Author: admin

But they continue to write in their blog none-the-less

Taking up then on the theme of Amsterdam parks, this blog topic is Westerpark. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westerpark_(park)) Watch this video for a fun introduction to the park and the neighbourhood named for it. Only 3 minutes and it is in English too. https://youtu.be/sNKh3CBP0Ic

Let us start with a little history: The name itself is taken from the location of the park, as it sits on the west side of central Amsterdam. The original Westerplantsoen (Western Garden), was dedicated in 1845 as the first public park for the city of Amsterdam. The new park was popular, but short-lived as it was removed for the extension of railroads and canals in 1869. In 1890 the city opened the new Westerpark on 5.63 hectares (roughly 14 acres). The new park is bound by the Westerkanaal on the east end, by the Haarlemmertrekvaart canal spanned by the Mirakelbrug (bridge) on the south and by the new gas works factory on its west. Numerous railroad lines established the border to the north.

Fast-forward a hundred years; the park remains popular, but the gas factory has closed, leaving beautiful brick buildings, in the Dutch Renaissance Style, and acres of toxic grounds. Any plans to convert the site to housing must be scrapped. It is an American landscape architect, Kathryn Gustafson, who proposes integrating the buildings into the park as a cultural centre; creating cafes, shops, and venues paired with open area pools and polders.  (http://www.gp-b.com/cultuurpark-westergasfabriek)  The Culture Park Westergasfabriek is opened in 2003 and becomes an instant hit. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westergasfabriek)

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The first time we went to Westerpark and I saw the buildings, I thought that there had been a World’s Fair type of exposition here and that these buildings were remaining – a bit like Balboa Park in San Diego or Fair Park in Dallas, a fair site turned into a public gathering place. The last thing to occur to me was the remains of a gas factory. Previous to this experience, I’m not sure I thought much about making gas on such a large scale – but you can, from coal. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_gas) Of course, all festivals have been cancelled since we have been here, and the restaurants are only takeaway; yet it remains an interesting place for a walk or a run – or a picnic.

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Are you looking for a longer running/walking loop than Vondelpark offers at about 2.2 miles? Then, Westerpark may be the answer. To encircle the entire area currently designated as Westerpark, you will cover a little over 3.5 miles. And that assumes that you do not get lost in the ‘’allotments’’ as I did the first time, in which case it is more like 6 miles. (bring water).

Speaking of the allotments; these were new to me too. In researching this blog entry I’ve seen them referred to as ‘little houses’, ‘nature trails’, and the ‘garden area’, actually, all are correct. These are community garden plots developed to a genuinely nice level including sheds, garden houses, and art and of course they are bordered by canals. Secrets hiding in plain sight. (https://gardentravelhub.com/amsterdams-secret-enchanted-forest-gardens/) There are two separate, but essentially continuous allotment gardens connected to Westerpark; Tuinpark Nut and Genoegen (http://www.nutengenoegen.amsterdam/) and the Sloterdijkermeer (https://sloterdijkermeer.nl/15v1/) Open March till October, this is a lovely place to beat the heat and walk relatively uninterrupted as motorized vehicles are not allowed and even bikes are discouraged.

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Once we leave the secret gardens, it’s time to see what else might be hidden in plain sight in the rest of the park. This is Amsterdam, there must be more art in the park. Yes, there is. https://archive.acitymadebypeople.com/journal/amsterdam-westerpark-art

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This is exhausting, let’s find one of the restaurants or cafes.

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With this we have covered the main aspects of Westerpark; the history, trails, allotments, art, and cafes. But there is more here. Most maps show the park area as roughly rectangular bordered by canals and train tracks – this is the way I have presented the park to you – so far. But a few maps show the park extending north to the other side of the tracks. It is here that you will find Het Woeste Westen.  (https://www.woestewesten.nl/) A large, hands-on, mostly kids place “to play with sand and water, sail on a raft, catch aquatic creatures, play in a flowing stream, stroll through reeds and bushes or just enjoy nature in silence.” And, learn to ride horses, too. I don’t like to get dirty myself, but I do love hearing the children laugh as they do.

