May 6:

There's always a lot of things to do to prepare for a trip that involves staying away for three months and you'd think we would have it down pat by now. Well - yes and no. We must be doing something right because we had our suitcases closed and at the door two hours before Dan Bauer came to pick us up for the airport. Or, maybe we were just anxious to go. After planning one of these trips, on and off for six months, there comes a time when you just want to get on with it. Just do it.

Dulles Airport has changed a lot since we were last there. Checking in was fast and easy. We had quite a lot of walking even with escalators and automated walkways, to get to our gate. Didn't have a seat assignment and had to wait until they started boarding. But, we ended up with an exit row - excellent, lots of leg room.

The flight is considerably shorter when you leave from DC instead of someplace in Florida and that's good. 

The day starts with a sunrise at 35,000 feet over Ireland.




We arrive at Schipol Airport almost an hour early, 6:30 am which means we have a bit of a wait until meeting Kees and Joke at 11:00. 

We pass the time eating an early lunch and Linda enjoying her first tulips in Holland.



We sit outside for awhile to enjoy the sun and the knockout, 72 degree weather and some tulips.

We came early this year to see the tulips and here are some. We expect to find more in the next two weeks with Deb and Ray.

Kees and Joke show up right on time and we visit while eating (again) some fish (cod) and a little of Kees' raw herring. He offers me some but I send him back to get chopped onions. That's the only way I can eat it. We are in Holland. We're making up a story that eating herring is what contributes to the Dutch growing so tall. I'm sure that's a fiction but doesn't it sound good?

We exchange information and Kees forks over the keys to the car and house with last minute information. The drive to Soest (about an hour) is uneventful. Kees and Joke have had new floors and stairs installed, new bed, and a new rug. The place looks great. The garden is blooming with springtime color. Once we arrive we realize how tired we are and take a two hour nap. 

On our way to the Echo Plaza to buy some food, we meet Peter, our next door neighbor and chat a bit. Later, Liesbeth, his partner, comes over and we have a glass of wine. Duco, their son, who comes over later, tells us he has a baseball game the next day at 2:00. We usually go to watch his games when we can, so we make plans for that. At his age, 12 years old, they play for two hours. When time is up, they finish the current inning and stop the game. Seems like a good idea.

Linda fries some hamburger, onions, mushrooms and a green pepper for dinner and we watch a couple of episodes of The Big Bang Theory. Its in English.

Once its 10:00, we can go to bed in their new bed. End of a very long day.