Easter break

It's been so great to have the four day Easter break from work this weekend. Time to catch up on two of my favourite things... sleeping and eating.

On Friday we went to Blijdorp ('Happy Village'), which is actually a 'Happy Zoo' in Rotterdam. Highlights included watching the seals swim underwater in the glass-sided tank, the baby gorilla playing chase with its mum, the miniature monkeys with old men's faces and the new-born elephant trying for half an hour to pick up an orange in its trunk. Its hand-eye coordination seemed to be problematic (...or should it be trunk-eye coordination perhaps?). Photos to come!

I was fortunate to be able to sample plenty of yummy Dutch goodies at two traditional family Brunches. I have a new addition to add to my ever-increasing list of sugary addictions: Easter bread. This is a lovely fruity bread with a big lump of almond paste running through the centre.... mmmmm.....

My brain is still aching from a weekend of trying to understand the babble of Dutch family conversation flying around. I'm at a frustrating point in my efforts to learn the language and wish I had the vocabulary to join in a little more. I know it's going to take a long time before I can speak Dutch and sound like less of an idiot, but I'm determined to keep trying!