Monday – November 3
Lara a post-doc student of Esther’s, who now lives and works in the U.K., came in last night to visit for a few days. Esther went to meet her at the train station and escort her to our house. I stayed behind to prepare dinner and I was a little nervous because I was cooking in a new kitchen. I braved a heavy rain to go the market on Saturday to get some fresh salmon for dinner. After finally figuring out the oven I roasted some veggies – potatoes, beets and carrots. I also baked the salmon, made mashed cauliflower and a salad. Dinner turned out good.

We were going to eat out for dinner but decided to eat out for lunch instead.

Lara helping me make a Spanish Potato omelet. I got the recipe from Celia but Lara is from Galicia, Spain and knew very well how to make it – I’m ready to go solo next time.

Tuesday – November 4
Esther did a short run this morning and she and Lara headed to the lab at 7:45 this morning. It has been so busy over the last several days that I got behind on my journal so I took some time in the AM to catchup. A very rare weather day today – is was sunny and around 55 degrees a little windy so I took advantage of it an went for a bike ride.

Wednesday – November 5
I went to the market this morning to get some fresh fish for dinner tonight – fresh fish from the Wednesday market has become a thing now. after that I rode my bike to the Ede-Wageningen train station and took the train to Utrecht, a short 40 minute ride.

Utrecht – founded around 47 CE as the Roman fort Traiectum, is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands. Located in the heart of the country, it grew into an important religious and culture center during the Middle Ages and remains a vibrant university city today. Know for its iconic Dom Tower, medieval canals with unique wharf cellars, and historic architecture, Utrecht blends centuries of history with a lively modern atmosphere. It serves as a major hub for education, culture and transportation in the Netherlands.

The Dom Tower of Utrecht is the tallest church tower in the Netherlands, standing 112.5 meters (368 ft) high. Construction began in 1321 and was completed in 1382 as part of the Cathedral of Saint Martin.

Thursday – November 6
I rode to the city of Ede, explored our town, Wageningen and did some grocery shopping today – I needed a low key day.

Friday – November 7
Sunrise: 7:43 AM Sunset: 4:58PM
For Esther’s birthday Gerard, aunt Sonja and probably a few other aunts gave Esther a gift certificate from this nice jewelry store in Hoofddorp, where aunt Sonja lives. Hoofddorp is a town in the Netherlands, located in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer, in the province of North Holland. It’s situated just southwest of Amsterdam and very close to Schiphol airport – it was about a 1-1/2 hour train and walk away from the Ede-Wageningen station. We had planned to meet on this evening so Esther could use her gift card and then have dinner. We left our house at 1:45 and arrived at aunt Sonja at 4:05.

We had a great time and Esther picked out a beautiful necklace and 2 pairs of earrings and dinner was a place called Fort Noxx – it was in an actual historic fort.

Saturday and Sunday November 8 & 9
After Esther did her run on Saturday we took off with our bikes to visit Emiel and Annamarie, Esther’s aunt and uncle, in Emmen. We biked to the Ede-Wageningen to Amersfoort station, then changed trains (different platform) to go to Zwolle, we changed trains and platforms again to go to Dalfsen. Once in Dalfsen we we had to ride our bikes to Ommen because of train track repairs. In Ommen we got back on the train and traveled to Emmen. Emiel met us in Emmen and we rode, in the dark, about 8 mile to his house. They have a nice, cozy house and we had a good overnight stay. They feed us dinner and breakfast. We headed home around 11AM and did everything again but in reverse.

and that ends a very busy week 6.

Monday – October 27
Sunrise: 7:23AM – Sunset: 5:18PM – rainy conditions expected around 8AM with wind gusts up to 31mph making the temperatures feel like 36 degrees.

Esther had an appointment at 11 am in Nijmegen to get her DIGID number. Nijmegen is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and the ninth largest of the Netherlands as a whole. Located on the Waal river close to the German border. It is also one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands and the first to be recognized in Roman times. In 2005, Nijmegen celebrated 2,000 years of existence. It poured cats and dogs the whole and we got soaked especially our feet.

It’s the end of October and on Thursday we move from Hanny and Roy’s house to Franc and Esther’s. To help make the move a little easier we are loading “Big Red” with some of the clothing items we know we don’t need any more and taking her to Gerard’s place in preparation for me to take back to the states in November.

