tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25947972688292631962024-03-17T12:33:49.997-04:00Pennsylvania DutchThe Ramblings of an US Expat Living in the NetherlandsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-67683344451822256132013-06-09T10:24:00.000-04:002013-06-09T10:43:17.484-04:00Might As Well JUMP!I got tired of the traditional posed trip pictures in front of beautiful scenery or historic sites; so I decided to start a series of jumping pictures. You can see a few of mine (and other jumpers) on a travel site called <a href="http://barrelhopping.com/"><span style="color: blue;">barrelhopping.com</span></a>. I created a group on that site called <a href="http://barrelhopping.com/community/groups/jump-around-the-world/" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">JUMP Around the World</a>;<span style="color: blue;"> </span>plus a few others <a href="http://barrelhopping.com/community/groups/eat-around-the-world/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">EAT Around the World</span></a> and <a href="http://barrelhopping.com/community/groups/wings-around-the-world/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">WINGS Around the World</span></a>.<br />
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I've got plenty of jumping pics from all over Europe and will eventually get around to doing something with them. But in the meantime, here are some of my new favorite jumpers. Taken at Gornergrat, Switzerland. Enjoy.<br />
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What kind of crazy pictures do you take/make when traveling? <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHdnqWsYHZ2DaQNrdoZMcfD2AMaV86U2FvYTRHyRvwejhZ0BJbtZ26nTlS85vOc17CsOr1vgtlKjrylG_DLs28boOvfQGVpKdHt3icmxWSOYGqJSW7As73q9b3ImKSYtH_ATye02oteDb/s1600/IMG_7620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHdnqWsYHZ2DaQNrdoZMcfD2AMaV86U2FvYTRHyRvwejhZ0BJbtZ26nTlS85vOc17CsOr1vgtlKjrylG_DLs28boOvfQGVpKdHt3icmxWSOYGqJSW7As73q9b3ImKSYtH_ATye02oteDb/s640/IMG_7620.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Might as well...</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PXJ6JovVaKAw0Eodk9Hrx7tXrZcVh86j7hEZkIpDYWRY8v0eLXrCRSPE2qEeSoo7hazlON-yKUvIAyNtGt4qYWPWS54wQ_u4cC7Qcw2Kk19sxUULbMXmW0XIs6OwsdyRIWB6CwqeCvCA/s1600/IMG_7735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PXJ6JovVaKAw0Eodk9Hrx7tXrZcVh86j7hEZkIpDYWRY8v0eLXrCRSPE2qEeSoo7hazlON-yKUvIAyNtGt4qYWPWS54wQ_u4cC7Qcw2Kk19sxUULbMXmW0XIs6OwsdyRIWB6CwqeCvCA/s640/IMG_7735.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>That's the actual Matterhorn, not the Disney ride.</i></td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-85180908672107186462013-06-08T09:00:00.003-04:002013-06-08T09:00:39.545-04:00DannyZ Travels: Lake Como, Italy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In an effort to put up posts with details and pictures of our last few EuroTrips I decided to do short posts called "DannyZ Travels:" That way I can get things up a little faster. Here's my first entry; enjoy Lake Como.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrMFSgZKtNFN8G30LTkMASsPVLHGw0i2dVc0xJFTyLvarEFbNjPdiWIRV-qzvgkpPCt6OEhWxfOCqLqQf1nKR8qFyB5qA7IxJMa6cOzPVHCuEC0M55YaHkARtImXiUXwZZBK7GAvjksCu/s1600/Tremezzo-Lake+Como.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrMFSgZKtNFN8G30LTkMASsPVLHGw0i2dVc0xJFTyLvarEFbNjPdiWIRV-qzvgkpPCt6OEhWxfOCqLqQf1nKR8qFyB5qA7IxJMa6cOzPVHCuEC0M55YaHkARtImXiUXwZZBK7GAvjksCu/s640/Tremezzo-Lake+Como.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our Visual Memories from Lake Como, Italy</i></td></tr>
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From May 9-12, Vicki and I visited beautiful Lake Como. We stayed in a little town on the lake called, Tremezzo. Centrally located on the lake, Tremezzo offered beautiful scenery, nice hotels (<a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g635626-d456786-r163276897-Hotel_Villa_Marie-Tremezzo_Lake_Como_Lombardy.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Villa Marie</span></a>) and some very nice restaurants. </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-74063746059085171162013-06-05T09:02:00.002-04:002013-06-05T09:17:44.888-04:00Wordless Wednesday: Maui Mountains<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBv6IANXXKY_aEK2WZH9u8UvKJ76gjVpSXSCfdn7gnoOmf9H7c6JwcJNH9jfedJr9S9cyExN8x_oEpNpGpu3HqZ5IC6t5PUrLFK_yNU2AFIDwvu3f8OZRmsdbtvD0yJ-1Nez6Mhh6YsG4g/s1600/IMG_7606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBv6IANXXKY_aEK2WZH9u8UvKJ76gjVpSXSCfdn7gnoOmf9H7c6JwcJNH9jfedJr9S9cyExN8x_oEpNpGpu3HqZ5IC6t5PUrLFK_yNU2AFIDwvu3f8OZRmsdbtvD0yJ-1Nez6Mhh6YsG4g/s640/IMG_7606.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo Credit: My amazing photographically talented wife. Taken: Gornergrat, Switzerland; 8 May 2013</span></i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-53451359451840898722013-06-01T09:34:00.003-04:002013-06-01T09:34:53.826-04:00Remembering IrelandSorry, I know this has nothing to do with the overall theme of <i>this</i> blog but I was feeling all "reminiscing like" this morning. One year ago to the date, Vicki and I embarked on our first expat adventure in Ireland. <br />
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Never got around to completing an entire blog of our adventures there. #BiggestRegret But I tried; see my tumblr: <a href="http://polishclover.tumblr.com/post/28492257135/welcome-to-polish-clover"><span style="color: #93c47d;">Polish Clover</span></a>. One day I might get around to documenting it. In the meantime, here's a pic of the Guinness that launched my infamous "Guinness Count." I attempted to tally all the Guinness that I consumed during our time in Ireland. I'd also write notes about where we were and who we were with that type of thing. It became a pretty cool remembrance of our time there.<br />
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Final Guinness Count: 304 (+ or - a few). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0ugiXpHrjgrWB8CbMk22d7f99PnWN3QzoOVh2ry0N00k02Wt7c9Ka1f7535_01eDOF_BycXc7PNbeXCgTAMK6-MQMQGhbEt9i7NLGKIhNFRlLsfR538sZJHNgGSw9rxJbal_Tn41PnNz/s1600/575691_10151821462400484_741646510_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0ugiXpHrjgrWB8CbMk22d7f99PnWN3QzoOVh2ry0N00k02Wt7c9Ka1f7535_01eDOF_BycXc7PNbeXCgTAMK6-MQMQGhbEt9i7NLGKIhNFRlLsfR538sZJHNgGSw9rxJbal_Tn41PnNz/s400/575691_10151821462400484_741646510_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-8447941313310191432013-05-31T10:29:00.002-04:002013-06-01T11:02:22.028-04:00Things We Liked/Didn't Like: An Expat ReflectionLiving abroad for close to a year, first in Ireland then the Netherlands, gave us a new perspective on how freggin' big the world really is. It also gave us time to appreciate the different cultural aspects of life in Europe. Some we loved, some we found a bit off, and some just confused the hell out of us. Our Dutch expat days concluded on 19 May 2013. But I thought I'd do some reflecting with this post and write about <i style="font-weight: bold;">"Things We Liked/Didn't Like" </i>about our time in the Netherlands.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>Things We <i>Liked</i>:</u></span></b></div>
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1.)<b> Leaving Oss.</b> Just kidding, it's a fine town. It was first referred to us as a "sleepy little village." Well the "sleepy" part is accurate (especially during the week in the winter months), but by no means is this place a village. Oss had tons to offer: restaurants, cafes, shopping and more. Well, it's got all that to offer, when things are <i>OPEN (see #1 of "Things We Didn't Like")</i> In addition, there was always some type of huge party organized in the town square with bands and karaoke at least once a month (check out my videos for <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://padutches.blogspot.com/2013/02/klunen-2013-dannyz-style.html"><span style="color: blue;">Klunen</span></a>, <a href="http://padutches.blogspot.com/2013/02/netherlands-carnaval-collages-2013.html"><span style="color: blue;">Carnaval</span></a>, & <a href="http://padutches.blogspot.com/2013/05/orange-you-glad-dutch-have-new-king.html"><span style="color: blue;">Koninginnedag</span></a></span>). <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>My Video Tribute to Oss <a href="http://padutches.blogspot.com/2013/05/oss-our-town-our-memories-video-tribute.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a>.</u></span></div>
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2.) <b>Train Access.</b> We were just a short 10 minute walk to the Oss train station from our apartment. This station was our starting point for amazing trips to <a href="http://padutches.blogspot.com/p/our-euro-trips.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic and Switzerland</span></a>. <br />
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3.) <b>Cafes/Restaurants in Oss.</b> Here were some of our favorites:<br />
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-Koozie: loved their bread plate & shared menu special, AYCE!<br />
-Monterosso: of the three Italian Restaurants that we found in town (I think there's a fourth) this was our favorite for pizza<br />
-Da Antonio: Italian, great platters, friendly owner<br />
-Brasserie De Spieghel: great draft & bottle selection; owner/manager not the friendliest<br />
-Deli France: nice people, great sandwiches<br />
-Tweede Herr: very chill; leather couches, chairs, fireplace. Great beer selection<br />
-LaColline: great beer menu; nice outdoor seating; fell in love with the Kasteel Cuvee<br />
-Brasserie De Serre: restaurant at the City Hotel, great service. Try the steak on a stone.</blockquote>
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4.) <b>Carnaval.</b> One word: Incredible. The parades and the parties were simply amazing. Favorite part was the burning of the Ox in Oss to close the festivities. If you have the opportunity definitely experience Carnaval in the Netherlands.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFuQpC5b6tYDVBOlAOCtjfzHrADGBv7B-0Tnb6zp8FTksbypJGFtXt8R9f4urftSFhQsxPonaQbqImB3AvbFo7DXsy_x87NYE9a8i3dpz3VqrifdYPN8SJ5J3a2Fzngw-h7SloCd3Uzpv/s1600/Oss+HQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFuQpC5b6tYDVBOlAOCtjfzHrADGBv7B-0Tnb6zp8FTksbypJGFtXt8R9f4urftSFhQsxPonaQbqImB3AvbFo7DXsy_x87NYE9a8i3dpz3VqrifdYPN8SJ5J3a2Fzngw-h7SloCd3Uzpv/s640/Oss+HQ.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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5.) <b>Market Day.</b> Every Tuesday & Saturday in Oss. (Saturdays in Den Bosch) Vendors with cheeses, vegetables, breads, fish, & meats descended on the town to sell their wares. Much different shopping experience than what we were used to in the States say at your local Wegmans, Acme, Walmart, etc. Great prices and fun atmosphere. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAemYjzMwe8pokODGYZVgFQkpomgaO17mviciCouBH5sQ-gaGXlFWhP6HrohuqfxoV4aUF4LsxKceMqjcG2FZy-tez7qZoO8JO9Km9nHCmdufMd6-HP8dCwIcmMva4PnuxAXkIxX4JmDpp/s1600/photo-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAemYjzMwe8pokODGYZVgFQkpomgaO17mviciCouBH5sQ-gaGXlFWhP6HrohuqfxoV4aUF4LsxKceMqjcG2FZy-tez7qZoO8JO9Km9nHCmdufMd6-HP8dCwIcmMva4PnuxAXkIxX4JmDpp/s200/photo-3.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Free Coffee Machine at AH</i></td></tr>
