Enchanting Netherlands!

When Hank and I started out on our jaunt to the Netherlands, it was sunny and bright, becoming gray and overcast as we went. We said, "Traveling in cloudy weather is really much better, easier on the eyes, etc." Well, when the downpour started at about Koblenz, we started wondering how long it would last, and, sure enough, it lasted most of our trip!! So, all these pictures are taken through the clouds, in the rain, and in really, really cold weather. But we loved every minute of it! Sorry it won't do justice to the tulips, though!

We arrived at our hotel in Lisse, not too far from Amsterdam. We didn't have time for anything but checking in and learning that the cheapest meal on the hotel restaurant menu was about 21 Euro, so we split a meal and ate crackers and cheese back in our room! They did provide wonderful breakfasts, so we made up for the 21 Euro really fast the next morning and the rest of our stay. We did, however, refrain from their evening meals anymore!

We left for the Haag on Wednesday morning, 'cause the church website indicated that we could get a temple session on Wednesdays. But, when we got there, they said that Wednesdays were now only for missionaries (meaning the young elders and sisters who served in the Netherlands and Belgium). Well, they took pity on us when they learned we were calling them from our car in their parking lot, and we got to attend a session with about 40 elders and 8-10 sisters. It was a wonderful experience. Their mission president officiated, and the prayer he offered at the end of the session was so powerful and so heart-felt. The whole thing was just a sweet experience.

This is a view of the Haag Temple from across a canal.


We wandered along some streets that were in the neighborhood of the temple, all with canals in their back yards. I haven't shown you the canals, but I had to show you the way they trim some of their trees! This way they don't have a tree hanging over their yard or the canal, yet they get privacy and shade by summer. This is just one example of their trimming! I hope Dad doesn't get any wild ideas!

Just had to take this picture of the "Tweewielers"! I wish I had asked what it really means, but as for me and my posterity, it's a store that sells "three-wheelers"!

The first thing a person notices in Holland is that everything is built out of brick instead of the stucco of Germany. Oh! It's beautiful. Even the barns are brick. I think the cows are really lucky!

Just another example of the beauty of brick!

More brick...

A street vendor with his goods. Usually I'm not afraid to eat at one, but between the pickles and the flies, we were a little leary!

Varied architecture, the old with the new.

Had to show you this thatched roof. So many of the modern, brick homes have thatch roofs, 'cause they're still the best thing for all the rain that falls. I didn't believe that until I saw how the thatch is really built, and then I decided that there's no way a raindrop could penetrate all those layers of thatch. See below.

These next few pictures are an attempt to give you an idea of the masses of bikes in Holland. An awfully lot of Germans ride bikes, but mostly for pleasure and out in the fields, etc. Here it is a total way of life, from the sharply dressed businessman to the perfectly coiffed, stilleto-wearing businesswoman. Bikes are it! I'm more afraid of getting hit by a bike than I am a car over there. It's wild! Anyhow, my pictures don't begin to show the quantity of bikes. Just multiply what you see by 100's, and you'll come close.

A woman coming home from shopping, with her vegies standing tall in back.

This is a common site--a bike, an old woman with a walker, a dog on a leash, and regular "walkers"--all maneuvering the cobblestones like they were carpet.

This was my favorite bike picture. Doesn't this mom look spiffy? I just hope there are no potholes--I don't know how tightly the kids are wedged in! We passed this woman, and I wanted a picture so badly that we pulled into an illegal parking space and waited for her to catch up to us--it was worth the wait!!

This is a small example of bike parking. By the train stations, etc., they are two deep and all tightly secured with locks.

This woman had a large package, all wraped with bows and ribbons. Maybe going to a party?

We traveled on Friday to a famous little city called Alkmaar. It's famous for its cheese. We bought a little stained glass picture of some tulips from this cute little man. We hope to hang it in our kitchen some day.

Back to the cheese. There is a harbor right into this city, and in the old days, the cheeses would be brought into the city by the makers, weighed by the ship people, and then piled up to be loaded onto the ships. These days, they do a reenactment of this on Fridays, so we happened on one such reenactment. It was always a contest among the cheese makers who could get their cheeses weighed and loaded first. Each maker wore a different colored hat. So, in the pictures, you can see the men as they literally run with their loads of cheese, get them weighed, and take them to the end of the area where they would be loaded for the ships. Kind of fun, and the people seem to love their job, making it fun to watch them.

Notice the different colored hats (or ribbons).

This guy just posed with a family while holding one of the large rounds of cheese. Each one weighs a whole lot!!!

The scales.

The "red" team.