Tuesday – October 28
Sunrise: 7:26AM Sunset: 5:16PM Weather was overcast and with no rain in the forecast.

Today was a very unproductive, moody day – the weather was cold and rainy and we hadn’t heard back from Hanny as to the exact day they were moving back. The contract said the 30th but there was some talk about the 29th so we were in limbo and affected our moods. Finally, midmorning they emailed Esther and confirmed they were moving back on the 30th which was a big relief for us because Esther and Franc aren’t leaving until the 31st.

Wednesday – October 29
Sunrise: 7:26AM Sunset: 5:16PM Weather was overcast and with no rain in the forecast.
I wanted/needed to work out the moody feelings from yesterday and since the weather forecast didn’t include rain, I decided to ride my bike to Nijmegen for lunch and to explore a little. It was a fairly easy 18 mile ride to the city center and even though the weather was okay the wind picked up considerably on the last 5km – it took about 95 minutes to make to Nijmegen.

I parked and locked my bike on one of the main streets and took a picture of the store across the street so i could Google map the store when I wanted to to return. I explored the city for a while then had some lunch at this small, cozy and very busy cafe. While waiting for lunch I used the ns.nl public transportation app to see about getting a train ticket for my bike so I could take the train back home.The process was fairly easy and I decided buy a ticket and give it a try.

Thursday – October 30
Sunrise: 7:29AM Sunset: 5:12PM Partly cloudy conditions with lows: 47 degrees and high: 56 degrees – prefect day to move into our new house for the month of November.
Our first night at our new place was good and we both slept very well. Esther had a trip to a company to give a talk in Leeuwarden which is all the way to the north end of Holland – a 3 hour train trip. She left the house at 9AM and didn’t get home till 9PM – a 12 hour day.

I got the old house all clean and met Hanny and Roy at 3:30PM so we could hand back their house and go over anythings that came up while they were gone. I made them some tea and we had a conversation about their trip and our time in their house. I was a little nervous about meeting them without Esther but we had a good conversation and everything went well – they want us to come back.

Esther and Franc had a party in Utrecht so they were leaving the house when I got back from meeting Hanny. I was physically and mentally tired with moving and the long conversations with both couples so I was happy to just relax in our new beautifully home. Esther wasn’t going to be home until late (8PM or later) so I was on my own for dinner. I hadn’t had time to buy any groceries and was to tired to go out so I just grabbed some items from the fridge and managed to make a mushroom, onion, red pepper, cheese omelet – it was tasty. . –

Friday – October 31 – Halloween
Franc and Esther left on their trip around 7:30 AM and even though they are a wonderful couple, who I like a lot, it was nice to have the house to ourselves now. We had coffee and breakfast together and then, after Esther left for work I went to Het Depot. The Het Depot is museum/gallery, located in Wageningen, which focuses on exhibiting contemporary sculpture, particular works that explore the human form. The works are presented across three interconnected buildings and a beautiful sculpture garden that overlooks the Wageningen Arboretum (Belmonte Arboretum).

We had a wonderful time and dinner with Annemeike and William – they are so fun and easy to be around.

Saturday – November 1
Sunset: 5:08PM – Rainy conditions expected around 8AM with wind gusts up to 25 mph making the temperature feel like 49 degrees. I got completely soaked at the market but, I wanted some fresh fish to have for dinner when Lara was here on Sunday.

We left for Den Hague around 10AM because Esther had an appointment at City Hall to be finger printed and photographed which is all part of the process of getting her Dutch citizenship back. – not there long enough for photos but, we’ll be back. After Den Hague we took the train/bus to Aalsmeer to have dinner with Garard and then we all went to Aunt Annemeike’s 75th birthday party/

Gerard drove us to the Schiphol airport around 10 PM so we could take the train home – its usually an 1-1/2 hour train trip. But, because of a soccer match and a big concert letting out at almost the same time the train station was packed. We took a very packed train from Schiphol to Utrecht where we had to change platforms and trains as we got to our correct platform, with hundreds of people waiting, we saw Annemeike and William also waiting for the train – what a coincidence. They had gone to the concert and were one of the thousands exiting. Since they had driven to the train station and are living next door we were able to ride home from the train station with them – saved us about 40 minutes. We got home at 1:40AM, exhausted and ready for bed.

