Similar to her first trip in 2019, when she visited us in-between 2 jobs, daughter Amy this time had a business trip to Stuttgart, Germany, for her Mercedes-Benz company, after which she stopped off on her way back to Atlanta for a few days with us here in Gorinchem.
Last time, it was a Friday-Wednesday visit, when we packed in all kinds of trips out-n-about, even to Antwerp, Belgium. THIS time it was a Friday-Thursday trip with only a one-trip outing, and the rest of the time just sitting around, playing games, eating and BEING.
These are the highlights:
Friday's Amsterdam Airport Pickup and Happy Hour, October 21:
Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam is only a one-hour drive from Gorinchem. Easy-peasy.
A business friend with her husband arrived at the same time and went on their own way.
Then we, too, headed our own way home for lunch...
...and made it in time for our Lindeborg Happy Hour that afternoon.
Just like in 2019, we enjoyed a Dutch favorite of mine, Frikandel Speciaal.
Amy is such a good sport!
Saturday's Eat Fest with Jeannette and Femke, October 22:
This is what J&F love to do...fixing good food and sharing it with friends, like they did back in 2019.
Even Prince Finn, the ragdoll cat, got Amy's attention, again! It just might be a tradition.
Sunday's Get-Together with Extended Family Here in Gorinchem, October 23:
First of all, it's finally sinking in that my children, Amy and Mark, are step-siblings of Astrid's son Jeroen! So I made a special point of getting a photo of Amy and Jeroen together:
Who says there can't be 16 years between them, right?!
And you have no idea how much they have in common, seriously. Don't you love it!
[collage credit: Astrid]
Amy was a huge hit with Hailey and Sem.
(Sem, a month older than Hailey, is the child of Marissa, Jeroen's girlfriend.)
[collage credit: Astrid]
Look at how much Hailey loved being with Amy, trying on her glasses even.
[collage credit: Astrid]
All 8 of us just BEING and eating together, including Astrid's ex-husband Jaap!
Jeroen loves putting this kind of happy-hour spread together.
[collage credit: Astrid]
And guess what Hailey now can pinpoint with her finger on the world-wide map!
Yup. Atlanta GA, where Amy lives and from where Oma Ginnie comes!
That weekend was enough excitement to last Amy's entire trip, but, WAIT, there's more.
Monday's Outing to Amsterdam, October 24:
It had been planned and all arranged (and paid for!) that the 3 of us would have a 1.5-hour personal cruise of the Amsterdam canals, with lunch and drinks included. It would be similar to something Donica and I did for her back in 2007, many moons ago.
After a nice koffie/tea break while we waited, since we were early, we found out
that the skipper had been double-booked and missed OUR appointment with him.
The good news (along with a total refund and a free voucher for the next time Amy visits), is that
we made the best of the day walking around the floating-market area and eating at Wagamama.
No complaints after all was said and done. There will be a next time!
The rest of our time, before taking Amy back to Amsterdam on Thursday morning for her 1:15 p.m. flight back to Atlanta, was "Us Time" here at the apartment, playing games/cards (Carcassonne, Qwirkle and Five Crowns)...and eating, of course. Our last night we even drove to nearby Leerdam for a nice dinner out on the Linge river.
Astrid was fighting one of her worst sinus infections ever throughout all of this,
which made staying at home a good choice. But none of us gave a hoot.
It was a great memory!
And now, believe it or not, a week from tomorrow we make our annual trip back to Atlanta to spend our usual time, first at Amy's, then at the cabin in the North Georgia Mountains, followed by our time at Mark's, before returning home on December 2. This will be my first Thanksgiving in America since I moved in 2009. Astrid and I are so excited...like little kids!
In the meantime, we're still basking in Amy's time with us HERE where WE live. It doesn't happen very often!