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6.) <b>Albert Heijn (AH).</b> Not unique to Oss, it's a Netherlands grocery store chain. I spent A LOT of time here. Nice variety of food, decent prices and FREE COFFEE. But most of my time there I was glued to my phone translating the produce aisle. By the way, a "wortel" is a carrot; you're welcome. I also enjoyed causing scenes in the <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://padutches.blogspot.com/2013/04/what-ef-is-efteling.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">checkout lane</span></a> </span>and chatting it up with the Afghan fella that ran the <a href="http://padutches.blogspot.com/2013/04/american-walks-into-greek-bar-orders.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Mediterranean Bar</span></a>.<br />
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7.) <b>The Fries.</b> (aka frites and or chips). They were just <i>dam</i> good everywhere; by themselves or with the sauces, including mayo. And whether you wanted them or not, they were usually a side order that came with <i>every</i> meal you ordered.<br />
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8.) <a href="http://www.cityhotel.nl/en/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>The City Hotel Staff</b></span></a>. The owners/operators of our apartment. Great folks, friendly and very accommodating. Go like them on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CityHotelOss" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">facebook</span></a>.<br />
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9.) <b>Statie Fles.</b> It's fun to recycle and you get a refund! The "statie fles" that you may see on your receipt is a surcharge or tax placed on certain glass and plastic bottles. For more information on recycling in the Netherlands go <a href="http://padutches.blogspot.com/2013/05/who-is-statie-fles-why-is-she-stealing.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVX0Zlh4H-grUPHIcFhfzLw_aC-C0X9ZpuOpbQbXzOo5QwhTvPmdOiqTkpIZnRI_jMjxPDOe55yevEHuWD2pw3InpUJrD8XD6Yi-OOUXMHNoOsj-i5j1CeislheUbkwkQWccp6Y_iOWbR/s1600/IMG_3890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuVX0Zlh4H-grUPHIcFhfzLw_aC-C0X9ZpuOpbQbXzOo5QwhTvPmdOiqTkpIZnRI_jMjxPDOe55yevEHuWD2pw3InpUJrD8XD6Yi-OOUXMHNoOsj-i5j1CeislheUbkwkQWccp6Y_iOWbR/s200/IMG_3890.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I'll miss you the most</i></td></tr>
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10.) <b>The Beer.</b> Just like they say the Guinness tastes better in Ireland (I can personally attest that it does) the Heineken tastes amazing in the Netherlands. Especially on draft and most especially at outdoor festivals under a tent in the town square.<br />
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Our time in Oss also gave me a whole new appreciation for the world of Trappist beers. My favorite new find was the La Trappe Quadrupel, available for just €1.39 a bottle (including statie fles) at our local Albert Heijn. I learned two things about this beer: 1.) Only Trappist label brewed in the Netherlands; 2.) It demands respect, especially at 10%ABV. Didn't think I'd see her again once we got home but I was able to procure a bottle at Wegman's in Collegeville, PA the other day to help ease the repatriation process.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxGjNQTCCwPY9VzHvnIcqLWGAdRppLD4czAZX8obKy1zGtaeP7SwQ_8DWfsJfEaXjp9qd4lyxr2SqwQ6e1WGPLxJ0ZCF52pJrqDDNfwV-HWtcARXGr64a1-m-gbV1z9gYrRAQvHwYuXRq/s1600/photo-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxGjNQTCCwPY9VzHvnIcqLWGAdRppLD4czAZX8obKy1zGtaeP7SwQ_8DWfsJfEaXjp9qd4lyxr2SqwQ6e1WGPLxJ0ZCF52pJrqDDNfwV-HWtcARXGr64a1-m-gbV1z9gYrRAQvHwYuXRq/s200/photo-2.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our Bike. Lots of trunk space.</i></td></tr>
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11.) <b>Biking. </b>Even though this is listed as #11 it was by far one of my favorite things to do. The nice folks at the City Hotel allowed us to borrow a bike. However, I was hesitant to ride at first because of the snow and ice. I was also a little intimidated to ride because I couldn't figure out how to make a left hand turn. After the ground thawed, and countless hours watching and studying how bikers turn left; I got over my fears and started <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://padutches.blogspot.com/2013/04/alley-biking.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">cruising all over Oss</span></a>,</span> in all types of <a href="http://padutches.blogspot.com/2013/04/sneeuw-in-oss.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">weather</span></a>. <br />
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<u><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Things We <i>Didn't Like</i>:</span></b></u></div>
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1.) <b>Business Hours</b>- This was one of the hardest adjustment for us. On one hand it's great, businesses shut down around 5pm, allowing employees to be home with their families, awesome. On the other hand, what are two expats to do after dinner when everything is closed?<br />
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2.) <b>Credit Card Acceptance</b>-I've written numerous rants about this in prior <a href="http://padutches.blogspot.com/2013/02/friday-fails.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">posts</span></a>. I also get it; the Dutch aren't into credit cards. Judging by the way most Americans abuse this privledge I can see. BUT, there are a small amount of us that do pay off our cards and those that look forward to earning points on their cards for flights, hotels, etc. There is nothing worse than that feeling of helplessness when a server tries tirelessly to read your card, and I'm not even talking the typical American swipe card, we have a "chip" & sign VISA card through Hyatt, and that still didn't work at times. And not just in our small town, this happened in Den Bosch and even a pub in Amsterdam. Word of advice, always be sure to have some Euros in your pocket just in case the credit card machine doesn't work.<br />
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3.) <b>Location</b>. Oss is a little off the beaten path so we usually had to transfer in bigger train stations like Den Bosch to get anywhere. But that's okay, the Den Bosch station had a Smullers. <a href="http://padutches.blogspot.com/2013/05/our-first-and-only-visitor.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Watch this</span></a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudmNcjzIk3_pVDlYC_88I5cQAQfu4d3EQlgJ8Rj_BcgvmH7Pys-9eM_6ExkdgQXyLGIHGWJfgpHqUZWdkJiPLs871fVYDV3EXM0elUOMBkP0F33-cnrkeWx_uudUN9-n2nMzNXWhDHAq9/s1600/tgi-fridays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudmNcjzIk3_pVDlYC_88I5cQAQfu4d3EQlgJ8Rj_BcgvmH7Pys-9eM_6ExkdgQXyLGIHGWJfgpHqUZWdkJiPLs871fVYDV3EXM0elUOMBkP0F33-cnrkeWx_uudUN9-n2nMzNXWhDHAq9/s200/tgi-fridays.jpg" width="158" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Don't need all this, just some</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
4.) <b>Customer Service</b>- Okay, I'm not expecting over the top TGI Friday's flair covered service in restaurants, but a warm smile and a hello would be nice. Hell, I'd just settle for a head nod and acknowledgement of my basic presence at your otherwise empty restaurant. There have been times where I've said to myself: "No it's cool, I don't need another beverage, I can wait while you set up tables and clean glassware for an empty restaurant." (true story). Now, there were exceptions to this lack of service, but most of the time our presence in some restaurants seemed to be an inconvenience for the staff.<i> </i>We get it, you're not working for tips, and we don't speak Dutch, but we like to drink beer, how about a refill?<br />
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In addition, don't expect much personal customer service from your bank or cell phone provider unless you are prepared to pay. Most service companies charge a fee of a few euro cents per minute just to talk with a human. They'll even charge you to tell you via automated message that their office is closed when you call for help on a Sunday; true story. My advice, get a twitter account, most companies have them and are responsive to questions, and that's free, well kind of, just costs you a home internet provider and or a smartphone data plan.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2EgBHoCe8nqazroyr7kHi85vDNeCsmzw1WE8ECTVd0GkJNtox-_p62KqaBW6mz-xR1p7bs82z4DGinxxJ8yjdGXhxw6l6iE9vezhILl9Gu6Vj2wuixut-5wJWFBlr3cDfJL8_dfmJeoC1/s1600/IMG_3820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2EgBHoCe8nqazroyr7kHi85vDNeCsmzw1WE8ECTVd0GkJNtox-_p62KqaBW6mz-xR1p7bs82z4DGinxxJ8yjdGXhxw6l6iE9vezhILl9Gu6Vj2wuixut-5wJWFBlr3cDfJL8_dfmJeoC1/s200/IMG_3820.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Super convenient online purchases, not.</i></span></td></tr>
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5.) <b>Banking</b>. "Wait, how much to cash a check? and how long would it take?" That was me after learning <span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15.333333015441895px; line-height: 14px;">it would have taken 4-6 weeks to cash a check, <i>AND</i> it would cost about 16% of the check's value in fees. </span>Hats off to the Dutch banking system for going paperless, but what's an expat to do with a refund check from their Irish Gas company?<br />
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In addition, the process for making online payments is a bit different. You are given a card reader (pictured right) that spits out a pin number for internet transactions. It's supposed to be for added security. It's a bit of an added hassle because it's one more step you need to go through for purchases. But once you get used to it, it's not all bad and as a victim of identity theft I can appreciate the security.<br />
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Lastly, our bank didn't make their policies regarding fees very clear for English speaking expats. After setting up our account we specifically asked about ATM fees and were told "There were none." What they failed to mention was if we used our bank card abroad we would be slapped with a fee. Oh, and if you want to find information on the fees associated with your account you have to go to their website. Our bank did offer an English version of the website, however if you want to read about fees on the website you have to "check the overview of banking rates for private clients (in Dutch)." Yeah, I still haven't found the link to this information on the site. Bottom, line when setting up your Dutch bank account, ask questions and try to read the fine print regarding fees. Perhaps I should have followed my own advice and tweeted them my questions.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JBLYjGjI6LrMuh-lYWmArC8D8D6SaA-8gcGM-DJHYZx2y5TjOYJAReS9foKVwsEGUrngJ6AZwpSNc3Yi_OjqgXF_gQcQjdS4H5f1hyphenhyphenUw_xc5-Fai95q8GOprQnE8NaxBHHfK82rD7xGc/s1600/skitch_iphoto.export.skitch.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JBLYjGjI6LrMuh-lYWmArC8D8D6SaA-8gcGM-DJHYZx2y5TjOYJAReS9foKVwsEGUrngJ6AZwpSNc3Yi_OjqgXF_gQcQjdS4H5f1hyphenhyphenUw_xc5-Fai95q8GOprQnE8NaxBHHfK82rD7xGc/s200/skitch_iphoto.export.skitch.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">ov-chipkaart with Dal "What a Deal Subscription"</span></i></td></tr>
