Sorry it has been so long since we've posted, but we have been somewhat busy and unable to connect.
We decided to make another trip to Holland to see all the relatives we missed on our last trip. It started the same, with a 3:30 am wake up call and taxi to the airport. Unlike last time, the KLM flight between Aberdeen and Amsterdam was packed full. It appears the credit crisis has not reached quite everyone yet.
We got into Schiphol at just past 9 in the morning and bought tickets for the train. I have been to the Netherlands several times before, but I had never taken advantage of the great public transport. I recommend it highly, it is a great way to see the countryside. We passed through the university town of Leiden and through the interesting architecture of The Hague. In a short hour and a half we were in Breda where my Ome Ad was waiting for us.
We made our way to Baarle-Nassau where a great many of relatives (on my mother's side) live. The town lies right on the border between Belgium and the Netherlands, with little flags on the number plates indicating which houses reside in which country. We did a little walkabout and had some poffertjes (miniature Dutch pancakes covered in powdered sugar).
My cousin Pim had gone out of his way to organize an assembly of cousins for an evening out in nearby Breda. With only a day or two notice he had managed to get together quite a crew - his sister Barbara and her partner Emile, my cousin Adrienne and her partner Eric, my cousin Reuben, my cousin Maurice and his partner Jose and my cousin Maud. He also managed to make a reservation for 11 on a Friday night at a good restaurant that offered a 3 course meal for only 15 euros. Quite a guy, that Pim. Dinner was great. It had been so long since I had seen many of my cousins - some I remembered as being little kids were now talking about their brand new cars or rushing off early to meet their boyfriends. Fiona was meeting many for the first time and they were all very gracious, using their best English to make it easier for her. We were also happy to meet some of the partners for the first time and glad to see how they all made us feel at home. We had a few drinks at dinner and then moved on to a bar down the street. The good times continued ... perhaps a little too long. I made a serious mistake in trying to keep up with my cousins and paid for it a little in the morning.
All in all, though, day 1 was a resounding success.
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