Seeing the rural area of The Netherlands!

It was our last Thursday and Auke wanted to show us something different in the Netherlands apart from the main citys that we have been visiting!

He was going to give us a guided tour around the "country side of the Netherlands" (in the car of course there was no chance we could walk as we were driving for a good few hours!

He first showed a piece of landart that was made by Robert Morris the " Observatorium"

Its Like a modern Stone Henge.

When you stood exactly in the center it made a perfect echo!

 
Standing next to a tall windmill.

Last weekend in Amsterdam!!!

On our last weekend we decieded to get an apartment in Amsterdam because our accomadation was out of the way.

This was view from our appartment balcony, very nice view. In the middle of the city! Great location.

Our very messy room!!

Me and Princess Di!

Jasmin and that guy from that warewolf film.                                                                                                

                                                                      Jasmin with the king & Queen of Dutches (i mean Holland) ;)  

Me and a childhood hero of mine haha

                                                                     Charlie Chaplin  lol

Nelson                                                              Me doing a spot of Djin!              

Jasmin looking very polictical

 Salvador Dahli

Flight Home



Presentation at the Theatre

Anneka has asked me and Ben if we would like to go to the theatre to watch a presentation about Water management in the Province. Even though it was spoken in Dutch we wanted to go for the experiance.

When we got to the Theatre there was lots of people waiting in the lobby to go sit down for the presentation.

We could understand next to nothing, just picking up on the odd word really! But it was interesting. 

There was even a live video link with the Prince of Holland!

Smoking in work!

Smoking room

On my first day after setling in i asked Karin if i could go outside for a cig, she said we have indoor smoking rooms. I looked a bit shocked to be honest, just didnt expect it at all!! She asked Auke to take me to the room! 

There is one of these rooms on every floor! Dont think you would see anything like this in TMBC haha!

Auke smoked cigars and sometimes he would offer me one and we would just smoke and relax and he had a cracking sence of humour, quite sureal as im used to standing outside wilkinsons in the piss rain haha!

Think its fair to say that i spent alot of time in here!

Weekend in Amsterdam and Utrecht

Amsterdam

Weekend was here again and we decided we would go into Amsterdam after work, for something to eat and have few drinks, its a really nice place at night with the old tall buildings around a bustling city. 

We was walking around Amsterdam and came across the Hemp Museum!

We had a look round and found out some of the history around it. The aim of the Museum is to inform people about the significance of hash and marijuana, not only in the coffee shops of Amsterdam, but as a world wide, cultural and natural phenomenon.

After this we headed to the train station so we could make the last train, had to get an early night ready for a full day out tomorrow! 

Spotted a few red lights on our way home!

Utrecht

On saturday we thought we would visit Utrecht again as we really liked it went Anneka took us last week!

Jasmin had also spotted a curry house she wanted to try. 

 It was a little Indian on the cannal side. 

After a table full of food!

 

We ate ice-cream with chocolate sauce and cream for dessert & cup of cappicino!

Utrecht has lots of nice bars next to the cannals very nice to have a beer outside but very cold on a November night!

After a busy weekend sunday was the day of rest plus it wasnt the best weather so we had a lazy day and got ready for work in morning.

 

Footie & Dressage

Manchester City V Ajax 

City were playing in the champions leauge and Anneke invited us to watch it with her two sons Ben and Urek. we had a few beers and watched the game. unfortunatly city lost 3-1. 

While i was watching the game Ureks girlfriend asked jasmin if she wanted to come and watch some horeses dance in a competion, (Dressage)  she jumped at the chance - anything to get away from watching football! 

Dressage competition

Wish i would of watched this instead of the game hahaa!

Day trip to Batavia in Lelystad

Day trip to Batavia in Lelystad 

Karin & Marieke thought it would be nice to go and see a little history that was not to far from where we worked. She said that the Batavia was an old war ship in the 1600s. But it also had a big shopping center with lots of good shops! (Jasmins eyes lit up)

It was built in Amsterdam in 1628 and was armed with 24 cannons!

Karin and Marieke walked us around this huge ship telling us some interesting facts and history about the ship.

Where the Captain would have ate!

Met a right joker!

Karin thought i should try the locks out! Very uncomfy! They giggled for abit and then let me out! haha

There is also a ship in the process of being built right next to the Batavia.

We spoke to a worker on the ship and he told us how long the work is and how hard the wood is to bend! The ship has been in the process of being built for 10 years and no end in site, Because there is only 2 or 3 people building it.

We also went to the work shop were the sculpters worked to make sculptures, was very impressive watching them work!

After we saw everything Karin showed us some old fashioned stilts, so we had a play around.......and i even got into a race with Karin at one point haha

After getting into it, was really funny!

Jasmin tried but she said she was scared of heights!!! REALLY  haha

Me & Karin just before the race!

Safe to say Karin won!! haha