October – Living Like the Dutch

October marked the official beginning of Esther’s sabbatical.

We settled into Hanny and Roy’s home near Wageningen and quickly developed a daily routine.

While Esther spent her days working at Wageningen University, I explored the surrounding countryside almost entirely by bicycle. Every day seemed to uncover another beautiful village, another historic city center, another scenic bike path, or another welcoming café.

Jen and Andy visited us for several days, including a memorable day exploring Amsterdam together.

Later in the month we traveled to Norwich and Ropsley, England, where Esther gave a scientific presentation while I enjoyed the experience of a traditional English bird drive and shoot—something I’d only read about before.

November – More Dutch Living

At the beginning of November we moved from Hanny and Roy’s home into Esther and Franc’s house, less than a mile away.

Rather than packing everything into a car, I simply walked our belongings between the houses in several trips. It was probably the easiest move I’ve ever made.

One evening Esther’s colleague from England came for dinner. Originally from Spain, she taught me how to prepare an authentic Spanish tortilla made with potatoes and eggs—a simple dish that turned out wonderfully.

Esther’s Aunt Sonja treated us to a shopping trip and dinner, giving Esther the opportunity to use the birthday gift card she’d received from the family to purchase a beautiful necklace and matching earrings before we all enjoyed dinner together at Fort Noxx.

Another memorable weekend required what felt like every imaginable form of transportation: bicycle, train, train, bicycle, train, and finally another bicycle before arriving six hours later at Uncle Emiel and AnnaMarie’s home, where we enjoyed dinner and spent the night.

Later in the month Esther completed the challenging Nijmegen Seven Hills 15-kilometer race while I continued exploring Dutch cities by bicycle and train.

Around Thanksgiving I returned briefly to the United States to avoid exceeding the ninety-day Schengen visa limit before returning to Europe.

December – A Magical Finish

December began with dinner alongside fellow members of the boat club board.

A few days later I rode my bicycle to Wageningen’s tiny local railway—the “chicken train”—before traveling to Amersfoort and cycling another forty-five kilometers to Menno’s house, where I stored my newly purchased Dutch bicycle for future visits.

Just before Christmas we boarded a night train to Vienna, stopping for several hours in Brussels along the way.

Vienna was magical during the Christmas season. Highlights included standing before Gustav Klimt’s masterpiece The Kiss at the Belvedere Museum, wandering through the city’s famous Christmas markets, and joining a fascinating walking tour exploring Vienna during Hitler’s rise to power.

Christmas itself was spent with Esther’s family in the Netherlands, gathering at her brother Gerben and his wife Monique’s home for a warm family celebration filled with wonderful food, conversation, and Dutch holiday traditions.

Soon afterward it was time to pack our bags one final time and fly home.