It is in this northern section that you will find some of the best secrets yet – St. Barbara’s Cemetery. (https://stbarbara-amsterdam.nl/) It is of note that the cemetery was started by the Catholic church, 1893, but it is nondenominational in who it accepts for burial. Secrets in a cemetery – you may be thinking I really have lost my faculties; but wait. On your own you can visit the cemetery via the 3-D tour to see how beautifully the aisles and plots are laid out and fenced – so organized; (https://stbarbara-amsterdam.nl/rondleiding) but what you can’t see via this tour and which I have found almost no reference to in online searches, are some of the most creative headstones and memorials I have seen in many cemetery visits. As I write this, I do not know if these types of memorials are typical of just this location, or Amsterdam, or maybe even Netherlands. I do know, that I need to find out more about thinking outside the final resting place box for when I truly have lost all my faculties.

Poetry, sculpture, mosaics, one-liners; they appear fitting tributes to some very interesting people.

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Then they start a blog

Continuing on then; today’s lesson is the first in our series about the parks of Amsterdam, we will start with Vondelpark. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vondelpark) The saving grace of the pandemic’s lockdown is the city’s parks. Our central location puts us in walking distance to several large parks: Vondelpark, Westerpark, Rembrandt park, and Oosterpark are all within our reach. All incorporate green space with grass, trees, flowers, and walking and bike trails. Most have cafes and other amenities. And, of course, water – this is the Netherlands.

The Vondelpark is not just my favourite, it is many local and visitors alike favourite. According to the Amsterdam Information site, https://www.amsterdam.info/parks/vondelpark/, Vondelpark is the most visited of the city parks with over 10 million visitors per year. What makes this park so special? It is large, it has multiple secret locations, multiple playgrounds, multiple trails, multiple cafes, and art installations. We’ll take a look at all six of these items below:

Let’s begin with art. Notable is the Picasso sculpture, commonly called The Fish: https://jennifersalderson.com/2016/12/18/sculpture-by-picasso-in-vondelpark/  In true abstract art fashion, Picasso meant it to be a bird, not a fish; however, the interpretation has stuck. The large piece was donated by Picasso for the park’s 100th anniversary in 1965 with the requirement that it stay within the park forever.

The park was also selected as a commemoration point for the tragic 1983 death of Kerwin Duinmeijer. Kersin was killed by a skinhead on the Dam Straat (a central location) in a stabbing attack. Mama Baranka (https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mama_Baranka) was dedicated one year after the incident to draw attention to the senseless act and the ongoing cost of racism. The artist, Carrilho, wanted the mother figure to stand in vigilance, steadfastness, and eternity.

And, of course, the namesake of the park; “the imposing 3 meters high bronze monument of the Dutch poet Vondel by Louis Royer, dedicated in 1867”. https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vondelmonument The originally named “New Park”, began to be called Vondel’s Park based on the installation of this massive sculpture. The park’s name was officially changed in 1880. Vondel was a poet and playwright who converted from the Mennonite faith to Catholicism and whose life work predominately addressed religious tolerance. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joost_van_den_Vondel

Musical arts are anticipated too. The band shell and the band stand are both used in non-Covid times for weekly concerts and festivals. Several spots are favored by buskers, but these too are victims of the current lockdown.

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Cafes. On a pre-move trip to Amsterdam we walked through the park. It was in the middle of the park that we found The Blue Teahouse (and brewery tasting room) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blauwe_Theehuis https://www.brouwerijhetij.nl/t-blauwe-theehuis/  Originally built in the 1930’s, this blue and white flying saucer offers a range of locally brewed craft beer and other beverages as well as a short menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner items. The inside is small, but the outside is lovely with plenty of tables under the trees. Who wouldn’t want to live in a city with such a great park with such a great ‘tea house’ in it?

