Transcript A Year of New Experiences & Adventures! Christmas in Nova Scotia Leon, Cate and baby Rosa take a walk on a pretty winter’s day.

2005
A Year of New
Experiences &
Adventures!
Christmas
in
Nova Scotia
Leon, Cate and baby
Rosa take a walk on a
pretty winter’s day
What a cutie!
Leon’s brother
Yvo came
over from
Holland to join
in our
Canadian
Christmas
celebrations
He was excited to help shovel when we got our
first big snow
Dad guides Yvo and
Leon as they carve
bowls out of maple on
the lathe
Fun in the
snow!!
… and on the ice!
All enjoy a special
Lobster Dinner
and bid farewell to
Leon & Yvo
See you in 5 months…
It’s a blizzardly start to 2005 in Nova Scotia
And even
Holland
gets a little
dusting
Cate’s last term is a
busy one, and filled
with good times
with friends
Over in Holland, Leon and Yvo begin their own graphic design company.
is a scene they created.
This
Cate’s walk
across the
stage on her
big day
She is lucky to be supported by such wonderful family and friends
Grad day also brings another
momentous event…
BEFORE…
DURING…
Tony
AFTER!
Joe
The shorthaired pair is
reunited in
Holland in
June
 While one of Leon’s
friends (Lianne) is in
the USA, her cute little
apartment in Utrecht
becomes our first home
in Holland.
Lianne and Leon 
Cate wasted no time in
acquiring a bike- the national
form of transportation in the
Netherlands. This is a folding
bike, that can be folded quite
small, and therefore can be
taken on the train for free!
In July we moved to
Leon’s Uncle Hans’
house for 2.5 weeks.
While they were on
vacation, his family
asked us to take care
of their home and
their pets: Tjecka
(the huge, but
loveable Bernese
Mtn. dog), Spikey
(the independent, yet
sooky cat, who also
liked to join in on
dog walks), 5 fish
and 2 rats.
Spikey
pretending
to not be
joining in on
the walk
Big, slobbery
dog kiss
Cousin
David
Friend
Michael
Leon joined friends on a
trip to Germany to see
Mother Meera- a woman
who is worshipped as an
incarnation of the Divine
Mother around the world
and who gives blessings
to those who come to her.
The doors were
always open for
us at Roland
Holstlaan #772.
We’ve spent quite a bit of time
here over the past 6 monthssometimes with Donate and/or
Paul, and sometimes with the
place to ourselves.
The balcony 
In July, Yvo moved into his own place in Hilversum (1.5 hrs NE of Delft)
Typical houses in Delft
During our summer in Delft, we did quite a bit of shopkeeping in Paul’s shop “Lan
Ting”. Here we are at an antique market in Delft with some of his items.
Meanwhile, a
monumental
move was
happening
back in
Kingsburg.
Can’t wait to
see it!
VACATION
TIME!!
Beer’s Eco Camping
Alkmaar
The Hobistee
Enkhuisen
Hilversum
In mid-Aug. we
took a 9 day trip
with our bikes
and backpacks.
Here’s a map with
some of our key
stops in green
Train ---Ferry ---Bus ---Bike ----
Tent
Sleeping pads
Makeshift
cooler
Did we
ever look
funny with
our tiny
bikes and
huge
backpacks
!!
Leon’s cousin
David’s son Divine
Leon’s cousin
David and his
son Divine
zzzzzz
Those are some
pretty big shoes to fill!
Cycling in Alkmaar
Learning to make
bami goreng with
Leon’s uncle
Bobbie (the most
famous bami chef in
the family)
Here we are
in Enkhuisen,
about to have
some fish for
lunch. This
quaint town
reminded me
a lot of
Lunenburg
Sailing on Holland’s network of lakes and canals is a
popular Dutch activity
The large, open air Zuiderzee
Museum in Enkhuisen
A cold and blustery ferry trip
across the Ijsselmeer. We
were the only ones brave
(or crazy) enough to stay on
deck for the entire 2 hour
crossing!
