Benelux Skike Championships 2009

Last year Jim found a way to continue his cross country skiing obsession without snow. He bought a pair of Skikes. Skikes are a cross between cross country skiing and in line skating. Most cross country skiing aficionados in the US use roller skis during the summer months. Skikes differ from roller skis in that they have brakes so are much safer and can go off road on dirt / rocky terrain. Skikes were only created about 3-4 years ago so it is still quite a new sport and hasn’t hit the US yet.

After taking a few bad spills on pavement last winter on his brand new Skikes, they ended up in the corner of our storage unit in exchange for his bike.

However, about 2 weeks ago Jim was surfing the internet and found a race in the Netherlands. He decided that although he hadn’t skiked in last 8 months, it would be a good idea to compete in the Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) Skike 2009 Championships. So Jim dusted off his Skikes and did some panic training for the next two weeks.

The race was last Sunday so we piled into the car and set off for the Netherlands once again. We had some difficulty finding the race. The website had given only GPS coordinates for the start and our GPS of course kept trying to take us on pedestrian/ bike only dirt trails to get there. After about 5 wrong turns we finally found the event.

Due to the fact that this is quite a new sport, the turn out for the race wasn’t huge which is probably good. I had visions of an incredibly chaotic mass start with poles flying and Jim ending up in the emergency room.

Thankfully they had a time trial before the race so they had the racers line up according to the results in the time trial. Jim finished 6th in the time trial so was up in the front for the start.

The race was great for spectators because it was 3 laps rather than an out and back so we could see how Jim was doing during the race. He ended up finishing 7th or 8th. We miscounted the laps (yes, I know, three laps shouldn't be all that confusing. Can you have baby brain before the baby is actually born?) so actually missed his finish. Since we couldn’t really understand anything at the awards ceremony, we weren’t sure what his time was or where he officially placed. He did however, make the local news. http://www.l1.nl:80/content/4184582

We took a picture with the winner of the race. He was a really nice guy. He came over to talk with Jim and to thank him for coming. The guy was a former Dutch national cross country skier who now lived in Austria and was somehow involved in the organization of the race.

Hoensbroek Castle

Last weekend we took Jim’s mom to the Hoensbroek Castle (http://www.kasteelhoensbroek.nl/) in the Netherlands. She’s now been to the land of the Dutch 3 separate times in the first 10 days she was here. We ended up going up to Maastricht the weekend before with her and then twice more this past weekend. I guess we just love the Netherlands. I think it might be a combination of their sing song language (sounds a little like the Swedish Chef from the Muppets), that everyone speaks English or the fact that the Dutch are just very happy, friendly, people with good taste in clothing and food.

Hoensbroek Castle was the largest castle between the rivers Meuse and Rhine and had 40 rooms open for viewing. Oddly, the castle was set right in the middle of a residential area so there were normal houses right across the street.

The castle is very kid friendly. They have a bunch of games as you walk into the first courtyard. Kids (or adults) can play a ring toss, try to walk on stilts, and play other kid’s games from the time period. They also have some sort of a mystery hunt for kids taking them through the castle and its secret passages while they are dressed up as knights and maidens.

As with many of the sights in Europe, the system for leading visitors through a tour of the castle was somewhat confusing and unorganized. We had difficulty finding our way so ended up simply wandering the castle in no particular order. The guidebook we had was a bit dry so we also read through the laminated information cards for the kids in each room. I found those a lot more interesting than the adult version. I’m not sure what that says about me.

Amsterdam with the Fam

My mom and sister came for a two week visit. The day after they arrived, we headed to Amsterdam. Thankfully, my sister kept a journal during our trip so I am merely plagiarizing her notes here.

We got on the road a little after 10 and the sun was out in full force. The highways in Germany have variable speed limits, and in certain spots lack of limits. Jim took liberty to get us to Amsterdam in record time. I was too nervous to look at the speedometer most of the way, but did see it reach 220km/h at one point.

We had a little trouble finding the B&B (if u can call it that--it was an apartment with two guest rooms). After securing parking we took off on the tram to museumplein, a large green space with museums flanking it on all sides. Our first stop was the Rijksmuseum, the Netherlands treasure house of old masters. Much of the museum was under construction but the main collection was concentrated in a few galleries that remained open. We followed the Rick Steves tour and saw an amazing collection of Dutch masters. Jim commented that there wasn't a painting in the museum that showed a right blue sky. Some things (like the weather) haven't changed in a hundred years.

