The plane I flew with from Rotterdam (a very small airport) to Copenhagen...only 56 minutes on a Boeing 737.

Philips Stadium

When we got back from our bike ride, we got lunch at a book cafe in Eindhoven and they bring the bill in a book!

Annelise in front of the Philips education center...in Best, just north of Eindhoven. Dad and I rode rented bikes up there.

Dad in front the Philips education center.

Sunset from the train in Holland on our way back to Eindhoven.

Annelise in the square.

the square

The square in Brussels

The square in Brussels that I had always wanted to see, but didn't know where it was! It was amazing and the architecture was so beautiful!

Looking through some trees in a park in Brussels.

A view of Brussels.

Annelise and the palace in Brussels.

The main park in Brussels.

Belgium is also famous for bing the center of the EU. Here is the parliament building.

...which Annelise had to try! And they were delicious! It was nice a light and refreshing after a hot day in the city!

And they are famous for Belgium waffles!

Beglium is of course known for it's chocolate...like Godiva, which we have in Seattle, too.

Dad and I made a trip into Brussels, Belgium! I can now add another country to my list!

A view out the train window.

Annelise in front of the old train that took Dad and I east from Maastricht to Leige in Belgium.

The walking bridge going from the old part of Maastricht to the new over the Maas River.

Dad enjoying his aspargus soup on a hot day in Maastricht.

Annelise trying the traditional Dutch pancakes with ham and cheese and of course SPA sparkling water!

We also saw a lot of this old wall on the left that went through the city. We think it is from the Romans when they made their way up to Holland a long time ago.

Annelise and an ass in Maastricht.

While walking through Maastricht, we passed over several little water ways that ran under buildings in the city.

Looking up at a church in the older part of Maastricht.

The map of Maastricht...much, much smaller than Eindhoven.

Down a street in Maastricht.

On Saturday, Dad and I took the train down to Maastricht in southern Holland. We had heard it was a very nice little town.

A zoomed in view of the center of Eindhoven.

After a couple days in Amsterdam, I took the train to Eindhoven where my dad was taking some courses with Philips. This is the view from our Holiday Inn hotel room.

Annelise and Dave on the tram back to Anne's place after the improv show.

Annelise and Anne in Boom Chicago.

The improv team at Boom Chicago singing an opening song about American culture and how they love guns and god. It was hilarious!

Before going to Boom Chicago, we met up with Dave! He and Anne met in Copenhagen and are still together today! :) Dave is talking to his mom in England (he is British).

This is a square in Amsterdam with lots of cafes and restaurants. Anne took me to a improv comedy club Thursday night, which you can see straight ahead in the middle of the picture. It was called Boom Chicago! Started by Americans about 10 years ago who now live in Amsterdam and use the cultures of both countries very well in their improv acts!

One of the many canals in Amsterdam.

A closer view of the door into the Anne Frank house, although the main entrance to the museum is on the corner. I went into the cafe on the left and got a "toastie" for lunch and waited for the line to go down before I went into the museum.

This is the front of Anne Frank's house, which was actually the building where her father had a pectin manufacturing company. It was behind this building where the annex was, and where Anne and 7 others hid for nearly two years before someone revealed their presence in hiding. It was interesting to see the documents from Bergen-Beltsen (sp?) that showed the list of prisoners admitted to the camp. Anne's name was written down as 'Anneliese Marie Frank'... that is very close to my name... 'Annelise Maren'...kind of an interesting, I thought.

I really like the Dutch architecture in Amsterdam. The hooks that stick out from the top of each building are used to assist in moving heavy furniture through the windows instead of up the narrow staircases.

I found it interesting how many bikes were locked over the sides of bridges over canals. I wonder if that was to make it more difficult for the bike to get stolen?

The next day, I headed out into the world of Amsterdam. I started off with a visit to the Vincent Van Gogh museum where I saw a collection of many of his favorite and original works. May 26

Anne and her friend in the park after rollerblading.

Anne and I after rollerblading in the park. May 25th

The night I arrived in Amsterdam, we went to Vondelpaark in Amsterdam and went rollerblading. This is a view of one of the paths in the park. The weather was warm and perfect for rollerblading! I was so happy to be there in the green and nice climate!

After 4 years, I finally get a chance to see my good friend Anne from Amsterdam. We studied together in Copenhagen. Here we are in her kitchen with her friend and sister. May 25th.

And here is my great grandmother...probably sometime in the mid 20's holding one of her grandchildren (one of my dad's cousins).

Here is the completed foundation of the summer house. This was taken around the 7th of May, facing northeast. The latest update is that the walls are now up! There might actually be a place for us to stay when the family is here in July!