The Tea house remains our favourite, but it is not the only café in the park. The Groot Melkhouse (https://www.grootmelkhuis.nl/) has most of its tables, with their bright red umbrellas, right on the water. They offer a simple menu throughout the day, including a nice gluhwijn (mulled wine) for the chilly weather. The Melkhouse adjoins a large children’s playground.

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Vondelpark3, restaurant and venue, (https://www.vondelpark3.nl/) is close to one entrance and Vondeltuin cafe is on the opposite side, at the other main entrance. The Vondeltuin (https://devondeltuin.nl/) is also next to another children’s playground. Close to the Melkhouse is the Mucho Gusto Coffee House which fronts the large tennis court section. On sunny days, the park also benefits from various food carts offering hotdogs, cold drinks and gelato.

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Horseback riding and strolling were the primary goals of the park when it was conceived in the 1860’s, so paths to accommodate each were part of the initial design. Originally, a ‘members park’, non-members would pay for the opportunity to enjoy the paths and nature. Now, a part of the city parks system, it is open to all 24/7 to bike, run, walk, or skate. Paths are numerous, crossing the various sections of the park. If you are looking for about a 2-mile run/walk; start where the panhandle joins the larger park and stay to the right on the asphalt path, circle the park for one lap. (https://kalden.home.xs4all.nl/verm/tour-k-amsterdam-vondelparkENG.html) (http://leafywalks.com/amsterdam/walks/vondelpark-and-wg-terrein-walk.html) (https://www.lonelyplanet.com/the-netherlands/amsterdam/in-location/self-guided-tours/3b2cdcd7-a704-43eb-bb51-d51adda16d17/a/nar/3b2cdcd7-a704-43eb-bb51-d51adda16d17/360839)

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There are many ‘secret’ or hidden spots within or close to the Vondelpark. https://www.the500hiddensecrets.com/netherlands/amsterdam/discover/vondelpark  Unfortunately, with the lockdown, they remain closed; so, while I (and now you too) may know they are there, they currently remain out of reach. Except, Picasso’s Fish is one of the items on the list – not so secret now. Not on the list, but of interest because it could be art, it could be for the birds, or it could be for children; is the new Bijenkorf, or beehive; it is just for the bees – not to be disturbed, not even for the collection of honey. https://www.hetvondelpark.net/Natuurnieuws/BijenkorfVanSmartBeeing

Lastly, the park is a favourite because it is large. 45 Hectares, or, as Google calculates, over 111 acres. This makes plenty of room for multiple secret locations, multiple playgrounds, multiple trails, multiple cafes, and multiple art installations. And, of course, water. (https://www.rainproof.nl/waterhuishouding-vondelpark)

Thank you for your attention today; we will continue learning about Amsterdam’s parks next time when we visit Westerpark.

Pandemic lockdown style

The Netherlands remains in a hard lockdown; restaurants are only for take away, some shops can do a “click and collect”, bars are closed, as are all museums or ‘’entertainments”. The curfew is in effect 9:00 pm until 4:30 am. And all travel is for essential reasons only.

So, it has come to this – I have no choice but to share our most significant cultural experience of the past few months, celebrating my birthday in the Dutch tradition. This is a cultural event because birthdays are different here from the US, even in non-Covid times.

How do I know they are celebrated differently? First, in our textbook, Nederlands in Gang, a fictitious student invites her friends out for drinks – on her, because it is her birthday. Later in the book another student has a whole birthday party – which she throws herself. Time to ask Google for the full details: https://dutchreview.com/culture/dutchness/how-to-celebrate-your-dutch-birthday/#:~:text=A%20typical%20Dutch%20birthday%20will,expected%20to%20serve%20and%20provide. Generally speaking, then: the birthday person pays for cake, drinks, maybe dinner. Close friends and family are to be congratulated at the birthday party as they have helped the honouree to age another year. And gifts are to be opened and acknowledged immediately. Turns out, birthdays are a ‘thing’ here. With the help of our language tutor, Leidewie, it was time to celebrate mine.

