Wednesday, October 8, 2008

We left Europe from Dusseldörf, Tuesday, saying good-bye to renewed and new relationships, wonderful sights, delightful events, and much sight-seeing. Words will never be able to fully express the events we experienced in the last four weeks. Our Dutch daughter, Ilona, may have said it best, ". . . .too much to tell. No words, no stories would be fully understood by the ones that didn't share them. The best memories are the hardest ones to explain. They are kept in the heart."
To all those who made this possible, our families and friends in the USA and our European families and friends, we can say only, "Thank you".
Peace,

Mike & Marcia Biklen

October 6, 2008 - Rhine River Valley

Our final days.
Icing on the cake.
A cruise on the Rhine River preceded by our stay in this "hotel"; a restored old wine storehouse from the middle ages; in Bacharach. The room was wonderfully appointed. The propriatress is Philippina.

This section (which includes Bacharach) of the Rhine is a mountain valley populated by a large number of picturesque castles overlooking the river.

They were of local rulers who would string chains across the river to extract tolls from those who travelled the river. Wars were fought between these local rulers as well as between nation-states: Rome, France, Prussia, Germany. All but one of the castles were destroyed by Napoleon but have since been rebuilt and restored.
Even though it was cloudy and rainy, the fall colors were spectacular.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Yesterday and today, we drove to Carmen and Sebastian's hometowns; Bad Arolsen and Fritzlar.
These are Carmen's parents with Marcia, Carmen and Lene.


Bad Arolsen has a quite ornate castle through which we toured. The paintings and the decorations were really exquisite.


Today, before we went to Fritzlar, we went to Wilhelmshöhe Castle (Kaiser Wilhelm's castle in Kassel) which has an art museum with Europe's largest collection of Rembrandts along with many other painters, including Van Dyke, Rubens et al.
This is Fritzlar, Sebastian's hometown. The original town is still virtually walled. And it is quite quaint, typical of an earlier age. Fritzlar is much larger and "modern", but this area is still completely used with shops, cafes, and residences.

Tomorrow, we leave for Bacharach, where we stay overnight before taking a cruise down the Rhine River.
As in Holland, the hospitality that we have experienced here in Kassel has been wonderful. We have had the opportunity to meet the families of Carmen and Sebastian and have had some wonderful food and fellowship.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Yesterday, we explored Kassel. It is the home of the Brothers Grimm, of Fairytale fame.
This is the Brothers Grimm museum. Almost everything was in German; we had to use our German/English Dictionary and our imagination, a lot. There were a lot of illustrations from a wide variety of artists (including Japanese), and it was fun identifying the tales from those drawings. It has renewed our interest in the work they did.
We also had the fun of exploring Kassel by tram (another excellent form of travel in Europe).
Today, Carmen and Sebastian took us to Waldeck where there is quite a castle of the Waldeck family. This view is from the dam at Edersee, a resevoir on the Eder River, that was also impacted by the destruction of the dam during each of the two World Wars, with the loss of a lot of lives.
The castle included a museum that went through torture chambers which included this cage/jail which spun around to make the person inside very sick.
Any explanation for why Marcia is smiling and Mike is crying for help?

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

We arrived in Kassel, yesterday, after having traveled at 250 km/h (150 mph) by train.
We are with our German daughter and her family: Carmen, Sebastian, and their daughter Lene (prounounced Leeneh).

The flat in which we are staying includes the rooms with the windows to both the right and the left of where Marcia is standing on the balcony, pretending to be royalty. It also includes its own kitchen, full bath, and toilet. All of that and breakfast, too. We were expecting a small room with a shared toilet and maybe even bath!!!

Carmen, after having been reading our blog, actually served us McCain Fries!!!





The terrain is quite different, here, than in Holland; like the mountains of the Eastern US. The trees in both Holland and Germany are turning colors, now. The clouds have moved into the mountains, today.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Today, following worship, we attended a jazz guitar concert in a small cafe/bed & breakfast. They served "high tea" (not a Dutch tradition). It was quite enjoyable.

We prepared an American (?) Supper; Pizza Macaroni, Italian bread, tossed salad, ice cream and chocolate syrup (what do you want; it was the best we could do!!!!) for our hosts, Ilona's parents, and her family.

Tomorrow, we say our good-byes, for now, catch a train, and travel to Kassel, Germany to visit our German Daughter, Carmen, Sebastian, her husband, and their infant daughter, Lene.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Today we went canoeing on the Ruiten Canal; it runs through the town of Sellingen. We went with Ilona and Wim (her husband) and their children, Liza, Gerben, and Merel. About five hours of canoeing over several sluices gates (small dams that help keep the canals at the right water level). This canal is used, now, just for recreation and nature conservation.

And we all had raw herring for a snack!!

McCain Frozen Fries

McCain is a brand of frozen fries here in Holland. These are in the shape of smiley faces.

Make up your own jokes!!!

