to Haarlem where we saw the Christiaan Müller pipe organ at the Saint Bavo church. The organ is over 100 feet tall. In July, Steve and I went back to hear an organ concert. The sound was truly amazing. The St. Bavo church is also known for its wood carvings, I have included a picture of the “Pillar Biter,” one of our favorites.

April 30 every year is Queen’s Day in The Netherlands. It is the day the whole country celebrates the reigning queen’s birthday. Usually the date changes with each new monarch, but the current Queen’s birthday is in January, so she decided to keep April 30 (her mother’s b-day) as the national holiday so the festivities could be held outside. The biggest party in the country is in Amsterdam. The streets and the canals (all of them) fill with people wearing something, anything orange. It really is a fun time.

Also, this spring we had a chance to see Theo Jansen’s kinetic sculptures on the beach. The sculptures are either powered by compressed air or can be pushed by hand across the sand. They are amazing to watch in motion. Photos of Kroller-Muller, Den Haag, Haarlem, Queen’s Day, and kinetic sculptures on the beach.