Office buildings you'd never see in the U.S.

Spaceship from the front...

Dutch East India Company ship from the rear...

High-stakes parallel parking

We rented a car this past weekend while Kris's parents came for a visit. It's a balancing act. You have to be far enough in yet still be able to get out of the driver's side. I could have done better but I was chicken. I mean, I had the full insurance coverage and everything. Shoulda tried harder.

Lymphoma test is NEGATIVE!!

Baxter does not have lymphoma. Just a really bad unidentified (so far) infection that caused his lymphatic system to go nuts. We're waiting on test results to find out exactly what it is. He's well on his way to recovery since he's had some heavy-duty antibiotics over the past couple of weeks.

Doing better

He's feeling much better. We're still awaiting results of a biopsy, but we're encouraged by his response to antibiotics. This could be a good sign.

Hang in there, buddy

Our dog Baxter is quite sick right now. He's in the hospital while we find out for sure what's wrong. Our friend Jim Paluzzi is his caretaker while we're gone, and he's been so wonderful to Baxter. While it's very hard to be away while he's so sick, the important thing is that the people around him, like Jim, are making him feel comfortable and loved. He's in good hands.

Have sled, need boy

The most fabulous Dutch winter in years continues with another major coup: skating in the Amsterdam canal district. This is right on our block of Keizersgracht (King's canal). Once I saw our downstairs neighbor make it around without falling in, I went for it. This water is deep enough to drown in, unlike Ankeveen.

When I saw the sled out on the canal, I knew what must be done...

Cruel joke

Another reason why you should lock your bike to a bike rack or pole.

I have seriously arrived

Standing in Holland on the first skate-able natural ice in years, and in front of a windmill, no less. And the inside of the windmill is a pub where you can get hot chocolate (or a Heineken). The only thing missing is Queen Beatrix in wooden shoes handing out tulips.

My friend, Peter van der Swaluw, took me to Ankeveen to experience something very Dutch. While there are many groomed ice ovals (kunstijsbaanen) in The Netherlands, this is what they really live for--frozen polders and canals. You can skate and skate and skate without having to go around in circles.



Here in Ankeveensche Plassen, you can participate in an official tour. You purchase a punch card and collect punches at various checkpoints, which proves just how far you skated. You can opt for a 10km or 25km tour. We just went for the "natuurijs" experience and made our own way around.

Tour checkpoint...


In most spots, the ice was about five to seven inches thick. Much of it was the highly-prized "black ice", which is actually very clear. This is the result of ice forming when there is very little wind or currents.



The rule of thumb is to never go anywhere that doesn't already have tracks in the ice. There's nothing to be gained by being a trailblazer, other than a cold swim. Actually, the water in Ankeveensche Plassen is no deeper than one meter, so you're not going to drown unless you're really short. However, I did see someone with a pair of purpose-built ice picks dangling on a string around her neck. These help you climb out if you fall in.

As you skate along, especially in low-traffic areas, you can hear a faint cracking sound accompanied by a reverberation of the cracking. Think of the old Star Trek photon torpedo sound. Peter says this is actually a sign of good, safe ice. I think it means that the pressure of your skate is being dispersed over a large area, which is better than highly localized cracking.

The surface is a bit bumpy because they don't run Zambonis over it, so it can be a little fatiguing to those of us whose skating season has just started. Newly-fallen snow can also rough it up a bit. Peter has been to the track twice a week since October, so he's ready to rip.

Another trying moment is when you have to transfer from one canal to another, known as "kluning". Hard on my poor tired feet. They put down protective fabric in some spots so you can walk right over directly on your blades.



After about 90 minutes of skating, all the ruts and rough spots were catching up with the extent of my ankle stamina. It was hard to keep my ankles from collapsing inward like a beginner (keep in mind that speed skates are almost like ballet slippers with blades bolted on). I almost fell on my face about 100 meters shy of returning to the windmill, but I kept it together and managed no falls the whole morning.

The highlight reel (Dramamine recommended)...

Where to shop in Amsterdam

When English isn't your primary language, you can use it to call your store all kinds of silly things...

Dutch National Marathon Championship

Women's highlight reel (about 10 min)...

Boy's afternoon out

Aaron and I had a lovely time with our friend Enno Roosink at a cozy harbor-side cafe north of Amsterdam. Lovely in that Aaron slept through most of it.

We took city bikes from the apartment to just behind Amsterdam Central Station, where there is a ferry that takes you across the IJ (pronounced "eye"). On the other side is a lovely cafe called Wilhelmina Dok, named after the previous Queen of The Netherlands, mother to the current Queen Beatrix.

Enno in his natural state (sipping cappucino)...

Once Aaron woke up, he enjoyed watching the transport boats pass by, as close as 100 feet. "Boat" is one of his new words...

Now back to your lunch, boy...

Happy Ear-bleeding New Year!

These are the wrappings from spent firecrackers:



Not the tame little Black Cat variety, but from M80-like big suckers. New Year's is the one time of year when citizens are allowed to have and discharge firecrackers. And they don't hold back:



Some people were letting off a few random firecrackers all week long. But when midnight hit, it was crazy loud.