Our first camping
stop was at an
“agro-eco camping”
in Beers. It was a
sleepy little organic
milk farm.
We had a nice
place to pitch our
tent in an old
orchard.
The owner, this
very friendly older
man, was very kind
to offer us a ride
across the canal in
his boat to reduce
our biking distance.
We had to smile
when we saw
the “Camping”
sign with the
missing (but
later added) “P”.
Flat horizon… smooth trails… into the
wind no matter which direction we
travelled…
Spectacular, big skies
Absolutely exhausted, we
take a break on the
roadside. Minutes later
we were saved by a bus
which took us to the ferry
at Lawersoog. We would
never have made that
ferry (the last of the day),
if it weren’t for that bus!
The island of Schiermonnikoog (National Park)
White sand beach
Vegetated dunes
Seedune
Campground
Pine forest
Mudflats
Town
Farmland
Seedune Campground
A WWII bunker offers a nice view of the island
We ate well
throughout
our journeyhere we’re
having fajitas
A nasty cold
hit Cate on
Day 2
Lifeguard
house &
cafe
The beach was the largest either of us had ever been to (and we think that’s saying a
lot!). It was 300-400m wide in many places!
That same
lifeguard
house &
cafe
The clouds came and went, but for most of our vacation they hung around (we had rain everyday,
and it was unseasonably cold). That didn’t stop us from enjoying this beautiful place!!
Salt water is the cure
for everything~
sweat, tears & the sea
Refreshing, but not daggerish
Whisps of sand tingle the feet
Endless trails to explore
along the beach, over the
dunes and through the woods
The little town of
Schiermonnikoog
It’s a car-free islands,
so bicycles rule!
This is the local
grocery store
Note the “bike only”
path in red
Bicycles parked “double decker” at the train station in Groningen
The HOBITSTEE
Community hall
This little ecovillage hosted us for 2 nights.
Here’s where we
camped ~ a soft grassy
spot under a cozy tree
canopy
Some community members
make and sell candles. They
are really beautiful!
Beautiful
blooms in
the garden
A small meditation hut
Our last stop
was a pizza
dinner with
Yvo in
Hilversum
Yee hoo! The whole car to
ourselves!
Beer’s Eco Camping
Alkmaar
A little re-cap
of our route
The Hobistee
Enkhuisen
Hilversum
Train ---Ferry ---Bus ---Bike ----
Candies and licorice
of endless varieties
It’s the height of market
season in Delft!
CHEESE!
bell
2 child carriers
(front + back)
At least 2 types
of locking
mechanisms
Lights that run off
pedal-power
Kick stand
Double
saddle-bags
Note the typically well-equiped Dutch bicycle
(these people really know what cycling is all
about!)
FLOWERS!
Central Delft:
outdoor cafes and
bicycles
On Aug. 25
we went to
see the Lion
King
musicalspectacular!
Scheveningen
Beach
Yvo cooks pizza (his
speciality) for us
September turns out
to be a great
beachin’ month too
The super-fast
ICE train takes us
to Cologne,
Germany
The Dobek’s have invited us for a “scouting visit” to see if we are a good
match for each other. They want to do some “environmental” renovations
and projects, and they want us to help them research and plan.
Our scouting
visit just
happened to
coincide with
World Youth
Day and the
Pope’s visit to
Cologne. The
city was full of
young people!
The Dom in Cologne
Not long after our scouting trip, we returned to the
Dobek’s for a longer (3 week) stint to do our work.
Their massive house looks
rather inconspicuous from
the outside…
 Back of the house
Sloping garden (their
plan is to terrace this) 
 Kitchen
Living/dining room 
 Our bedroom
The indoor swimming pool!! 
These are the beautiful woods and walking trails just
behind their property in Bergisch Gladbach
Our research included
everything from doing
percolation tests on
the lawn to taking
water tests of the roof
water and soil water.
