Memories

The conference I, Erika, attended was a great event to recharge those nurse educator engines. The presenters were very interesting and it was quite validating to see how on track the faculty at Camosun are. It was also a real treat to have some time to develop deeper relationships with some of the other faculty and their partners. I now know that Marlene and Margie never lack for humor in their home!

Wednesday afternoon when all the sessions were completed, Marvin and I once again rented bikes and head off on some of Holland's wonderful bike paths. Our goal was to ride to Leiden and see what was both enroute and there. We had not gone too far down the path when a gentleman cycled by. He looked just like my Uncle Bill.

As a child of immigrant parents, I grew up in Canada with no direct relatives near by. However, we had some very close family friends who chose to be Aunts and Uncles where otherwise there would have been none. Bill and Wilma van Niekirk were two such people. I have many fond and wonderful memories of visiting them in their Calgary home. They were one of the first families I knew with two bathrooms. One for men and one, decorated in the most feminine manner, for women. With each visit Uncle Bill would make his little silver dollar pancakes. Theirs was also the only home I knew of where you would be offered chocolate sprinkles to put on your toast at breakfast. Truly a wonderous thing when you are a child. Uncle Bill and Aunt Wilma had a lovely well kept garden, a nod to their Dutch heritage. In the garden was a wishing well that, to this day, I am pretty sure worked! When I think of Wilma and Bill my memories are full of love, acceptance and generosity.

Uncle Bill greatly admired my parents and valued their friendship. Aunt Wilma referred to my mom as her best friend. On my parents 45th wedding anniversary, Bill and Wilma came to Victoria to help us celebrate. They had been there when my parents were married and did not want to miss out on
congratulating them on their 45th. On that occasion Uncle Bill said of my German born father, "The war would have made us enemies, but life has made us bestfriends."  Both Bill and my father are gone now but the love they gave and the example they set stay with me always. Wilma is slowly slipping into her own world and my mom soldiers on with determination. These are all very tender memories for me so it somehow seemed right that as I set off to explore Holland on bike that "Uncle Bill" would sail by and remind me of my first introduction to the Dutch people.

Since arriving in Holland we have been greeted with warmth and helpfulness. There are many things we have seen that have made a strong impression. Everything is beautiful, well kept and clean. Bikes govern the road and seeing a mom on a bike with a baby on the front of the bike and a toddle on the back while being followed by another child on its own little bike is the norm. It is also not too surprising if the mom is talking on her cellphone at the same time. Everyone of any age or size is on a bike. In fact, there are far more bikes around than cars. After a few days of cycling you even start to wonder who the people are that chose to drive instead of cycle!

Gardens in Holland are beautifully manicured and the scent of flowers greet you wherever you go. One of the joys of being on bike is that the paths take you along canals, through quaint little towns, past working windmills and each time we pause to look at a map, someone stops to see if we need assistance. We have met some wonderfully kind people who beam with pleasure as we express our delight in all we are seeing and experiencing.

Tuesday evening we walked into Nordwijkerhout with my colleagues for dinner. On the way back to the hotel we took a side path along a canal. Beautiful homes lined both sides of the canal. One home owner had lined the area next to the canal with a variety of roses. I, of course, had to pause to sniff each type. The home owner was by his gate working with some planters. We soon were enjoying a warm conversation about the area and his roses. He warmly wished us a great vacation. I wonder if he realized that welcomes like his are what make a great vacation.

I have also been impressed by how tall the people are. I have always thought of our friends the
Yzenbrandts as tall people. I now realize that they are really very average for people of Dutch heritage. On more than one occasion I have seen young men that could have been brothers to Dion and Kia-Tall - handsome and blond. The Yzenbrandts, like the van Niekirks, are great examples of the wonderful people we are meeting here.

We have also developed a great appreciation of the breakfasts that are served here. They make sure you are well fuelled for a day of cycling! Marvin and I enjoy having a nice breakfast, a meal mid afternoon and a light snack In the evening.  So,having a hearty breakfast serves us well.

Another thing that has impressed us is how often we are seeing horses. It is quite evident that horses are well loved and enjoyed in the area. The animals are beautiful and well cared for. They are also ridden regularly which is evident by the many "deposits" on the trails.

The architecture in the area is quite lovely. Even the newer homes are built to fit in with the more traditional look. On our ride to Leiden we enjoyed cruising through several very pretty towns. We
also were thrilled to see sailboats sailing along the larger canals and rivers. Once we got into Leiden we were hoping to find the tourist information bureau. We had seen in the distance a very old building. We cycled that way and discovered an open market next to what turned out to be the oldest building in town and in front of the canal. It was so lively, colourful and interesting. It didn't take long before we were drawn into the excitement that is Dutch cheese. At an amazing cheese stall the young sales man silver talked us into treating ourselves to some wonderful cheeses. Now what we need to find is a bakery so we can get some bread to go with our, cheese.

The cycle paths are well maintained and, on the whole, well marked. The odd time the signs were not where they were supposed to be it was not long before another sign, or helpful person, would pop up to guide our way.

Yesterday we enjoyed a cycle up to Haarlem. I am sure Marvin will provide greater details about the cycling itself. Haarlem has a beautiful old Centre that, as with most European cities, is centred around the cathedral, if it is a cathedral town, or, if not, the church. The cathedral in Haarlem, the Bavokerk, founded in 1370, is breath taking. Prior to going in for a tour we stopped for lunch on the square. Our 26 km cycle along the dunes had resulted in a need for refuelling! As we entered the square we were treated by the musical performance from a Norwegian school band. There were super so we chose our cafe based on being able to hear the music.  Over the past few years I have noted that the best tasting food is often served after a bike ride. Coincidence?

We spent some time poking around the square, toured the church, cycled down to the drawbridge and the windmill and, maybe, found a nice piece of jewelry for Marvin to give me for our 35th wedding anniversary!

Before leaving town Marvin discovered an Italian Ice Cafe. Following the advice of Steve and Dodie Miller, we sauntered in and ..... Mmmmm. Yummy! (Picture to follow)

The ride back was delightful and we even found a nice picnic table on a canal where we had the last of our water and a piece of fruit. After we returned the bikes we then huffed it backed to our hotel (2.5km). So, by the end of the day we had walked 5 km, plus the walking we did in Haarlem, and cycled 56 km. yes, we slept well last night!

Today we pack up our gear and move on to Rotterdam. We will be traveling by train and are looking forward to seeing the sights.