On Thursday, after visiting the famous Keukenhof (which you will see very last), we took a boat ride along the canals of Amsterdam. It took about 1 hour 15 minutes, and we felt like we had really seen a lot of the culture in that short time!! This was the inside of our boat, but we preferred sitting out back in the wind and air, and picture taking was more fun!

This is one of the many, many house boats that people live on along the canals. Some are quite nice, others are scary.

Just a small example of the huge number of bridges over the canals throughout the city. Unbelievable.

Now to the Keukenhof. I'm sure you've all heard of these gardens, and luckily our hotel was within walking distance. It only took about a half hour to walk there, and it saved a bunch in parking!! And since it was so cold, the walk kept us warm!! These fields were on our way to the Keukenhof. We got to Holland a little late in the season, but it was the only available time for us, and many of the fields had been "topped" in order for the nutrients to return to the bulbs for selling. So, much of the color that would have been there a few weeks earlier was gone. Still beautiful, though!

This was a lovely little house that appeared on the way to the Keukenhof. Isn't it a storybook kind of home?

And, of course, I had to pay Hank to pose with these little beauties. See how mad he looks at having to do it?!?

Just to demonstrate how huge some of these blossoms get--larger than Hank's hand as they open!

Color and more color...

A cute little windmill that they transplanted from somewhere in Holland to give the gardens a little more spice.

Gorgeous lakes and fountains within the Keukenhof.

More color...

And what is a blog without a bird?? This was my bird of choice! They have a little petting zoo here for the kids. I don't think that the chickens tolerate much petting, but the goats and other animals seem to like it! This guy sure looks fluffy, though! Tempting...

All varieties of flowers...

Hank posing again to show the size of the blossoms! He either has a tiny head, or those are some real beauties!

Don't ask. I have no idea what this is, but I just had to save it for posterity. The gardens had a number of really nice statues that seemed to fit with the beauty of the place......So, I'll never know how they came up with this!

You can tell that they have topped many of these flowers, as much of it is green. But the overall feeling was so intense, I can guarantee that we didn't feel cheated. When I was here 40 years ago, we were in the peak of the season, the day that they had their parade with floats made of flowers and blossoms. It was really something I'll never forget.

I thought this was kind of cute...you'll get your education as to the many variations of wooden shoes that are made available to the mannequin with taste!

Even shoes to go backwards in...

Boots?

Kind of fun, huh? I was quite surprised they haven't come up with a wooden flip-flop yet.

More wisteria. It grows here like our dandelions do at home!

Streams and gorgeous trees.

Color...

Swans...

This was fun. Instead of benches, they bring in these huge bales of hay and stick in some pitchforks to rest on! Believe me, after walking the acres and acres and acres of the Keukenhof, people were mighty glad for these bales!

Look good enough to eat, don't they?

Cameras just don't do the color justice!

Hummm.

And, I think that's it, folks!

This is just one of those experiences where you become so sated with the colors that you just feel like you can't hold it all. But in spite of the hundreds of acres here, I've felt the same awe on Temple Square and sometimes even in Mom's beautiful berms of poppies, iris, tulips, roses, etc., etc. It makes me grateful for my senses, even though I seem to be lacking the once sense known as "common."

Love you all so much!

Going Back in Time: March 27, 2009

Just wanted you to meet Mariella and Steffen and share a little of their wedding day! It was a cold, blustery day the end of March, but the rain stopped for the whole day so they could at least be free of umbrellas! First, you must know a little about them. Steffen is the youngest of seven children, and Mariella is the oldest of seven children. They met several years ago at a young adult activity, talked, and just "hung out." They met a couple more times (not easy to do as they lived about 4 hours distant from one another) at church activities, and then Steffen got called to Austria on a mission. Well, as fate would have it, so did Mariella (very same misson). They saw each other once on their mission but that is all. Then, one afternoon after her mission, Mariella was sitting in the celestial room at the temple and in walks Steffen, and he says he knew right then and there that she was who he wanted to marry... and they lived happily ever after!! Of course, it wasn't that easy, as getting married over here is a real challenge for young people, housing difficult to find or afford, etc., etc. Steffen is in school studying to become a professor, and Mariella works in our office--thus our connection with her. Their courtship lasted more than a year, with each taking a turn traveling the 4 hours to the other's house on weekends. She's from Bad Homburg, and Steffen is from Hannover.

As the law requires a civil marriage before a temple marriage, they were first married in this little building next to the city hall in Friedricksdorf (the city where the temple is). We waited outside during the civil ceremony, as we brought cookies and goodies for them to munch on before they walked to the temple, about six blocks away!

Dad trying to stay warm and not snitch the cookies!