Andy and I began the day, a beautiful and sunny treat of a day; by going from our apartment through the mosaic filled Beurs passageway (https://nltimes.nl/2016/12/01/spectacular-mosaic-passageway-dots-primarks-amsterdam-kick) and continuing out to the back of Centraal Station, where we had lunch with a view of the water. To the east of the station lies the Cruise ship port and terminal. (https://www.ptamsterdam.com/) A beautiful newly build part of the city; there is the large terminal, huge hotels, venues, and restaurants; even a bowling alley. All to welcome millions of cruising visitors to the city every year – except this one. It is all still beautiful; it is all still closed and empty.

With restaurants closed, we met Leidewie at the Vondelpark. Following tradition, Leidewie gave me a small present of Tony Chocolonely chocolate with a self-composed card. She congratulated Andy on my successful attainment of another year. She congratulated me also and I made sure to acknowledge her gift in the moment. While it does not show in this picture taken in October, the park was jam packed with people who were also out to enjoy the lovely day. We decided to move on a few blocks to the Museumplein. With its wide-open lawn and designated walking and biking lanes we thought it would be an easier spot to do our ‘walk and talk’ lesson about all things Dutch. What we found instead is what we now call the weekly Sunday Protests. Hundreds, if not thousands of people turning out for the bit of warm sun and to protest the curfew and lockdowns. We took some pictures and ended up walking back through most of Vondelpark.

We like to think we have discovered a hidden treasure of a spot right outside the popular Vondelpark. On the far, west, side is another main entrance to the park; which was still unbelievably crowded. But, across the street from this entrance is a lovely café, The Schinkelhaven. We were able to order a tart with slagroom and hot drinks for each of us and even find a bench to sit on by going just down from the café to a very small playground. We concluded our Dutch birthday lesson by again crossing to the other side of Vondelpark to begin making our way home.

The sun was setting as we made our way back to the apartment. Crossing the bridge, we witnessed the perfect sunset ending to a perfect Dutch birthday day.

And lastly, a picture of my birthday cake for home which Andy ordered from the French bakery next door; yum. You can’t tell, but this is a toffy meringue cake with crème filling. Business is good at the bakery, we are doing our part .

For the first time in many years, it has snowed in the Netherlands; so exciting.

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Then, it stayed very cold for several days in a row. Boat access to the canals was closed. The locks that let in ocean water were closed. Everyone was to do their part to let the canals freeze over, and they did. Such joy! Ice skating on the frozen canals. Even though we don’t have skates, it was still something to be a part of.

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And now, it is ever so slowly warming back up. Time to put the heaviest of our winter coats away. We are done with winter. We had the snow, the ice, the cold; the skating, the hot wine, the laughing. Now it is time to warm up and let the flowers come out.

Is it spring yet?

(Hoo-da-more-hen al-la-mel)

Good morning, everyone. “Highly skilled migrants” such as Andy, are recruited to the Netherlands with phrases like: “Don’t worry about the language, everyone speaks English”.  And, for the most part, this is a true statement; they speak English. It is; however, a Dutch country and the official language is Dutch; all writing is Dutch. No contract in the Netherlands is official if it is not in Dutch, even if the parties to the contract cannot read it, i.e., we truly hope there is nothing bizarre in our apartment rental contract and heaven only knows what is in our cell phone plans.

We picked up some food and drink words pretty quickly; eten and dranken: kip is chicken, kaas is cheese, brood is bread, wit wijn is white wine, and bierje is small beer – beers are served small here to keep the contents cold. But assuming we would be out and about, we needed Dutch lessons to become more enculturated. In November we began our Dutch lessons; one tutor for the two of us, over Skype.