Here’s Leon on the roof
checking out the condition
of the gutters (for the
purposes of a rain
harvesting system). Looks
like he found something…
Charlotte (8)
Bernadette (4)
Frederique (3)
When we
weren’t working,
we had fun with
the Dobek’s
three girls
We enjoyed walks
into more rural and
agricultural areas
Bikes of all
shapes
and sizes
Leon the
Speed
Demon
This bicycle is
90 years old!
XIII
century
church
castle
Decadent ice cream!
Mmmm!
Look like pasta??
Look again…
See the melting
“noodles”?
Small, efficient cars, like these Smart Cars, are
everywhere. These ones are part of a promotion
for “The Smallest Church in the World”.
Fun with caramel
apples!
A typical German
meat… kind of like a
huge sausage served
with mustard
We enjoyed cooking for them
from time to time. Here Leon has
created a huge batch of
Indonesian nasi goreng (fried
rice)
We could hardly
believe our good
fortune of being
served Haagen
Dazs ice cream at
least every other
night!! Pure
ecstacy!
Fun with the
Dobek’s!
One weekend we
went into Cologne for
the day. This is the
Rhine River.
Cologne’s Dom: 157m spires, built in 1248, it’s 24 ton bell is the largest working
bell in the world.
Cheesy breads and sweet treats are in abundance!
These popular fruit-filled doughnuts are
called “Berliners”
Small, neighbourhood bakeries are the places to stock up on baked
goodies and hearty breads
Chocolate-covered EVERYTHING!
Can you believe that
we found TWO of
these giant gorillas
during our walk
around Cologne??!!
!
We couldn’t be in
Germany without
visiting a “brauhaus”
(brew house).
Traditional
bratwurst
sausage &
sauerkraut
As soon as Klaus found out that
I knew how to prepare and eat
lobster, he was set on having a
lobster dinner with us.
The girls were a little unsure at first, but it
didn’t take long for them to get right into it
Klaus
bought a
big new pot
just for this
occassion
“If it’s not up to
your elbows than
you’re doing
something wrong!”
The meal was a huge success and a unique experience!
Saying goodbye to the
Dobek’s after a wonderful
and productive stay
Tasty meals
back in Delft!
Soy
sauce
broth
Traditionally Dutch
“Boerenkool”:
chopped kale +
mashed potatoes
potato
Lemon
juice
Crispy
onion
chicken
egg
Bean
sprouts
Fresh
cilantro
Rice
noodles
Indonesian “Soto Ayam”:
chicken soup that you
make yourself at the table
Leon and I decided to
undertake the renovation of
Yvo’s old bedroom.
First we had to remove the old
wallpaper…
Then we crack-filled and
sanded. Yvo came to help us
out one weekend.
After sanding, you could barely
the other side of the room!
Then
it
was
time
to
paint!
Donate chose
the cozy warm
salmon orange
colour
In late October we spent a week in England. For most of
it we stayed with Trueman family friends, Vikki and
Steve Hurst, and their boys, Billy and Floyd.
Floyd
Billy
• =
It is known for having the
best private collection of art
of any small manor house
in England.
While staying with the
Hurst’s in Wimborne
(Dorset), we visited a very
well-kept manor house
called Kingston Lacey
The grounds of Kingston Lacey had some magnificent trees
We visited the southern coast of England (near Bournemouth)
“See the chalk?”
They also took us
to see Corfe Castle
It’s fairly run-down
now, but it’s
interesting to think
about what it must
have been like
once upon a time.
We had a meal in celebration of
Vikki’s mum’s birthday at this pub in
the New Forest. We headed back to
Vikki and Steve’s afterwards for
cake and gifts.
Vikki’s dad
Steve’s
mum
Vikki’s
mum
Vikki’s nephew
and sister
Vikki’s
brother-in-law
Our hotel
We got a great deal at this
simple, but sufficient, hotel
which was in walking
distance of downtown
We headed into “the Big
Smoke” for a couple of nights.
We joined up with my friend
Mary there (I know her from
Acadia, and she is studying
this year at Plymouth,
England)
Our first day in London was rainy, but that did
stop us from walking and enjoying the sights!
