Visiting the Netherlands

1 Sept 2008
We had an uneventful trip to the Netherlands and have spent the last five days visiting with Anneke’s sister and her family-Maaike, Bert, Lianne, Annemarijn, and Adriaan. The weather has been good which has allowed us to do some of our favorite “Dutch “things. Luckily for us, our hosts have a very nice boat. We really enjoy the waterways here and have spent many happy days cruising the many canals and lakes of the Netherlands over the years.

Our hosts have also recently moved into their new home in Rhenen along the Rhine River, which comes with great views. We have already spent a great deal of time watching the river traffic, enjoying the garden and views from the upper and lower decks, walks along the many paths and dikes, and readjusting to the Dutch customs.
The view from the patio includes the bridge crossing the Rhine. This area was the scene of fierce fighting during WWII. It was not as famous as the battle for the bridge in Arnhem, which became known as “the bridge to far”, but an important river crossing.

One of the things we always look forward to is enjoying the local food. Top on that list is cheese. Lots of cheese.

Tomorrow, we will hit the highways to visit Anneke’s parents. This will be my first time behind the wheel here in over nine years. This could get exciting.