Monday, October 6, 2008

Cruiser reunion


Yesterday David and Gunilla from Ventura stopped by to see us. David, single-handing on Ventura, was the informal coordinator of our mini-rally from Fort Lauderdale to the Azores and on to England/France. Gunilla flew to Horta to see David, and we met her there. They’ve put Ventura on the hard in Falmouth, England, and were driving home to Sweden. Next summer they’ll be sailing Ventura to Sweden. It was so much fun to see them and talk about places we’ve been and places we should visit while we’re still in northern Europe. We’ll be taking a serious look at going to Germany, Denmark, and Sweden before we stop in Norway and continue on to Scotland next summer. It sounds like a nice voyage.

In other news, Carrie and baby Zelma from Dandelion are visiting family in the States, so we took Andrew with us to the Democrats Abroad gathering on Saturday. It was fun to take him to a part of the city where he hadn’t been before (in the center near the main shopping and tourist area). There was a good turnout, so we couldn’t talk with everyone, but we did happen to meet a young woman who is a CIA-trained chef from Portland. She still has a house in Southeast and knows the Noble Rot people. So standing around chatting in the heart of Amsterdam were four Oregonians.

My Dutch is improving. I’ve started attending a weekly conversation class (free), and that’s pretty fun. I’ve also translated a recipe that John wanted from a Dutch cooking magazine that Marike brought us. And I finished the book (in Dutch) that I picked up in Costa Rica. Now on to the big bag of Dutch books that Anouk brought me.

The photo is from our 2004 trip. It's Museum Square. When we were there with David and Gunilla yesterday to visit the Van Gogh Museum, it was pouring down rain.

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