Lucky Cow

I can't get enough of the mountains this year, and am a spoiled cow because I'm going for my third trip of the season this week. I'm going to squeeze three more days of snowboarding from my schedule before I return to the financial responsibility of a brand new mortgage and significantly less disposable income for a while (I sign for my apartment keys a week tomorrow!)

I just got back last weekend from a week in Champagny (just under La Plagne) with my family. I enjoyed blue skies every day, the chance to play with my nephew Oscar and to finally find my confidence on a board. I discovered the joy of snowboarding alone which significantly improved my ability to read a piste-map (I usually tag along like a lost sheep having no clue where I am).

The bus journey there was less exciting, mostly because the driver decided that his idea of DVD entertainment was to show us the safety film. Normally they show pretty terrible movies, but at least this takes my mind off the fact that my neck simply isn't designed for sleeping in an upright position. Lots of opportunity to chat in Dutch to my fellow passengers though, which was great practice (things are finally starting to improve at last with my feeble attempts at the language).

So next week it's Les Deux Alpes for more fun (and hopefully fresh powder and blue skies).
Life is pretty good!!

Bike Trip

Sometimes the Dutch have really good ideas. Like the OV-fiets card (public transport bike card). You have to pay a stupid amount of money to put your own bike on a train here, so instead you can take out a membership for a year which entitles you to hire special blue bikes from any major train station for just a couple of euro. You can cycle around all day, explore new places and return the bikes to the station before heading home. The bikes come complete with locks and lights and are pretty comfortable (much better than my own oma fiets, which is long overdue some TLC).


Me and my friend Debbie did this today. We hired bikes outside Haarlem station and cycled out to the beach at Bloemendaal in the sunshine for a lovely lunch by the sea. Highly recommended!

Goodbyes

Living in Amsterdam means that you get to mix with people from all over the World on a regular basis, which is fantastic, but the downside of this is that people who you get attached to often move away at what seems like a moment's notice. I've learned to get used to this transient experience, where people suddenly 'up sticks' and move to the other side of the planet. It's sad when they do, but I'm going to have some great holidays in the future visiting them all!

My lovely running-buddy Mairead moved back home to Ireland just after Christmas and now my solo runs just aren't the same without the good-old gossips we used to have. Then our wonderful yoga teacher Lisa returned to Oz. Another great friend Debbie has just three more weeks left in Amsterdam before she goes back home to California - one more difficult goodbye. Last night I went to a leaving do for Laura, who has been working on my team as a physiotherapist. I've only had a short while to get to know her but she's such fantastic company that I'm going to miss her quite a bit (she'll no doubt be on a plane as I type, winging her way back to Australia).

Some friends of Laura and her husband Kees organised a real 'Hollandse' evening for them where we all ate ertwensoep, stamppot and appeltaart - the classic Dutch dishes. My stomach was so full that I don't think I'll need to eat for another week. Laura won't have too much need for the airline food!

Last Saturday marked my four year anniversary of living in Holland. I can't believe how fast time flies. I'm sure there will be some new fresh-faces at work or my new neighbourhood that will become friends and so the adventure continues.... long may it last!