Arrived at Paul and Tanja's safe and sound! Easy 40 minute bus ride (on dedicated bus lane!) to Haarlem. Paul met us at the station and, after a 10 minute walk, we arrived at #30 Kleverparkweg. Unlike our last visit, their home is now adorned with baby girl gear as Nina (18 months) and Saskia (5 months) have added some adventure to their lives.
After showers and brunch, Paul took us on a quick tour of Haarlem so that we can find our way around. We stumbled upon the Saturday open air market and then Tanja and the girls joined us for a few beers, fish nuggets, mango smoothies, and croquettes.
Jet lag must be setting in--Caroline and Jackie are upstairs "watching" Harry Potter and Karen is chugging down Diet Coke to stay awake while, from the smells emanating from the kitchen, Paul is preparing a gourmet feast for us.
Haarlem is absolutely lovely--very quaint and manageable although still large enough to have plenty to offer. No more than 30 yards from their home is the butcher, the baker (no candlestick maker) but a great wine shop! The photo with the 3D basket design on the building illustrates how tradesmen would advertise their trade. This particular building housed a hardware shop (the basket is one builders would use to hold nails).
Zooming in on Google Maps shows some lovely pictures of Kleverparkweg and Haarlem. Can't wait to see yours. Can you take a shot of Lee on the 2nd floor "Balcony". Are there bikes parked in front of the house like on Google Maps?
ReplyDeleteJust re-reading. Mmmmm, mango smoothies!
ReplyDeleteThere are bikes parked in front of EVERY house. The kids especially love that no one wears helmets and kids have seats in the front and back of mom and dads' bikes. Our favorite--the bikes with a wheelbarrow looking unit attached-sort of like a pick up truck ride for the wee ones.
ReplyDeleteDidn't realize Paul and Tanja have a balcony...stayed tuned on interesting Lee poses..