Thursday, September 25, 2008 - Utrecht

We now know why we like the trains. We traveled to Utrecht by car. The traffic made us fully appreciate the trains!!!!!
We went to Castle De Haar, just Northwest of Utrecht, the largest castle in Holland. It is in the process of being restored for about the fourth time. It was originally built in the 12th Century; suffered several destructions from fire or war, fell into disrepair, and then in the latter part of the 19th Century began the process of restoration. Because of the sandy soil, it is being stabilized and restored once again. Incredibly beautiful, opulent, ostentatious, decoration inside. Too much discretionary spending money!!!!!!
We then had the fun (!!) of trying to get into central Utrecht (construction made that effort interesting, at best). But we got there. A very large shopping district (mall) with a couple of museums in the midst of it all.
We visited the fascinating Netherlands' National Museum "From Musical Clock to Street Organ". This is a very large dance hall organ which could be transported from one dance hall to the next. Many of the organs still function.

We tried their Fries, the Dutch way, with Mayonnaise. Potatoes are a major crop in Holland. Just think, Pella might just as easily celebrate a Potato Festival rather than a Tulip Festival.


Then we went shopping.






We shopped till we dropped!!!!!

September 23, 2008

In the most Northeastern area of Holland are some sand islands, created by the ocean currents of the North Sea. The farthest island to the East is Schiermonnikoog (a real mouthful to say!!!!), a nature preserve which is a National Park. The island can only be reached by ferry in a circuitous route through the sandbars between the mainland and the island.
It was rainy and windy (and Marcia says it was cold!) that day. That did not stop us (Ilona and her parents, Wim and Rika, Marcia and Mike) from taking a bicycle tour of the island.
These bicycles also include an electric motor in the rear wheel hub. The Lithium-Ion Batteries are in the frame.

Along the north shore of the island is the broadest beach in Europe. It almost looks, here, like a wintery, snowy day in Northern Iowa (Marcia even suggests the Arctic Circle.). We are walking toward the North Sea, about 100 yards from where this picture is taken. The wind whips the sand into small and large dunes.

This is a picture of the power of the wind and waves from the North Sea.

Although windy and rainy, it was an enjoyable adventure. We got wet, we dried, we laughed a lot.
We finished the day at one of the restuarants (pizza anyone?) in the small village on the island.

September 22, 2008

Ilona at her work, a small, highly specialized machine shop in Sellingen. Among other things they do prototype work for companies.

September 21, 2008 A Day in Sellingen

This morning we worshiped at the old Kerk (church) which was built in the 1300s. The service was complete with a large brass orchestra accompanying congregational hymns. Before and after the service were times of fellowship with coffee and cake, and for us the frequently asked incredulous question was, "You don't drink coffee?"

This afternoon we attended a concert by the acapella quartette, "Fosfour". Our Dutch daughter, Ilona, is the soprano on the left.

They have sung together for several years and have a very good sound.

This evening, Ilona and her husband, Wim, invited her parents, her siblings and families and us to a barbeque at their home. Here we are on the delightful sunken patio covered by a grape arbor. We called it a patio and they said that they call it a sithole because it is a hole in which you sit. We had an enjoyable time getting to know everybody, and we ate barbequed fish, chicken, turkey, pork, mushroom, onions and salmon for hours.

Selected Pictures of Amsterdam Trip, 9/15-9/19

Sunbathing in Holland!

Madurodam, a walk through miniaturized scenes of Holland.

Marjet and Hans De Kiefte, our hosts at the Bed and Breakfast in Haarlem.

Bicyle Parking Lot at the Haarlem Train Station.

We listened to an one hour concert on one of the best organs in Europe, at Grote of St. Bavokerk in Haarlem.

Chess anyone (the bird doesn't count as a chess piece)?

Street scene in Amsterdam; lots of pedestrians, bicycles, cars, trams, shops.

You can take Marcia out of the Accounting Office but you can't take accounting out of Marcia.
Double click to enlarge: the sign says, among other things, Accounting and Tax Advice.

Twilight on an Haarlem Canal.

Train Adventures, 9/18-9/19

We were traveling to Delta Works (more on that, later) by train. It was to have been without any connections to the town of Vlissingen. When we got to Roosendaal, there was a long announcement on the speakers, in Dutch; Marcia, especially, had the sudden sense that we were on the train, all alone. She checked with the conductor (she had to look for him), came running back saying, "We have to get off, now!!!" Just as we got off the train, the lights went off, and the train jerked. It was being disconnected from the front part of the train, on which we should have been. We should have read the sign on our train that simply said, "Roosendaal" instead of "Vlissingen", where we wanted to go. We had been warned about that in one of our guide books, but hadn't really taken note!!! We were able to get on the front portion of the train in good time. We can just imagine what the train staff had to say when they got home to tell their families of those crazy Americans!!!
The next day we were returning from Den Haag (the Hague) to Assen, by train, where our Dutch family was to be waiting for us. It was to have been a straight through, no-connections 2½ hour trip. Again, there was a long announcement on the speakers, in Dutch. The person next to us asked where we were going (why do we seem to look like lost Americans?). We told her. She said, the announcement just told us that because a major power line (the trains are almost all electric) had been damaged on a stretch of the track, we were being diverted and would need to make connections in Amersfoort, Deventer, and Zwolle, and would be at least 1 hour late.
That was the bad news.
The good news was that we met some wonderful people along the way, who helped us make the connections, and we did make it. In the U.S., we would probably still, today, be stranded in Den Haag. In Holland, although we had to go out of our way, connections were made, rather easily. At one point an additional train was added. All the trains were quite crowded because of the diversion, but people did get to where they needed to go, remarkably easily.
It was funny, how they complained about the inconvenience. We were simply impressed that corrections were being made and people were getting where they needed to go, even if a bit late.
We had a great time meeting some wonderful people along the way, who, among other things made sure we got where we needed to go: A couple of American engineers (one was born in Keokuk, Iowa), a geologist, a human resource person, a head hunter, a coordinator of transports for the fishing industry, one couple who were vacationing, and a young man with two delightful youngsters. It was a great experience and we learned a bit more about how the train system functions!!!!