After the museum we headed west to the Jordaan neighborhood to try an Indonesian restaurant recommended by our host at the B&B. It was delish. After dinner Mom and I headed to the Anne Frank house while Alison and Jim chilled at a bar. The house/museum was terrific and really resonated with me as I just recently finished reading the diary and the details were fresh. By the time we left the weather had taken a turn and it was pouring. Fortunately Alison has an amazing sense of direction and found the tram stop we needed in no time. Amazingly we slept until 8 am and awoke to a hard rain. Jim decided not to head back to Germany right away and to join us for the morning. Heading back to museumplein, our first stop was the Van Gogh museum. Fortunately the B&B provided us with museum passes so we got to skip the long lines and only had to pay for the audio tour. The current special exhibit was intiltled, Colors of the Night and dove into Van Gogh's fasination with darkness and the night sky. The collection culminated with Starry Night, not usually housed at this museum. Much of the audio tour described in his own words, through correspondence with his brother Theo (his supporter), his thoughts about his illness and work. One of my favorite works, The Wheatfields with Crows, was the last painting he finished--a work of restless energy. I decided to buy a mug with its likeness to remember the sad and tragic record of intense beauty he left behind.

Jim took off back to Bonn and the three of us went to check out Rick's recommended pancake shop. We got 2 savory and one sweet of the crepe-like treats. The cheese and apple was my favorite. From there we walked throuhg the much quieter Jordaan neighborhood. Just two blocks off the main canals and things got quiet and calm. Again the rain came and interrupted our walking tour momentatiry. When it cleared somewhat we left the Jordaan and headed to the red light district. Late Sunday afternoon things were sleepy except for all the tourists.

We were all starving after our walking tour of the Red Light District so we headed back to the Jordaan neighborhood for some vegetarian food. Beth and Alison had gone to this same restaurant (De Bolhoed) when they were in Amsterdam the last time. Unfortunately, the waitstaff moved at a glacial pace so after waiting 15 long minutes we decided to find another restaurant before we got carnivourous and started eating some of the guests at the next table.

We went to another one of Rick's recommendations, Toscana Italian Restaurant, and they had exactly what we needed - cheap, fast Italian fare with friendly service.

The next day we had initially planned to go to Keukenhof to see the tullips but our hostess let us know that most of the tullips were already cut down. She said that some of her guests last weekend were really disappointed when they went. So we decided to scrap the tullips and check out Haarlem which was only a 20 minute train ride from Amsterdam.

Haarlem is like a mini Amsterdam with canals and a large square. We toured the Grote Kerk (a 15th century Protestant Church) which has one of the largest pipe organs. There are 5,000 pipes and some of which are up to 20 ft. tall. Both Handel and Mozart came to play this impressive organ.

We decided to get some lunch and some protection from the bitter wind. We ended up at the V&S department store which has a cafeteria styled restaurant called La Place up on the 5th floor. The view from the restaurant was great.

Back in Amsterdam, we took a canal boat tour to give our feet a rest. The boat ride was really peaceful. So peaceful in fact that Alison had a hard time staying awake. It had been windy and chilly all day so the sun beating down on us through the windows felt especially good. Although the moving boat probably didn't help either as Alison seems to fall asleep on trains or any moving vehicle. We only need to be moving for about 15 minutes before she has her head back and her mouth open, snoring away.

We had dinner that night at a middle eastern restaurant / bar that was recommended by Rick and was close to the Vondelpark area. It wasn't spectacular but was filling and reasonably cheap.

I will have to update the blog to include the rest of the visit when I return from Tuscany. Jim and I are heading there tomorrow morning. I can't wait for 80 degree weather and sunshine! The ravioli and gelatto won't be too bad either.

Marvelous Maastricht

I was starting to feel antsy to get out of Bonn so we took a day trip to Maastricht, Netherlands on Saturday. I don’t know how we picked Maastricht. I didn’t really know anything about it other than someone on a tour in Luxembourg was from Maastricht and said that there was good shopping. It is now my new favorite day trip from Bonn.

We didn’t really have any sort of an itinerary for the day. Our plan was to simply wander the streets, shop and eat some good food.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to Maastricht until about 2:30. Jim wanted to ride before we left and then needed to stop at Decathlon on the way for some bike stuff. So I’ll just have to go back sometime soon to see more of the town.

We parked near the train station which was a good base. The street from our parking lot to the pedestrian center of town was lined with cute boutiques and funky restaurants.

The main part of town was across the bridge to a maze of cobblestoned streets for pedestrians only. The streets were packed full of shoppers on a Saturday. Like most of Europe, the shops are closed on Sunday so Saturday is the big shopping day.

Maastricht is surprisingly about half the size of Bonn, but feels so much more cosmopolitan. It also feels a lot cleaner than Germany. I’m not exactly sure why.

I have come to love the Netherlands. I’m sure that part of it is the fact that every Dutch person speaks English and also probably German and French. Their ability to switch between 4 different languages is amazing. You never have to ask if someone speaks English, they all do. Plus they can figure out your language based on your accent and switch to that language within seconds of speaking to you. The main reason for their language ability is that their TV programs aren’t dubbed so they are hearing French, English or German TV shows in the original language with subtitles in Dutch.

One of my favorite finds in Maastricht was a bookstore. It was an old church that had been renovated to a bookstore. I loved the combination of old world architecture and modern bookstore. There was even a café in the front of the church where the alter would traditionally be located.

Jim and I were both successful in acquiring a few new purchases so after the shops closed at 5:00; we went to the various squares to get a look at the non-commercial side of Maastricht. Of course, we both said that we’d love to come back in the summer when the trees lining the squares have their leaves. We seem to say that a lot here.

