We wake to an overcast sky and a 100% forecast of rain and today is a Wednesday in August which means Spakenburg is having their traditional market/fair. Being familiar with how these days develop, we decide to get there early expecting steady rain in the afternoon. It only takes about 20 minutes to drive there. We park close, take the umbrella, and head down the street full of vendors on both sides. Almost immediately, we come upon the Birkenstock vendor. Amazingly, my wife who has already bought 3 pairs, finds another one. The plan is that our friend, Janie, will buy them from us.
This summer festival is always fun to walk around and just look at what's happening. I take a picture of some of the performers.
There is also a guy who carves custom fitted wooden shoes. He makes it look easy, but its not. And the traditional fishing boats with retractable keels on either side are interesting.
The rain lets up as we dodge umbrellas and I even get mine tangled up with a women's walking behind me. At another point, I was using the umbrella as a cane and the tip got caught in between some bricks and I almost got run over by the guy behind me. LOL. There's lots of good food to eat, but we decide to just have an espresso and then head back for lunch at the house. On the way back to the car, we buy some sausage just to have at the ready.
We decide to drive back without Louise's help. We get lost and end up in
Amersfoort. She gets us back and we stop at the health store and a grocery store on the south side of Soest for a few things.
We made it back just as the skies opened up. Back at the house, we put the heat on for a little bit. Did you get that? Heat.
Dinner was at home with chicken breasts wrapped in bacon and sauteed peppers. Silly TV after that.
Later, we turned off the TV and were just about ready to go upstairs, when Linda said she heard the doorbell. It was Hans from #11, down the street. His wife is Jose, but didn't come. This was his second try tonight. I think we had the TV on too loud and because we had the heat on, we had the living room door closed. All of this made it hard to hear the doorbell, especially when you're not expecting anyone.
He wanted to say hi and check on our schedule. We asked him in for tea. He and Jose want to take us out someday. He suggested a ten mile walk, but that didn't really sound very good to me. I think we settled on Utrecht. He grew up there and even though we have been there, we haven't seen much. It would be nice to be guided by a local.
Hans collects fossils mostly from southern England which he visits each year. He has a huge collection at his house and in his lovely rear garden. He's also funny. He makes a lot of jokes. He told us he thought Mr. Putin was like a weather vane on top of a church - he shifts with the wind. We didn't understand at first, but it didn't take too long to figure it out. We agreed. He also wants to meet Dan and Sue and get back together with Janie and Dan when they arrive next week, who he met last year. We told him we would have them over sometime this weekend before Dan and Sue leave.
Then, it was time for bed.
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