September 17, 2008

Sorry, no pictures this time; we are at an internet cafe with no port for downloading from the camera memory card.
We have spent the last two days in Amsterdam, walking tours, trams, museums, boat on the canal. Last night an organ concert at the church with one of Holland's largest organs.
The hosts at the B&B are great. Spirited discussions of the state of the world over breakfast. So far, Mike and Hans have found no reason to disagree. The stairs at the B & B are straight up. Marcia is working on her fear of heights. An aerobic exercise, especially with a back pack on our backs. We are on the third floor.
There will be a picture, when we can download it, that shows that you may be able to take Marcia out of the accounting office but you can't take the accounting out of Marcia.
Eating well.
Last night, pancakes as big as a pizza. Thin, with bacon, mushrooms, etc. When we walk in the door, the English menus are already in the hands of the wait staff. What does that say????
Tomorrow, we are planning to go to the Delta Works. An incredibly, creatively built system of dikes, dams, and sea walls. We should learn from the Dutch!!!!!

September 15, 2008

Amtrak, be jealous. We have become even more impressed with the European passenger train system. This is the Hamburg, Germany station, complete with McDonalds and Burger King (yes we confess, we had one!!). Very busy, very efficient, very logical. It has become relatively easy to get used to. Marcia is enjoying the ease of getting off the train.
A young man from Spain asked us, in German, if this was his stop. Does that mean we looked like we knew what we were doing?!?!?
I guess we had him fooled!!!!

This week, we are journeying to Southwestern Holland, where, among other things, we are planning to see the Delta Works (an incredible system of protecting themselves from the sea-- we could learn some lessons from them on this one), Haarlem, Amsterdam, and a complete miniture display of Holland.
We don't know what kind of access we will have to the internet, so don't be disappointed (if you are interested at all) if nothing changes, here, for the next few days.

September 13, 2008

Yesterday, we experienced our first adventure on European trains. We took a six hour trip from Winschoten, Netherlands to Flensburg, Germany. This included changing trains 5 times. Except for a five minute delay, all trains were on time to the minute (take note Amtrak). Our friends, Shawn and Amy Kenny and their children, Justin and Lane, picked us up at the train station in Flensburg. The Kenny's are from Iowa but presently live in Augustenborg, Denmark. We have had a delightful time learning about life in Denmark from their perspective (a very positive experience for them).

We started today with a fifteen minute walk to and from the bakery getting Danish pasteries for breakfast. Healthy? But they sure were good!

We spent time today in the neighboring town of Sonderborg, touring a fort, turned castle, turned museum; walking through the city and along the beach.

The evening meal was shared with some Danish/Swiss friends and their children. Good company and good meal.

Tomorrow, after attending church with them, we head back to Holland.

Mike and Shawn just finished watching Iowa State lose to Iowa on Gamecast from ESPN. For Shawn, Amy and Mike; situation normal.

Bye for now.

Oh yeah. The "Good Humor" boat serves people along the harbor front.

September 11, 2008

We spent the afternoon with Geert Drenth and Rika. Geert is, by day, an insurance agent. By night and weekends, he is, among many things, a magician (illusionist), and collector. His collection includes bank notes, coins, napkins, stamps, shopping cart tokens; but his greatest collection is a collection of absolutely anything that has to do with cards. If it has hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs, he collects it. Ties, card decks, casino chips, bedsheets, pajamas, jigsaw puzzles, tea sets, candles, ash trays, matches, soap, candy, cigarette lighters, clay smoking pipes, fine china, shot glasses, beer mugs, photos, record albums (33 1/3 and 45), floor tile, umbrellas, silk banners, pantihose, . . . . . .; absolutely anything that has to do with cards, he collects. I would guess he probably has over 100,000 different items, all neatly catalogued, displayed and stored. He calls himself "crazy", and in his own wonderful delightful way, he is. Don't change what ain't broke. The two photos include Rika and Geert, with Ilona, Marcia, and Mike with, as you can see, playing card hats!!!!!
We are heading, tomorrow, to Denmark, by train. We may not have an update for a couple of days.
Dag (bye).