Sunny Leiden

In a beautifully preserved house built around 1375 near the clock tower of the Hooglandsekerk, this tiny museum tells the stories of the founders of New England, the Pilgrims. Furnishings from Pilgrim times it shows aspects of daily life, while the story of the Pilgrims themselves is illustrated with a collection of sixteenth and seventeenth-century maps and engravings.

The Hooglandse Kerk- high above all other buildings. Don't you ever wonder how they could ever have built buildings like this in earlier days...?

View on the Catholic Holy Heart Church (left) and the Protestant Mare Kerk (named after the canal in front of it) The Mare kerk is build in the 17th century, and was the first church to be built as a protestant church and not as a Catholic church. That's why it is build in a circle and not in a cross. The pulpit is in the middle of the church- so that God's Word would be in the middle of the people, where it belongs.

View on the Hooglandse Kerk out of the Burcht (Ford)

highlights:)

Last week we had biblestudy with the XA girls at my place. My place isnt that big- about 15 square meters (yards:)- and it is pretty full with lots of stuff. But we were with 11 girls, and we all fitted in and had a good time. This is Emma playing my guitar (that probably didn't know what happened to it now it was played properly:)
Yesterday Emma left for a visit to the States, so monday night we had a dinner with some girls at an East African restaurant. Really interesting food. You don't get any silverware but you get sort of pancakes instead, but you are supposed to eat with your right hand- too bad for the lefties:) And you get one big plate that you have to share. So you're really having a meal together! And it was really good food- though very spicey! On the picture: Emma (California) and Michelle (South Africa)

Fish shop!

Yesterday I unexpectedly had to work in the fish shop were I used to work, and spend most of my saturdays for about 5 years, and as well alot of my freetime during breaks. And I don't even have one picture- so I took my camera- and see here the result

This is Saartje (little sarah;) our "billboard"- she is the typical dutch herring-girl. In case you don't know- the fish she holds in her hand is a raw herring- a typical dutch treat that you have to eat like she does. And most of the people eat it with raw onions on it. I think this is one of the most typical dutch things. And I have to admit that I do like fish- most fish- but definitely not herring!!

And this is Joost- my cousin- he is gutting the herring, not the most nicest work to do since they are all frozen in pickled water. And it is sort of a bloody work- but Ill keep the details;)

And this is Annie- she has been my collegue for many years. And you can see some of the things we sell- in the middle you see all sort of fried fishes, and also mackerels and different kinds of salads. It was fun to be back for a day, but also good to realize that I don't have to go there every week anymore!

Sam Houston State - Chi Alpha Team

Past week we had visitors from the States in our international Church. The Chi Alpha (XA) Team from Sam Houston State University, (Huntsville-Texas) came with 7 people to see what XA in Leiden is doing. XA Leiden just started this year- and since our universities here are so totally different from Universities in the States it is very different- and sort of hard for the Americans to adjust it to the Dutch situation. But it was great to have the team here- I went with the leadership team from XA Leiden to pick them up from the Airport and spent quite alot of time with them, well especially with the girls:) Here we are in Steve and Julies house having our bi-weekly biblestudy, this time lead by the Texas XA team. They brought their instruments- so was really cool. This time were with just 6 nationalities, mainly americans this time;) Sometimes we are with 9 or even more nationalities- very special because we all come from different cultures, countries, even continents, so very different but the common thing is that we are all Christians and want to follow Christ!

Here is the Texan XA team together with Emma, Steve and Julie- the XA Leiden leadership (the three on the down-right:)

And this is part of XA Leiden as well. We came together at Cora's house and had sort of a potluck dinner. This picture was taken before we said our goodbye's. It was a real blessing to have the team here and talk with them and share with them. It is encouraging to know that we are not just on our own, but that there are Chrisitians all over the world!