Sunday- November 2
Because of our late night we got up late and had a leisure morning with a nice frittata for breakfast.

Esther and I went on a beautiful 18 mile bike ride and had lunch at restaurant right across the river from the ferry.

Esther left the house around 3PM to go the airport to meet Lara, one Esther’s post-docs students who worked in lab, who has come from the United Kingdom to visit for a couple of days.
….. and that ends another adventures week.

Monday – October 20.
The trains and construction cleared up enough for us to head back to Wageningen in the late morning. Spent most of the rest of the day unpacking and doing laundry from our trip to the U.K.

Tuesday – October 21
Pretty much a rest and catch up day – recycling cans, grocery shopping and some resting.

Wednesday – October 22
Sunrise: 8:10 Sunset: 6:28PM Beautiful day but partly cloudy conditions expected around 7PM Low was: 52 and the High: 58
Esther had a rough night of sleep because of her blood sugars and the calibration of her new sensor. She also had an industry talk and got picked up at 7AM for a 2 hour drive to the company headquarters – fun day for Esther.

Started my day by going to the open air market which is held every Wednesday from 8:30 to 1PM. What a great market with vendors selling all kinds of goods: fabric, shoes, veggies, bread, cheese, fish, meat, nuts, coffee, tea and all kind of gifty things.

Had a great ride to Arnhem and back today – not many pictures taken because I wanted to keep my momentum up so I could get a good workout to start burning the calories I consumed in the U.K. – the section along the Rhine River was especially nice. There were a few serious climbs in and around Arnhem.

Thursday – October 22
Sunrise: 8:16AM Sunset: 6:26PM – Windy conditions expected around 9AM. Wind gust up to 30mph are making the temperature feel like 49 degrees. Low: 47 – High: 57

I had planned to do a 24 mile ride today but I got a later than expected start and we had Maurice and Maartje coming over for dinner I decided to cut my ride short – with wind gusts up to 30mph the ride felt a lot longer than the 12.48 miles it was.

Friday – October 23
Sunrise: 8:18 Sunset: 5:47 Overcast, rain at times, cold and very windy today – wind gusts up to 30mph.
Esther registered me at the local doctors online then we rode our bikes to the office to see about making me an appointment about my chronic cough and possible sinus infection. I was able to get an appointment at 3:15 that day, Doctor checked my oxygen level(97), my breathing(lungs clear) and took a prick of blood to test for an infection – all was clear.
Rode my bike back to the bike store in Bennekom to get a helmet and saddle bags. It started to rain on my home and occasionally the wind was so strong I had real difficulty pedally against it.
Spent the rest of the day resting at home.
Dinner: roasted sweet potato, cooked cabbage with our leftover sausage and a salad with kol robi

Saturday – October 25
Went the the downtown market this morning to get some fresh trout and some other things we need and had lunch at Bisou Brasserie – I had the Stokbroodje Beenham and Esther had the Salade Carpaccio.
Dinner with Franc and Esther – It was a fun evening – they are great people to be around – fun to talk to. We arrived at their home at 5PM, amidst a driving rain and the evening started with tea, a piece of apple pie and a lot of fun conversation in the living room on the sofa. After a while we had some beer, cheese and crackers and Franc and I proceeded to the kitchen to prepare the ingredients for dinner. Roasted pumpkin, onions, cooked fennel root, rice and salad- with goat cheese, figs and pine nuts – it was all very tasty.

Sunday – October 26
The weather called for a cold, windy and rainy day but at 9:30 there was blue sky and sun so Es and I decided to risk it and we rode the 14 miles to Kroller Muller museum. It was a beautiful ride and we both felt refreshed because of the extra hour of sleep we got because of daylight savings change back. About 2km away from the museum it started to rain pretty hard and we got fairly wet – so the hot cappuccino we got at museum tasted pretty good. The museum is the life-work of collector Helene Kroller-Muller and her husband Anton who between 1907 – 1922 aquired 11,500 artworks including Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Georges Seurat, Piet Mondriaan and others. The museum also houses the second largest collection of Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings and drawings.

and that ends week 4 of our stay in the Netherlands – next week is when we move from one house to another – should be an adventure.

Monday, October 13
Sunrise: 7:58AM Sunset: 6:47PM – Cloudy conditions will continue all day. Wind gusts up to 9mph – low -54 high – 63.

