Blog-2

(This page is reserved for my actual trip to the Netherlands.)

Thursday, Oct 10, 5:37 p.m. (CDT)

Arrived back in Nashville, see my Blog-3 page…

Thursday, Oct 10, 2:00 a.m. (Netherlands time)

Yes, 2:00 a.m. was my get-up time to be at the Dusseldorf airport three hours before departure time. The whole trip would go smoothly. That was true for my visit as a whole. I really enjoyed seeing all the people (60!) I got to meet with. I am deeply grateful to all of them for making room in their schedules!

Wednesday, Oct 9

One last trip to the parental home (likely my last ever)… Started packing for my trip back… Some last-minute visiting…

Tuesday, Oct 8, 8:50 a.m.

A trip to the Historical Center Limburg in Maastricht for some genealogy research. Shown are the famous St. Servatius Bridge, the inside of an old church that serves as a study hall, and some modern equipment to save scanned copies of micro fiche onto a USB stick.

Monday, Oct 7, 7:00 p.m.

Dinner with the whole family. Also, the box that I had shipped arrived safely in the U.S.

Monday, Oct 7, 9:16 a.m.

Traveling back from Luxembourg City to Swalmen. Here one last view over the Mosel River from my hotel room in Igel (Germany).

Sunday, Oct 6

Spent all day talking to Andreas and his wife, and sightseeing some of the spectacular sights of Luxembourg City. It was cold!

Saturday, Oct 5, 10:30 a.m.

Visit from an old high school friend who is now an anthropologist at Utrecht University, but whose mother still lives in Swalmen. Then off, by train, to see my good friend Andreas in South Germany. Here a photo of the giant train station in Liege (Belgium).

Friday, Oct 4, 9:09 a.m.

Headed off by train to see another cousin. The temperature was just above freezing when I left, but it turned out to be a very nice and sunny day. Some trains seen along the way (cargo on left, passenger on right)…

This, by the way, is how many people live in the Netherlands: Rows of connected houses (all brick) with small yards. Note the frequent appearance of solar panels on the roofs.

Thursday, Oct 3, 7:17 p.m.

A special memory…

Also shipped off a 40-pound box of memorabilia to my home address in Murfreesboro using DHL Express.

Wednesday, Oct 2

Today, the realtor sent a photographer out to the house, to put together a brochure for the sale of the parental home. We also went for a walk in the woods (“behind the outdoor swimming pool”) and found some edible chestnuts.

Tuesday, Oct 1

Nearing the end of the parental home being in the family. The realtor is sending a photographer tomorrow. Also a quick jog over to the German border, with one foot in each country.

Monday, Sep 30, a.m.

Took a little drive over to the ferry that goes across the Maas river between Beesel and Kessel, with the Kessel church across the river. Stopped to see another cousin.

Sunday, Sep 29, 10:20 a.m.

My second train journey, to see two of my cousins (see People page). Trains really are a great and comfortable way to travel!

Saturday, Sep 28

More sorting through albums; visit with neighbors, and my nephew’s 30th birthday party (see People page). This is him playing with HIS nephew and niece.

Friday, Sep 27

Spent the morning going through my mom’s many albums to pick out pictures I want to keep. In the afternoon, visited my nephew and his partner, then in the evening had another visit, including from my aunt (“Tante Nie”), who is the last remaining of my dad’s six siblings.

Thursday, Sep 26, 7:30 p.m.

Had a former-neighbors reunion at Leon’s house with my “aunt” Anny (age 97!) and three daughters, as well as the two ladies on the right, who are both taller than me. Anny carried me to the church to be baptized when I was a newborn!

Thursday, Sep 26, 1:00 p.m.

Met up with high school friends Jo and Leon and had lunch in a nice place. We too used to bike to school together. Oh, I rode the train since a long time!

Thursday, Sep 26, 10:00 a.m.

Another bicycle ride, along yet another historic attraction near Swalmen: the ruins of castle Naborch (ca. 1300) along the Swalm river (after which Swalmen is named). It is cool and breezy today.

Wednesday, Sep 25, p.m.

Spent this morning going through picture albums (including digital) and this afternoon cleaning things out of the house. Leon collected a trailer-full of old iron, which we took to the scrap yard. Oh, the weather finally turned rainy.

Tuesday, Sep 24, 1:00 p.m.

A delightful visit with my cousin Anja and her family. Anja and I are the same age and used to ride our little bicycles to kindergarten together.

