Brielle

It's been a few days between blogs as Mum and I went down to Brielle for a few days to stay with Tante Ank and Oom Thijs
To save myself the trouble of writing it in nearly every blog lets just assume from now on that every town i visit is pretty and historical and magical unless i say otherwise.
So, Brielle. The original city was surrounded by a wall that protected it from invasion, and it was one of the first cities to be freed after the Spanish invaded Holland. All along the walls of Brielle you can still see the original cannons that protected the city.
Tante Ank and Oom Thijs were very please to see us when we arrived on Thursday. I was excited because i knew Tante Ank had a little dog called Keetje, and boy do i love dogs. I was warned by Wim and Els that she didn't take well to strangers though and Wim learnt that the hard way when once she tried to rip his leg off. He said she actually did some damage and managed to leave quite a deep wound. I couldn't imagine it to look to at her but i soon saw what they meant. Any sudden movments by Mum or I would freak her out and she would go for our legs. Tante Ank was always on to her straight away, she didn't let Keetij get away with anything. She soon calmed down around us, and we only had to watch her occasionally.
The first day we didn't do much, Tante Ank's daughter Jacqueline came around and visited before she went to work, and later in the afternoon Tante Ank took Mum and I for a little tour of Brielle, with Keetje of course.




This is Tante Ank and Oom Thijs's House, the second in the row. The first house belongs to Tante Ank's best friend, they have been friends for over 40 years and when Tante Ank and Oom Thijs moved into this house her friend bought the house next door so they could still be close together. Isn't that a feel good story 

this house used to belong to my opa, he bought it when he was in the navy for his parents to live in

We wondered along the wall and then down through the main street.  



this building is where they used to keep all the ammunition for the cannons, surrounded by a moat



  

We wondered along the wall and then down through the main street.  

Nearly everytime we went out walking with Keetje she would come across one of her dog friends and they would lovingly embrace.

Here is a statue of the current Queen of Hollands grandmother who has some sort of signifigance to Brielle. Once again i failed to listen when it was being explained to me.

I would say, Oma and Opa do you recognise this church? But considering this is the town where Opa grew up and they have so many memories here i thought it a bit trivial just to point out the church that they have a picture of hanging in their toilet.

As we wondered i looked in some of the shops. Keetje liked shopping too! 

Here is where Oma and Opa van Adrighem, my Opa's parents used to live after they were living in the house in the previous picture (confused yet?). Mum remembers going to stay there when she was a girl and sitting with her Oma at the window watching the people down in the street go by.

After our walk we went back to Tante Ank's to relax and i got a chance to really bond with Keetje, i was determined to tame the beast. The stream of treats i fed her helped in part but i like to think it was really my exceptional dog taming skills.

i bloody loved this dog

Friday, the next day, Tante Ank took us to Sommelsdijk to visit Tante Marti. Tante Ank is Opa's second youngest sister and Tante Marti is his youngest. We had lunch with her and Oom Leo and then went for a wonder around town.

That night Jacqueline, her Husband Peter and her daughter Willemein all came round for tea before they took us to the movies to see The American (very good film)

 Keetje joined us on the table for tea. More pictures of Keetje are available on demand

Saturday we caught the train back to Hoorn, which me and mum were very nervous about becuase we had to navigate three train stations and two train change overs. But of course we managed it fine and all the worrying was in vain. I loved staying with Tante Ank because they felt like another Oma and Opa (but not as good) but i was surprised at how happy i was to be back at Hoorn, in Els and Wim's house. It was nice to get back to my little room and have a computer and my own tv. As soon as i got home i went on the internet because i had being hearing these strange stories of a grand final draw back in Australia....

Today was supposed to be a lazy day, getting the house ready for Paul and the boys arrival AND Andre and Mum's birthday tomorrow. Things didn't quite turn out that way when Wim got a phone call at around 1.30pm to say that Roy had broken his ankle playing soccer. In a story that i am sure will be funny one day he had called Emma, who was still in bed after only getting home at 8am that morning, to tell her and she thought he was just prank calling her and didn't believe him. He had to then call Wim and tell Wim that no he was not joking, he was on the soccer field, waiting for the ambulance to take him to hospital. He ended up having surgery done and getting pins in his ankle. Poor Roy! Now he'll be off work for the next 6 weeks. Emma then had to rush to the hospital and travel to and fro getting packing him an overnight bag and picking up her car etc.
It's almost time to go to bed now, i think we are all ready for the big day tomorrow

Shout out to Roy, sitting in hospital. We're all thinking of you!