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6.) <b>NS Rail Discounts/NS RailPlus Card. </b>We knew we'd be riding a lot of trains both domestic and international, but the trains weren't cheap. A roundtrip fare from Oss to Amsterdam cost €33.00 roundtrip per person. That could certainly add up so we looked into the discount subscriptions offered by <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.ns.nl/reizigers/producten" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">NS Rail</span></a> </span>(domestic trains)<span style="color: blue;"> </span>and <a href="http://www.nshispeed.nl/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">NSHispeed</span></a> (international trains) . But figuring out how to apply for these discounts was a real pain. It took countless hours of research, translations and tweets to finally figure out the best deal for the local trains. <br />
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Applying for the international train discount card, called the RailPlus Card, was equally frustrating. I could not find how to apply for this discount program anywhere online. The best info I could get at the time was from a <a href="http://www.b-europe.com/Travel/Promotions/Discounts/Railplus%20Card" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Belgian rail site</span></a>. Trying to avoid a per minute calling fee, I took to twitter to get some answers and it paid off. The NSHispeed Twitter person got me the <a href="http://www.nshispeed.nl/nl/tickets-kopen/rondreistickets/railplus-bestellen" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">website</span></a>, albeit the site was all in Dutch, but Google Chrome helped me through it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitioQxZv1R0qiUkFvY_8-2xc7Z-0xbkXcylclSzkI218-s8pNFniz5siJAe4Eli8ZNZCOhxzEaLUYFdYCTuqvhaUQ0RnbYkhfgua9RNEI3eVVxcroEHS3LyedjNX1NHjbu56XPKAXwAjhN/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-02-14+at+8.11.40+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitioQxZv1R0qiUkFvY_8-2xc7Z-0xbkXcylclSzkI218-s8pNFniz5siJAe4Eli8ZNZCOhxzEaLUYFdYCTuqvhaUQ0RnbYkhfgua9RNEI3eVVxcroEHS3LyedjNX1NHjbu56XPKAXwAjhN/s400/Screen+shot+2013-02-14+at+8.11.40+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Definitely follow <a href="https://twitter.com/NS_online" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">@NS_online</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/NSHispeed" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">@NSHispeed</span></a> on twitter if you have any rail related questions. Both were extremely responsive and very helpful. Oh, and you don't really need to tweet in Dutch, their English is great.<br />
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Also, special thanks to <a href="http://www.amsterdamtips.com/tips/train-tickets-in-netherlands.php" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">amsterdamtips.com</span></a> for their help in my research. They provide great tips on on all things Amsterdam on their site and via email; great site for visitors and expats.<br />
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The final kick in the ass was right before we are ready to leave the Netherlands I saw that the cost for the subscription for the <a href="http://www.ns.nl/reizigers/blind/abonnementen/dal-voordeel.html" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">NS Dal Advantage</a>,<span style="color: blue;"> </span>the subscription we bought,<span style="color: blue;"> </span>was slashed from €50 to €29. However, I think at the time of writing (May 31, 2013), the price went back to €50.<br />
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[Blogger's Note: I'm hoping to have an entire post dedicated to Dutch Rail Discounts soon.]<br />
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7.) <b>Smoking</b>- Totally forgot how gross you feel after being in a bar/restaurant with smoking. Should have invested in some EuroFabreeze.<br />
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8.) <b>Techno Drive-bys</b>- It was brought to my attention prior to our arrival that the Dutch had an affiinity towards the genere of music referred to as "techno." They especially liked to rock out to this genere while driving (yes, some do drive). Luckily for us we were living there during the winter and our windows weren't open much. But there were times when our collection of beer bottles for recycling would begin to rattle because of the bass and the sweet beats.<br />
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As you can see, the "Things We <i>Liked</i>" about the Netherlands did out number the "Things We <i>Didn't Like</i>." And perhaps, some of the later were just due to cultural/societal adjustments. Perhaps if we had stayed longer some of the dislikes would have disappeared from the list. We have been very fortunate this past year and are extremely grateful for these all these experiences. The little differences made our time abroad enriching and allowed us to see that there was a big world outside the windows of our Pennsylvania home.<br />
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For more of my ramblings and tips check out one of my early posts: "<a href="http://padutches.blogspot.com/2013/02/one-month-ten-lessons-netherlands.html" target="_blank">One Month, Ten Lessons: Netherlands</a>."<br />
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Can any other expats relate? or I'm I just nuts?<br />
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Thanks for reading.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-65176130786331851952013-05-30T07:18:00.001-04:002013-05-30T07:18:03.326-04:00Two Different Scenes<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5x4IA3rVDKopTVSRUkDV-IY6RXqvunesdqm3NkMkBovBX4wRsOKUB_9LywgEgqfx1mZEiLf2eb335p1tF3-LGgle2YUGe1HmJWyaJPbzh7uSImwCiPXDB3HwR_628HY6ZgxFDVM90Dhup/s1600/Then+&+Now.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5x4IA3rVDKopTVSRUkDV-IY6RXqvunesdqm3NkMkBovBX4wRsOKUB_9LywgEgqfx1mZEiLf2eb335p1tF3-LGgle2YUGe1HmJWyaJPbzh7uSImwCiPXDB3HwR_628HY6ZgxFDVM90Dhup/s640/Then+&+Now.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Arriving to the Netherlands 15 January 2013 Departing the Netherlands 19 May 2013</i></td></tr>
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Our departure from Amsterdam airport was a somewhat different scene from our arrival; that is except for the gray dark clouds. I always find it easier to leave a place when the weather is crappy; you don't feel as bad departing. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-32016647234145576152013-05-27T06:43:00.001-04:002013-11-27T12:50:14.153-05:00"Oss: Our Town. Our Memories." A Video Tribute.How can you put down in words the experience of living in Oss? I couldn't, so I made a video instead. Enjoy and thanks for watching.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jR35bpAiNXw" width="640"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-42513024886590081272013-05-26T09:24:00.000-04:002013-05-26T09:24:12.838-04:00Swiss HappenedOnly on rare occasions will we <i>ever</i> purchase those quirky souvenir attraction photos. You know what I'm talking about right? Those photos some "professional" photographer snaps as you enter a theme park or baseball stadium.<br />
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Well, there was a guy when you got off the train at Gornergrat, Switzerland that had a St. Bernard. Long story short, we bought the pictures. Can you see why?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6H-nR0DP-X92eNkhdafoK6Qp7BafDXNw5mOI7GxPJhrrwuwrqyOPttBv_vHM26R2rmuJNfVAwzKbZ4jNaxqnq_tnAuhIpUG99a7oOMyA5QLt7MjB8iuhjc-I5SZuCBp_2TTWBxMkDvRu/s1600/Scan+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6H-nR0DP-X92eNkhdafoK6Qp7BafDXNw5mOI7GxPJhrrwuwrqyOPttBv_vHM26R2rmuJNfVAwzKbZ4jNaxqnq_tnAuhIpUG99a7oOMyA5QLt7MjB8iuhjc-I5SZuCBp_2TTWBxMkDvRu/s640/Scan+2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>What's a matta horn?</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcn0DuTDdUTK1bWL5ga3eJpUUS2Pw2sx1wv-U8LXuisy0t2eGdCEx3iDfgQtOpylAxYBEw1TUew_mdGHH8S-3wr6D3TdSSAqUhlfjRKDYdn1ZGrIIH9EtaXrWc1rmgG7ABhMpv2OOHGuRD/s1600/Scan.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcn0DuTDdUTK1bWL5ga3eJpUUS2Pw2sx1wv-U8LXuisy0t2eGdCEx3iDfgQtOpylAxYBEw1TUew_mdGHH8S-3wr6D3TdSSAqUhlfjRKDYdn1ZGrIIH9EtaXrWc1rmgG7ABhMpv2OOHGuRD/s640/Scan.jpeg" width="475" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photogenic dog.</i></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-71069556897375105022013-05-24T11:08:00.002-04:002013-05-24T11:08:30.802-04:00Our First (and only) Visitor Funny. When we lived in Ireland last summer we had 14 visitors. During our stay in the Netherlands we had 1. And <i>technically </i>he was primarily there for a work assignment but I'm still counting it as a visit.<br />
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As his reward for hanging out with us I'm committed to making Mr. John Fay an interwebs star. Enjoy his breakout role.<br />
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<b>WARNING: After watching you'll regret not visiting us to experience the majesty of the pocket sandwich.</b></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SmG-dmvUvAM" width="640"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-2823610995190824592013-05-24T10:09:00.002-04:002013-07-02T11:20:53.739-04:00Dear PA Dutch Readers...<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Dear Pennsylvania Dutch Readers:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone for visiting Pennsylvania Dutch over the past few months. I hope you enjoyed reading my ramblings as much as I enjoyed creating and documenting my embarrassing situations in the Netherlands.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">On May 19, 2013 my wife, Vicki and I returned home to the USA ending a very fortunate year long expatriate experience. Looking back, we experienced an amazing "Irish Summer" in Malahide, Ireland with a beautiful beach, a castle, and a Jack Russell Terrier. We then moved on to marvel at the beauty and splendor of a "Dutch Winter" in Oss, The Netherlands. Where we had no beach, no castle, and no Jack Russell. But we did have a bike; that was cool. Both experiences were incredible but very different and I'm sure it's obvious which one we preferred; God I miss that bike. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">My only regret during our expat days was that I didn't start blogging sooner. MY GOD! The stories I could have written in Ireland. I did start recounting some of those tales on my tumblr, <a href="http://polishclover.tumblr.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Polish Clover</span></a> but really never finished. Well, at least I was able to bring you our daily Dutch living adventures, like our <a href="http://padutches.blogspot.com/2013/02/adventures-in-irish-dutch-laundry.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">multi-lingual washer and dryer</span></a>, our <a href="http://padutches.blogspot.com/2013/02/dutch-or-polish-no-english.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Dutch-Polish Deli</span></a>, and of course my grocery store experiences with <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://padutches.blogspot.com/2013/04/what-ef-is-efteling.