Meanwhile, a little time later:

OK, it's not a little time later, but we have been quite busy with this and that, and I'm afraid that updating Face Book is so much more 'instant' than a blog - but now it's way overdue to rectify the absence after some two months.

To say that time flies when you are having fun is an understatement because although the summer was the one that never was, what good weather we did have was enjoyed to the max.  This is the one feature of life in the north west of Europe that we both really enjoy - when the weather is fine (even fabulous) we enjoy it in a memorable way and sometimes even have photos of what transpired.

We've enjoyed beautiful inexpensive flowers and delicious fruit this summer.

We have just said farewell to our sixteenth Australian visitor this year, that is sixteen in less than six months.  Our last visitor, Neil from Canberra, was to be three nights but his plans changed and he ended up staying ten nights.  Some people just visited for the day, others visited over several days but didn't sleep at the apartment, and others we rendezvoused with in another city.

Rene is still to find work and has been trying hard, but it is a challenge for him in this economic climate.  Many meetings and one interview are leading in the right direction and he has registered his consultancy and project management company so that he is ready to go with the red tape covered.

As for myself, I have had no work over the holidays (and no money) and four weeks into the new school year I've only worked two days, but I have a four month contract from October 9th and of course any number of single days here and there in the next year.  I'm happy with the way things are.

Several visitors have come for the day to enjoy the beach plus our scintillating company. Hans and Aurea from Utrecht were in my very first blog published in 2006 when they visited us in Brisbane.

Biggest change at home is the installation of the kitchen extension.  It is very nice indeed, and finally the mess of stuff lying around the dining room is resolved.  What is not resolved is the fact that the new bench tops don't quite match - as far as levels are concerned - and the stone bench top people are coming on the 25th to inspect the problem.  It is merely sitting in place for now, unfixed.  The cupboards are wonderful, and they have swallowed up everything.  We even have a third cutlery drawer now, where the good stuff is stored.  Such luxury!  My expensive pantry is all I had hoped it would be - very capacious and organised.  Love the sliding out drawers and the silent self closing mechanisms.  Happy!

There is still the outside of the kitchen benches which show from the dining room to cover.  These, plus the splash backs currently wallpaper covered (would you believe?) are to be sorted....but that's OK, it's nice to have projects to work on.  Currently my thoughts are on having an old map of the area projected onto perspex or glass and stuck along the back of the benches - something black/grey on a white background that is ever so slightly out of focus....I think I have found a shop that would do it. Not sure, but no hurry...

Projects still in pipeline are the lights for the kitchen and over the dining table plus the tiling of the balcony with something non porous.  Our next visitors aren't until May, so we have plenty of time to consider and budget for the additions.

A few day visits have been made over summer to places like Leiden - here we are lunching on a terrace.  This city successfully evicted the Spanish in the 16th C and their reward was a choice - no taxes or a university.  The wise folk picked a university, and it is this you sail around on the canals - Leiden University, oldest Dutch university, 1575. 

The observatory is the oldest university observatory in the world.  Around the corner they discovered and recorded the lowest temperature ever, one degree above absolute zero.  Super conductivity was pioneered here too.

Went to school yesterday in the semi dark - yuck!  Yes, the long daylight has now gone and sadly it currently gets light around 7:15 and dark at 8:00.  We both are missing the long daylight periods...we saw the sun set at 8:30pm last Friday night at the beach whilst enjoying dinner, but we have seen it at 11pm.  Oh well, if the remainder of the year goes as fast as this year it'll be no time at all before we have long days again.

This coming Thursday I have a theory exam for the Dutch driving licence - quite nervous because it is done on a computer and is quite pressured.  I've also found several times their English questions and answers don't match on the practice exams - some weird non native speaker way of phrasing questions: eg 'headlights' in Dutch means high beam - but they don't use that term, merely 'dipped lights' for low beam and headlights for full beam.  I now know, so hopefully won't say that in the night time picture it is OK to drive behind a vehicle with your 'headlights' on (I originally said 'no'... WRONG!)

After passing my theory I then apply for the practical exam with hopefully less than two months to wait - yes, it is that slow here!  Meanwhile Rene has to drive both ways to places - usually before when I could use my licence I drove home late at night, but for a month he hasn't had my services available.  My 185 days valid Australian licence expired on August 6.  This week I'm only available on Wednesday or Friday - this week there's a student free day plus Tuesday is Prinsjesdag (Prince’s Day), a holiday for school children - the Queen delivers a speech to parliament outlining the plans for the forthcoming year.  There were federal elections here this week (Wednesday) and the Pro Europe parties gained seats and the extreme Right parties lost seats - satisfied with those results.  As I type the party leaders (there are more than a dozen) are in talks re a cabinet formation to control parliamentary proceedings.  The Dutch have had their fifth election in ten years - coalition governments are the norm here, but are volatile and rarely last a term, meanwhile government continues as demonstrated here where they haven't had a functioning parliament for over two months (elections delayed due to vacation periods).

 

More Utrecht visitors who joined us after work one evening to have a swim plus dinner at the beach.

When it is fabulous weather here, you really seriously enjoy the moment.

I attended a three day conference here in Den Haag, moved from London because of the Olympics.  The International Primary Curriculum Conference concluded on the first day with a BBQ at a nearby beach club.  I left at 9:30 and the sunset was really beautiful.

When I got home I photographed the twilight from our bedroom window.

The little park in front of the bedroom looks very tranquil.

Rene just emerged from the bedroom where he has been reading.  He is actually walking well considering that almost two weeks ago he suddenly had a bad back from a 'nothing' kind of movement - he suddenly yelped like he'd pinched a nerve or something, and has continued as best he could but has been in considerable discomfort these past twelve days.  That's good news!  While our last visitor was here he continued as well as he could, but it wasn't always easy with such a bad back. 

 

I had one visit to the doctor, last month, to have a right ear cleared because it had blocked (first time in my life).  It made me find a doctor, because in the six months here I'd never needed a doctor.  He is in a street not ten minutes walk away from here, and is really very nice indeed.  I handed over my medical records from Brisbane - it was a small envelope - and Rene is also registered there should he ever need to go.

 

Amsterdam Gay Pride was held as usual on the canals of this wonderful city.  Tens of thousands turned out to see 80 barges loaded with people and balloons and all sorts of pyrotechnics.  It took ages to pass by with some long delays due to some narrow parts and the many bridges.



One example of the dozens of pictures I took - lots of colour and movement (Dame Edna would have loved it).

We stood opposite The Hermitage Museum along the widest section of the parade route.

 

Our twin complex held a BBQ recently and this was at 5:30pm, but we lasted until 12:30am.  Hugely successful event to be followed up by a drinks and finger food event for Christmas in the tennis pavilion behind the complex (we're surrounded by football, tennis and other sports facilities).

One Saturday recently we had twelve former neighbours from Utrecht visit for the afternoon at home, then we adjourned to the beach for a swim (not us!) and then dinner.  Great time!

The biggest table ever!  Delicious food, great conversation, brilliant wines, mmmmm!




Waiting to catch the sun slide below the horizon.