Update time :)

Hi all my awesome friends!

 

Sorry that it has been so long!!  Things going a bit hectic on this side :)  I am currently working on a deadline engagement, so time is very limited.  But still having a blast, and enjoying every moment!!!  Cannot believe I have been here for 2 months already!!

Last weekend we visited Haarlem.  It is a BEAUTIFUL little town, 10 minutes from Amsterdam by train.  There was a market that Saturday, where I found some PURE South-African products - in the form of Mrs Balls chutney and a little stall selling Bobotie pies.  It was good to see a little home away from home :)

Haarlem has a beautiful church, which is located in the middle of the town.  You can see that the seasons are changing - it was EXTREMELY cold there!  You would never say that it was only 10 minutes from Amsterdam!  The temperature difference was enormous! :)

Last week I was in Krakow, Poland for work.  We left on the Monday evening, but as there are no direct flights we had to take a flight to Munich, and then a connecting flight to Krakow, Poland.  When we got to Munich our flight was delayed!  Which meant we only got to the hotel at 12:00 :)...  Got to bed by 1:30 on the Monday evening!  Needless to say - VERY tired :).  This is definitely a place I would like to go back to and sight see and travel a bit.  As we were quite busy with work, I did not get to see as much as I would have liked.  We went for dinner one night at a BEAUTIFUL square.  There were flower vendors everywhere - very pretty!  The one guy on our team told me that in the summer time, you can barely move on that square because the tourists sits everywhere at the cafe's and the weather in the summer time is 30 degrees +.            
 Krakow... Poland...

 We received one extra hour in our day today, as our time was adjusted for day light savings time...  So we are now an hour behind you South-Africans :)  I woke up this morning, and my phone automatically changed an hour earlier :)  When I looked at my watch it was and hour later!  Very confusing :)  I met up with some friends of my parents for breakfast this morning at DAM square.  We went to a awesome little coffee shop right on DAM square - at t' Nieuwe Kafe.  Was awesome having some South-African visitors in Amsterdam :)  Hope to see many more of you here soon!!!  May you guys have a BLESSED week, filled with ONLY beautiful things!!!

Koln... oftewel Cologne... :)

I heard today - "it's about time you write something on your blog again :)"  So here it is!  Hope all of you fantastic people are doing well!!

Last weekend, after a busy week at work, 6 of us hired a car (left hand steer and all!) and drove down to Koln, in Germany.  After what I heard people say, I thought it was going to be a small little town!  Big was my surprize!!  We also got a small little taste as to HOW COLD this winter is going to be!  It was FREEZING in Cologne!  I think the temperature dropped to something like 3 degrees in the evenings, and an icy wind during the day...

As Germany is known for their good beer, we went to go and see for ourselves upon our arrival.  We went to a PURE German bar, and had a Stiefel beer...  Check out the photo's of how the walls looked...


The team :)



 

 Being german...     

On the Saturday we went TOURIST and explored all Cologne had to offer...  I saw one of the most BEAUTIFUL churches ever!!!!  It is a magnificent structure!  We climbed the steps to the top of the church tower - 533 steps (up) and 533 steps down.  It was a good workout!  Check some pictures!

 The church took 500 years to build...
 
The picture above is half way on our way to the top of the tower :)  Europe is making us fit!!  We don't even look as if we climbed over 300 steps already :)

This is some of the picturesque buildings which Cologne has to offer!  It's really beautiful!

 

We had a Bratwurst for lunch.  This is a TRUE traditional German food.  It is like a hotdog on a panini, served with mustard.  We had some trouble at the snack bar, as they got our order totally messed up...  Saying we only paid for 4 items, after we actually paid for 5!  And the fith person had to wait over half an hour, just to find out that his lunch was not coming!! After walking around, exploring the shops ect, we took a cable car, which goes over the Rhine River, giving you a 360 degree view of Cologne!  It was a really, really awesome experience!!  Something I would recommend if you ever go to Cologne.  It was just over too soon :)  And we also saw a bit more than we paid for :)  A guy swimming naked in his pool!!  Overshare! 

On the Saturday evening we went for a nice dinner, in a small little place, next to the Rhine River.  It was COLD!  We sat outside, as almost every place we tried was fully booked.  There was some blankets and heaters, so at least we had some protection against the cold :)  Was great fun!!

                       

 On our way back home on Sunday we stopped in Dusseldorf, and at some Ruins that used to be a castle.  All of these places seems like places you read about in kids storybooks...  Enchanted castles / castle ruins... If the walls could talk!  I wish we could know some of the stories of these old places...

We had some YUMMY pancakes, and then hit the road back home...  It was an awesome weekend, thanks to some great friends!!  Really feel blessed!!!  Hope you will have a GREAT week further!!  Talk soon!

