Eternal Beau: Update for May 13

We have been incredibly busy these past few days, so I thought I'd catch up a little and record some of the events before I've forgotten them. Firstly, we have entertained The Cronks (Rebecca, Bernadette and Peter) on their annual three month sojourn to Europe. Rene organised their tours, and this year's theme is 'water', so we all visited the Maaslantkering in Rotterdam near the coast where they can lower the barriers in case of storms.

They are the size of two Eiffel Towers lying on their sides - enormous AND THEY WORK! If a high tide or storm from the North Sea threatens to inundate Rotterdam Europort, they are lowered and minimise the effect. Tested annually, they have also been used in real life situations and passed their test superbly. We passed many hundreds of glass houses before reaching Hoek van Holland where the barrier is installed.

After a delicious lunch of smoked eel on toast at Scheveningen Harbour we then visited the Sand Motor, an experiment http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knVc9aBqnzg completed last year costing more than Euro 20 million. The Project Manager, a former colleague of Rene's, took us around and we walked (and walked) along the beach from Kijkduin (near to our place) and saw the results of four months pouring of sand onto the edge of the beach - an area created 2km long and a km wide. The video explains the theory behind it.

After getting home late, we ventured into the centrum for a rice taffel at a great Indonesian restaurant - something like 24 main and supporting dishes. The Cronks left Den Haag happy.

The next day we had to go south to Eindhoven for my brother in law's celebrations marking his 25th year with Philips. I couldn't take pictures inside (it's a bit top secret) but we did have an official photographer, so I'll post some later on taken inside the facility. 8000 people work in this High Tech Campus, and we started off with coffee and cake, a few presentations and a tour of the building. My brother in law Jack's daughter Anneke (7) was there so the scientists had a bank of 'tricks' to entertain her as well as the rest of the family. Good fun!

The final inspection involved us getting into clean clothes head to foot and going into a clean facility dressed like martians - it was very funny to watch our various reactions to wearing all white and hair nets. The building cost Euro 30 million to build, but one experimental area was working on a project worth Euro 60 million. Jack is involved in testing materials and other things, but the explanations were in Dutch - and with my understanding of things scientific it would sound Double Dutch even in English.

We walked along the lakes leading to an old farm house left on site and used as a social centre - and many dozens more colleagues joined us for drinks and snacks. We finished the evening with just seven of us having dinner in a neighbouring village - and it was really delicious too. We got home at 11:45 and to bed by 12:30 - and (surprise, surprise) I was awakened at 7:50 by a call from one of my schools to come in if possible. I was at the front door by 8:45 and had a lovely day, but that afternoon after 5 I sat down and fell asleep in the chair.

These long stem tulips were pictured yesterday and are six days old - cost a whole Euro 5:96 (A$7.68) for 20. Our earlier visitor Kay has said in an email today that she paid a lot more for tulips this week back in Australia - it made her cry handing over the money because she knew how inexpensive flowers are here. Hers cost A$11:00 for 5.

We were given three free packs of bulbs at an information centre a fortnight ago,
so Kay and Rene planted them and now we have new life on the balcony.
Photographed yesterday - in pot 12 days.

Yesterday we drove yet again south east towards the Belgian border to another family event, this time the 50th wedding anniversary of one of Rene's uncle and aunts. It was held in a part centre in a small village and had more than one hundred guests, plus around 30 extra visitors in the form of a town band. Coffee and cake launched the function, other drinks soon followed, and there were speeches and funny songs (like De Dings Singers) and a performance from the band - Rene's uncle had been in charge of them for 30 years. Lots of fun, and I actually enjoyed the whole evening - I initially worried about feeling too left out not speaking Dutch yet, but managed quite well and the people were excellent. Masses of great food too, and I restricted myself to juice and soft drink except for one red wine with dinner because I was BOB (the designated driver). I drove home around 140km which took around 1 hr 38 mins. My first long drive here, and also at night.

The huge family had lots and lots of fun.

The band was terrific, and I apologise for not having the best photos, but I was working in a jammed space with a phone camera.

Svetlana and Anneke (7). I love my extended Dutch family.

Yes, more family - Rene's older brother Huub, Jan and Claartje (who married on Straddie four years ago) and Jack - the Philips researcher and dad to Anneke. I couldn't get a straight picture out of them - I tried!