Blogs from Eindhoven, North Brabant, Netherlands, Europe

There was no post yesterday because we didn’t do anything special. Just hanging around Eindhoven and doing some shopping. Today was also spent around Eindhoven but we had two things in mind: walk to the Woensel Market and then to the annual fair called Park Hilaria. Brother-in-law Peter joined us for the walk and also to be our guide. The market was not as busy as usual, even several empty sales spots because of the vacation period in the southern Netherlands. Lots of cheap clothes, knick-knacks, vegetables, baked goods, fish and of course cheese. The smoked eel, a delicacy here, was quite expensive and looked greasy to me, so I did not try it this time around. After having stopped off at the train station for a coffee and quick snack, we headed to the fair ... read more

We must still be somewhat jet lagged. I slept until 10am today. Today we went to market, on 18 Septemberplein, named after the day Eindhoven was liberated by the Canadians. By all accounts, this mid-week market is a small one. Usually the Saturday markets are larger. Yet we found many interesting things, like several cheese stands, fish stands, vegetable & fruit stands, and many textile stands. Also a McDonalds of course, who charge only €0.30 for a pee. Sellers scream out their wares to attract the attention of the many passersby. Not having had lunch and Marion needing her regular meals, we tried some of the Kibbeling, everyone’s favourite here by the looks of it. Kibbeling is chunks of cod tongues deep fried to perfection, with a side of tartar sauce. No fries, no veggies, just ... read more

One hour before we were supposed to leave to catch our bus to Montreal International Airport, we got an email from KLM that our flight was cancelled, no reason given. Say what? Luckily there appeared to be some options, so we ended up changing to Air France (same company), but the plane would leave an hour earlier, we’d have to fly through Paris, and would arrive in Amsterdam about 2 hours later. At least that was better than waiting until the following day. We could have been a bit pressed for time at Montreal but luckily we’re able to catch an earlier bus. As we got on the plane, I realized there are different kinds of people when it comes to personal hygiene. Person A practices good hygiene and will realize when others don’t. Person B ... read more

Arriving into Amsterdam compared to China was a complete breeze; so breezy that the lackadaisical stature of the immigration officer was a tad unnerving. He only asked me two questions, "What is your purpose?" and "How long will you be staying?". That was it. No, "Where are you staying?" or Who is your contact?". After my easy peasy immigration experience, I caught a train to Eindhoven for 20€ (one way...) and enjoyed a 70 minute train ride to Holland's southern province, Noord Brabant, home to many farms and some industry (i.e. ASML). Evan picked me up at the train station where we proceeded to act like we hadn't seen each other in a year.... I'm sure we've already offended the Dutch! ? Evan and I made our way back to the apartment (we only got lost ... read more

Geo: 51.4366, 5.478 GÜN 04 PAZAR: Geleneksel, muazzam sabah kahvaltımızı attırdık… Bugün hepimizde bir rehavet var .. Öğlene doğru, aracı teslim etmek üzere Eindhoven havaalanına yollandık. aracı teslim ettikten sonra, Koray'cığım bizi oralardan topladı ve Turhan'la hastası olduğumuz Decathlon'u ziyaret etmeğe karar verdik. Çocuklar bizim yüzümüzden, ordan oraya atlayıp zıplayarak helak oldular.. Yaşlı ve huysuz iki akrabaya aynı anda tahammül etmek zor iş… Decathlon sonrası, ıvır zıvır eksiklerimizi temin etmek üzere bir süpermarkete uğradık .. Turhan peynirlere ben de hardallara donandım.. Eve dönüp biraz dinlendikten sonra, yemek yemeğe şehir merkezine yürüdük.. Ozan bizi Yunan lokantasında buldu..... read more