R&R in Holland: Weekend in Belgium

So once again it is my turn to write a blog (Ron). Due to the increasing work loads of school for both Robin and myself, it means that A) we are not traveling as much B) we are not blogging as often because we have run out of things to talk about while life feels rather mundane for us at times, just pressing on with homework and the normal aspects of everyday life.

Recently we have had some exciting adventures and things worth noting. March 15th was a beautiful sunny day with temperatures of 18degrees a perfect day for a drive to go see a concert. In mid February I had surprised Robin with 2 concert tickets to go see Katy Perry in Amsterdam. We decided that it would be cheaper to rent a car and drive instead of take the train to Amsterdam. We rented the cheapest car we could find, and I was delighted to find out that it was not available. That meant we got a free upgrade. The Drive to Amsterdam was slow going due to large amounts of traffic. Needless to say we made it there. I had a fear of being the oldest (if not the only!) male in a concert hall full of young girls, but once we got inside I realized that was just a fear and not reality. The concert was great, better than either of us expected. We managed to find our way to the middle of the crowd not too far from the stage. We had the perfect view and the music sounded great. I was unsure of how it would go, but both Robin and I were very impressed.

March 19
My parents have been in Holland since Thursday and are staying with my aunt and uncle 2 hours from our place. We decided on Friday evening to rent a car and go to Oosterbeek for a visit. Once again we got on the computer and rented the cheapest car you could get. Which in Europe the smallest car from the rental agency is two lawnchairs fixed to a riding lawn mower that is crafted in such a way that it looks like a car. I rode my bike to the train station saturday morning to get the car and was delighted to find out we had dodged the bullet once more. This time the upgrade we got was even nicer than before. It was a car the size of a Honda Accord which made the drive much more comfortable. Shortly after arriving to Oosterbeek Robin and I with my parents went for a drive to Opa and Oma's old house, while Romke and Margot went to go pick up Oma to bring her over for tea. Walking through Opa and Oma's old house sure did bring back some memories of going there as a kid. It was weird to see it mostly empty however it was still something that I wanted to do. After wandering around the empty house we went off to the cemetery where Opa was buried a few weeks before our wedding. It was a brief drive through town where we passed the high school my dad went to and the market that Oma used to take me to as a kid. The cemetery was very nice, very different then the ones in Canada. It was very nicely manicured and with the exceptions of the tombstones it could have passed as a park.
After a brief walk around we headed back to Romke and Margots to go have tea with Oma. Regardless of the language barrier and the fact that Omas memory was fading it was still really nice to see her. She was still smiling and despite all the changes lately was looking really good. With the exception of my two older brothers the entire Visser family was together. 9out of 11 not your typical sized dutch family. After Oma went back home from tea, we all walked to a local restaurant for dinner. It was nice spending time with everyone and catching up. From there Robin and I made our way back home.
The Following day we took advantage of our car and drove to town to go out for a fancy dinner. It was 1 year since we had gotten engaged. I had come down with a cold and Robin wasn't feeling too hot herself, but we still celebrated an anniversary and thought about the year that has passed. Since we haven't been together that long, we really take time to celebrate even the small milestones and anniversaries.

March 25.
My parents drove down to Maastricht to see our apartment and take us to a cottage for the weekend. After a tour of the apartment we decided to head downtown to see the market and enjoy lunch on a patio. It was sunny and probably close to 20degrees because I was quite comfortable in my shorts and sandals. After playing tour guide and having a very brief tour of Maasticht we were back in the car and off to Belgium for the weekend. My parents had rented a cottage just outside a little town called Sprimont. It was farm country surrounded by other little towns and villages. The cottage was a very nice stone farmhouse that had been renovated. It was previously all one building, but had been changed into 5 modern stone cottages. It had two bedrooms. One with a double bed, and one with bunk beds. However we had to supply our own sheets. Now Robin and I only brought sheets for a double bed so that insured us the "big bed" which we found quite...cozy. Although in hind sight my parents having the bunk beds was of comfort knowing that it ruled out the possibility of a baby brother or sister.
Saturday morning it was once again sunny and warm. After breakfast we decided to go and do a castle tour. there were 7 castles along a driving route. However since it was the off season none of the castles were open so we only able to walk around the court yards. After seeings 2 castles we decided it was time to go to the race track in Belgium about a half hour drive away. We arrived at the Spa Francorchamps on a track day. Track days are organized event where the public can come and race their personal car around a race track. With the small fee of 280pounds (about $600 Canadian!) you were entitled to drive for the day. It was beautiful! (Annecdote by Robin: Ron was like a kid in a candy store...I've never seen him run that fast in a parking lot to get anywhere!) There were so many nice cars there tearing up the race track. We were able to walk through the pits and see the cars and talk to some of the drivers. I got to talk to one of the Ferrari mechanics who was there with a some of the sponsored drivers practicing. It was really enjoyable and something that we all enjoyed seeing. I said to Robin and I day I hope to participate in a track day to which she said "dreams are for free" which I must admit is not the first time I have heard that. (Annecdote by Robin: Ron really does have a lot of (expensive) dreams, but I love that he's a dreamer and doesn't settle for the status quo) After seeing the race track we went back to the cottage and then out for dinner at another small town.
The next day it was time for Robin and I to go back home. We had school to do and although we wished we could, we can not be on vacation all the time. We drove back to our house in Maastricht where Romke and Margot were coming by train for a short visit and dinner, and then going to the cottage with my parents. We went out for dinner in the town and had a nice time catching up and enjoying each other company.

Well the weekend is over and we are back to school and working hard. There is lots to do with a semester coming to a close for both Robin and I. We are still having fun, but looking forward to being back in Canada in two short months.
R+R