Holland 2/24/2018-3/11/18
UTRECHT & AMSTERDAM
Brrrr. Our
flight to Amsterdam was late starting & late finishing so we texted our
Dutch friends, Cees & Nathalie, luckily catching them before they left
their home in Utrecht to pick us up. We sat down, walked across to the info
desk, heard of a second delay, texted them again, then sat down.... until the
next delay when we got up to check the info screen, texted them, and sat down
again. One more round of this relay & I had managed my daily exercise. With
oodles of waiting time, I called my English third cousin Jan, who supports
Brexit and some of Trump’s ideas. It is good to balance news sources! Finally,
I kept my resolve to “ Talk across the aisle.”
All the travel hassles were worth enjoying
Utrecht & Amsterdam. Cees conjured up a fine French version of roast duck
& (no longer sour) sauerkraut and bacon (with pork belly). Nathalie’s salad
dressing was tasty enough to drink. Her photographs intrigue. She inserted a
windmill image in a photo of a rustic window frame- a nod to the tourist
penchant for photographing windmill after windmill. Our guest room was filled
with books. Why count sheep when you can scrutinize Dutch language books &
make a game guessing the English title from the author’s name?
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Our visit to the
newly remodeled Stedeljk Modern art Museum was amazing.
Architects designed wooden dividers that serve as “cubbies” separating the art
by artist. The cluster of Piet Mondrian was stunning & enlightening. The
arrangement of art can confuse. Had I zigzagged between these dividers before?
No harm revisiting an art piece, but where oh where is my husband in this
labyrinth? We adjourned to the cafe for piping hot sausage croquettes dipped in
mustard. My hot chocolate was delicious. The yummy duck and croquettes were
just the beginning of our leaving The Mediterranean Diet in the dust! Northern climes and very cold weather demand
more calories.
It was winter
cold, but too early for The Ice Master to open skating season. While Mike and
Cees sang and played their guitars, Nathalie and I walked in a lovely wood,
noticing green leaves of spring emerging. Napoleon’s brother vacationed in the
impressive stone house on the property. We saw an exhibit of Chinese hangings
from the Qing Dynasty. Charming wallpaper from the Guangdong Museum and works
from Dutch artist Armondo are interspersed showing similarities of subject
& vertical composition.
Later that day we rushed to Amsterdam to visit
the Hermitage collection on loan to the Rijksmuseum to savor Rembrandt ‘s
portraits of aged men with eyes having seen wisdom and challenges. Catherine
the Great had more Dutch Master’s paintings than all of the Netherlands; she
had purchased 2 million paintings during her time.
Our dinner in
view of the charmingly lit canals pretty much made me forget the bicycle
dodging necessary for we ignorant tourists straying off the pedestrian path.
Seeing parents juggling children while checking phones & whizzing by
reminded me of a similar skill demonstrated by the Indians and Vietnamese on
their motorbikes.
BRUSSELS
Cees &
Nathalie drove us to Rotterdam to catch our train to Brussels. Upon arrival we
saw four guards, their rifles at the ready! Intimidating? Consoling? This
fueled my anxiety when I was descending the stairs and a plastic container of
half eaten lunch flew past me landing next to my feet! Kind people eagerly
retrieved it for me.... but I insisted it was not mine. I looked all around and
never saw the source. Took a taxi to the Thon Hotel Centrale. Oops, no
reservation there. Took a second taxi to the Thon Hotel EU. There began a new
awareness of the impact of the European Union. The EU cooperates on many
levels. For example, when we were in Amsterdam, we learned some bridges needed
to be widened to accommodate the wider trucks carrying bigger loads. Our hotel
was in the midst of the EU buildings. Our host, Deidre, works there. Friends
were abuzz with EU politics- who’s in who’s out. Who’s benefitting from Brexit,
etc? Keeping the identities of each member state while achieving economy of
scale is a slow & challenging task. I appreciated their silence about our
politics. They were distracted yet very full of US news and fake news. I think
that all countries must adapt to the economic upheaval that exists today.
You know I’m a
“foodie.” The Thon Hotel buffet breakfast was the best! Freshly squeezed orange
juice and warm, crunchy Belgian waffles with soft insides, delicious hot
chocolate, of course. One morning the receptionist was cheerful. One morning I
felt like an inmate begging to be admitted. Two waiters explained that the
former was from the South and the latter from the East of Belgium.
