London to Holland

London is a mass of fun! It has all sorts of stuff to see, do and walk around. It even has sandy lanes in the middle of London for people to ride their horses (and the horse riders wear tweed jackets and cream jodhpurs). There are police on horse back.

Early on the first morning we sold our van to a nice guy and then we packed all that stuff into our travelling bags! Really late in the afternoon we went to see the Greenwich Meridian. We saw all the clocks and telescopes. Mum and I read a touch screen book about the man that made the first sea clock.

After that we went to the cinema! We watched Eclipse (I hid at the scary bits). It was so Cool! Awesome! Cool! Wicked!!!!! When it was finished we ate some delicious pizza (it was so yummy). We went home and mum and dad stayed up with Tommy and talked while we slept. (Abbey)

The next morning we woke up early and caught the train to London Bridge and then caught another train to Charring Cross. We walked to the Seven Dials (Seven streets that meet each other and have a statue/monument in the middle). Mum guided us to Isaac's hotel. We asked at reception but he had not checked in.... His plane arrived at 7:30 am and it was 12pm then. Tommy popped by and told us where Pineapple Studios was (I know it sounds silly but it is a major dance studio) and we watched some recordings of the Pop dancing classes. Mum took us to Trafalgar square where there was a huge dance sequence being filmed. Abbey and I wanted to watch but Mum and Dad wanted to go else where. So Abbey and I being the good kids that we are did as we were told.

Mum took us to see the horse guard (which we liked better anyway). The guards had to wear full uniform; Black or red jacket, mettle breast plate, white jods, huge black boots and a silver helmet and did I tell you that it was so HOT?! I got really sun burned!

We walked to Westminster Abbey, Dad, Abbey and I went inside and saw all the tombs of past kings and queens, like Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elisabeth I. Jane Austin had a monument there and so did Shakespeare. We left the gilded Abbey and walked (with Mum) to look at Big Ben, Parliament House and onto Buckingham Palace. Well! Tell you what, you lucky not to be a Queen (or king or princess or prince)! Just outside the gates were hundreds of tourists (like us)! Imagine having your house looked at like that! I wondered if the Queen watched us! 
 

We walked further on and came to the front of Whitechaple. In their two open front guard houses stood two mounted house hold cavalry men. All the tourists were taking photos of themselves with the horses. We posed too and I gave the horse a huge kiss and said hi! Then we went inside the gate and waited for the changing of the guard. A foot soldier came out and marched behind the arches yelling 'Stand clear of the arches!', he said it like three times and then he got mad because none of the tourists had moved (we had) and they were standing infront of the horses. He yelled really loud, 'STAND CLEAR OF THE ARCHES... I SAID “MOVE”!' slowly the people moved and two mounted house hold cavalry trotted out to the original guards places (they had opened the door at the back of the guard houses). The foot soldier yelled again 'stand clear of the arches' then the guards that had been on duty trotted forward nearly running the people over. All the girls standing infront of them screamed as they tried to get out the way! We cracked up! How could anyone be sooooooooo dumb as to stand in the way when the guy told them not to. I think the guard would have had a hard time keeping a straight face! I know I might sound evil but you had to be there to get how funny it was.

We went back to Isaac's hotel and met him and his friend, Lee. We found out that Isaac's plane had left without him so he had catch another flight, that is why he was late!

After, Isaac and Lee went to a concert and we watched a very rude opera (like so rude I can't even say what it was about - but it was funny). Oh and it's name was Pleasure's Progress....

EWWWWWWWWWWW!!!

We stayed up late that night...

Write More Soon

Frances

Sunday......Harrods....Isaac.....fun.....Toys.....Chocolate.......Tea........!!

On Sunday we went to Harrods (A huge huge huge huge huge big big big FANCY shop) with Isaac. First we walked through to the food hall and we stopped in the tea and chocolate hall. Isaac bought some tea (he looked at a tea called Darjeeling Happy Valley Snow Mist for £5000 per kg but he didnt get that!!) and we had a chocolate BUT WAIT......!!!!! We saw chocolate slippers and chocolate tea cups and hand bags. There was all the chocolate in the world (Ok this is where the queen USED to shop ). There was a cake for £4999.99. OMG!!!! ok ok ok ok. I had a sticky toffee chocolate. 
 