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Eftling coupons</span></a> </span>and an <a href="http://padutches.blogspot.com/2013/04/american-walks-into-greek-bar-orders.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Afgan Olive Man</span></a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Blogging allowed me to feel and stay connected with family and friends back home. It also allowed me to join a worldwide community by listing "PA Dutch" on various expat blog directories. Oh, and check <a href="http://padutches.blogspot.com/2013/02/i-go-to-germany-for-spas-wait-what.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">this out</span></a> one post even won a writing contest! Thanks for voting. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">8,000 pageviews (and counting) later, I remain humbled that folks are still stopping by and reading and watching. Thanks again to all. But my repatriation does NOT mean PA Dutch is shutting down. I still have a few more posts and videos in the pipeline so keep checking back. And who knows, I may start up a new blog documenting my zany misadventures in Norristown, PA. You'd read that too wouldn't you?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Love,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">DannyZ</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">xoxoxo</span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-75239086733398349002013-05-22T11:22:00.000-04:002013-05-23T07:44:49.851-04:00Who is "Statie Fles" & Why is She Stealing My Beer Money?<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"A La Trappe Quadrupel for €1.29! A Chimay Blue for €1.47! HOT DAM, I LOVE THE NETHERLANDS. Wait, hold up, what's this extra €0,10 all about on my reciept? And what/who the hell is 'Statie Fles'? Sounds like the name one of those flapper actresses from the roaring 20s." </i><br />
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The above "blog-amatization" was my reaction upon one of my first beer runs at the Albert Heijn grocery store in Oss, The Netherlands. But I bet your first reaction was, "Who the hell ever looks at their receipt after a beer run?" Well my friends DannyZ does; he's all about value.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkB3JpS4iwinUmDouFurRMUvbeDkWaDAi6-5xvzZc1WFRRGGl0nn2s8ZUNC4fJ6JsCdnRcuuWtdWGM8bqNBsWWTkSuTciZ3LrmtZV07Q1iaLvlB4-3Who04EwW2iV056Pa4zcNSdT9spN0/s1600/photo-9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkB3JpS4iwinUmDouFurRMUvbeDkWaDAi6-5xvzZc1WFRRGGl0nn2s8ZUNC4fJ6JsCdnRcuuWtdWGM8bqNBsWWTkSuTciZ3LrmtZV07Q1iaLvlB4-3Who04EwW2iV056Pa4zcNSdT9spN0/s400/photo-9.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I highlighted to draw your attention to the prices</span></i></td></tr>
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Like everything initially in the Netherlands, this €0,10 charge confused me. I later learned it's a type of surcharge or tax placed on your glass and or plastic bottle purchases. However, don't try it with wine bottles; only works with beer bottles and plastic soda/juice bottles. I was ticked at first about the surcharge; another nickel and dime scheme. However, I soon discovered these magical machines (below) that give you your money back, well, sort of.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Ae7qCJDypWQHZU0oKrUxdNYdJy_YoqlkEk-F6oViZn5Up-Bbnp9Te5Cq1mtQtEwoMXfXomz2xSlc4qheCrEbrIjgAFJ2qZbp449zgYONtFD5XmgGJmvKlsKmNLkgaXvv-Qrz0QpFMs1H/s1600/photo-11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Ae7qCJDypWQHZU0oKrUxdNYdJy_YoqlkEk-F6oViZn5Up-Bbnp9Te5Cq1mtQtEwoMXfXomz2xSlc4qheCrEbrIjgAFJ2qZbp449zgYONtFD5XmgGJmvKlsKmNLkgaXvv-Qrz0QpFMs1H/s400/photo-11.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Look for these machines; these were near the FREE coffee machine.</i></td></tr>
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One Friday night, after amounting a fine collection of empty brews, my wife and I set out on a hot date to so some recycling down at the AH. Here's the video:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aaIJ65nz4e0?list=UUqR68_eXRjri6UwmE8k1VQA" width="640"></iframe><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzMzh9voD7ZuUDzO6lNbU8M2fRTqZP1etUdamLgY_VZ1fYgV2vmZAzAElqqfGOqVPeel6H7HiQLygfAR3CRXvRflAAVYjN-xOOQ7MFygIE61_No_5jL0tPV0oviCOqcgu3r8SoDRpf8Of/s1600/photo-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzMzh9voD7ZuUDzO6lNbU8M2fRTqZP1etUdamLgY_VZ1fYgV2vmZAzAElqqfGOqVPeel6H7HiQLygfAR3CRXvRflAAVYjN-xOOQ7MFygIE61_No_5jL0tPV0oviCOqcgu3r8SoDRpf8Of/s400/photo-1.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Your prize for caring about the environment.</i></td></tr>
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I learned that once you get the slip (pictured above) all you have to do is hand it to the cashier at check out and the money comes off your purchase. This particular day I was €0,65 closer to another delicious La Trappe Quadrupel.<br />
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Hats off to the Dutch for their recycling methods...I wonder if Wegmans will ever adopt this practice?<br />
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Nederlanders, do you carry all your bottles back to the AH? Westerners, would you?<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-47368771534406229702013-05-15T02:37:00.001-04:002013-05-15T02:37:17.439-04:00Orange You Glad the Dutch Have a New King? <div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Watching karaoke performed on a stage in a town square.</i></div>
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<i>Singing and swaying to "<a href="http://youtu.be/JylE2A5P5Qg" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Brabant</span></a>" with a group of Dutch fellas. </i></div>
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<i>Seeing an ocean of orange in Amsterdam</i></div>
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<i>Sipping Jenever.</i></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Witnessing History.</i></div>
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April 30th. The Last Queen's Day or Koninginnedag <i>AND</i> the <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/investiture" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">investiture</span></a> of a new King of The Netherlands. And we were there, in Amsterdam, for both. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands announced her abdication on January 28th. [You can read about my reaction to the abdication <a href="http://padutches.blogspot.it/2013/02/the-queen-abdicates-wait-netherlands.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a>] She transfered her royal duties to her son Willem-Alexander on Queen's Day, April 30, 2013. Making Willem the first Dutch King since 1890. I'm not going to pretend I know much more than that, but trust me, it's a big deal.<br />
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There are plenty of other news outlets and bloggers that have reported on this historic event so I won't repeat it all here. Fellow Dutch expat <a href="https://twitter.com/Momofthreeunder" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">@Momofthreeunder</span></a> provides some great insights and questions on the royals at her <a href="http://thethreeunder.com/2013/05/regarding-royalty-understanding-my-country/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">blog</span></a>: Take a read, good stuff.<br />
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I'll let the pictures, videos and my ramblings tell the story of what transpired for us from April 29th-May 1st. Enjoy.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72bvX-4T6oUEVyNH9SElvBkgtvI5nJWYjRBW1CWoFiq2d6OclHr1UCx57oA8Q9IXwyykBJIIZBzfSnj2UAlFSwZihNFHebnr5BYkdwhgTOvXphtBB74lX8PVkZFR4j1OsYBJWOS3cS9oo/s1600/IMG_6166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72bvX-4T6oUEVyNH9SElvBkgtvI5nJWYjRBW1CWoFiq2d6OclHr1UCx57oA8Q9IXwyykBJIIZBzfSnj2UAlFSwZihNFHebnr5BYkdwhgTOvXphtBB74lX8PVkZFR4j1OsYBJWOS3cS9oo/s640/IMG_6166.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>As seen on TV: The Royal Family. The King is on the left.</i></td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><u>Queen's Day Preparations in Oss</u></span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlCuBGr4XUVZU4hxk_pKM6UXqNmJ5TT8tXYhv0xW71s7QQbPZz7jiC8y9YOyi2bEE6_DaD0wJADOVuNC2nouS9synTfG_j-040a0OON0hqb0LQLrvP3VVbE2xENXH6wUrTNVUqOIC8ZSu/s1600/IMG_5992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlCuBGr4XUVZU4hxk_pKM6UXqNmJ5TT8tXYhv0xW71s7QQbPZz7jiC8y9YOyi2bEE6_DaD0wJADOVuNC2nouS9synTfG_j-040a0OON0hqb0LQLrvP3VVbE2xENXH6wUrTNVUqOIC8ZSu/s400/IMG_5992.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Rolling out the orange carpet in Oss. Can you sense my excitement & fear?</i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvu6ZWdQKcljx3FYeBL9GfWOBRoo4ZQVjfmKBCGQ4O-UUBMK9p5edlGuntJ-zecxI8MuC262Y5sSxteLC__FEqnp0gNbbWjek61_pBvAvcS6QWrKoiWmwhFHb8upRuIxWOvB4fdMU32sVv/s1600/IMG_5991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvu6ZWdQKcljx3FYeBL9GfWOBRoo4ZQVjfmKBCGQ4O-UUBMK9p5edlGuntJ-zecxI8MuC262Y5sSxteLC__FEqnp0gNbbWjek61_pBvAvcS6QWrKoiWmwhFHb8upRuIxWOvB4fdMU32sVv/s400/IMG_5991.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mobile Heineken bars</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtuFLjvu42LNR_LekS0Nm7VrPG2VsC5gj4VqOMK51hyphenhyphenu9AnXG4G2GUYAejmGZjfB0PRnWZO2Zae5qAnrg2eS19DhK1E7lf73wIBbPXw6YcANsHAorXTX71hCIZ_CDNdZ3HWwYTw6o1z5Lo/s1600/IMG_5998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtuFLjvu42LNR_LekS0Nm7VrPG2VsC5gj4VqOMK51hyphenhyphenu9AnXG4G2GUYAejmGZjfB0PRnWZO2Zae5qAnrg2eS19DhK1E7lf73wIBbPXw6YcANsHAorXTX71hCIZ_CDNdZ3HWwYTw6o1z5Lo/s400/IMG_5998.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Seriously, this town loves to set up tents and stages for parties</i></td></tr>
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If you think I'm kidding about Oss loving to party; watch this video. </div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZpXwDLG2thg" width="640"></iframe>
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<span style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>The Main Event: Queen's Day in Amsterdam</u></b></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/R_h5tNuAkd0" width="640"></iframe>
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Since it was our first (and probably only) Queen's Day, I was a little nervous for a few reasons: 1.) They were expecting massive crowds in Amsterdam for the day. 2.) We had no idea what to expect. So, I figured our best strategy was structure. <br />
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I found a party targeted to "international visitors" at the beautiful Zuiderkerk. This old church was transformed into what was called "The Royal Cafe." I figured having an organized event to attend (with bathrooms) was clutch. However, I grew hesitant of my decision when I discovered a party targeted to international guests would not accept our US based credit card for payment. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTb2AKfscJUZ68YYGjfFc4Uj7vidy1ml3KlB5qMyHFbGDBl1eTsko6bvSF23HDxTpX7-pGKmjYghuiss0VCfNfYU4fENu9lJk0fqKlOGQxBjsl3Zxov0eQqE48J-JzYpeb5V4mSEYtLgou/s1600/Orange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTb2AKfscJUZ68YYGjfFc4Uj7vidy1ml3KlB5qMyHFbGDBl1eTsko6bvSF23HDxTpX7-pGKmjYghuiss0VCfNfYU4fENu9lJk0fqKlOGQxBjsl3Zxov0eQqE48J-JzYpeb5V4mSEYtLgou/s640/Orange.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>AmsterDAN & Vicki</i></td></tr>