Mike’s meeting
was in an EU building. Many countries are represented. Project Notify is an
effort to make transfusion and transplantation safer. He has been working on
this for 8 years. I am interested in it, too. I attended part of the second
meeting and was so impressed with the camaraderie and altruism of these many
specialists. After proofing the second addition of the informative booklet
several times (who’s complaining?) I became a fan. I thank my French teachers.
The EU security at the meeting entrance wondered whether to admit me, a
non-medical type. Texting was not working. They spoke only French. Finally, our
multilingual EU friend, Deirdre appeared. I showed my passport, filled out a
form and was admitted.
Science has
given us an abundance of wonderful friendships! Yes, as we age, we are
realizing we may not see some of them again, so this whole trip is replete with
reminiscence and appreciation for what we have learned from people all over the
world. We are so lucky!
While Mike was working and warm in the Project Notify meeting, I
was freezing everything touring nearby Ghent and Bruges. We had ice and frozen
ponds. We had a cozy lunch by the fireplace. In between we toured well
preserved medieval buildings and churches. The guilds and castles abound. Ghent
was a major port, trading in wool and linen. These two cities are worth the
side trip. So much history. Our guide kept us engaged from 9am-7pm. My friend,
Carol, was with me on the tour and provided good company on the long bus trip
despite her frozen feet. She mentioned this to a cafe owner who presented her
with a coffee and a pair of new socks! That’s hospitality.
Would you
believe an entire baby whale skeleton hung from St. Bavo’s cathedral ceiling in
Ghent? It was swept into their harbor. It is considered bad luck to have a
whale swept ashore and dies. Guess they are hedging their bets. In the Chapel
of the Blood, I saw an ornate vial of blood stained cloth proven to be from the
11th or 12th c. Legend claims it is Christ’s blood, brought from the Crusades.
A priest sits beside it as follower’s process by.
Back to
Brussels, the meeting completed we stayed at Deirdre and Ray’s art-filled,
beautiful apartment, we strolled together past a lovely park with swans and
parakeets sitting on the icy sloughs and shopped at the outdoor market. Later
we toured the Art Nouveau home of Victor Horta. I am grateful my friends
alerted me to this gorgeous place. He designed jewelry, furniture, a jewelry
shop and his home. The colors are bold and soothing at the same time. Door
pulls are exquisite little sculptures.
I promise I do
not interview perspective friends regarding their culinary skills. However,
each of the families we stayed with is a fabulous cook! Ray cooked an Indian
feast for a gathering of friends. Deirdre fixed lunch and dinner.
I promise I do
not interview perspective friends regarding their art appreciation. However,
each home abounds with art in many forms.
LAUSANNE
The day before
our departure both Brussels & Geneva’s airports were closed due to snow!
We were lucky to catch our flight to Geneva and our train to
Lausanne where our friends, Guy and Rosemarie live on the banks of Lake Geneva.
The setting and Rosemarie’s magic, natural garden equal a feast for the eyes
and soul. We walked together along the lake, marveling at the gracefulness of
swans flying by. Snowy, showy Alps in the background. I do understand my
childhood dream to live in Switzerland. (Fueled by my reading the book Heidi)
Yes, Guy and
Rosemarie cooked us wonderful meals. We had cabbage soup on a cold day. We
marveled at Rosemarie’s perfect Yorkshire pudding, tenderloin, endive and
molten chocolate cake. The following morning, Guy did a pencil sketch of Mike
that he had promised to do many years ago.
At our request,
they drove us through the United Nations Heritage site vineyards in the area
where Guy grew up. In Vevey (highly recommended side trip) we envied the
boulevard trees all snuggly wrapped in hand knitted ‘bracelets’ around their
trunks. Then we tucked into a small cafe next to the library. After lunch, saw
a Pastel exhibition at the nearby L’Hermitage Museum.
For dinner, they granted our request for wonderful, creamy,
crunchy, tasty Raclette with cornichons, pearl onions, and potatoes and add in
Fondu, and you have a classical Swiss meal. That evening, I viewed Rosemarie’s
exquisite pastel painting in her home studio. She is preparing for an
exhibition in May.