Covent Gardens Market
Chinatown
Picadilly Circus
We had supper at a
classic English pub
Just as we were ordering
our meal at this pub, we
saw a commotion outside.
It turned out to be actress/singer
Hilary Duff (who is apparently
quite famous…)
Hilary
Later we saw that she was
being filmed live for MTV.
It was funny
to be a part
of the crowd
(especially
because we
didn’t even
know who
she was!)
That night we treated
ourselves to a London
theatre performance.
We saw the classic
musical “Les
Miserables” and it was
a wonderful show!
The next day was sunny
and perfect for exploring
London on foot
A WWII monument that depicted
incredible detail and emotion.
This was our 2nd encounter with fame- we
walked by a “Bollywood” movie being filmed!
A surely
famous Indian
actor
We couldn’t
believe our good
fortune as we
came upon Big
Ben just as it
struck noon!
Moments later, we
came upon some
traffic police and
barricades. When I
asked what was going
on, I was told that the
procession for the King
of Norway was just
coming up the street!
Another moment of
good fortune!
What a show of
royalty- and right in
front of our noses! It
didn’t matter to us
that the King himself
hadn’t yet joined the
procession.
Lots of people-watching
going on, but no King…
Hungry bellies led us
to leave before
catching sight of the
King. As we left we
saw Buckingham
palace at the end of a
street lined with British
and Norwegian flags.
After a bite to eat we
visited Buckingham
Palace. It didn’t seem
overly special though, after
all of our “famous
moments” so far. We were
so lucky to be seeing all of
these sights in such
beautiful weather!
Just next to the palace is the “Canada Gate”
The Nova
Scotia crest
Without a second of planning, we just
happened upon the changing of the
guard!!
We also got to see them rake the
gravel at the same time!
The London
Eye ferris
wheel
Houses of Parliament
More walking and
more sights…
For our second night we were
hosted by de Vreede family
friends, Liam & Anne Quinn, at
their home in Putney Heath.
The next day we prepared
for our interview (for
teaching jobs in Japan) and
got all dressed up!
We arrived early, so spent a little time chilling out in Kensington
Gardens. Our interview was to be in the hotel in the back of the picture.
Our interview was
very relaxed,
informative, and a
huge success!
We celebrated at a fun and
tasty Asian noodle restaurant
called “Wagamama”
Our last moments in
London were on a
double-decker bus
Back at Vikki & Steve’s,
everyone was getting
ready for Halloween.
We had a nice “welcome
back” meal with Steve’s
mum, Val.
I was happy
to help the
boys carve a
pumpkin.
They were a
big help too!
On our last day in England, we
visited Val’s new thatched
cottage. It is absolutely gorgeous!
Lunch in the
beautiful sun-room.
Val cooked us
traditional British
“Bubble & Squeak”
(a potato dish),
served with chicken.
It was delicious!
The day after returning from
England, I was off on another
adventure… sailing!
I participated in a sailing
weekend organized by a
Dutch youth environmental
group.
The next few slides are of
the first morning’s sunrise…
beautiful!
This was the
boat where we
slept and ate
As you could see from the sunrise photos, our first
day was pretty calm. It was perfect for me to learn
some of the basics though. All of the young people
spoke English, but I had to learn the sailing terms in
Dutch. Next to me is the skipper, Elisabeth.
Ring
Sun spot
We saw an amazing site in the sky…
sun spots, and a ring around the sun!
Rainbow
(Apparently these are caused by specific
atmospheric conditions.)
The boats we sailed in
were called “Falcons”
By the end of the
day the wind had
calmed right
down, so the boat
had to be pulled
The evening
brought lots of
fun, games and
music
At sunrise of the
second day we
could already
tell that the wind
would be good
Breakfast on the boat
We were blessed with a nearly perfect sailing day…
It was a thrill to feel the boat tip
in the strong wind
It was even more of a
thrill to be in control of
the boat in these
winds. I had very
helpful shipmates
though, who coached
me along the way. We
spent most of the day
on Sneekermeer, one
of the prime sailing
lakes in Holland.