Then we went to the toys and there were so many toys - huge doll houses (with lights and wooden chairs and all sorts of stuff)! And there was a Helicopter THAT COULD FFFFLYYYY!!

We also saw a Maine Coon kitten that was already as big as a cat and it grows as big as a bath tub OMG, and Isaac was going to buy it but it had to be in quarantine for nine months before he could take it back to Canada,so he didn't!!!!!!! There were dog's clothes - rain jackets and dog fashion and and Sasha, it had Tutus and I wanted to get a dress for Mishka and mum said “noooooooo” (it cost $100)!!!! Ok I loved it.

RMS

ABBEY

London was a whirl wind... we could have spent six months just looking at London. Each morning we had to be somewhere early so we had to get up early. We walked all day looking, looking, looking. We dragged ourselves in late and stayed up till late/early chatting to Tommy. It was lots of fun and exhausting.

We caught up with Isaac while we were there; another part of the story of ME (he married Mom after my Dad and took us to Scotland to be near Sameling). He lives in Canada, in the Arctic Circle, as a doctor for indigenous health. He was on his way to a TED conference with his friend Lee. It was a lucky overlap that we were leaving while he was arriving.

We left London at 5.00am in the morning to catch the plane to Amsterdam. We flew to Frankfurt and then to Schipol. When we arrived at the Airport we found that there had been some bad storms (tornados they said), caravan blew away, trucks were blown over and a church spire had fallen on the train tracks. We had to take the train to Zwolle and then catch a bus to Olst an hour away from there. Abbey and I got separated from Gerard and Frances in the crush to get on a bus – we ended up on a bus but they weren't - they caught up with us before the train to Deventer left. From Deventer to Rijssen we were back on track, but we didn't arrive at Uncle Gerard's until 8.00pm. Fifteen hours to travel a hop-skip over the English Channel!!! Now we were truly wiped out!!

Camille

We arrived in Amsterdam and were greeted by hot weather. We headed to the train station, only to find that sever storms had forced cancellations of some services around the area of Rijssen...various advice was provided with little confidence, so we took the plunge and headed for Zwolle, near Rijssen, and as Camille described above, eventually found Uncle Gerard waiting at the platform when we arrived.

Rijssen is a small provincial city with a population of around 30,000 including surrounding areas. The city has a central area that is pretty much car free, but full of bike traffic. The house Gerard lives in in near the city centre, and has a large attic and cellar. Like many a batchelor's residence, the house is cluttered with things past and present, but we were very comfortable during our stay. The outstanding feature of theNetherlands is the relative flatness compared to Hobart, making the bicycle a preferred mode of transport for all ages. 

Mothers and fathers were transporting their families on the one bike (reminiscent of India), and older citizens comfortably plied the streets as they went about their business. We visited relatives and were a little humbled and mightily gladdened by their hospitality and friendship. We found out much about the family tree from visiting the cemetery with Uncle Gerard, and talking with Sieneke,

my second cousin. She provided us with photos and a family tree. Her husband Tom transported us to the railway for our on-going adventures in America. But prior to thus we visited a fantastic windmill, and watched as the huge stone wheels crushed and ground linseed, and afterwards the heated pulp was pressed into oil, through the marvellous workings of the mill. Such a simple looking construction. Yet so effective. Of course we pondered how these wooden machines were built in times past. This mill was reconstructed in the old way, using mortised timber joints and wooden and metal fasteners, but cranes were used to place the major forms in place. We rode around the surrounding countryside, and it appeared so fresh and wholesome...maybe the fact that we were riding the bikes (and the weather being so favourable) influenced that feeling somewhat. Frances and Abbey particularly liked getting out on the bikes.

While I had no feeling of sadness as we left Uncle Gerard at the platform in Rijssen, now as I write I think warmly of all the stories we shared with Gerard of dad and mum, and the earlier years of their life in Holland. The boyhood stories, the work of Grandmother and Father, the war, the accident, the loves lost...all within the family history,

but now more entrenched in my mind. So now we near the Schipol airport, the last chapter about to unfold in my trip, I ponder fondly and proudly on the trials and tribulations of the Dutch side of my family. I will add more addition to this blog once I have spent a week or so at home! Gerard.