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Technical difficulties aside, the party was a blast. We met a very nice Dutch couple who interpretted all the events around the coronation/inaguration of the new King. Plus I discovered that I love Jenever. A traditional Dutch liquor. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhse1s77FMnJuHTlKPALLAtpory299FEaNRVQky7iIrrKHnnCI-GePqKA3XCznl6Ae7OlCEKrAG5tfWx5r6KWyJPI1-QQ4fR3669hRtnO5ktPgj4_4uglIrsreUD-ch37jaLUe2kon3z2On/s1600/IMG_6175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhse1s77FMnJuHTlKPALLAtpory299FEaNRVQky7iIrrKHnnCI-GePqKA3XCznl6Ae7OlCEKrAG5tfWx5r6KWyJPI1-QQ4fR3669hRtnO5ktPgj4_4uglIrsreUD-ch37jaLUe2kon3z2On/s640/IMG_6175.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hello Jenever. This bottle may or may not have ended up coming home with us.</i></td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqQjXchcsQqcRd0GewBi-6dheNFzOj3kEupNGD1-aU3c5tqyPeva_6zkmunxAG3aKOMNgEvOvrjRDCZK8ncvku56uJWX5gzQtbnriACndVNSxycO78huiAfc3poKN_tDGYntP2Sg0NeM1/s1600/IMG_6171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqQjXchcsQqcRd0GewBi-6dheNFzOj3kEupNGD1-aU3c5tqyPeva_6zkmunxAG3aKOMNgEvOvrjRDCZK8ncvku56uJWX5gzQtbnriACndVNSxycO78huiAfc3poKN_tDGYntP2Sg0NeM1/s200/IMG_6171.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Royal Blanket</i></td></tr>
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I blame the Jenever for giving me the idea that the orange blanket behind me with a picture of the royal family was complimentary. I would LOVE to see the security camera footage of me "stealthily" trying to wrap up that bright orange blanket under my arm. The best part; once I triumphantly had my stolen article outside we felt the need to further conceal it. Where should we perform this maneuver? Why not right in front of the security for the party. A burly bald Dutch man saw the hijinks that we were conducting and swooped in and with a very polite "Thank You," in perfect English he reclaimed this commemorative trophy that I was attempting to liberate.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2jcdhXxdnK4PmzF91xENnUgdA0HPOPp7L8Y-u5ICRaswm9_JgIeiFRf726_5V1xeXOpTfvPVaAASB9TKhN5s26qERHcsKIG9rBXz1vCP3-Rt7aEMaosAwAv_vZTosHKJdzv5iz2ft-94d/s1600/IMG_6389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2jcdhXxdnK4PmzF91xENnUgdA0HPOPp7L8Y-u5ICRaswm9_JgIeiFRf726_5V1xeXOpTfvPVaAASB9TKhN5s26qERHcsKIG9rBXz1vCP3-Rt7aEMaosAwAv_vZTosHKJdzv5iz2ft-94d/s640/IMG_6389.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>DannyZ: International Man of Orange</i></td></tr>
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Thievery aside, "Partying with the Dutch" at the Royal Cafe was a great time. One of the highlights of the event was trying to set the world record for the biggest portrait of former Queen Beatrix made entirely from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitterballen" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">bitterballen</span></a>. Dutch, you crazy.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/iNyX884vDZs" width="640"></iframe>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKHJ5VLacCGQyGrEBhdbb3i-nEJYMBZ4MwRs36HZwLN6Lc5_JK-IM75lGAC3gX2SWjT4AOiQkUw8N87MUnh5FcwDhXPwTnIV7L5UOPxYHdNppdCMTiHcGXvrnQkDAKsTv0X6mYNkIzynt/s1600/Royal+Cafe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKHJ5VLacCGQyGrEBhdbb3i-nEJYMBZ4MwRs36HZwLN6Lc5_JK-IM75lGAC3gX2SWjT4AOiQkUw8N87MUnh5FcwDhXPwTnIV7L5UOPxYHdNppdCMTiHcGXvrnQkDAKsTv0X6mYNkIzynt/s640/Royal+Cafe.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Participating in the events to celebrate Queen's Day was fun and a bit confusing all at the same time. No, the Jenever was not the root cause of this confusion. We could totally feel (and see) that the Dutch had a great sense of national pride, but as outsiders, it felt very strange. I guess it's similar to visitors to the United States on the Fourth of July. Whatever their view of the royal family was, it seemed the entire country (or at least all of Amsterdam) rallyed around their monarchy for this day to celebrate; Dutch Style. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVSPj-BPX5UNfjzxfqhdGO_P1vBpS169c3fBIEORB9Dy3S05JWpKZX4LHPb_BEYEmYGRDY_c0C71TaAK0Ef2FMPaa1r4Sb_8MyWzIsqYsyFknPVbWOKngk5sVKvWvUwiChg459b5Xhuqf/s1600/People+of+Amdam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVSPj-BPX5UNfjzxfqhdGO_P1vBpS169c3fBIEORB9Dy3S05JWpKZX4LHPb_BEYEmYGRDY_c0C71TaAK0Ef2FMPaa1r4Sb_8MyWzIsqYsyFknPVbWOKngk5sVKvWvUwiChg459b5Xhuqf/s1600/People+of+Amdam.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The People of Amsterdam on Queen's Day 2013</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Z2fSVOIjSnAYImZBBA46H-MI1BvMSJwsSCPZiZqP36k1uFnTVbAn6YeCo4iZj5-sfFvxuzGjnnQSsnE1P0-fwIfXn-Ifef6EBdjqWkhpNm9sAHhBIRx_K4VP8evUF9xgQJWsK8BTRndk/s1600/IMG_6502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Z2fSVOIjSnAYImZBBA46H-MI1BvMSJwsSCPZiZqP36k1uFnTVbAn6YeCo4iZj5-sfFvxuzGjnnQSsnE1P0-fwIfXn-Ifef6EBdjqWkhpNm9sAHhBIRx_K4VP8evUF9xgQJWsK8BTRndk/s400/IMG_6502.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Even the Irish Pub was closed to celebrate Queen's Day and the New King.</i></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-56060484523999663772013-05-10T11:38:00.002-04:002013-05-10T11:38:30.523-04:00Do Americans Hate Americans in Europe?Picture yourself for a moment, in a outdoor cafe in Europe, sipping a cappuccino, watching the world go by..then you hear it. You recognize it immediately but at the same time you try to close your ears to it because it's like nails on a chalk board. It's English, and no, not the Queen's English (and definitely not Irish English)...it's American English. Whether it's in that cafe, on public transport, or in a restaurant, hearing "American English" in Europe has made me ponder this question:<br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Do Americans hate other Americans while traveling through Europe? </span></b></i></div>
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Okay, let me first say that having the <i>very</i> fortunate opportunity to live and travel through Europe for the past year has <i>NOT</i> made me anti-American. I love the red, white & blue through and through but this past year has really opened my eyes to how freggin' big this world is and why Americans are sometimes negatively perceived by Europeans. But wait, am I allowed to negatively perceive Americans while <i>I'm </i>in Europe? <br />
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It also seems, other Americans don't want to be bothered with Americans while they are in Europe? There have been multiple times where Vicki and I have been talking in our non broken American English in ear shot of other Americans and not even so much of a hello, head nod or fist bump? What gives? But then, I'm guilty of the same. Instead of striking up a conversation, I've found myself eyerolling and shaking my head when I hear the boisterous almost obnoxious tones of my fellow Americans. <br />
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Before you begin to think, great, Dan's gone all European on us, let's not let him back in the country. I'll have you know, I stayed true to my "American roots" by sporting running pants, a t-shirt and bright white Adidas sneakers; all while rolling a refrigerator sized suitcase through the town of Como. I did want to punch myself for my American tourist ensemble, but I figured, so what I am and always will be 'Merican.<br />
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I'm hoping this is my most controversial post yet. I've been blogging for almost 5 months and am yet to see any "hater" comments after a post. I'm counting on you "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">US Americans</span></a>" and non "US Americans" to let me hear it. <br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">What are your perceptions of Americans traveling in Europe? </span> </i></b></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-61150946851970227732013-05-02T07:54:00.003-04:002013-05-02T07:54:31.448-04:00Cutting the CheeseGoing to miss this...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/S7xBW-0vSzg" width="640"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-27488143966615563572013-05-02T03:05:00.000-04:002013-05-02T03:05:09.212-04:00Dutch Lesson Learned: The Stroopwafel<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Preparing my Dutch breakfast</i></td></tr>
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Can't believe I've gone 3 months without talking about stroopwafels. At first glance they look like a regular waffle but they are much thinner. They are made from two thin layers of baked batter with a carmel syrup filling. To read about the full history of the stroopwafel see wikipedia's entry on them <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stroopwafel" target="_blank">here. </a><br />
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Sounds delicious doesn't it? The good news, there is no shortage of stroopwafels in the Netherlands. You can even buy prepackaged ones from the train station vending machines for €1. The bad news, the first bites are delicious, but then there is this indescribable taste that holds your mouth hostage immediately, then sticks around on for hours more. Best solution, wash that taste away with coffee.<br />
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Actually, placing a stroopwafel on top of your coffee is a preferred method for eating. The carmel filling melts in the center then proceeds out to the outer rim. After you let it sit for a bit you have a gooey carmel treat.<br />
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I tried it this way this morning and I'll admit the aftertaste wasn't as severe as eating them dry right out of the package. Lesson Learned. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Let the stroopwafel sit for a bit to warm and melt, then enjoy.</i></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-20664568345135759552013-05-01T09:36:00.001-04:002013-05-01T11:42:00.326-04:00Trespassing Through the Tulips. A Visit to Keukenhof.Word association game time. When I say "Holland" what's the first thing that comes to your mind. I'm assuming 99% of you thought of tulips, maybe the other 1% of you thought of clogs. Well this post is about the 99%. If you want to read about our clog experiences click <a href="http://padutches.blogspot.com/2013/02/windmills-tulips-night-in-prison.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">here</span></a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Keukenhof Collage</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Main Entrance</i></td></tr>