Ceremony over, and out they come to be showered with flower petals (much nicer than rice, don't you think?).

Mariella's mother is Chilean, and Mariella has her beautiful coloring and features. Steffen won't win a GQ award, but he's solid gold--absolutely perfect for her. Mariella currently has two brothers serving missions (and her family is anything but rich), and all of Steffen's brothers served missions and all brothers and sisters married in the temple. Strong, strong families.

Fun tradition to share: Mariella's family made a heart on a sheet (backed by kind of a paper mache -- hum, how do you spell that?). The bride and groom are required to cut out the red heart and then walk through the white piece that is left, representing starting life together.

They were so cute about it--had a race to see who could cut his or her side first! Mariella won!

I missed the shot of them walking through, but oh, well...

Time for family photos...

And here's poor Mariella, trying to warm up after freezing for all the photos and traditions! The two families then walked up the cute little cobblestone streets to the temple, where they were sealed in a wonderful ceremony.

I'm happy to announce that they moved into our little branch, and already their strength is felt and appreciated. They are one special couple. We just love them to death!

Bernkassel Kues and Trier, My Outing with the Sisters!

Well, much to Hank's delight, I took off one Saturday with the senior single sisters to visit Bernkassel Kues and Trier! He doesn't enjoy the travel much and figures once you've seen one city you've seen 'em all, so he was happy to stay home and complete a list of honey-do's while I partied!

Trier has the reputation of being the oldest city in Germany. One author states: "Trier was already a city when Peter was still out fishing on the Sea of Galilee....The city was officially chartered in 16 B.C., called the "Rome of the North" and in its heyday in the 4th Century A.D., it was as important and splendid as Rome itself." So, there's your history lesson for the day! This is what is left of the "Porta Nigra" or black door. It is massive.


We entered here and then just walked up and down the streets for a couple of hours.















Here's Sis. Meisman and I posing for the world. I work with her in the R.S. Presidency in our little branch. She goes home in July and would have to take the prize for the "most traveled" missionary here! She's got an awful lot of miles under her belt!

This was certainly my favorite house! It's really narrow on the bottom and then gets a little wider at the top. Don't quite know how it stands up, and you can see how narrow the streets are on either side of it! Talk about no privacy!

It was a really cloudy day, so the colors won't be as fun, but this is their "farmer's market" and main street, full of all kinds of little shops and restaurants, etc. They had three full choirs spread up and down the street, as well as a small band and various other single performers. They were incredible and provided music the whole time we were there.

More market, more gingerbread houses, more fun!

St. Peter stands atop the fountain in the market square. He has been there for 400 years, but he's considered a "newcomer" since the city itself is so ancient. It's amazing there's anything left, as the city was so badly bombed during the war.

My favorite picture of the square.

A cheat picture! These are more Roman ruins, but I resorted to snapping a picture of a postcard! These were ancient Roman baths.

Another cheat picture. This was the Constantine's Basilica. It was once a 67-meter long throne hall of the Roman Emporer Constantine and is today used as a Protestant Church. We couldn't go in the church 'cause they were holding some kind of service. Anyhow, I couldn't get a picture of the whole building, so a bought a postcard and send you a fuzzy copy of the card!
This is the Palace of Trier. Trier has been in the hands of the French, the Prussians, the Germans, and, of course, the Romans. Quite a history.

My all-time favorite church so far (except maybe the one with the Chagall windows), and that's saying a lot, since I've seen a bunch of them!! My pictures can't begin to do it justice, but try to imagine mauve, light blue, white, and gold, gold, gold, and you are just beginning to get a feel for the beauty inside.

This very ornate gold gate separates the choir seats and I don't know what all from the chapel itself. How I wish I could have captured the delicacy of the colors and the ornateness of the wrought iron...

Same general picture, just a little closer.

The priest's preaching post!

The confessional. I sure hope they use curtains or doors!

More...This was taken just beyond the front gate. Mary sure takes precedence over the Savior.

The entire length of the ceiling was painted. Again, the combination of colors and the beauty of the work was remarkable.

And here's what I came home to! Hank had planted all our pots and boxes on our balcony, and that was more fun for me than the whole trip! Aren't the flowers beautiful? We called the little guy in the corner Friar Tuck, but he doesn't exactly qualify in dimensions, so if you have a better name, let us know. It was one of the treasures left behind by Sis. Spittler.

More flowers.

And the hero of the day! There he was, with a beautiful patio, dinner all ready, and a smile on his face. Can't beat that!

Love you all. Thanks for letting us share!

Michelstadt, One of Our Favorites!!

