Falk Travel Tracks: 2012

A few weeks ago, we went to Dusseldorf, Germany for the night because we could. The actual train ride took about as long as it would take us to drive from Avon to Denver. I think I was as excited to travel by train as the boys were. Train travel in the United States is difficult - at least where we live. It's very expensive, and therefore inaccessible to us. As I sat down on the cushy seats of the train, my imagination took off and I imagined, like I so often do, myself in the past. That day's imaginations took me back to my fascinations with Laura Ingalls Wilder and Little House on the Prairie and I spent the lovely train ride thinking myself on the train with the Ingalls family. It was a delightful day of speeding through the Dutch and German countryside.

As first time travelers with children on the rail system, we learned a few things.

Lesson # 1 from train travel - Time management: you don't need to arrive as early to the train station as you do to airports. Train stations, especially in winter, are frigid - even if there is a covered inside to the station, the cold air creeps in through all the open platforms. There is little to no security - meaning, we don't have to undress and go through metal detectors, and when the train arrives, you have only about 5 minutes to hop on before it leaves the station. So there is no need to get there early. Unfortunately, we learned that the hard way.

We just got back from a 6 day trip to London in which we took the train to get there and back. This time, we went through the Chunnel, and I tried not to imagine myself 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Again, the travel was relaxing and this time, we sped through the Dutch, Belgium, French and English countryside.

London was fantastic. I have a romantic love affair with London - perhaps it's Jane Austen's London that I truly am attached to. Coincidentally enough, I am rereading my "comfort food" of books - Pride and Prejudice and often on our trip my imaginations took me to the Bingley's, Darcy's and the Gardiner's London. This past Monday, we took the boys to the Warrner Brother's Studio outside London where Harry Potter was filmed. We took a double decker bus, and to my astonishment and delight, we drove down Grosvenor (where Mr. and Mrs. Hurst lived) and passed through Hertfordshire. I had a delightful drive as I imagined myself walking through the meadows of Hertfordshire as Lizzy did.

While in London, it occurred to Brett and I how much our lives have slowed down since we moved here. We spend much more time with the boys, and though I terribly miss getting up every Saturday and Sunday to ski, on Saturday with Brett and friends as the boys are in DEVO, and Sunday as a family, I am enjoying our slower pace of life here. Which leads me to -

Lesson # 2 from train travel - Suspended Time: We could have been in London with a 45 minute plane ride as opposed to the 4 + hours it took us to get to London by train. However, when you travel by train, life seems to slow down. You look out the window and see different countryside, you play card games with your kids because you have 4 seats that face each other, and then you still have time to read. It may take longer to get there, but you have more "togetherness"in that process. Time with our children is 'borrowed time' - they grow up and out quickly. Brett and I see our time here as suspended time with our boys before they grow up so we'll continue to enjoy our 'train travel' while here.

Cheers,

Noel

Waiting for our train - time well spent!

On the train to Germany - can life get any better?

Going to the Christmas Markets in Dusseldorf:

While in Germany, Brett and I enjoyed flashbacks to the old Kaltenberg Castle in Vail -Pretzels and Brats.

Train to London:

Our London flat:

At the Tower Of London:

Our day at the Harry Potter Studios:

Butterbeer Mustaches!

Brett and the boys had a ride on the London Eye - I went to Harrods.

As we made our second round in the roundabout near Ghent, Belgium about a month ago with my parents, we all laughed at the connection we were making to National Lampoon's European Vacation when the Griswald's were trying to get out of the roundabout in London. Growing up, we often referenced how some family mishap was a "Griswald" moment. And trying to navigate the roads in Europe with a semi working GPS definitely brought out the Griswalds in us. Some things never change.

It doesn't matter if you are in City Market in Avon, Colorado, or a 9th Century Church in Belgium, your children are still going to sashay around the isles using their fingers as guns (sometimes machine guns, and sometimes just a simple shot gun) mortifying you to no end. And you are going to look around and see, that of course, your children are the only ones behaving in such a uncultured and uncivilized way. You will slink out of the church, or City Market, hoping they don't burp or fart and fall into hysterics.

Since our cultured vacation to Brugge, Belgium, I have been closely monitoring the behavior of children in the Netherlands to see how they compare to those of my children (as I was beginning to believe that ours were the only 'unclivilzed' children in Europe) and I am comforted in the fact that indeed, children here still exhaust and constantly push their parents. I feel better now thank you very much!

Since being here, we have been introduced to new experiences and traditions. Let's take Thanksgiving. How, you might be saying, is Thanksgiving a tradition here? It's not. But it is in our school staff community. Later this week, we are going to enjoy a staff Thanksgiving held at school. We have a wonderful food technology kitchen and it will be there that the turkeys cook and we will celebrate with any staff who would like to join and bring a dish, American or not (I am attempting grandma's apple pie - doing a test run today). I will still be able to walk by the kitchen during the day and enjoy the smells of the turkey cooking. I may have to find a few more reasons to walk that way!

We will also be celebrating again at the house of American friends, who will be hosting 3 American families for dinner. Thanksgiving has always been about coming together with friends and family. So, even though these celebrations don't come with extended blood relatives, the feeling is similar and a comfort. It's nice to see that this tradition has moved here with us.

The holiday season has also already begun here. Not dissimilar to the US. We have British cable, and are already getting Christmas commercials. Here in the Netherlands, Sinterklaas is a tradition celebrating Saint Nicholas. He is the patron saint of children, sailors and Amsterdam. However, the true celebration is on Saint Nicholas' eve, December 5th or on the morning of the 6th. Like the Santa of the US, there are many stories behind Sinterklaas.

We joined in the festivities yesterday and watched the parade that welcomed Sinterklaas into the Netherlands (he comes from Spain) and his "helpers" Zwarte Piet (Black Peter). Originally slaves, the Zwarte Piet, are now black because of all the chimneys they go down to deliver presents and candies. As one can imagine, there is some discomfort with the Zwarte Piet - but I try to look at them through the unjaded eyes of my children, and see them as the mischievous helpers that they are meant to be. Christmas is also celebrated here, therefore making the season longer and more jolly - we hope!

Thus we will be putting chocolate coins, candies and a small gift in our boys' shoes on the eve of December 5 and we will be putting presents under the tree on the eve of December 24 - hopefully expanding their own views of traditions and celebrations.

Though we are finding many things that are different here, what is really important isn't different. Children are still children, much to my relief, Grandma's apple pie is just as wonderful, and holidays and traditions are still the ribbons that bind people together. It's good to see that some things never change.

Noel

The following are pictures of my parents visit in October, Halloween "International School of Amsterdam style" and Sinteklaas coming to town.

Canal Cruise of Amsterdam

It was a real cold day, we needed something to warm us up! You may be saying...hm, this picture looks familiar...it should! See another post, not sure which one.

In Gouda - yes, the cheese was gooda!

Brugge, Belgium

The mentioned church (picture above) in which there was much sashaying and general foolery.

Halloween, ISA style - a community even put on by the American and British families at school. We go to a designated street and "trick-or-treat" at designated houses and cars. Open to all ISA families, and a real nice community event. A great new tradition!