Mom & Dad waiting for me at the airport.
I'd like to say a special thank-you to Uncle Hank and Tante Jenny for taking me on a trip
to Holland. It was a dream come true! I'd also like to thank my Tante "Pooh and Tante
"Eend" ;-) my "ants" ;-) my Aunts Diane and Anna for putting up
with me. I had a great time! I will never forget it!
Actually, the fun started on Wednesday, May 20, 1998 - when I found out at approximately 11:30PM at night, that I was going with three Aunts and an Uncle to Holland, on the second of July. Wow! What a shock! This is something that I’ve always wanted to do! For the first time in eighteen years, I wasn't going to go to "Anchor Camp." I was going to be in Holland instead! AND... ONCE WE FINALLY ARRIVED THERE: Those were the busiest two weeks of my entire life - fun too! I have the photo album and the videos to prove it. We all had a lot of fun- a lot of laughs! Our favourite saying was: "Bijna!" Bijna means almost. (You had to be there!)
ON THE 2ND OF JULY in 1998 - We left Toronto late at night, (11PM our time), and we arrived in Holland at lunch-time, (their time) the next day. We were all very tired, (at least I was very tired. I was just too excited to admit that I was tired at the time) but relieved and happy to finally be there at long last! Our flight on the way to Holland?!?! It was a little rough... One of the reasons for our trip being a little rough at that time, was the fact that we were given the wrong seats! Everything turned out all right in the end though!) Oom Bas - "Oom" means Uncle, and Tante Wil - "Tante" means Aunt - they were at the airport in Holland when we got there. Mom and Dad were also there to greet us! Nice! They were in Holland for a month, and still had one week left when I was there. I was able to see them a couple of times. I’m glad!
While in Holland, I found out just how special my family is to me! I met a few Tante Ko’s and one Oom Cor while in Holland. I finally got to meet Tante Adri and Oom Maarten, as well as two cute little girls named Melissa and Deborah. I met some very nice people, including Uncle Hank's family. I saw a lot of wonderful things, saw my roots; a dream come true! Holland is very old, and very beautiful.
In Hattem, we stayed at a place called, "De Leemkoele" which had a very large sand-pit. We had a cottage that was equipped for the handicapped. It was really nice. Among the attractions at "De Leemkoele", was a petting zoo with animals such as rabbits and deer. "Do the rabbits have wooden shoes?!?!" (Again, you had to be there!):-) Our "home" away from home was Hattem, but we travelled all over the place.
We went away almost every day with "The Dutch Turtle Express." (It was an old green van which was remarkably similar to the old green van, which I nicknamed "THE TURTLE EXPRESS" that I used to have back home in Canada!) In Holland, "The Dutch Turtle Express" which we used a lot, made a noise that was a cross between an airplane and a tank! but it got us to where we wanted to go, and that’s what counted! (The road and streets signs in Holland have the longest names that I have ever seen!) We went in a boat a couple of times, even a train! Getting into a train or a boat, for me at least, was easier than getting into a plane!
Some of the places we visited while I was on vacation with two Aunts and an Uncle were fun, some were serious. The graveyard at Groesbeek was thought provoking. Uncle Hank bought me some "precious stones" in a place called Amerongen. (My last name is Van Amerongen!!) We got lost on the way to Friesland, and also visited Germany for approximately five minutes. While we were in Germany, I didn't get out of the van. It was raining - again!
In Holland: We ate delicious food, too, ie., herring and "Patat Met!" Yummy! More "Patat Met" (fries with mayonnaise) anyone? We ate it almost every day! We also ate things such as " Appel Gebak, (Apple Pastries), and Bosse Bollen, (which were something like Chocolate Eclairs which had to be eaten with a fork!) Wherever we were, there was delicious food. (Tante Jenny was a good cook too!) Unfortunately though, my pills tasted just as bad in Holland, as they do in Canada. Ugh!!
We spent two Sundays in Holland. Attending Church services there, meant listening to the Minister preach his sermons in Dutch. That was okay. I understood most of what they were saying! Good sermons! Beautiful organs!
The flight back home was much smoother than the flight to Holland
was…. A paramedic named Bas helped me on and off of the plane. He was very nice. He
took very good care of me.
I am very thankful to God for my family, especially those who took me on this trip. I
loved it! I will never forget it!
Connie E. Van Amerongen.
Connie, Uncle Hank & Company!