I think that I was awake all night. When I know I have to wake up early, I don't sleep well. It was also a little warm during the night. I finally got up at 6 am. and went quietly out of the house. The dogs cooperated by being fairly quiet. I had to walk about 800 meters to the bus stop. I was hoping to use cash but that is not possible. I had to use visa and it was 6.50 Euros and only good for 90 minutes. It didn't take long to get to Schiphol.
This airport is huge and busy. I found the chart for Josephine's plane from Toronto and it landed 15 minutes early. I looked around for Ellen and since I have not seen her for 5 years I wasn't sure exactly how she looked now. Twice I thought I saw someone that looked like her and even asked one lady but the answer was no.
It took forever for the sign to say that the luggage from that plane was on the belt. I kept looking and looking and no Josephine appeared. A couple hours went by as I watched other people meet their relatives and still no one for me to greet and no Ellen.
Finally I thought maybe they had met somewhere else and I had missed it all so I decided to call Ellen's phone number. Well no answer the first time so a little later when I was sitting on the stairs because my back was sore, I called Ellen again and got an answer and to my great surprise I found out that Josephine would arrive tomorrow morning. Boy did I feel DUMB. I should have known that since my flight on July 10th had arrived the following day,July 11th in the morning also. I was a little dejected and went to the Albert Heijn grocery store and bought a drink and some almond paste filled cookies because I was famished. Then I looked around to see if I could find a cheaper way to buy train tickets but with no luck. I landed up buying two tickets, still at 6.50 Euros each for now and tomorrow morning. I took the 397 bus instead of 341 but it let me off at another place but almost immediately I knew I was on the other side of the lake behind Dick's place.
I stopped to watch students playing relay games on the grass. They do this to get the students acquainted with each other at the start of the school year.
All their bicycles were parked by the cycle path. Later I went for a jog and then had a nice shower and cleaned up.
In the later afternoon, Carla brought her mother, Dickie, over for a visit. We had a very nice time speaking in Dutch together. Dickie lives with a man calked Dick who depresses her sometimes with his negativity toward life and the family think it is good for Dickie to get out more often. I always changed the conversation when she started to talk about his problems.
We had tea and then a little drink and toasted and laughed and time passed quickly until she had to leave.
Dick's godson Oscar who is also their nephew on Carla's side (Dico's son ) came over for supper. He is a student at Delft and has been a swimmer all his life . He just came from swimming around Toolenburger Plas a few times with a friend.
Oscar with Carla
Sepp
Playing with the dogs
Oscar, Dick and Carla
I often take photos of photos on Carla's cell phone so I have photos of everyone in the family. This is Yvonne, Carla's younger sister.
I went to bed at 10 pm again tonight so I could wake up early for the airport but not as early as today.
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