It was a low key day for me today – after our 3 mile walk/run we had some coffee and breakfast, Esther went to the lab and I worked on cleaning. Hard to believe but we’ve been here for 2 weeks now and things are starting to look a little grimy – we are also leaving tomorrow evening for the UK and we want things to be clean before leaving. The washer and dryer are little challenging – only one can be plugged in at a time and the dryer settings are a little confusing but we are managing.
Went to town around 11AM this morning and even though the weather said only cloudy there was a very heavy mist or light drizzle – I bought 3 shirts, pair of jeans and some socks.
Dinner: Chicken breast, leftover couscous with onion, garlic and red peppers, and cooked cabbage.
After dinner we watched a Diane Keaton movie Something Gotta Give with Jack Nicholson with honor of her recent death.

Tuesday, October 14.
Sunrise: 8AM Sunset: 6:454PM – Partly cloudy conditions expected around 6PM. Wind gusts up to 6 mph. Low: 53 and the high: 62. Rode my bike into town this morning to buy a dress shirt for the formal event in Ropsley this weekend.

Wednesday October 15
Sunrise: 8:02 Sunset: 6:43 – Cloudy conditions will continue all day with gusts up to 5mph. 

We left the house at 6:30pm yesterday and made it to Gerard’s house in Aalsmeer at 8:30pm. Chatted and hung out with Esther’s dad until about 10PM then went to bed. We’re going to hang out here until 2PM then head to Schiphol airport for our flight to Norwich UK. We headed to the airport at 2pm by UBER – it was our first time not taking public transportation and costs only 8 dollars – pretty good deal.

At the airport we found out, the travel agent who booked our flight had misspelled Esther’s name so the name on her ticket didn’t match the name on her passport. We managed to get this fixed at the Schiphol airport and were told this would have a been a big problem if we were flying to the US – so note to self, double check the work of others.

Thursday – October 16
Norwich, UK
Norwich is a historic city in eastern England, located in the county of Norfolk. It’s known for its rich medieval heritage, vibrant culture and blend of old and new architecture. Once one of England’s most important cities during the middle ages, Norwich boast a stunning cathedral, a 12th century castle and a well-preserved medieval street layout.

Norwich was famous for having an extraordinary number of pubs – more than any other city in England for it’s size – In the 19th century, Norwich had over 600 pubs, with some estimates suggesting as many as 1,000 at its peak.

Churches – Historically, during the Middle Ages, Norwich had around 57 churches within the city walls, plus several more in the surrounding area. That made it one of the most church-dense cities in medieval England. About 31 medieval parish churches still survive – many now repurposed as art venues, community centers oe cafes.

Esther was invited to Norwich to give a talk to the John Innes Institute and the Sainsbury Laboratories (TSL) by her long time friend and colleague Sophien and his partner Soskia. Our hosts Sophien and Soskia took us out to dinner on the night we arrived to the Wildebeest a gastropub that was refurbished from one of the old pub. The Wildebeest – is a 3AA Rosette Restaurant, in Stoke Holy Cross, just outside of Norwich. Chef Patron Daniel Smith and Head Chef Fabio Miani take great pride in their kitchen serving the freshest ingredients, bringing dishes together that embrace every season and using all that is great and good from Norfolk. 

Esther and I had the pan roasted holkham venison, potato pave,jerusalem, artichoke purée, confit swede, CEP mushrooms, venison and chorizo ragout pie. 

And for dessert we had the caramelized apple crumble soufflé with crème anglaise – AMAAZING

Friday and Saturday – October 17 and 18
Ropsley, UK
David and Soraya had invited us to their family estate in Ropsley for their annual, formal English style bird hunt. Ropsley is a small village located in Lincolnshire, England, about 4 miles from Grantham. We got there late Friday afternoon and missed the clay pigeon practice shoot but, we weren’t planning on shooting anyway so it was all good. The estate was purchased, pretty much as is, by David’s parents as a investment. I estate covers about 3,000 acres, of farmland and a building that includes several kitchens, living rooms, bathrooms and probably 12 or more bedrooms. There are also several cottages on the estate. It’s a working farm with 5 employees and a trust was setup with a manager to handle all of the financial needs.