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With our Netherlands days windmilling down, we knew it was now or never time if we wanted to try to see some tulips. So on Saturday, April 27th we embarked on a journey from Oss to <a href="http://www.keukenhof.nl/nl/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Keukenhof</span></a>, <i>THE PLACE</i> to see tulips in the Netherlands. The park is "32 hectares" big? wide? long? (what the heck is a hectare?) Anyway, it's big, and you can totally get lost if you don't have a map. Speaking of maps!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><u style="color: #e69138;">KEUKENHOF PROTIP:</u><span style="color: #e69138;"> Save yourself €4. Visit the Keukenhof </span><a href="http://www.keukenhof.nl/uploads/2013/Plattegrond/2223_kh_plattegrond_2013_v6_lr_def.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">website</span></a><span style="color: #e69138;"> and print (or download to your phone) a park map before you go. There are no free maps in the park. </span></b></i></span><br />
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I broke down and shelled out the €4 for the 2013 Park Guide. But not without having some fun and creating some quality footage for this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/dszostek" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">DannyZ</span></a> clip.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Keukenhof map...for free</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo Credit: John "Throat Puncher" Fay</span></i><br />
<i>Can you spot the trespassers?</i></td></tr>
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You may be wondering what all those colored lines surround the park represented. Well, my friends, they are the tulip fields. We noticed hords of people meandering through the fields from our windy perch on the windmill. Our immediate reaction was obviously "We want to go to there." But how? We were looking for access when we found ourselves at the "Entrance Extra" gate and overheard a pair of tourists asking a park worker how to get to the fields. Her response was something like it's not encouraged; people shouldn't go; it's disrespectful to the farmer; and people can damage the crop. So we did what any other upstanding tourist would do; we went to the fields. </div>
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It was worth not heeding the advice of the park worker; the fields were amazing, and only parts were in full bloom. We stayed and respectfully took pictures for about 15 minutes before the farmer appeared shouting in Dutch with a pitch fork, stabbing our friend. Well, that's how I pictured it going down. The farmer actually just appeared out of nowhere and quietly ushered us off his land. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>So freakin' Dutch #SFD. See the windmill behind the trespassers?</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Keepin' it classy</i></td></tr>
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We left the fields and returned to the park's "Entrance Extra," and panicked for a moment Did we need to get a hand stamp or something? Rut Ro. We played it cool and handed our ticket to the gate worker. Confused, she says that our tickets were already scanned. Not wanting to reveal our delinquent behavior, Vicki quickly responded "Oh, we just went out to look at the..... road?" This gem got us back in the park and hours of laughs. Feel free to use that line if you decide to trespass through the tulips and want to get back into the park.</div>
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<i><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;"><b><u>KEUKENHOF PROTIP:</u> Access the actual tulip fields from LOOSTERWEG NOORD. The access point is about a 5 minute walk from the "Entrance Extra" of Keukenhof. It's technically trespassing on a farmers private land, so be respectful and DON'T TRAMPLE THE CROP. </b></span></i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Trespassing with pram</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Testing the farmer's fence for an electrical charge.</i></td></tr>
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Speaking of tickets, here's a short confused rant. We bought a "Combiticket" online. Still questioning the benefit of this ticket. It did allow us direct access into the park without having to queue to buy tickets. However, the price included a roundtrip bus ride, the "Keukenhof Express" from Schiphol. According to <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://9292.nl/"><span style="color: blue;">9292.nl</span></a> </span>(a great journey planning site for the Netherlands BTW) A one way bus trip to Keukenhof from Schiphol costs €3.68 (€7.36 RT). The price of the combiticket is €22.50 for adults (€12.50 kids 4-11). A regular adult ticket without transport is €15. So if you do the math the "Keukenhof Express" costs €7.50. They say the combiticket is the best "deal," but I'm not sure. Maybe I'm missing something, or maybe I'm just a cheapskate. </div>
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Whichever ticket you get, Keukenhof is totally worth it. You could spend hours traversing the 15 kilometers of foothpaths snapping pictures. Be sure to have plenty of space on your camera's memory card too because every part of the park is like a postcard picture. You can also check in on facebook using the park's free WiFi. </div>
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>KEUKENHOF PROTIP:</u> Don't rely on the park's WiFi to arrange a meeting place for your friend who is coming from Hoofddorp. It's spotty.</b></span></i></span></div>
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We really enjoyed our day and would absolutely recommend a visit to Keukenhof. Thanks for reading.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2ht2mO8_Kpc_ohQTxVBVAmzvzzyWTu23_I00Wlx-rnjW2soQzVqZO8IRwKCLBp8WWWUJLRfV1c5A2ittv4qWidAaY2bEWm21FC0wWCcCeF0IiycJX7wW2KplbtxY1PT62bUu0pdMyAW8/s1600/IMG_5771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2ht2mO8_Kpc_ohQTxVBVAmzvzzyWTu23_I00Wlx-rnjW2soQzVqZO8IRwKCLBp8WWWUJLRfV1c5A2ittv4qWidAaY2bEWm21FC0wWCcCeF0IiycJX7wW2KplbtxY1PT62bUu0pdMyAW8/s640/IMG_5771.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>You're welcome.</i></td></tr>
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Have you visited Keukenhof? Did you trespass in the fields? Did you get pitchforked?<br />
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Have you heard about windmilling?</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9KSqc001Z5k" width="640"></iframe>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Keukenhof, Stationsweg 166-A, 2161 AM Lisse, The Netherlands52.2679883 4.543696100000033826.7459538 -36.764897899999966 77.7900228 45.852290100000033tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-62070544851997686822013-04-28T05:21:00.004-04:002013-04-28T05:21:49.649-04:00Need a Lift?<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">Keeping up with my fascination for the </span><a href="http://padutches.blogspot.nl/2013/02/one-month-ten-lessons-netherlands.html" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">public urinals of the Netherlands </a><span style="text-align: left;">(click link & read #10); h</span><span style="text-align: left;">ere are some pictures of a "URILIFT" van parked out front of our apartment the other day. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTCGC8N-r_f-AReGLkJAG-TMT5yABYSCswvtTaQPMBBMZrhnHCzovxyTH-X7RJisbueKT7ZWMxDCUkTgM-wWpHygh4aALIIov3mv4qA48TWTpIv5HxYM_tYj_6pqsod3G9GHZlfrg-K7C/s1600/IMG_5629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZTCGC8N-r_f-AReGLkJAG-TMT5yABYSCswvtTaQPMBBMZrhnHCzovxyTH-X7RJisbueKT7ZWMxDCUkTgM-wWpHygh4aALIIov3mv4qA48TWTpIv5HxYM_tYj_6pqsod3G9GHZlfrg-K7C/s640/IMG_5629.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoiMEp5A9kvkKuKMJ0klx0bZIe9QuZU5AJ0FaOl8buZBkIWOLmC_vRdnpFhEw4NfLsoCl42xoMJE9ES1cFFCS5XtbXj8fp40V2Y9Y7DrbaqiEOQu6B70P-IvtyY5kyuonydfgFjmzVA8Dc/s1600/IMG_5631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoiMEp5A9kvkKuKMJ0klx0bZIe9QuZU5AJ0FaOl8buZBkIWOLmC_vRdnpFhEw4NfLsoCl42xoMJE9ES1cFFCS5XtbXj8fp40V2Y9Y7DrbaqiEOQu6B70P-IvtyY5kyuonydfgFjmzVA8Dc/s640/IMG_5631.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-45774507048708435822013-04-28T05:03:00.001-04:002013-04-28T05:22:08.606-04:00What the EF is Efteling?I began accumulating these "€10 Kortings Coupons" after a few trips to the <a href="http://www.ah.nl/" target="_blank">Albert Heijn</a> grocery store. Of course, I had no idea what they were or how to use them. But rather than asking in broken English like a normal expat, I would just nod my head at the cashier girl and she would hand me another coupon. After the fourth blank stare head nod, I worked up the courage to ask what exactly I was receiving.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg57rqh0vxYalZG7VevCsNnrGcNLKMtbJfteWnSHqZWIsKAGFAPPWiPX1xUH9sBk7VyLOnb3eTv5l1ytmzMvs6R8ylyFv8S_GgrnRllocBKi7nPuzXtdCu8dE2cyMWPzYIrFr8P7MLcgZd/s1600/photo-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg57rqh0vxYalZG7VevCsNnrGcNLKMtbJfteWnSHqZWIsKAGFAPPWiPX1xUH9sBk7VyLOnb3eTv5l1ytmzMvs6R8ylyFv8S_GgrnRllocBKi7nPuzXtdCu8dE2cyMWPzYIrFr8P7MLcgZd/s640/photo-5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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At first the cashier was a bit startled by my English; my regular checkout gal wasn't working that day. She "explained me" that the coupons were for Efteling. Oh, okay, that clears things up, of course Efteling. WHAT THE EF WAS EFTELING?!? She could see my look of befuddlement with her explanation, so she proceeded to ask her cashier colleague in the next lane over "Efteling in Engles?" Her colleague couldn't translate so she proceeded to shout down to the next cashier. I was slowly becoming part of an odd game of "Whisper Down the Supermarket Checkout Lanes." I was mortified. Everyone was looking at the goofy American wearing a Phillies hat. I was thinking to myself: "This Efteling thing better be ef-ing fantastic." Now the entire row of checkout girls were all shouting in Dutch to each other. I thought I overheard one of them say "roller coaster," but she was about five lanes down. As they continued chattering and laughing, a fellow shopper came to my aid with the following words: "Amusement Park." A-HA! Now I remembered. Efteling is like the Dutch DisneyWorld and these were coupons for discount admission to the park. Brilliant! I thanked that kind Dutch man and the entire staff of the Albert Heijn for their translation assistance with a sincere "Dank u wel" and walked home. </div>
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<b>Voiceover:</b> <i>"Dan Szostek, you were just in the most embarrassing/most awesome Albert Heijn checkout experience of your life. What are you going to do now?"</i></div>
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<b>Me:</b> <i>"I'M GOING TO EFTELING!"</i> </div>
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EDITOR'S NOTE: After reading a few <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g188584-d262610-Reviews-Efteling-Kaatsheuvel_North_Brabant_Province.html" target="_blank">TripAdvisor reviews</a> we decided it wasn't for us. It does seem to be a nice place for families, thrill ride seekers and people who like stage shows with pyrotechnics; but honestly this wizard guy creeped me out . Decide for yourself at <a href="http://www.efteling.com/">http://www.efteling.com/</a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tMcRLULAxTJI38Qf8zdDS-8-fCJJH_YQG_iYOz7u9pXcnh4ZfVO7Ox9IiTD11k1pQb8yoE7K3x4b0qJAN3cYsxGU9Ggrp4KrA6GQ-B-oJR_Bfu3BhRDutXbMCIojOLdgkUvq6u-ZkXKS/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-04-28+at+10.49.01+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tMcRLULAxTJI38Qf8zdDS-8-fCJJH_YQG_iYOz7u9pXcnh4ZfVO7Ox9IiTD11k1pQb8yoE7K3x4b0qJAN3cYsxGU9Ggrp4KrA6GQ-B-oJR_Bfu3BhRDutXbMCIojOLdgkUvq6u-ZkXKS/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-04-28+at+10.49.01+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Screenshot from efteling.com with creepy wizard.</i></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-20162246929646981702013-04-28T03:58:00.000-04:002013-04-28T04:00:42.320-04:00#expatproblems: huluI had some time on the train last night, so I did what any other person without a data plan on their phone does while they are on a train; I played solitaire and looked through old pictures.<br />