Us learning Dutch is too funny by far. Rote memorization of new words is a part, learning pronunciation is a part, and learning the grammar is a whole ‘nuther thing. Subject, verb, split infinities; I feel like the goof off in the back of the class trying to hide so the teacher won’t call on them – but it’s just the two of us, on a video conference, there is no place to hide.

Like many a poor student, I quite often spend my “homework time” not actually reviewing the lessons, but Googling and YouTube searching for things like the ABC song in Dutch, (https://youtu.be/wkdxfd2mhS8) or How to Sound Dutch (https://youtu.be/qHcBmV-xx1M) , or Top Ten Dutch words (https://locallayover.com/2017/05/26/top-10-dutch-words/) or the all-time favourite topic: Easy Dutch (https://youtu.be/sgiDZvYZyMQ) I know as well as anyone that this is “pretend work”, so today I did it not for myself, but for this blog – my searching had purpose.

Ah, but I also like to include pictures with the blog postings – pictures of us attempting to read our text just does not convey the actual language mangling that occurs, and making a video would just be too embarrassing, so instead I have opted for another version of “pretend work”; I am including pictures of signage from along the canal district of Amsterdam. This is one way I practice my Dutch reading, trying to figure out what the signs mean as I encounter them on my walks.

Tot ziens, (pronounced pretty much like it looks) means, goodbye, so long

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Since moving to Amsterdam

The canals of Amsterdam are the defining feature. The water, the bridges, the trees, the houses. They are a marvel of engineering, especially when you consider most of the central canal district was built in the 1600’s. Amsterdam is literally a hundred swampy islands connected by hundreds of cobblestone bridges. https://canals-amsterdam.nl/

It has been eight months, already! Yet, we continue to be amazed by the beauty of the canals and their interplay with nature. We highly recommend the Netherlands as a ‘bucket list’ destination; while we try almost daily to capture the incredible sights of the city – they do not measure up to seeing the real thing. The following is a sampling of our canal pictures taken over the past eight months.  They are not exactly the same and it was some fun for me to sort through all our pictures to find our best of Amsterdam’s canals. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canals_of_Amsterdam https://www.holland.com/global/tourism/destinations/amsterdam.htm (FYI, photos are not ‘retouched’.  If they appear black and white, that is because some days here also appear black and white. They are roughly in latest to earliest order)

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New Year’s in the Netherlands

Signs of the end of 2020 have been appearing for weeks now; carts selling fried dough, mulled wine on tap, and the occasional boom of fireworks. December 31 is the culmination day that sends the old year off literally with a bang.

We first saw the red Olliebollen carts back in November. We did not know what they were selling or why. Since then, we have learned that olliebollen, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliebol, translated literally to oil balls, are the traditional new year’s treat which all Dutch eat to bid the old year goodbye. Also, since November, we have had a French bakery open on our corner and starting five days ago they too started selling olliebollen – we had to try them. The dough inside is light with bits of apple, raisins, and currents; the outside fried to a light crunch then dusted in powdered sugar.  Yummy! But yesterday, December 31 was absolutely ‘get your olliebollen’ time. Socially distanced lines formed all over as Dutchies waited for their year-end treat.

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Gluhwijn has also been on offer since November. https://expatexplore.com/blog/gluhwein-a-traditional-christmas-drink-of-europe/  In non-Covid lockdown times, this mulled wine would be available at the local winter fairs and Christmas markets; but, as we know these are all closed this year. So, in their place, several restaurants, which can only serve take-away, began including gluhwijn as an option. A lovely treat while out for a winter’s walk. Add the wine with the olliebollen and you have an incredibly special treat.

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When we moved to Baltimore, we were astounded by the fireworks shows at Oregon Ridge Park. As folks from California, who witnessed Fourth of July displays over the Pacific Ocean, to see fireworks over trees was simply amazing. Then, we learn that here, in the Netherlands, personal fireworks are legal for 8 hours on New Year’s Eve (6pm until 2am) and can be purchased three days prior at sanctioned locations – of course, that is in non-Covid times, not this year. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fireworks_policy_in_the_Netherlands  This year no place was sanctioned for selling them and there was a 100 Euro fine for lighting fireworks; but as you can see these rules did not stop them from going off. From our apartment we could not see any display, only hear the pop-pop-pop ongoing until well past 2:00 in the morning. Pictures below are from the Internet.

