Episode 15 at sobriquet.net

Well, I’m about to leave Holland, so I thought it was about time I send a group email! I’ve also uploaded some more photos! (none that I took, however).

Here in Geleen (just north of Maastricht) Paul and I have been staying with his 2nd cousin (Roelie) and her husband, Harry. They’ve both been fantastic to us, spoiling us with fantastic food and wine (and, of course, fantastic company!).

Harry, as I’ve come to realise, is a movie addict - so, we’ve watched a number of movies since we’ve been here! And… did I mention the food?

Harry is known (or so he tells me) for his famous breakfasts. A typical Harry breakfast consists of meats and cheeses, bread, coffee, juice, a hard boiled egg, and then whatever else he feels like adding at the time. I believe these are usually reserved for Sunday mornings, but we’ve been having them the whole time we’ve been here! Roelie (the reluctant cook - she avoids cooking wherever possible) has also cooked a few meals for us, and (other than eating in restaurants) it’s probably been the best food I’ve had all trip!

For Christmas, we all woke up nice and late, and ended up having a Harry breakfast at 1pm. Then, dinner was a really nice Thai soup, and duck (followed by Paul’s favorite - ice cream!) cooked by Roelie! Unfortunately, I got majorly ripped off, and we didn’t have a white Christmas, but we did get snow a few days before in Metz, so I suppose the weather can be forgiven!

Today, we went for a nice little stroll… into Germany. I don’t think I’ve ever walked across a border before. If you look at the photos, you’ll see a few with signposts - that’s the border! Of course, I had to do the “I’m in Holland, and now I’m in Germany, and now I’m in Holland, and now I’m in Germany” bit.

Tomorrow, we head off to Köln to see Imke (the “strange cookie” from Germany who Paul and I met a year or two ago when she visited Australia). We’ll be spending new years there, before heading back to Paris for a few days, and then coming back to the land down under.

Well, it’s time to pack, and go to bed (it’s nearly 1am), so I’ll leave this “episode” here.

Hope you’re all well, and I’m looking forward to seeing you all when I return!