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I stumbled upon a strange one. It was a screen shot of <a href="http://hulu.com/">hulu.com</a>. If you're unfamiliar with hulu, it's a streaming video service for television shows. Vicki and I aren't huge television people, but there are some shows that we like to catch like: The Office, 30 Rock, Parks and Rec, ABC's The Bachelor (wait what?!?, I'll admit it, we watch ABC's The Bachelor, mostly to make fun and to get date ideas) As we became familiar with our Dutch cable we learned that the main English comedy options were reruns of Seinfeld, Friends, Dharma & Greg, and The Ellen Show (we actual grew to like Ellen DeGeneres, she's kind of funny; who knew.) Now, don't get me wrong, this was all quality programming especially when your other options were a Dutch version of skating with the (washed up) stars; a group of Dutch people sitting around a table and and arguing in Dutch with each other; and of course the light night ladies helping you practice counting in Dutch by offering you their phone numbers. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNATLYgVQJdVJ8_OR0vOW_nluk4AbZrmBuv6UrdPy21wftmP24acPp63_1MvSo30C-5TZOTq4uPdDgP6eGRxQSJl9suUl7u0s9fHE0y09yVdoTctbieAOsMNXtuFZ8iXWbc2p_uXeKwwcO/s1600/photo-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNATLYgVQJdVJ8_OR0vOW_nluk4AbZrmBuv6UrdPy21wftmP24acPp63_1MvSo30C-5TZOTq4uPdDgP6eGRxQSJl9suUl7u0s9fHE0y09yVdoTctbieAOsMNXtuFZ8iXWbc2p_uXeKwwcO/s320/photo-4.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A commercial for Olive Garden on hulu</i></td></tr>
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Then a light went off! hulu.com could help! It was wonderful, we were catching up on our comedies and judging the newest crop of wackos on ABC's The Bachelor. (Was there really a jumbotron operator this season?) But then after two nights the party was over. </div>
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<b>You the reader:</b> "<i>Wait; Dan, you said it only worked for two night? What happened? Didn't you get to see who got the final rose and a proposal for a failed marriage?</i>"</div>
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<b>Me the writer:</b> "<i>Nope.</i>"</div>
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While trying to begin an episode of 30 Rock we got the message below. The gig was up or was it? With a simple refresh of my screen about 3-4 times, the show would start playing. This refresh strategy worked a few more times after that but then they caught on to my scheme and shut us down completely. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRGQ-IqwoVtS1wFv4eQ4FkXlnR_L2d1WeHb8wghYzJX2wf53CSki_WYSw7CkhGsTN0BvpjRTe-QAAHuxLML3dP9nSm9g0fMlP89LYm6vHwNjQ9peYS0qaf_KxJBIX1TMA-DzFCswUJ8pSC/s1600/photo-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRGQ-IqwoVtS1wFv4eQ4FkXlnR_L2d1WeHb8wghYzJX2wf53CSki_WYSw7CkhGsTN0BvpjRTe-QAAHuxLML3dP9nSm9g0fMlP89LYm6vHwNjQ9peYS0qaf_KxJBIX1TMA-DzFCswUJ8pSC/s640/photo-2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I clicked "here", but it didn't help. </i></td></tr>
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Oh well. We never saw the final rose but we still had Ellen Shows from October of 2012. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-77018041010537112972013-04-26T11:49:00.001-04:002013-04-28T02:51:31.216-04:00What A Difference a Week Makes<div style="text-align: center;">
Seriously, what a difference a week makes. Last week I felt this:</div>
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<img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEEeR6-PRZiyPSImSNlXQcOMgHEbL3lqOc22b__ZjXxBD-ZUI6-SBY8WgZVgdhbBX8rbEJOQeP5n4au_6lsoFNWq5J1uxzC1uWe4L3T7vs8Vo2tzNJHF5dNfZbXmKglPwQa_pwb38ASHmK/s200/ezel.jpeg" width="200" /></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> <a href="http://padutches.blogspot.nl/2013/04/friday-fail-supermarket-edition.html" target="_blank">Click here to read about last week's debacle</a></span></div>
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Today I feel like THIS!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQ5NkGx1zd3fk7WogGr8ry9SebESjKZu4DHlVfI1-Af9H9qDATaeOb0T4eX9xL4SmhMhGd1RXqy9F-5l2O8WfOZueQZ7-F4ZKm_vBX8kGKcwW6SgCNioPrBpb3KxhMehsb28TC4G-B4Kn/s1600/photo-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQ5NkGx1zd3fk7WogGr8ry9SebESjKZu4DHlVfI1-Af9H9qDATaeOb0T4eX9xL4SmhMhGd1RXqy9F-5l2O8WfOZueQZ7-F4ZKm_vBX8kGKcwW6SgCNioPrBpb3KxhMehsb28TC4G-B4Kn/s200/photo-1.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Um, yeah, this is the kind of stuff I walk out of the grocery store with.</i></td></tr>
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I'm king of the world again! Not only did I remember my debit card and not only did I walk out of the Albert Heijn grocery store with this little <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weepul" target="_blank">orange guy</a> (you had to spend €15 or more) I scored a six pack of Heineken for 25% korting! That's .62 euro cents a can! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkz_D0Vu8_kDpEVxDJp7heZZBKZSBc6W9wEknCHR6zcx-YMRqo_YDsDhEEejWEYlC4p94KnLGrKkKF4MeCJYUlUvfa-Im-28CBp4nHiQKqixD2EL2sCRn2Z9IxesfZdtPo9_PE-JYd8GL/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkz_D0Vu8_kDpEVxDJp7heZZBKZSBc6W9wEknCHR6zcx-YMRqo_YDsDhEEejWEYlC4p94KnLGrKkKF4MeCJYUlUvfa-Im-28CBp4nHiQKqixD2EL2sCRn2Z9IxesfZdtPo9_PE-JYd8GL/s640/photo.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Three Fingers for Willem and a Sixer for Danny</i></td></tr>
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Check out the video that's driving the Dutch crazy. It also explains the 3 fingers for Willem thing. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-31534692709940420592013-04-26T07:56:00.000-04:002013-04-26T07:56:11.867-04:00Chât-OH! Living in Saint Emilion, FranceVicki and I realized that all of our Euro travels this year have been to major metropolitan areas. It was time for a trip to the country; wine country that is! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VWMR5EjBsJacWkdQvo2fPd2Qq7f675_Auv5Wijj1iUx14fuBsWveSTrw0mDeqsMQLEkU3SsO8M6U32jB7D1tXaHsaDdVBc_nLhh5AVA7QSNImSsAzGEoChsq-zjhMmM3jb6SWsfZjVk5/s1600/IMG_5175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3VWMR5EjBsJacWkdQvo2fPd2Qq7f675_Auv5Wijj1iUx14fuBsWveSTrw0mDeqsMQLEkU3SsO8M6U32jB7D1tXaHsaDdVBc_nLhh5AVA7QSNImSsAzGEoChsq-zjhMmM3jb6SWsfZjVk5/s640/IMG_5175.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>We immediately knew we would like it here when this greets you at the airport</i></td></tr>
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<u style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Highlights from a Long Weekend in </span></u><br />
<u style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Saint-Emilion, France </span></u></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-size: x-large;">Dates: April 20-23, 2013</span></u></b></div>
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<b>-<u>€10 RyanAir Flight</u></b><br />
Transcript from an actual conversation:<br />
Vicki: "Hey Dan, want to go to France?"<br />
Me: "Pass."<br />
Vicki: "It's €10."<br />
Me: "When do we leave." <br />
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To be honest, Vicki and I have never really been fans of French wine, matter of preference I guess. But when you see a RyanAir flight from Eindhoven, Netherlands to Bordeaux, France for €10, you figure you could at least go to France to try to obtain an appreciation for their wines right? <br />
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<b>-<u>Our Château</u></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIt9nXQ7DWU_TAymYoUTaPyFZDoBaR8ooGaEFkacO2ymJ7Xb3x_zmfKGbnaKrPx4DsNJ3FZ7ns52D0X-KcLFko93lM1oszjY3KkEseowVvqDkmWimxMW3VdUc9lpd-ss_bzLSqc7Pqouw/s1600/IMG_5583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIt9nXQ7DWU_TAymYoUTaPyFZDoBaR8ooGaEFkacO2ymJ7Xb3x_zmfKGbnaKrPx4DsNJ3FZ7ns52D0X-KcLFko93lM1oszjY3KkEseowVvqDkmWimxMW3VdUc9lpd-ss_bzLSqc7Pqouw/s200/IMG_5583.JPG" width="200" /></a>We stayed at <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.nl/Hotel_Review-g488277-d2216658-Reviews-Les_Belles_Perdrix-Saint_Emilion_Gironde_Aquitaine.html" target="_blank">Les Belles Perdrix</a> a B&B run by <a href="http://www.chateau-troplong-mondot.com/" target="_blank">Château Troplong Mondot</a>. This Château has been in the same family for almost a century and the estate has ties back to Louis XVI, it was the home of his tax lawyer. Centuries of wine making have enabled this Château to have been classified as <i>Premier Grand Cru Class B</i> (<i>according to the super easy to learn/understand <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classification_of_Saint-%C3%89milion_wine" target="_blank">classification system of Saint Emilion wine</a>, ends sarcasm</i>). Classified or not, they made some very nice wine and their property situated on the Saint Emilion hillside was stunning. <br />
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Perhaps our favorite part of our stay was our personal guided tour of the property with Felix. He accompanied us on our walk through the vineyards showing us how he irrigates the rose bushes at the end of each row of vines. It was fascinating. The only strange thing was when Felix joined us for breakfast. We were enjoying our coffee and croissants when out of the blue he decides to put his head on my wife's lap. I knew that French men were amorous but come on man, I'm right here! So my wife gave him a nibble of her croissant, patted him on the head, scratched him under the chin and said, "Good Boy." After that Felix was content to just lie next to our table on the floor. Oh, Felix, you lucky dog.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Felix about to "irrigate" the roses.</i></td></tr>
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-<b><u>Wine tour with "Bruno."(<a href="http://www.bdtours.fr/" target="_blank">BD Tours</a>)</u></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bruno (right) and Winemaker</i></td></tr>
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I'll have to admit, I had some doubts taking a French Wine Tour with a guy named "Bruno," but the <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187079-d1486666-Reviews-BD_Tours_Wine_Tours_In_Bordeaux-Bordeaux_Gironde_Aquitaine.html" target="_blank">TripAdvisors raved</a>, so we caved and took his tour. We were not disappointed, Bruno was the real deal in terms of wine knowledge. He was <i>actually</i> one of the wine tasters on the classification commission for Saint Emillion wines. Trust me, it's a big deal. I'll spare you the details of this classification business; because honestly, I'm still confused by it. But some of these <span style="text-align: center;">Châteaux live and die by their rating.</span></div>