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With that, it is now 2021. It feels like the world is sighing in relief to have 2020 behind us – finally. We too are ready to look forward; forward to eating at restaurants (even if outside), forward to travel again, and forward to actual hugs with family and friends, old and new.

Air hugs from Holland! And Happy New Year!

If you Google: “Markets open on Christmas in Amsterdam”, you will find that this is a beautiful place to be this time of year: https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/see-and-do/whats-on/major-events-and-celebrations/christmas/markets  I was actually trying to figure out if the grocery stores would be open Christmas day, but found this may be more interesting; if not as useful in 2020. And it turns out that, no, the grocery stores are not open.

Currently, only shops or stands that normally sell food can be open. That means that: The Winter Paradise has gone online, https://www.hetamsterdamsewinterparadijs.nl/ Tickets on sale now for December 2021. The beautiful Ice Village and Kerstmarket at the Museumplein says it is open – but it is not. https://icevillage.nl/  At the end of their webpage is a link to all things Christmas in Amsterdam: https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/see-and-do/whats-on/major-events-and-celebrations/christmas  All have been cancelled or, as in the case of the annual Light Festival; severely downsized. The 2020 Light Festival https://amsterdamlightfestival.com/en/edition-9 had no festival, no walking route, and no boat parade; it does have a limited number, seven, of illuminated installations set up in four different sections of the city. But to keep crowds down, the locations are not published – I can’t find them.

But all is not dreary. Christmas day arrived with sunshine predicted for an entire day; this is a true gift as it rains, or is cloudy, almost every day in winter here – such a treat. To celebrate the beautiful day, we each did our outdoor exercise and then after lunch went to several known locations throughout the city to create our own: “Day in pictures; Amsterdam”. Our day has been lovely, and we hope yours was too.

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The sunny day in Amsterdam is over; time now to watch movies and eat our Chinese food. Our “Day in pictures; Amsterdam” completed for December 25, 2020.

What a difference a year has made. A year ago, we celebrated Thanksgiving at the Parsons Green Pub, which had a great dinner with whisky cocktails between each course – we were never quite sure if they thought that is how Americans do it, or if it was a promotion put on by Jack Daniels. Moving on to Amsterdam was in the ether, but not too serious an issue; and the more serious issue of the Pandemic was not on anyone’s radar. Holy cow!

But Thanksgiving in Amsterdam during the pandemic is where we are, what we did. Have I mentioned the small kitchen in this apartment? It was built for takeout. The fridge/freezer is about the size of the right-hand side of a side-by-side in the US, so it holds about two days’ worth of fresh foods. We have a four-burner cooktop and a combination oven + microwave oven – that is it. Pretty hard to find the makings of a Thanksgiving dinner to begin with and then very hard to make it into a good dinner cooking one thing at a time in the combi-oven. So, take-out for Thanksgiving was truly the only option.

One restaurant offered Thanksgiving take-out two weeks before the date. (Another added a smaller version the week before). So, we went with the first place, Carter Restaurant. https://barcarter.nl/ A beautiful restaurant in the Oud Zuid (Old South) neighbourhood of Amsterdam. https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/about-amsterdam/amsterdam-neighbourhoods/oud-zuid  A lovely dinner menu and this one came with cocktails too. All in two giant bags to carry home a complete feast.

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It would not be Thanksgiving without Black Friday sales. Although, since Thanksgiving is not a holiday here, no one is off work, (except, Andy took vacation days) and most sales are minor promotions of a few percent’s off at most stores. Nonetheless, they advertise Black Friday and Andy needed a wireless keyboard, so off to the sale at the Best Buy equivalent we went.