While wandering the streets, we happened upon a restaurant that Jim’s coworker had recommended. We decided to have dinner there- http://www.rest-beluga.com/. It was too early to eat dinner and the restaurant was empty so we decided to go get a coffee somewhere and come back.

While Jim was looking for the perfect café, it started to pour. After wandering around in the rain for 45 minutes and refusing to share my umbrella, Jim was soaked and freezing. We decided to scrap dinner and simply go home.

Of course as soon as we started walking back to the car, the sun came out and a huge rainbow appeared.

Amsterdam - Beth's Visit

We returned to our house in Bonn and had brand spanking new floors and a huge mess to clean up before Beth arrived the next day. After frantically cleaning for 8 hours to make sure the house was presentable for our first guest, I got a frantic call from Beth. She had missed her connection in D.C. so would be coming a day late.

September 16th

I decided the best plan was to go straight to Amsterdam when she arrived the next day. The train from the Frankfurt airport stopped in Cologne so I planned to get on the same train so we could ride together. It worked out perfectly.

Once we were in Amsterdam, we set about the task of locating the B & B I had reserved. Thankfully, Klaus, our host gave us directions or we would have never found it. As it was, we got lost a few times.

The Eel house was an unassuming and unmarked 5 story house on a corner. The stairs were ridiculously steep and windy. Of course before our trip, I read a negative review of this B&B based on the dangerous stairs, but dismissed the author’s review and attributed it to whiny Americans. I underestimated the “death” stairs. We were, of course, on the 5th floor so we were all pretty out of breath by the time we reached our attic room. The space was small but had a lot of character and a great view.

We freshened up and went in search of dinner. Beth’s Frommer’s guide led us astray a number of times on the restaurant end. We looked for three different restaurants during the course of our stay and none of them existed. However, we were able to find some great places on our own.

That night we had dinner at De Belhamel. It was a little pricey, but we figured a splurge was in order as it was Beth’s birthday. We sat outside at the junction of two canals and had a great meal.

September 17th

The next day Klaus brought breakfast to our room which consisted of warm croissants, bread, cheese, meat and fruit. We had a relaxing, slow start to the day.

First on our agenda was the Anne Frank House. However, the line snaked around the building so we adjusted our plan and headed down to the Van Gogh museum winding our way along the Nine Streets (high end shopping) between two canals.

The last time I was in Amsterdam, I somehow neglected to visit the Van Gogh museum and the Anne Frank House. I’m not exactly sure what it was I did see, but it was about 10 years ago.

The Van Gogh museum was the highlight of the day. I learned a lot that I didn’t know about Van Gogh. He didn’t become an artist until he was 27. He worked in a gallery, was a preacher and then a school teacher before he started to paint. In the span of only 10 years, he painted over 800 works of art. The museum contains 200 of these paintings.

After the museum, we went to the old town center and did some shopping. Beth picked up 2 scarves which kept her warm for the rest of her trip. She only managed to lose one of them in Munich which is probably better than the majority of Oktoberfest revelers.

This was Beth’s first trip to Amsterdam so she wanted to walk by the red light district. This time it was just as depressing as the last time I was there. Everyone seemed to have different tactics. Some stood suggestively; others looked bored or showed off their rolls of fat. One women even stood there making funny faces at would be customers.

We decided to rest our aching feet near the national monument which was fittingly phallic for the sex capital of the Netherlands.

We walked by the Flower Market along the canal and went to the Anne Frank House. The line had completely died down so we were able to get in right away. I've read the Diary of Anne Frank a long time ago but seeing the house made me want to read it again.

For dinner we checked out a vegetarian restaurant that Klaus and Rick Steve’s suggested – De Bol. It was really very good. For those of you in Denver, it reminded me of the Watercourse restaurant but the food was better. We split a North African dish and a veggie cheese casserole.

After dinner we went to the Black Star café and had to peel ourselves away from watching a soccer game to get home. Who knew we liked soccer so much? I think we both decided we were rooting for whichever team had Renaldo.

Thursday, September 18th

The next day we decided to take one of the boat tours to take advantage of the sunshine and two hours we had to spare before getting on the train to Bonn. It was nice to see the town from the water and hear some of the boat driver’s commentary.

We learned that the reason houses are so tall and narrow is that people were taxed according to the width of their house so the built up rather than out. The city has over 100 canals and 500 bridges. A few years ago the city installed low barriers along the canal to prevent cars from driving into the canal. However, one car a week still ends up in the water.

After our tour, we had lunch at Koppel Café which was another winner. I would go back to Amsterdam for the food in a heartbeat.

Back in Bonn, we dropped our bags off at the house and headed downtown for a quick tour of Bonn. Beth was able to practice her German when I fainted. She got to ask someone – Sprechen Sie Englisch? The other German phrase Beth learned during her trip was Entschuldigung (excuse me/ sorry) which she used during the trip as a pick up line.