Me, posing in "what used to be" a castle... :)
 having some good coffee and pancakes :)
      

                    
                     
I just loved this car!!  Had to pose :)

True bliss!!

Hey all you awesome people!  Hope that you are doing well!  This past weekend was true bliss!  We took it a bit slowER and just had a "recharge your battery" type of weekend...

Friday night was movie night at the PATHE at Rembrandt square...  We are becoming locals there :)  Me and my flatmate Carien, went to see One day - with Anne Hathaway...  Romance...  Sad...  Need I say more?! :)

On Saturday morning we went to Amsterdam Bos (something like Kirstenbosch in Cape Town - VERY BEAUTIFUL, tranquil and peaceful), and we visited the SPA Suiver...  Went for a relaxation massage - it was true bliss!!  After our outing to the SPA, we went for lunch overlooking the canal where the people practise their rowing.  It was this little cozy coffeeshop, and as it was raining outside, it was true awesomeness!! 

Brace yourself...  Saturday night we had SOKKIE - South-African style :)  We "lang-arm-ed" on songs like KAPTEIN, Baby chocklits, Speeltjie ect...  Was a little home away from home.  When you hear Afrikaans being spoken over here, it feels like you have found long lost family members.  It is such a blessing!! 

Sunday morning we went PATRIOTIC again, and got up just after six! to go and support the Bokke.  This was some REAL dedication, as we did not sleep much after the sokkie, and still had to travel to friends to watch the game.  But, armed with coffee we went to support our Boys...  Very sad about the result!!!  My heart was shattered into a million little pieces :( 

Quintus and his wife, Carla took us with them to church (they have a car, so for once we skipped the public transport), and afterward we went for pancakes at Boerderij Meerzicht in the Amsterdam Bos.  It was an AWESOME expierence!  You feel as if you are transported into a whole new world...  It is secluded place in the forest...  Was really cool!  Check some pics :)

 This made me think of Psalm 23....

The roomies in red...

Pro golfer...

So I got some time on my hands a bit sooner...  Last week was a full one...  I missed out some of the parts because I got the flu and was sick in bed...  :(  Luckily I brought some antibioticks with from South-Africa, as I have heard that it is very difficult to get some here in Amsterdam...  The doctors apparently just tell you to drink lots of water, vitamin C and sleep...

Let's get back to last week...  I work in the Consumer business department at Deloitte...  We had a Consumer business function, so as to welcome everyone to the department, and to get to know your colleauges a bit better...  For this, Deloitte organized a golf day.  It was in Permurend - about an hours travel with public transport...  We got there a little bit late, as the golf course was situated almost a 30minute walk from the train station :)  It was one of the most beautiful "summer's days"...  Really felt blessed!!  We got some lessons, on the driving range (I signed myself up for the golf lessons - as I have never held a golf club in my life - apart from "caddying" for my dad - waaaayyy back when...)  My one friend, Berne (also a new recruit from SA), gave me some pointers when we were on the driving range - "head down, bend your knees a little ect..."  I applied the pointers, and my shots weren't half bad!  We joined up with the group our Partner (whom we work for mostly), was in.  My colleauges thought that I was lying, about not playing golf before.  Had some great fun!!  We had dinner afterward. 

We had to introduce ourselves in front of the whole group.  We were just two South-African's joining up with consumer business department, and when the partner introduced us, he referred to us, as the "two special cases" all the way from SA...  The partner then had a surprize - three prizes for the day...  1. For the person who organized the whole day; 2. For best professional golfer of the day, and 3.  The best "amateur" of "aanmoedigings prijs" (in Dutch)...  All the way from South-Africa...  I won number 3 :)  Got a bottle of French Champangne!!  Check out my bottle below...

The two special cases in Consumer Business, all the way from South-Africa...









My prize :) :) :) 

The weekend...

This weekend we took it slow, got some admin sorted and just relaxed.  We went for a lunch on Saturday afternoon, at the TUIN Cafe...  It is this cute little place, hidden away in a small side street in the Jordaan district...  I finally found a place serving a decent SIZE coffee :)  GROOT KOFFIE VERKEERD, is what it is called...  Those of you who knows me, knows that one of my favourite things in the WORLD is coffee!  And here, if you go to a cafe, you get the smallest cups imaginable...      But the coffee is still amazing - just too little :)  If you order a coffee - you will get a black cup, no milk...  If you want coffee with milk, it's called a coffee verkeerd...  Awesomeness :)

The Saturday evening we had the flatwarming of our one friend...  He just moved into his own place...  Was really fun, an evening of good South-African company!  We had some pizza and good wine,  was an absolute blast! 