Tuesday, Sep 24, 7:00 a.m. — Musings

The Netherlands, in many regards, really is a special place, especially the South (Limburg), with its own charm and dialects. A popular folk song says it best: “Wie sjoon os Limburg is, begriep toch nemes” (“How beautiful our Limburg is, no one can understand”). I am reminded of this every time I ride a bicycle: The country side really if very picturesque and beautiful, and many efforts are made to save the environment.

At the same time, there is the seemingly universal problem of immigration (with the native culture being diluted) and the difficulty of having a functioning government with some 37 political parties on the ballot.

People ask me sometimes if I would consider moving back. The answer is always “probably not”, as my children, my grandchildren, partner, and partner’s family are all thoroughly American. But I do hope that I will be able to resume my habit of visiting annually!

Monday, Sep 23, 8:00 p.m.

More cleaning up of the parental home. Neighbors came to visit (see “People” page).

Monday, Sep 23 (Roel’s birthday)

In between other “business” activities time for a bike ride through the picturesque suburb Boukoul and alongside the German border.

Sunday, Sep 22

Today was a very full day with two visits during which I saw a total of 10 people (not including Leon and Lien). I decided to add a page to my site (“People”) in which I mention everyone I have met on my trip, so you can find that information there. But special mention goes to a complete surprise visit by Arjan, who is a good friend from college. We have not seen each other in 45 years!

Here also an example how the Netherlands is bicycle-friendly: Bike paths are usually separated from the main road.

Saturday, Sep 21

Worked on going through all the stuff in the parental home. Then, in the afternoon, went to visit with Leon’s grandchildren (Ian and Ise). I took them a little gift (a so-called Russian block puzzle; one for each of them). It was an immediate success (as it had been with my own grandchildren and step-grandchildren). It was also cool to see them playing with my 60-year-old Montini blocks (pre-LEGO)!

Friday, Sep 20, p.m.

It was a beautiful day (70 deg F) so Leon and I rode our bikes into town to do some errands.

Friday, Sep 20, a.m.

Went to the parental home and attacked the many photo albums and scrap albums that my mom kept. Here some of my favorites: mom in her garden; pap at the sand sculpture exhibition in Thorn. Mom also had copies of my scientific publications and of my blog from my bike ride to Chicago in 2009.

At the end of the morning, my niece Maud stopped by on her way back from work (on her bicycle!), here shown with Leon. Later that afternoon, her brother Roel and his partner Rachel stopped by to see us at Leon’s house.

Thursday, Sep 19, 2:00 p.m.

Lien and I went on a bicycle ride (Leon was at work). There really is no place like “home” — bike-friendly little roads through the beautiful countryside. We must have seen a 100 fellow bicycle riders, mostly older people.

And the iconic views along the Maas river; the little church is Asselt (11th century); and castle Hillenraedt in the background.

Thursday, Sep 19, 11:00 a.m.

Went shopping with my sister-in-law, Lien. Again, the Netherlands is more advanced, with the option to scan your own groceries as-you-go. And the cheese section: SO many choices (most of which no longer fit my diet alas).

And at Aldi (yes, with a different logo): shopping baskets with wheels!

Thursday, Sep 19, 10:00 a.m.

People in the Netherlands are more environmentally conscious, for example, big flush/little flush is standard in most modern homes (like Leon’s).

Wednesday, Sep 18, 8:00 p.m.

Views from inside the house: The giant wall cabinet that my dad built; and the now-antiquated radiator system. Also visible above the radiator: some of my brother Jos’ woodworkings.

Wednesday, Sep 18, 7:30 p.m.

Views from the backyard, including the wind mill that my dad built, and that my brother Jos renovated. Also visible is the greenhouse that my mom kept her cactus’s in. On the far right: The garage that my dad built with his own hands!

Wednesday, Sep 18, 7:30 p.m.

This is the ancestral home that has been in the family 95 years and now has to be readied for selling. You can clearly see the lighter-color brick below the window on the right. This half of the house was a hay barn before my parents rebuilt it in 1957 or so.

Wednesday, Sep 18, 7:35 a.m.

My brother Leon and his wife Lien were at the Dusseldorf airport to pick me up. My checked bag never had to go through customs?!

Wednesday, Sep 18, 9:00 a.m.

Entering my home town (Swalmen) with the church steeple in the center of the photo; arriving at Leon’s house.

Wednesday, Sep 18, p.m.

Meeting my grand-nephew (Ian) and grand-niece (Ise) for the first time. Taking Ise for a walk (on her step-bicycle) in the woods behind Leon’s house.

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