We've talked often of Brother and Sister Frost from Michelstadt (about 1-1/2 hours from our house), and we were lucky enough to visit them again on April 22. They are our German Script teachers, and I dearly love them. They are humble, brilliant, stimulating, interesting beyond words, and just fun. Anyhow, after we did our study time, we insisted they let us take them to lunch, as they have always fed us wonderful meals at their home in the past. So, before our lunch, they gave us a tour of the Altstadt or "Old City." What fun!

This is their Rathaus (city hall), and it is small and ornate, with a date of 1484 on the front. Michelstadt was not bombed during the war, so it's treasures pretty much still exist.

Same Rathaus, just showing the easy-going style of the city folk on an afternoon... This doesn't look like a castle, but it is one of the four walls of an ancient castle which surrounds a center court, sort of like the castle in Bad Homburg. This type just doesn't carry the same "fairyland" quality that a normal castle does, but it was fun in its own way.

This is the outside of said castle wall. You can see the remains of the old moat, and the last tower is the "Thieves' Tower," where the villains were thrown for safekeeping.

Sis. Frost is standing in one of the many little alley-ways that weave between the buildings. They certainly add a little charm!

And this was just a hoot. The people had no great love for the Pope during this era, and someone created this "Fox" statue of him. If you look closely, he looks pious and sedate with his Bible, but on the side is a small bag with a chicken's head poking out, meaning that the Pope appears to be one thing but is actually a fox and steals from you. He's standing right in front of the Thieves' Tower. I don't know if that was intentional, but that's where he is.

And our Maitre 'd at the restaurant was the highlight of our day! When we first saw him from the front, he looked like he was wearing a piece of dark silk stuck to his head, but up close, we could see that it was, indeed, his hair. He just parted it way down the back of his head, brought it forward, slicked it down across his forehead, did a swirl, and brought it back down on the other side. I didn't dare try to get a picture of the other side--I was lucky to sneak this one in!

He was one great dude, and we thoroughly enjoyed him, especially the hair!

And this is lunch! It was a wonderful old restaurant right in the old city, with big wooden beams (original) and great decorations. Our favorite restaurant thus far!

I wish you could see the little sign above Bro. Frost's head. It's a picture of a small child pulling on his Dad's hand and pointing to the restroom! The sign reads "Father, there!"

Well, that ended our day in Michelstadt. It's a wonderful drive to get there, traveling through mountains and enjoying little villages nestled in the mountains as we went. It wasn't fun last November on our first trip when it was snowing, but this trip was perfect, thanks to the weather and the Frosts!

Love from the Bad Homburgers!

Walking Tour in Frankfurt

The senior missionaries went on a "walking tour" of Frankfurt one Saturday morning, and even though it was a downpour in the beginning, it was lots of fun. It lasted about three hours, and the rain had stopped by the time we were through.

Anyhow, a wonderful sister (who is actually Austrian) was our guide. She works in the Area Office and has lived in Frankfurt for 30 years. I took way too many pictures, and I realize you're going to be really bored by the end of two years, because I don't vary my shots much. Oh, well....

This very pink building is a bank, but I thought the architecture was rather interesting, to say the least! I don't know who the lucky men were who posed for this sculpture, but I bet their backs ached by the time they were through!

This is the Wertheim Haus. It was the only timber-framed building in the old part of the city to survive the war. So, it's the real thing, refurbished I'm sure, but the building itself is not rebuilt. It is original.

We walked to the "Wall Street" of Frankfurt, and we were hosted by their bull and bear. Several tourists were climbing on top and having their pictures taken, but we actually retained some decorum and just "leaned." Frankfurt is the money capital of Germany, even though Berlin is the actual government capital. The pink trees in the background were beautiful, and they were dropping their blossoms really fast, such that it resembled a snowstorm of pink!

This is Goethe's house, with an attached museum to the right. We saw the church he was baptized in, as well as a monument in his honor just down the street. We didn't go inside, so we weren't very educated from just walking by... I thought this combination of architecture was kind of interesting, from gingerbread to circular to ancient church in the background.

This is the Rathaus, or city hall. Weddings also take place there on some days, and you can just barely see a wedding party coming out in this picture. This particular area is famous for it's Weinachtsmarkt, or Christmas market. The whole square and surrounding area is glowing with Christmas lights, the plaza covered with booths for food, decorations, gifts, and anything and everything. We didn't go last year, but they say it gets so crowded that it's shoulder to shoulder the whole time. The sisters were advised to leave their purses home, and cameras were discouraged, cause there's so much pickpocketing, etc. We'll have pictures next year if I can talk Hank into a late night!

Well, that's all for this little blurb. I think I took around 50 pictures during the tour, so you're lucky I have some restraint!