By the end of the 2nd day, I
even got to try maneuvering
the boat up the narrow
canals (lots of zig-zaging).
We ended the weekend with
some hot soup. I had a really
great time with these people,
and it was fun to spend some
quality time with other Dutch
youth. I hope I can do some
sailing in other places in the
world too.
In early November, we were
excited to host a good friend
of ours from Acadia, Jeremy
Ewing. We first met him for a
day in Amsterdam.
The 3-level BICYCLE parking “garage” at the
Amsterdam train station
pedistrians
bicycles
vehicles
buses
We saw this fantastic street performer
that evening. He had a really original
act. In this trick, he is passing his body
through an ordinary wooden tennis
racket, while balancing a glass ball on
his head!
And here he is rolling a
ball of fire all over his
bare upper body!
Dutch
CanadianAmerican
French
Swedish
Irish
CanadianAmerican
Canadian
French- Portuguese
Canadian
Swedish
That night we had Indonesian food with Jeremy’s friends and relatives
When Jeremy came
to Delft, we showed
him the market
square and church, a
windmill that is right in
town, and one of
many tunnels of
artistic graffiti (the city
doesn’t discourage it,
so there are some
very artistic pieces)
Shopping for
cheese
Taking the tram
Eating Dutch-style
pancakes at a pancake
house in a park
Scheveningen Beach on
a balmy November day
We nearly had the
beach to ourselves
We took Jeremy on a big bike
trip around Delft. Here we are
at one of the natural areas just
outside the city.
As you can see, even
here the paths here
are a biker’s dream
A typical Dutch
greenhouse
Flowers (Mums, I think)
On his last day, we
decided to climb the
tower of the “Nieuwe
Kerk”.
2nd
balcony
1st
balcony
After 380 steps,
we reached the
highest point
(about 90m
above the
ground).
The stairway was very narrow!
This was the view from
the 1st balcony
And this the view from
the 2nd balcony!!
The market was
going on below us
We had a beautiful view of the city
And we could even see Lan Ting!
This is about all you get
for leaf colour in Holland
(taken Oct. 28)
Paul’s Birthday, Nov. 14
In November, Leon did
some “temp” work in a few
places. We visited him one
day when he was working
in the kitchen at IKEA.
One of the customers
thought he was so friendly
that she wanted me to take
a photo of her with him!
Bikes at the
Delft train
station
A common sight
This “TRUEMAN’S”
label caught my eye in
the grocery store one
day. Strange to see it
spelled with an “e”
(…also strange that hot
dogs are sold this
way!)
Another strange
thing…
Delft has wild
parrots! We often
can see and hear
them from the
apartment. We’re not
sure how they came
to be here, but they
do seem to live here
all year round.
Just the other day I
counted a flock of
18!
We recently attended a
“Recycling Party”, which
was organized by a
sustainability group that
we have become a part of.
Everyone brought
clothes and other
unwanted items, and
then you could dig
through the pile and
take home whatever
treasures you found! It
was great fun, and I
picked up some much
needed sweaters
Sinterklaas Day (Dec. 6) is a big deal in Holland
(just as big, if not bigger than Christmas).
Instead of Santa and elves, it’s Sinterklaas and
Black Peter who deliver gifts to good children.
We were part of the excitement at the parade.
Black Peter
hands out
kruidnoten
(little
cookies) to
the children
Everyone wanted a peek at
Sinterklaas who was giving a greeting
with the mayor at the City Hall
Our next adventures will have us living and volunteering at
this place called Sunseed. We plan to be here for Dec. & Jan.
Sunseed is located near the town
of Sorbas in the Sierra Nevada
mountains (50km from the coast).
The nearest big city is Almeria.
We will be taking the train
through Belgium, France and
Spain to get there (29 hours!).
Title photo from their newsletter
(available from:
http://www.sunseed.org.uk/downloads.asp?sid=Newsletter)
The Main House
Merry Christmas
Everyone!
Love,
Cate
Christmas 2005