Our 15th Anniversary Get-Away

 

Our exact 15th anniversary date was February 5, 2025, but the actual get-away was February 24-28, Monday to Friday, last week.  A mini-vacation!

There was one thing in particular we chose to see, which was in Belgium, just over the border, so we chose a Fletcher hotel in Kerkrade, NL, near the 3-country border of the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium, knowing we'd have several side trips across the 5 days, 4 nights.  We had visited the "three country point" back in 2017 when we went to the Aachen Christmas market.  But this time it was Maastricht we wanted to see again.

Monday, February 24, 2025:  Maastricht, NL: 

Maastricht is the capital of the Limberg province in the Netherlands, at our southernmost border.

We had visited the Dominican Church bookstore back in 2010 and wanted to see it again!

It did not disappoint, with fond memories of the last time we drank a latte macchiato there!

And because this was the week before Carnival, we got our taste, without the chaos.

Tuesday, February 25, 2025:  Genk, Belgium:

THIS was what we most wanted to see this trip:  the "Cycling Through Water" path,

in the beautiful Bokrijk National Park and Open Air Museum.  We had visited the Moses Bridge

in the Netherlands in 2012 and wanted to compare.

Again, we were not disappointed.

After eating lunch in nearby Rijkhoven, we visited the 16th century Alden Biesen Castle.

It was a totally unexpected delight to our already wonderful day!

Wednesday, February 26, 2025, Heimbach, Germany:  

Of course, being so close to Germany, we HAD to get our German "fix," especially with food.

Heimbach is a darling town of only 4K+ people, 15 km from Belgium and 30 km east of Aachen,

situated on the river Rur in North Rhine-Westphalia.  The 11th century Hengebach Castle

was visible from everywhere and, regrettably, still closed for the season.

But, as in Maastricht, they were getting ready for Carnival!

We also made a quick trip to the nearby Mariawald Abbey (top-right), where we hoped to have lunch,

but, not impressed with the menu, we drove back to Heimbach center for our wurst and schnitzel.

Thursday, February 27, 2025, Aubel, Belgium:

The Val-Dieu Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in Aubel, Belgium, less than an hour's drive from our hotel, worth seeing and where we wanted to eat.  But again, the restaurant was closed for the season.

So we drove to nearby Verviers, just to say we did it, where we ate pizza for lunch.

The joke on us, however, was that we thought we had ordered carbonara and one pizza,

only to find out our carbonara was a carbonara pizza.  Who knew there was such a thing!

Friday, February 28, 2025:  back to Home Sweet Home!  It was a total of 771 km (479 miles), 405 (252 miles) of which were while there on our out-n-abouts.  Like I said, a mini-vacation! 

The trip was totally lackadaisical and without any rushing about from one place to another.  We just let thing happen, apart from the basic research Astrid did for our time away.  We needed to change scenery from the renovation going on here at our senior-living complex (another post!), and chose our anniversary time as a perfect "excuse."

We were reminded again of how mistletoe grows plentifully in that area.

We saw it everywhere in the naked trees of winter, something we don't see in our neck of the woods.

And besides the hotel breakfasts we looked forward to every day, 

eating differently than "normal" was just plain fun...like spaghetti carbonara and pizza.

Oh, and the Belgium and German beers!

Can you tell???

HAPPY 15th ANNIVERSARY to US!

Dutch Sjoelen Mania

 

First of all, it's pronounced SHOO-la and, translated into English, is "shuffleboard" for a table instead of the floor (as played in America).

And it really IS a Dutch game!  I first learned about it in 2013 (3 years after moving to the Netherlands from America)....

...while on our 15-day Viking River Cruise from Amsterdam, NL, to Budapest, Hungary.

Our first stop was at Kinderdijk, and because that's more-Dutch-you-cannot-get, they taught us Sjoelen.

Look at how young Astrid and I looked 12 years ago!

As you see, the game is played on a Sjoelbak (sjoelen board) which either comes with its own legs or, without legs, is set upon a table.  Each board has 4 slots at the end, into which the object is to get the most discs--30 in total--in three tries, for the highest score.

These are the 4 slots with their point values, shown by the brass tacks, totaling 10 points.

The goal is to get sets of 1-7 dics in all slots, with the score doubled for whatever you have.

So, 1 disc in all slots = 20 pts.;  2 discs = 40 pts.; 3 discs, as above =  60 pts., etc.

In the photo you see an extra disc in the 1-pt slot, which is counted as 1 pt. = 61 pts. total.

If the extra disc had been in the 4-pt. slot, it would be a total of 64 pts.

For extra credit:  With 30 discs, the high score would be 148 pts. (4 slots with 7 discs=140 pts., with 2 discs left over in the 4-pt slot = 8 pts.).  However, IF you get your 148 pts. in TWO tries, instead of the 3 allowed, you can take one of the discs from the 4-pt. slot and try playing it in the 4-pt slot again for the higher score of 152 pts.  OR if you get 148 pts. in your FIRST try, you get 2 more discs to try for 8 more pts. for the HIGHEST SCORE possible of 156 pts., which can happen in championship games!  

Are you ready to play?!

As you may remember, we spend each New Year's Eve day with dear friends, Jeannette and Femke,

who just happen to have their own sjoelbak.  This was in 2022.

Instead of playing separately we team up:  Jeannette and Astrid against Femke and moi.

This was in 2023.  Jeannette, bottom-right, is the pitbull.

She says she learned from her father.

In 2024 (barely 2 months ago!), I was doing my best....

And then THIS happened (which is where the "mania" part comes in):

A Sjoelen Club was started by one of our residents, Hans, here where we live and, when it became a weekly occurrence on Monday afternoons this year, in our recreation room, I decided to join.  I told them I want to learn better/more Dutch and they promised to help me.  Of course, I also want to play sjoelen, because I'm crazy about the game.

Hans sets up 4 sjoelbaks each week for the approximately 9-12 players thus far.

Standing up or sitting down, even in a wheelchair, anyone can play.

My high score thus far is 121 pts. (set of 6 = 120 pts. with 1-pt. extra),

but I've quickly discovered that was a miracle.  I'm happy if I'm between 90-100!

Sorry about the quality but you get the point (from this past Monday).

We each play 3 games, take a koffie break, and then play 3 more, totaling all our pts.

For my table, coming in second was just fine with me.  :)

Where's Astrid, you ask?  Because of her tinnitus, four boards with dics banging around is not a good idea!  Besides, we both want me to fend on my own to learn more Dutch.

However, Astrid CAN handle one board!  And that's why we decided to buy our own sjoelbak for our apartment, perfectly laid out on the work/play table behind our couch in front of the living-room window.  She, too, is crazy about the game, and we both want to get better for our New Year's Eve challenges with J & F.

And for granddaughter Hailey, age 6, to enjoy with us!

[photo credit:  Astrid]

Our sjoelbak arrived on Tuesday this week, and Hailey came the next day after school.

She already knew and played the game in after-school activities.

[video credit:  Astrid]

[photo credit:  Astrid]

Guess what!  Her high score was 102 pts. (set of 5 = 100 pts. + 2 pts.)!

That "little devil!"

So, there you have it.  Let the games begin!

[BTW, our senior-living community here, of 151 apartments, is still in renovation, which explains why stuff is in boxes in the bookcase.  But that's a story for another day!]