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And, of course, Thanksgiving kicks off holiday decorating. Netherlands celebrates Christmas and SinterKlaas. SinterKlaas is first, with his arrival by horse on the first Saturday after November 11^th. Primarily a children’s holiday and festival, Sinterklass returns to Spain on December 6^th, the name day of St. Nicholas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas  While the seasons give us diminishing sunlight, the holidays of November and December give rise to beautiful street and canal decorations starting late October. We are isolated like much of the world, but when we step outside, our part of the world is beautiful, and we are grateful for this too.

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Off to Dallas, Texas we go

We don’t really care for Texas. It is a big state with too much desert and too much concrete; yet it is where Aj lives. So, we go to Texas.

We arrived on a cold (50 degrees) and cloudy day – temperature-wise, still better than the 20-degree temps we left in Pelican Rapids. And, while it never got hot while we were there, the weather brought sunshine and warmer temperatures every day, a nice break from both Minnesota and the Netherlands in fall.

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Continuing to practice our ‘together apart’ strategy, we were able to do a few things with Aj and Aaron in the Dallas area. A few times, they simply brought us their favourite take-out foods and then we used a couple tables in the hotel lobby to chat and eat together, apart. Even after several trips to Taqueria Escobar in Pelican Rapids (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g43415-d4840148-Reviews-Taqueria_Escobar-Pelican_Rapids_Minnesota.html) we were still craving Mexican food. Aj literally delivered Torchy’s Tacos (www.Torchystacos.com ) Yummy! He also introduced us to Cris and Johns Vietnamese Street Food which has a twist of Mexican. (https://www.crisandjohn.com/) Also yummy!

Other food and drink related trips included an evening at the Cider Cade (https://www.cidercade.com/home) which combines all-you-can-play arcade games with in-house cider, wine, and kombucha. This is a large warehouse-type facility as half of it is used for the production of their drinks. The other half is an unbelievable amount of games; including Star Wars Pod Racing, old style pinballs and early electronics like Centipede and Galaga.

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Another night we went to the self-described Come as You Are Beer Garden and Adult Playground; The Truckyard at the Colony. (https://truckyardthecolony.com/)  This is a Texas-sized mostly outdoor venue with a Toilet Seat Museum (https://truckyardthecolony.com/museum), live music, drinks, food, tables, chairs, and fire pits. A perfect spot to stay socially distanced while enjoying cheese steak sandwiches and adult beverages.

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Of course, we did more than eat; but we did also eat some darn good bar-b-que (some say the best in Texas) at the Pecan Lodge (https://pecanlodge.com/ ) in the Deep Ellum area. We were on our way to visit the Bishop Arts District (https://www.bishopartsdistrict.com/) where Aj has designed a whole apartment block, incorporating an existing building. The complex is in its final stages of construction with apartments now leasing. (http://www.liveatmagnolia.com/homes/tx/bishop-arts/bishop-highline/)

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Aj and I walked the dog, Parker, at Celestial Park; a lovely neighbourhood park not far from where Aj and Aaron live. (https://addisontexas.net/parksrec/celestial-park)  A few days later, we added Andy to the dog walk, continuing from Celestial park on the trail around White Rock Creek. A different time we all met at Addison Circle Park. (https://addisontexas.net/parksrec/addison-circle-park) It was not supposed to include playing in the fountains, but a change of plans was called for when Parker rolled in another dog’s poo. For open air and exercise without the dog, we headed to White Rock Lake Park (https://whiterocklake.org/) with its nine mile long trail around the entire lake.

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On our last afternoon we headed back to White Rock Lake, but this time stopped at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. (https://www.dallasarboretum.org/)

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And, then we came back to Amsterdam again. Just in time, as the next day the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Rutte, announced that there should be no more travel abroad until mid-January. Holy cow, this may result in a lot of ‘book trail’ blog postings – I hope ya’ll are ready for that.