Leiden, Holland (Netherlands)

Mon, August 6

Another high-speed train whisks me away through Brussels toward Amsterdam.  Modern power-producing windmills turn to the traditional Dutch-style water-removing variety.  I bought my ticket to Amsterdam Central before I confirmed with Robin, and he’s moved to Leiden.  Damn!  I get off at the airport stop, a little easier for pick-up.  I take the escalator up from the tunnel, and Robin is approaching.  Aside from being a few pounds lighter than when I saw him last, the past six years disappear as though I saw him yesterday.

We go straight to his house, and I meet his wife and two children.  I’m not sure I could handle having a four year old son, a two year old daughter, two dogs, and two cats, but more power to them for doing it all, and well.  I get attacked by the dogs Mini and Cooper, the children Finn and Zoey, in fact knocked to the floor, belly aching from laughing so much.  Oh what joy young energy brings.  It’s dinner time, and I eat the healthiest meal I’ve had probably in years.  Nathalie is super health conscious and converts mostly organic vegetables into deliciousness.

I get a tour.  The Bakker home is 5 levels; yup, count them.  The basement is supposedly just a small storage area.  The ground floor is the entry, dining room, bathroom, office, sauna room, and storage.  The second floor is an enormous living room, formal dining room, and wrap around patio.  The third floor is two bedrooms and two baths, while the fourth is another two bedrooms and a bath.  Wow!  That’s a lot of house!

After dinner, Robin and I take the dogs for a walk.  Of the cats, Tiger follows, Woods stays behind.  We share a glass of wine and stay up late chatting.  I get my own level, the ground floor.  I sleep with Mini and Cooper and love every second of it.  First, I lay down; it’s quiet.  Then I hear some commotion, and Cooper gives me a facial scrub with his tongue.  Mini jumps in, and it’s two against one.  I have no chance!  I admit defeat but cover my face.  Cooper lays down next to me, prepared to defend me all night.

Tues, August 7

I wake to the same treatment, a facial scrub and two dogs ganging up on me.  This time, I fight back and manage to pin Cooper down in a wrestling match where I clearly have an advantage with two arms and legs.  He knows I’ve cheated and lets me win.  OK, I also pull my blanket over my head.

Hectic morning at the Bakker home.  Finn needs to go see the doctor for his 4 year check-up.  Zoey has a fit, because dad’s gone.  Nathalie makes green super juice.  My God this stuff has everything healthy you can think of in it.  Apples, oranges, nuts, broccoli, spinach, to name a bit.  She’s got this industrial strength grinder that very efficiently separates juice from pulp and a blender that makes a perfect puree on everything.  Best yet, it tastes good.  I’m happy to have all the vitamins and minerals, and I gotta say that it’s more fun than just taking vitamins.  The kids get swirly straws and have a competition to see who can finish first.

The weather doesn’t look promising; rain is eminent.  I’d told Robin about my mission to find the crest at Slot Zeist, and he thinks that Finn would love it.  We pile in the car, three adults, two children in child seats, and two dogs.  An hour and a hurricane later, Slot Zeist is closed for renovation.  Damn!  Oh well, the rain’s stopped and we walk around the moated castle.  I discover that church (seemingly where I’d find an alter) is in the sister’s wing, unattached to the castle.  We drive there to find that the church is open on Saturday and Sunday only.  I take photos from the outside, but I’ve failed my mission.  We get German ice cream before going back home.

Bedtime ritual…  I’m not sure if it’s a European thing or not, but bathrooms are plentiful in the homes I’ve visited.  Noriko had 4 bathrooms, and so does Robin.  I love having my own bathroom, but man cleaning them has got to get old.  Even more than the convenience, I REALLY love the toilet paper.  Each square is HUGE and sturdy too.  I wouldn’t call it Charmin soft, but it’s 12,000 times better than Scott’s single-ply found in the states.  The dogs tuck me in.

Weds, August 8

It’s like groundhog day; a facial scrub and two dogs ganging up on me.  This could never get old, but unfortunately, it must end.

I wish I could visit longer, but the Bakkers need to pack for their summer trip to Germany.  I leave from the Leiden train station today, so we decide to tour the old city center before my train departs.  It’s still a little chilly and gray, but we manage to avoid any torrential rainfall.  Leiden is similar to Amsterdam, as it was all built with a “roadway” of canals running through it.  But, the more Robin tells me about Amsterdam, the more I realize that nearly the whole country in below sea level, so in addition to transportation, the canals are used to drain excess water out of the soil to keep the cities dry.

                                     

Sadly, it’s time for me to go.  I went straight to my track and got on the train waiting there.  Just when I thought I finally figured out the train system, I confirm with a woman that I’m on the wrong one.  Sure, I could take this train, and change trains in Haarlem, but then I wouldn’t make my connection to Germany…  I have several issues.  One, I need to learn that Europeans set their watches by their trains.  If I have a few minutes before my train is scheduled to depart, I can’t assume that the train on my track is mine.  Sometimes mine is early or has a longer scheduled stop, while other times the train is simply passing through with a 15 second stop.  Second, I think a train should be clearly marked with its number or route.  For some reason, I can’t find any path-specific marks on these trains.  Third, my ticket should tell me where I’m going, because if I manage to see the train’s destination, I have no idea of that’s on my route or not.