The Northsea

I'm posting backwards again... so scroll down to see the rest:)

And finally we got to the beach, I think we already had been walking for an hour and a half- and now the hardest part was coming! Here view on the Northsee from the top of a Dune. In case you don't know- all along the coast of Holland we have dunes, and they are really important! The official defenition for a dune- as I learned in highschool is: a hill of sand build by eolian processes (through wind). In Holland we have a lot of natural dunes but also artificial. The dunes are protecting the land behind for the water- since the waterlevel is higher than the land in most cases in Holland.

This is the view on Katwijk from the beach. Katwijk is a fishermen town and known as a very reformed town. There are many churches and most of the people have a really calvinist mentality- even more than the rest of Holland. The white tower you see is the old church on the boulevard, if it storms really bad the water comes really high and almost reaches the church...

As you probably noticed- I love sunsets...

Back on the boulevard- with on the right a fence to keep the sand from coming all over the place and a lonely bike...

A Sunday with Cora

Yesterday after church I went with Cora to her house. Cora lives in Katwijk, that's about 20 minutes from Leiden next to the Northsea. After lunch we went for a serious walk through the dunes to Wassenaar (the next town) and back over the beach to Katwijk. The dunes in Katwijk are used as water reservoirs. Our tapwater- that we can drink and is most of the time better than bottled water- comes from here. So there is alot of water.

And this is Cora- well her sillhouet. Cora is one of the most loving and caring people I have ever met. We actually just became good friends a few months ago when my best friends left for warmer places than Leiden. She took care of me:) and invited me for dinner and to go places and there are alot of things that both of us like. So ever since we have had good times together on several occasions! I know her from church and the biblestudy group, so see her pretty often:)

And here a little bit of history. If you look carefully you'll find a wall among the dunes (sort of in the middle of the picture) this is the Atlantikwall, or what is left of it... The Atlantic wall was an extensive system of coastal fortifications built along the western coast of Europe during the Second World War. This wall was meant to defend against an Anglo-American led Allied invasion of the continent- coming from Great Brittain. It never got completely finished, but it was meant to go down all the way from the north of Norway to the South of Spain. And at some places parts of it are still there, in Noorwijk- north of Katwijk they have an Atlantikwall museum. And in Normandy in France there is alot left as well.

I don't know if you noticed- but I am not wearing a jacket! This is very unusual for the time of the year- it looks and feels like spring is really starting early this year! But no complains from my side...

Hanging out with Norwegians

Last weekend Frode and Elisabeth (the blond girl on the right) were having friends over from Norway. Frode and Elisbeth are from Norway as well, but are living in The Netherlands since Frode works for the ESA. I know them from the International Church I go to, and they also come to the young adults bible study group I'm part of. And they invited Cora and me to come along with them. Here we are in The Hague in front of the Peace Palace- where the International Court of Justice is situated. From left to right you see Asbjorn, Idar, me, Cora, Olav and Elisbeth. We had a fun time! It is always nice to meet people from other parts of the world!

Spring is in the air!!

Today actually is the first spring day, if you talk about weather at least. It really had this great "yeah- for-the-first-time-in-five-months-the-sun-is-shining-and-i-hear-birds-singing" sort of feeling! I don't know if you know that feeling, but I do! And it is wonderful:)

So I could not resist and after I had done my laundry I had to go out, so I just wandered around a bit and ended up in this cute little park. And there they were... the first spring flowers!! And not just the flowers were back in the park! Also the goats, and I could just jump away in time otherwise I would have felt the horns of one of them... Probably it was their first day out, or at least one of the first days because they were really excited- there are three of them- I could not get them on a picture, but they were sure happy to be there!

It is really hard to explain this feeling- but it is just great, suddenly everything looks sunny again and beautiful and you get back all energy you lost during winter (or during what is called winter here:)) and feel like you can do everything!:) Here a few old ships waiting till... no-one knows what they are waiting for. Probably they have had their good days quite awhile ago and they are now just decorating the Leiden 'harbour'

The Sunset in one of the canals, isn't it beautiful! Sometimes it is really easy to see the little joys of life and be happy with them!...