Our new apartment

Our new apartment in Amsterdam Oud West.

That's my bike with the flowers on the basket.

Our slaapkamer

Living room...

... which opens out onto the garden.

Kitchen

Our garden!

So great to have our own space after flatting with others for nearly 8 years.
See you all at christmas!
xS&T

Katherine's Graduation 7 October 2009

Bachelor of Fine Arts

University of Auckland

Toyota Changes Oct 2009

Our 1994 Corolla with 263,000 kms on the clock was hit rather hard while parked in our driveway 25 Sept.

The insurance people have written it off.

 

We have replaced it with a 2001 Toyota Will VS (jap concept car) with 110,000 kms on the clock.

Amazing vehicle....

Peter & Helen - More Fiji photos August 2009

Approaching Sigatoka town - there is a big wind farm on the hill in the background.

Note that rugby is big deal in Fiji...see the beer sign..!!

 

The second photo shows me holding a big cluster of kava roots.

This is ground to a powder, and mixed with water, it's an important social drink in Fiji.

 

Third photo shows a Fiji-style boy racer car.

Car decoration is quite a fashion in Fiji, many taxis have weird stickers and gadgets.

like many aerials, horns stuck on the car.

Chrome wheel arches are the big fashion - that is super cool and flash man..!!!

FIJI Islands August 2009 - Peter & Helen

Several pictures of our winter escape holiday in Fiji.

 

Fiji is 3rd world in many respects, although no one goes hungry.

The Fijian people are very happy lot, despite having very little.

Perhaps the kava drinking culture has got something to do with it..?

Everyone seems to be growing veges and fruit.

The amazing pot-holed roads and unpainted buildings are a feature.

 

The resorts are very nice, we stayed on the Coral Coast, travelled to Suva for one day.

One photo shows the Shangri-la hotel staff giving a  cake to Helen on her birthday.

 

We also stayed on Malolo Island for 5 nights.

The sea was beautiful.

We stayed in Lautoka, the second biggest city for 3 nights.

 

Fiji was a different and cultural experience.

Summer with Sheryl!

Sheryl arrived in Amsterdam after a pretty gruelling flight- but she was ok and ready for action the next day. Toby and I took her for a walking tour of Amsterdam, checked out some markets and went to Vondelpark to relax.

Nieuwemarket

Vondelpark

Mum on my bike- the only time she ventured out on a bicycle!

Eating (the lekkerest) appeltart at Winkel in the Jordaan.

Antwerp- we went there for an afternoon on the way to Brugge. There's a great second-hand shop there!

Toby and I canal-side in Brugge- gorgeous place!

On the first Sunday of the month, Brugges hosts a huge Rummelmart- second-hand market.
Sheryl was amazed at all the blue and white china!

Venezia!

St Maria Basilica, Venice- at dusk.

Sheryl on top of St Mark's Basilica

Collecting water, it was so warm!

Sheryl on board a traghetto (gondola taxi)

Sheryl and I putting our feet up in Venice.

Venice at night. Bella!

Geting all Italian.

We had the best food ever.

St Marks at dusk.

Venice from the air.

Sheryl departed yesterday and should be arriving back in Hamilton as I write this.
It was so cool having her come over- it's been 18 months since I've been home to NZ, and I miss it so much. Toby and I are coming back at Christmas for 3 weeks, so I am looking forward to seeing everyone then. Only 6 months!

Amsterdam is great though and we are trying to make the most of the beautiful weather we are having. Mum was super lucky with the weather- I don't think she'll ever listen to me now when I complain about the horrible weather in Holland- it really is very average normally!
Venice was an amazing trip- it's like a story book city. Every turn reveals a new beautiful scene. If you could just remove a few tourists....ah well. We had a ball and enjoyed every minute of it. It was a really inspiring trip.

Love to all... sending some sun your way,
Sonya

Weekend in Nijmegen

Nijmegen

Tante Mien on her balcony

Photo of the Willems sisters

Tante Mien and Jose admiring the neighbours garden

Tante Mien showing me her Wall of Family

Looking at photos of her 85th birthday party (but she's now 88)

Baby clogs

Maya

May and Jose

Maya in her and Jose's apartment, Nijmegen

Super cute birdhouses in Jose and Maya's neighbourhood

This weekend I caught the train down to Nijmegen for a long overdue visit to see Jose and Maya and also Jose's mother (and Oma's sister) Mien.

I stayed with Jose and Maya in 2002 when I first came to the Netherlands and Maya was only about 8 then. Now she's 14 and taller than me! Maya is into street dancing (hip hop dancing) and is apparently doing really well at school. Her English is really good- and once again I felt a bit silly that despite my Netherlands passport- my dutch is niet zo goed!

Jose drove us to Tante Mien's place- and we had coffee on her balcony- and enjoyed the sunshine- we actually had lovely weather (very exciting) and Jose patiently translated for Mien and I. We talked about the NZ family and Mien showed me photos from her trip to Morocco that she went on this year with Jose and Maya. Tante Mien seems to be in very good health, both physically and mentally. She has great spirit and energy!

We had a lovely dinner on Jose and Maya's roof terrrace- and Jose and I went for a bike ride around the city. Nijmegen is really pretty and we had the perfect weather! The country side across the river from Nijmegen is so picturesque.

On Sunday we were all super lazy and had a big late lazy brunch and Jose and I talked about all the family. We decided to do some further investigation by digging out some relatives over here. I'm keen to go and meet Tanté Jose who I haven't met yet and her children.

I had a lovely weekend and big thanks to Jose and Maya who were amazing hosts! They send their love to everyone in NZ!