Amsterdam - Summer of 2021

It's always good to return to Amsterdam. We get to spend lots of time with Meredith and her family, seeing friends and enjoying this beautiful and historic city. Although this summer, Amsterdam experienced rather cool weather with many a brief shower, for the most part, it wasn't much of a bother. But it was definitely a different, atypical summer. 

Diane and I did many of our usual activities such as taking Isla and Freya to the nearby Beatrix Park, particularly when the wading pool was available (that's whenever the temperature is at 20ºC). Isla is showing less excitement about the shallow pool because she now is a swimmer, having obtained her "A" certificate. She now is working towards the next level certification. But already she swims like a fish and loves to be in the water. 

Isla and Freya clowning around with Oma Diane in Beatrix Park.

One duty that we try to help out with is to pick up the kids from school or after-school activities. Although we usually use the Urban Arrow (i.e. the station wagon), we sometimes brought their scooters for them to ride home. 

As is evident from the photo above, Isla is in a tennis class. She's currently working on her forehand and has an impressive follow through. The instructor even used her to show the class the stroke.

During the days when the sun made an appearance, we made use of the picnic table Meredith snapped up from a neighbor. Above, we're having dinner amongst the myriads of parked bikes. It's a quaint way to greet neighbors, too.


When the weather is good, Diane and I enjoy having a glass of wine by the canal near our flat. Would you believe there is room to park nearly a thousand cars under this canal?


We had the opportunity to visit our friends, Maarten and Ineke, at their home in Loosdrect a few times. On this occasion they took us to the historic walled town of Naarden. 

Dinner at Maarten and Ineke's.

Naarden's city center.

Naarden's moat.

Above is the one and only 3D printed bridge made of steel. It's a temporary structure, mostly created to display the possibilities and capabilities of 3D printing.

Tie dyeing t-shirts. 

Diane had loads of fun with Isla and Freya dyeing t-shirts from a kit Meredith had bought. They loved learning how to do it. The second time around the result was even better.

Meredith and Elliot had planned a camping vacation in Zeeland for two weeks. They did encounter some rain, but by the time we got there (during their second week), the weather was was more cooperative. Diane and I stayed in the nearby village of Renesse, where we camped in a hotel. It had a pool, that came in very handy for Isla and Freya. The bathtub in our room was also a special treat for them.

During the camping excursion, Isla was able to take a couple of horse riding classes.

Although Meredith rented an electric car (Leaf) to get to the campground, most other transportation was by bike. Diane and I rented bikes from our hotel. Elliot had reached the campground by train and his bike. Above, we're all headed from the hotel to the campground.

Although Meredith prepared most meals at the campground, we enjoyed one dinner our hotel.

Diane and I (mostly Diane) read lots of books to the Isla and Freya. They love books.

Isla attended several art classes at the Rijk's Museum. Above is one of her productions.

One of the many outings to Beatrix Park. 

Not far from where Maarten and Ineke live, there is a castle. Built in the early 1900's, the Sypesteyn Kasteel has impressively manicured grounds. 






Whenever we're in Amsterdam, I'm forever impressed by the unique design of office and high-rise buildings. Here they come in all shapes and sizes and often are not the monoliths that are more common in the U.S. An example, above, is the shoe (de schoen in Dutch). It used to be the headquarters of ING, a large Dutch bank. It now houses one of their subsidiaries.

A more recent example of unique architecture is this hotel, office and restaurant building.

Like the French, the Dutch love their cheese. The result is world-class cheese stores.

One the most important reasons for being in Amsterdam this past summer was to attend Meredith's defense of her PhD dissertation. It was the culmination of several years of hard work, during which she gave birth to Freya and went through a stressful addition/remodel to their home. Needless to say, it was quite an arduous and lengthy undertaking.

The defense was held at a chapel that is part of the University of Amsterdam. Situated in the city center, the Agnietenkapel is a gothic chapel built in the 15th century. It was the birthplace of the University but now is used for doctoral defenses and other ceremonies. It's quite imposing.