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<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Our Wine Tour: One Word Reactions:</span></b></u></div>
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1.) <em style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px;"></em>Château Mangot (Saint-Emilion) = <i>Stuffy</i></div>
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-painted middle of wine barrels red, so not to see spills</div>
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2.) Château du Tailhas (Pomerol) = <i>Genuine</i></div>
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-our favorite, family run, toured with owner's son</div>
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3.) Château Soutard (Saint-Emilion) = <i>Corporate</i></div>
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-conglomerate run by insurance company</div>
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4.) Château Le Chatelet (Saint-Emilion) = <i>CAVES!</i></div>
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-very cool cave exhibit; free tasting</div>
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5.) Château Troplong Mondot (Saint-Emilion) = <i>One?</i></div>
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-only one tasting provided</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Can you guess which <span style="font-size: x-small;">Château is owned by an Insurance Company and which is family owned? It's tough, but try.</span></i></td></tr>
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<b>-<u>San Emilion or Saint Emilion</u></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhjoF5KkYTEOx-y3mIQOU7cf-1KqeZziR5T2l6GlN2ongAqCUiuTCBBP8gqAheTkq1LmhIaQy97MpjmU1jefK4yf9hLLrNC3dIWrugYOU6GlY5njUK96FIJfdNkP_4eBhe6mhCnD4VFxk/s1600/IMG_5218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhjoF5KkYTEOx-y3mIQOU7cf-1KqeZziR5T2l6GlN2ongAqCUiuTCBBP8gqAheTkq1LmhIaQy97MpjmU1jefK4yf9hLLrNC3dIWrugYOU6GlY5njUK96FIJfdNkP_4eBhe6mhCnD4VFxk/s320/IMG_5218.jpg" width="240" /></a>Prehistoric town about 25 miles (40km) from Bordeaux. From what I understand the town was named after an 8th Century traveling confessor monk named Emilion. We thank him and the other monks that followed him to the area for the region's fine wine that we taste today. <br />
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The town is like stepping back in time, er more like climbing back in time, with it's steep cobblestone streets. The hike up to the top of the town is worth it. The bell tower of the monolithic church was closed during our visit, but the views from the upper landing outside the church are breathtaking. (see pic below)<br />
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<b><u>PRO TIP:</u></b> <i>Head to the Saint Emilion Tourist Office when you arrive. Free maps, free guide book to the area and information on wine tasting tours. The staff is very friendly, and most, if not all speak English.</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>See what I mean? Breathtaking. (Saint Emilion, from the bell tower entrance of the monolithic church)</i></td></tr>
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-<u><b>Dune du Pilat</b></u><br />
Incredible sand dune located 55 minutes from Bordeaux. I'll let the video and pics speak for themselves. BEAUTIFUL!<br />
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Thanks for reading! Have you been to Saint Emilion? Did you like the wine? The views? The town? Did you climb the Dunes? Leave a comment and share your story.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-40729713829459505062013-04-25T04:11:00.002-04:002013-04-25T04:11:21.050-04:00Alley BikingI promise more interesting, informative and exciting posts to come. But in the meantime, here's me riding a bike in an alley on one of the nicest days we've had so far in Oss.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OCDQWFwuRbw" width="640"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-5422047353686781972013-04-19T16:08:00.001-04:002013-04-20T02:57:14.295-04:00Friday Fail: Supermarket EditionWe've been doing so well adjusting to our new "home." But just when you think you've mastered a simple task such as going to your Dutch grocery store; life comes and bites you in the ezel. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Ezel</td></tr>
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It was a routine shopping trip for tonight's dinner menu, lemon chicken. I breezed up the produce aisle snagging the last head of broccoli; there was a guy next to me that had his eye on it too, but I was the victor! As a reward I decided to pick up a La Trappe Tripel, one of my favorite Trappists and brewed in the Netherlands. Fighting temptation to buy a few more brews, I moved on to the cheese counter, to snap two free samples of Jong Belegen (young belgian) [<b>EDITOR'S NOTE</b>: It was politely pointed out to me I miss translated "Belegen;" it's not "Belgian." See the comment below for correct translation]. Then a quick turn down the wine aisle. There I had to leap over a women's cart who was blocking the entire shelf of Albert Heijn (AH) box wine. That was it, I was done; off to checkout.<br />
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Friday, at 5:30pm usually finds the AH busy with shoppers, and tonight was no exception. But for some reason I found myself slipping right into the "Pin Only;" no cash, lane with no line. Could this really be happening? Placing my items on the belt with a sense of confidence I then handed in my AH bonus card. Then it hit me. I FORGOT MY PIN CARD. I was trapped; another shopper began to place their items on the belt. Now what? The sweat began to build on my forehead. I then tried to explain in broken English how I forgot my pin and started collecting my items. This brought great amusement to the checker. So I figured no worries I'd jump in the cash lane; only one problem, NO EUROS either. BLAST! <br />
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So again in broken English, I ask the same checker if it was ok to leave my basket and return with my card. Smiling, since she witnessed my entire conversion from confidence to cowardice she agreed. I then sleeked out of the store, pulled my Philles hat down, and started a light jog back to the apartment. Lucky, I was sporting my Adidas track suit, so it added to my quickness.<br />
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Upon my return, the check out girl was ready for me, I think she was "impressed with my speed." Too embarrassed to look her in the eye and out of breath I tried to say "dank u wel" or "thank you" but the words came out jumbled, I have no idea what I said.<br />
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Defeated, I began to walk out with my purchases but not without first giving a friendly wave to my friend the <a href="http://padutches.blogspot.nl/2013/04/american-walks-into-greek-bar-orders.html" target="_blank">Afghani Olive Salesmen</a>. He was with customers so I didn't interrupt him. Besides, I just wanted to get back and forget about this trip.<br />
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On the bright side, I'm guessing the jog back and forth worked off those free samples of cheese. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3Oss, The Netherlands51.764377 5.514620000000036351.68576 5.3532585000000363 51.842994000000004 5.6759815000000362tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-76710646147082983502013-04-19T03:20:00.000-04:002013-04-19T03:20:44.351-04:0032 Hours to Philadelphia<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjSJMjAZChdGXbD5dGpwyITa4iXP4sn1rwlM_OdDrfbyQ_PPTJW9WpnzaAt1XXp-HnSS27Pk97l3BaWv59ZgKlk6qdoRdyqB85iy8AnqHh4I3Sn2hf38oU1ncASJ5sRHo3yxHLeZ1bbJU/s1600/photo-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjSJMjAZChdGXbD5dGpwyITa4iXP4sn1rwlM_OdDrfbyQ_PPTJW9WpnzaAt1XXp-HnSS27Pk97l3BaWv59ZgKlk6qdoRdyqB85iy8AnqHh4I3Sn2hf38oU1ncASJ5sRHo3yxHLeZ1bbJU/s320/photo-1.JPG" width="240" /></a><i>Two, Dutch Trains</i></div>
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<i>One, 1-hour Dutch Taxi Ride to Rotterdam Airport</i></div>
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<i>One, grounded lightening struck plane</i></div>
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<i>One, 55-minute propeller plane to London City Airport</i></div>
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<i>One, 1-hour British Taxi Ride (that got pulled over by British Police in front of Buckingham Palace)</i></div>
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<i>Two, missed flight connections</i></div>
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<i>One, night in London Airport Hotel</i></div>
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<i>One, free drink from Polish bartender at London Heathrow</i></div>
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<i>And, we would have done it all again if it meant being there for our friends.</i></div>
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Sorry for the brief writing hiatus friends. It was a hell of a two weeks. Within 4 days time, we learned that the fathers of <i>two</i> very good friends had passed. And here we were an ocean apart, in the Netherlands. When we woke up Friday morning, we knew what we had to do; we needed to get home.</div>
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That's exactly what we did, with just the clothes on our back we raced out of our apartment thinking to ourselves: Philadelphia or Bust. Last minute trips come with their share of pitfalls and hiccups but dam, did we hit the jackpot with this journey. Yes, everything mentioned above happened in the span of 32 hours. But as I said, if we had to, we'd do it all again to support our friends in their time of need. Love you guys.<br />
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And now, something to make you laugh. Here's me, giving real time feedback of my "security experience" at London Heathrow Airport. Cheers.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQuWHyln4NlzHw7xL-sdL4WdMfxoko2UBN5rZklmuY5cR3cjxUUMTTB9h5a7MF0vfl_FZJfgBCWXuIBfZgy0VRa-XLOToKs3sofM0DApF8q6xf2PUbDkxCDcnr2YW0MGuOfGjx4ik8UyS/s1600/photo-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQuWHyln4NlzHw7xL-sdL4WdMfxoko2UBN5rZklmuY5cR3cjxUUMTTB9h5a7MF0vfl_FZJfgBCWXuIBfZgy0VRa-XLOToKs3sofM0DApF8q6xf2PUbDkxCDcnr2YW0MGuOfGjx4ik8UyS/s640/photo-2.JPG" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I LOVED Heathrow.</i></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2594797268829263196.post-55366602009607459122013-04-18T07:35:00.002-04:002013-04-19T13:17:41.645-04:00Easter in Prague: A Video<br />
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Our <a href="http://padutches.blogspot.nl/2013/04/overnight-train-to-prague.html" target="_blank">overnight train</a> pulled safely into Praha Hlavni Nadrazi (Prague Central Station) at approximately 9:30 AM Saturday, March 29th. We really enjoyed experiencing all the sights, sounds, and smells of this amazing city. Czech out the highlights from our Easter in Prague. Cheers.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Vk1Qgwj1Kz4" width="640"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2