Sad, but fond
goodbyes to our Swiss friends of many years. We met them in the USA when we
were all youngish parents in Maryland.
ROME
What a wet,
windy welcome to Rome! We dodged huge puddles in between the cobblestones as we
made our way to our rented apartment on the second floor in an old building in
Trastevere, via old worn, stone steps. It didn’t take long for us to shed our
travel weariness. A cure came in the guise of Viale Gelateria where we almost
always order hazelnut (nociola) and one other flavor. We ate dinner at Dar
Poeta pizza restaurant nearby. A young Norwegian girl sat next to us. She has
travelled afar and was meeting her boyfriend who was working on a farm in
Hungary. They also planned to go onto Vietnam, traveling is much more
accessible to young people in today’s world.
Mike has been
listening to an expat blog called “the Bittersweet Life.” One of the bloggers
lives in Rome and has created a list of her must see places. We followed her
advice and were intrigued by a museum in the Emperor Domiziano stadium UNDER
Piazza Navona. Check it out. Every town on earth should have a piazza like
Navona. A gathering of all ages, of artists and aspiring artists, of lovers and
gawkers and good cheer. Of course, we stopped to dance to the music of a bossa
nova Trio. A cluster of University of Rome students stopped to watch we two
lovers, me with a backpack and clogs against the cobblestones. The best part
was some of them tried to imitate our moves, laughing at their attempts. It was
great to see them dancing and carrying on the tradition. We tucked into a shop
and Mike bought a nice wool scarf. They were ubiquitous in this cold weather.
The shopkeeper chatted with us about Trump, he is a fan, saying he will be good
for U.S. business.
On to our
favorite Nonna Betta restaurant for grilled artichokes Jewish style (Carciofi
alla Giudia). Mmmmmm.
Later we joined an Italian and a Greek friend for the world’s
best bargain dinner (45 euros for 4) at Alfredo & Ada’s. Topped off the
meal with a gelato from Giolletti’s. Definitely a family owned long lived
business itself. Afterwards, Claudia secured a loan car which we picked up near
the Pantheon. She drove us home. We had walked so many miles this trip!
There was an odd
exhibition at Palazzo Altemps, a Roman Museum.
Fornasetti, an architect, added modern and surprising elements to the
ancient stone statues in this wonderful, elegant palace. My opinion is mixed.
Did it enhance or detract?
Our attempt to
follow the Bittersweet Life blogger’s enthusiasm for some beautiful frescoes
never materialized, alas! She said this room was opened to the public only on
St. Francesca di Romano’s feast day March 9th. Ta dah! We set out on March 9th;
walked for miles uphill, found her hospital, senior home, basilica, but not the
frescoes. I insisted on opening a closed metal grill gate into the crypt of the
basilica and therefore did see some nice, very old, frescoes, but learned
online these were not the ones we sought. Never mind the inconvenience, we
consoled ourselves with a gelato from Fata Morgana in Trastevere.
We splurged on
dinner at the Glass Osteria. Little portions, big price tag. Delicious, a bit
pretentious. Fun to stare at the clientele. First woman chef to earn a Michelin
star. Who knew one could start with a tablespoon full of: rock lobster bits,
mayonnaise, and herbs; have lime sauced fettuccine, then steak with chocolate,
puréed foie gras and mushrooms?
Our last Roman
breakfast was at Settimiana Bar in Trastevere. It is a favorite and right
across from one of the prettiest garden restaurants, Romolo, Nel giardino di
Trastevere. Each visit to Rome, I stop in to greet La Signora who presides over
the restaurant from her station in a corner. She pretends to remember me- motto
gentile! Her home was once the home of Raphael’s mistress. HIs frescoes
decorate the nearby Villa Farnesina.
Our last Roman dinner was with our friends
Franco and Daniela at their favorite pizza restaurant. I’m feeling nostalgic
about Italy, but also about Edmonds. Would you believe that Daniela prefers
making American coffee at home? At the Rome airport, we saw signs advertising
“American Coffee”! I must concentrate on which gelateria for our last gelato?
This 15 day journey
was replete with meaning. Yes, we saw fabulous landscapes and awesome museum
art, but this particular trip focused on relishing our European friends. Thanks
to every one of them!