Meredith had ten minutes to present a synopsis of her dissertation followed by an hour of questions from her committee, which included a professor from Portland, OR and one from Boulder, CO. The professor from Portland asked her questions on Zoom from her home, while the professor from Boulder was physically present. To say it was an intimidating setting would be an understatement.






When the allotted time was up, a faculty members with a scepter walked back into the room, banged the scepter to the ground and announced that the time of the "interrogation" was over. 

The faculty members then retreated to a back room to discuss the merits of her answers. (At least that was my take on it. Perhaps they just sat there and looked at their watches and eventually said "Okay, it's been twenty minutes. Let's get back in there and finish this up.").

Needless to say, Meredith passed the grilling and received the diploma in an enormous red box that looked much more like it held a nice bottle of scotch than a diploma. It didn't. 






Afterwards, the committee members, Meredith's "paranymphs", and the rest of us walked to a nearby cafe and celebrated with champagne and a bite to eat. I can only imagine the relief Meredith felt at the time.

The following day we celebrated her milestone with their close friends and their families at Beatrix Park. Below was the parking of the guests' modes of transportation - very appropriate  for celebrating a doctorate in policy transfer in urban transport.  

Even the kids had fun.

A big diploma in a big box.

Although Beatrix Park is beautiful and is handy because it is nearby to Meredith's home, the Amstel Park is grand. It has beautiful and extensive gardens, a large playground with a zip line, runs along the Amstel River and even has an area with kiddy rides. 

Naturally, Isla and Freya love the place. Below, they are riding an inflatable electric boat. Freya really wanted to drive her own boat (although we knew it probably would be beyond her skill level). But there's no debating with a three year old. Needless to say, she got stuck in the middle of the pool when the time ran out. She began to cry but Oma Diane went out on a boat and retrieved Freya. Eventually, all made it back to the side safe and sound. 

Freya got the hang of the cars quickly. Isla, of course, was a pro.

The park also has a petting zoo that the kids love. It has donkeys, ducks, geese, a cow, goats and more.

On another occasion we got a chance to catch up with my cousin, Gys. Although he is Dutch, for most of his life gys has lived in Madrid, Spain, where he married a wonderful Spanish woman, Paloma. They have three kids. 

In the past, we have visited them in Madrid and they have visited us in California. Their son, Diego, even visited us with a friend, when they were teenagers. They wanted to learn how to surf - and what better place to come to than California! Our friend, Tom Murray, was instrumental in teaching them to surf in Pismo Beach.

As an activity, we also had signed up Diego and his friend to a local soccer camp. But having been born and raised on playing soccer ("football" in the rest of the world), the camp was way below their skill level. They lasted one day.

Another family member we got to reconnect with was my cousin, Erika, from Germany (below). She came with her partner, Conrad (Conny), and stayed at a hotel near us. They had driven all the way from southern Germany to be with us (over an eight hour drive).

Italian night out.

Erika came to see the family, as she had never met Freya. Conny had never met any of us and had never been to Amsterdam. 

One of my favorite photos that Meredith took of me and Freya, after picking her up from day care.

In conclusion, although the weather didn't cooperate to meet our normal expectations of "summer" in Amsterdam, it didn't hinder family bonding time. We had loads of fun with Isla and Freya, we enjoyed substantive conversations with Meredith and Elliot, shared good food and wine, and enjoyed our brief time in the lovely city of Amsterdam.

Although I somehow missed the opportunity of taking a photo (rare for me to do so), during an extended lunch with our friends, Ton and Marleen, at their home in Elst, we so enjoyed seeing and talking to them again. Ton and I particularly share the joy of sailing and talking about our endless ocean sailing adventures. 

I began this blog with a favorite scene of mine of the canal and the Rijk's Museum and end it with another photo of yet another canal, but also looking in the direction of the Rijk's Museum (but not visible), less than a kilometer away.