A formal English bird hunt – often referred to as a driven shoot or game shoot – is one of Britain’s most traditional and ceremonious countryside pastimes. Here is what it involves.
The Setting – Usually takes place on a country estate or manor grounds
The participants
– Guns – the shooters (guests or invited sportsmen/women).
– Beaters – who flush the birds out from cover.
– Pickers-up – handlers with trained gundogs to retrieve shot birds.
– Gamekeeper – manages the estate and oversees the day.
The Days Structure
– Morning meet – Guns gather, often with coffee or a light breakfast at the lodge/
– Safety briefing – Conducted by the gamekeeper or captain (Alister)
– Drives – Several organized sessions where beaters drive birds over the guns’ line.
– Elevenses – A mid-morning break with drinks(Slo Gin) and snacks in the field.
– Lunch – A formal sit-down meal, in the estate house.
– Afternoon drives – followed by tea or drinks to close the day
Dress Code
– Tweed jacket or shooting coat
– Breeks (knee-length trousers) or plus-fours
– Long shooting socks with garters
– Collared shirt, tie and waist coat
– Sturdy boats or brogues
– flat cap or fedora-style hat

We had a traditional full English breakfast – Over easy eggs, toast, sausage, bacon, mushrooms and roasted tomatoes

On Sunday morning we took UBER, the train and bus to get back to Norwich for our flight home. There was a little train delay back to Wageningen due to construction so we went to Gerard place, spent the night and traveled back on Monday morning – and this ends a very busy week 3.

At the end of September, Esther and I met our good friends Jen and Andy in Milan, Italy. Jen and Andy were our neighbors on Lake Oglethorpe, and over the years we developed a close friendship. When Esther and I started dating, she fit right into the group, making our time together even more enjoyable. This trip gave us a wonderful opportunity to reconnect while exploring one of Italy’s most vibrant cities.

Milan is often thought of as Italy’s business and fashion capital, but it is also rich in history, art, and culture. We spent our first few days exploring the city and visiting some of its most famous landmarks. The highlight was undoubtedly the magnificent Duomo di Milano. Standing in the main square, gazing up at the cathedral’s intricate Gothic spires, was truly breathtaking. We also had the opportunity to see Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, The Last Supper. Viewing one of the world’s most celebrated paintings in person was an unforgettable experience and a reminder of Italy’s incredible artistic heritage.

On Sunday morning, we rose early for a day trip to Lake Como. We took the train north to Varenna and then boarded a ferry across the lake to Bellagio, often called the “Pearl of Lake Como.” The weather was beautiful, and the scenery exceeded every expectation. The deep blue waters of the lake, framed by steep mountains and elegant villas, created postcard-perfect views at every turn.

Bellagio itself was charming, with its narrow cobblestone streets, colorful buildings, and flower-filled balconies. We spent the day wandering through the town, enjoying the lakeside atmosphere, and taking in some of the most spectacular scenery in Italy. It was easy to understand why Lake Como has been attracting visitors for centuries.

Our return journey, however, became an adventure of its own.

Around 4:00 PM, we headed back to the train station, hoping to beat the evening crowds and get back to Milan at a reasonable hour. Unfortunately, a train had been struck by a falling boulder, forcing the closure of the railway line. Because it was Sunday, it took considerable time for crews to arrive and assess the situation.

What followed was a long and complicated trip home. We were directed onto buses that bypassed the damaged section of track and then transferred back to trains on the other side. Every bus and train was packed. Most of the journey was standing room only, and each transfer seemed to add another delay. What should have been a pleasant evening trip turned into an all-night journey. We finally arrived back in Milan close to 2:00 AM.

One of the most memorable parts of the experience was watching Andy handle the situation. As a self-described homebody, I expected the unexpected delays and crowds to test his patience. Instead, he took everything in stride, maintaining a positive attitude and good sense of humor throughout the ordeal. His calm approach helped keep everyone’s spirits up during a very long day.

A few days later, on Wednesday, September 24, our paths separated. Esther and I boarded a train to Turin, where she was attending a conference. Meanwhile, Jen and Andy traveled to Florence to meet their daughter Carrie, who now lives in  Edinburgh, Scotland. It was a fitting conclusion to a wonderful few days of friendship, sightseeing, and shared adventures.

Looking back, what I remember most is not just the beauty of Milan or the stunning scenery of Lake Como, but the joy of experiencing it all with good friends. Even the travel mishaps have become part of the story—one more adventure to laugh about and remember for years to come.