 

Sunday afternoon bliss!!  6 of us hired a boat (it looks like a gondola with a enigine), and then just cruised on the canals...  They give you a map, when hiring the boat, and you can sail on your own time (for almost 4 hours), along the "grachte" (water streets)...  It was definitely a HIGHLIGHT for me!!!  One of the nicest things I have done since I came to Amsterdam!  We got some juice, and snacks, and then just had a relaxing afternoon - soaking up the sun!  We have been blessed with full on SUMMER weather!  After all the rain, it was WELCOME!  This activity is a MUST for anyone visiting Amsterdam...  You just experience the city on a TOTALLY different level...  That's it for now...  Hoping for a win for the BOKS, come this weekend!  Have a STUNNING week further!!  Talk soon :)

Trip to Brugge, VIA Antwerpen...

Hi awesome people!  Wow, it's been a while since I last wrote some news...  Things has just been crazy busy this last two weeks... Busy, but still AMAZING!
We went to Brugge, which is located in Belgium last weekend...  We work a bit later here in the Netherlands, so we only started travelling at 8pm on Friday night...  When we got to Central Station (the main train station in Amsterdam), we found out that our train (scheduled to leave @ 20:00) was cancelled...  We therefore had to wait for the train to Brugge which departed at 20:50...  It was a 3.5 hour trip to Brugge, and we had to get a connection train in Antwerpen...  The catch to all of this was that we had 4 minutes to get off the one train, and onto the next...  Brace yourself for this story...

At 23:00, we thought we were still a half an hour away from Antwerpen...  Our one friend went to the bathroom, just as we pulled up into the station...  After we have been in the station for a while, Casey turned around and said - "you guys, the board outside says Antwerpen Centraal?"  It was our stop!!!  Everyone was frantic...  Started grabbing bags, and just said, Anel, get Carien, we've got the bags...  I ran to the other compartment to get Carien, and we got off the train in no time...  Running to catch up with our friends, I saw that my bag was missing...  I then asked, and we realized that my bag was left on the old train by mistake...  I flew down that stairs like superwoman, jumped back onto the train, and pushed people out of the way (yes - me, anel, actually pushed people out of the way :)), shouting, I have to get my bag, I have to get off!!  I lifted my bag off the railing as if it did not weigh anything :)  and jumped off, just as the train doors closed and it started moving again...  That was really GRACE that I was not stuck on that train!!  Have NO idea where I would have ended up :)  We then started running to get our connection, and got to the perron just as our train pulled off...  We missed it...  But the even WORSE part was that our one friend was on the train pulling off!  He tried to stop it, so that we could make it!!  We went to the conductor, and asked what time the next train would be leaving? He replied by saying:  "Sorry - that was the last train for the night...  Next one is at 05:30 on Saturday morning!"  It was CRAZY!!!  But we made the most of the situation, got ourself accomodation for the night, just outside the station, and then walked around the plein in Antwerpen.  It is one of the most beautiful stations I have ever seen!!!

 

We slept in a bit on Saturday, and arrived in Brugge just before lunch time.  We stayed at the Charlie Rockets backpackers.  Really cool place, and very central to the main attractions in Brugge...  Brugge was something out of this WORLD!  It took my breath away when I got off the bus from the station...  Beautiful is a word which does not do it justice!!  We went for lunch, and after that we climbed the Belfort tower (very tiny and tight steps - and a LOT of them), but when you get to the top, the view is MAGNIFICENT!  You then have a 360 degree view of Brugge...  Check out the clock tower, and a view from the top...

The Brugge team at the top of Belfort tower  :)

 

 One of the prettiest statues I have ever seen...

 We went for boat cruise through Brugge, where we heard some of the city's history, and after that we went for TRUE Belgium waffles!  Was yummy :)  The evening we went for dinner at De Vier Winden...  There was a jazz band playing, and people dancing...  It was right on the main square in Brugge...  I cannot explain how blessed I felt sitting there with some GREAT friends = awesome company, beautiful surroundings, amazing food and an unbelievable atmosphere...  God is truly good, and I am thankful EVERY single moment for this amazing opportunity that came my way...


On Sunday we went for lunch at Knokke (near Brugge).  It is the beach in Belgium :)  It made me think of the Strand in Somerset West...  After enjoying a weekend of SUNSHINE (it has been raining non-stop since we got here - the weekend was a HUGE exception and amazing blessing!), we were once again back on the trains to get back home...  If you ever get the opportunity to travel Europe, I would definitely encourage you to put Brugge on your list of places to see... 

Hope you guys will have an awesome Monday!  Will post some more news soon!