Our Stay at Trianon Palace Hotel Versailles and Visiting Château Versailles, France

We woke up feeling like new after such an adventurous French wine drinking day before...

It is Saturday, June 11, 1983 but we still had to visit another business friend.

By 10:00 we arrived in Vendôme at the Claron Mushroom Spawn Company where Monsieur Rozenzweig would give us a great tour. 

Next we leave for the Trianon Palace Hotel Versailles adjacent to the Château Versailles.

Waldorf Astoria Trianon Palace Hotel Versailles click through for info

From our hotel we just walk to Château Versailles... it is adjacent!
My 3rd visit, once with my late 1st husband and once with Mom & Dad, see below post for link.
Interesting to see such tiny cars!

One never gets enough from Château Versailles...

Pieter with Neptune in front of Château Versailles

After dinner we did go back to walk in Versailles Garden...

LOVE the Orangerie...
Me in the Garden in the evening, we could not get enough of it!

Next day we drove back to The Netherlands...
All in all it was a fun trip with fond memories forever.

Related posts:
Visiting Blanchaud Champignons in Saumur, France | previous post
Day-Trip to Paris & Versailles in France with Mom & Dad | previous post

Pieter's Mom in DEEP Thoughts While Penning Letter - Followed by Disaster!

You have read my blog posts about Pieter's older brothers being deployed in Indonesia for several years.

Pieter's Mom was the loyal writer and you have seen one photo where she is penning a letter...

This photo where she is in DEEP Thoughts while penning a letter... 
She also enclosed news paper clippings to send along with the letter, as well as some money...
Then, scooping up the leftover clippings, for throwing them into the stove - she ACCIDENTALLY grabbed her leather wallet instead! 
So Pieter recalls this incident very vividly. The bulging leather wallet inside the flames and by the time they tried to rescue it, with something - it was too late.

Engulfed in flames, wallet and household money went up in smoke...
SAD!

~
My Dear Mother-In-Law has been a loyal letter writer.
Till her death on November 21, 1989 she almost weekly wrote us a letter, just as I've done all those years.
She was 94.5 years old and a colon cancer survivor.
Below is her final letter to her family:

Zij die ik teleurstelde
Vergeef mij
Zij die mij teleurstelde is het vergeven
Zij die mij zoo dierbaar waren help mij door uw gebed
Dat mijn heengaan een blijde opgang moge zijn naar God.
Ik dank allen die mijn leven zoo mooi maakten.
Blijf elkaar genegen.
Moge mijn ziel met u in vrede rusten
Verder hoop ik dat de familie band sterk moogt bewaren.
Dit is mijn laatste wens, Moeder

~
The ones I let down
Forgive me
Those who let me down are forgiven
Those who loved me so much help me through your prayer
That my passing may be a happy onset to God.
I thank all who made my life so beautiful.
Keep affection for each other.
May my soul rest with you in peace
Further I hope that the family bond will be kept strong.
This is my last wish, Mother

My Mother-in-law also was very active for decades in the Elderly

Related posts:
1948 Gevaphone Record with Young Pieter Playing his Accordion for his Marine Brother | previous post
72 Years Later... Gevaphone Spoken Letters to Marine Brother Employed Overseas | previous post
1948 Gevaphone Record with Young Pieter Playing his Accordion for Brother in Uniform | previous post
72 Years Later... Gevaphone Spoken Letters to Military Brother Employed Overseas | previous post

Dad did tag along on November 11, 1990 for helping us move into our new home

On Saturday evening, November 3 of 1990, we flew from Jakarta, Indonesia on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight 838 to Amsterdam, The Netherlands via Singapore and Delhi. Our month off from consulting work and our life in Indonesia.

This time it was very special, as we would move into our new HOME.

Dad had offered to tag along, for helping us!

So when we were in Amsterdam at Schiphol airport on November 4, we got the tickets for Dad at fl 1.739.00 cash, before Dad and our sister-in-law Bets met us at the airport.
Seeing our friend on his birthday that very day...
On Tuesday, November 6, we got up at 4:00 and by 5:30 we started our drive towards the Brenner Pass to Italy... From The Netherlands, through Germany, Austria into Italy with Dad's Ford Fiesta.
We even did meet on Thursday, November 8, Pieter's dear friend Harry Hollander at the very same hotel we were staying, with his wife and business associates!
Friday, November 9, we drive in 13 hours (taking turns!) back to The Netherlands...
What a schedule we lived by then!

Photo taken by Uncle Bo Whaley for his 3-weekly column about our return to Dublin, Georgia.

My brother Harry in his new Citroen BX had brought us to the airport on November 11, without Mom... she could not join us, as Harry had his little 3-year old son Johnny with him. Mom was sad!
Via Bergen op Zoom and Vlissingen, Harry's 'scenic' route to Schiphol airport we arrived there.
Flying once more on a KLM Royal Airlines Boeing 747 and we got all seated together in economy class. This was Dad's 2nd flight to Atlanta, USA, from The Netherlands.
We arrived in Dublin, Georgia by 9:00 PM and first we all went to see our NEW HOME!
Then we went to dear friends Somai (born in Thailand) and Bob where we would stay for 5 nights, till we unpacked ALL 110 boxes and transferred our container load of furniture.
Billy Brown had our goods transported on his truck and with the help of three extremely strong black guys it got delivered.
We ALL worked hard.

Photo by Uncle Bo Whaley...

Uncle Bo Whaley's 1st column... Monday, December 3, 1990

Uncle Bo Whaley's 2nd column, Wednesday, December 5, 1990

Uncle Bo Whaley's 3rd column, Friday, December 7, 1990


After 22 nights at our NEW HOME we all flew on Friday evening, December 7 of 1990, back across the Atlantic, Dad back home to The Netherlands and we continued to Jakarta, Indonesia, back to work...

Related link:

Mom & Dad's FIRST Flight EVER - Part in KLM's Business Class | previous post by me

Mushroom Friends in Austria and their Mushroom God Statue

Internationally both of us have met so many mushroom friends, so also in Austria.

On April of 1985, I joined Pieter as we both flew from Düsseldorf, Germany to Zürich, Switzerland and we visited with our Swiss mushroom friends, and went to Austrian mushroom friend Elmar Sohm.

It was on April 2, that this photo got taken by husband Pieter from me standing next to a kind of Pre-Columbian Maya type Mushroom God statue.
Oh, I'm wearing my favorite boots that I got gifted with, for doing my first consulting job in the Venice area of Italy. My embroidered suede boots or 'stivali di camoscio ricamato' in Italian. 

Elmar Sohm had a very unique patented Indoor Composting System where Pieter visited also with his Campbell Soup colleagues.

Here on April 16 of 1987, Pieter's American Campbell colleague is to the left, then Elmar Sohm from Austria (his name is also above their heads...), American Campbell colleague, Mushroom God, husband Pieter, son Dietmar Sohm and another young man.

~

Talking about a crazy schedule...

April 10 - Pieter just had arrived in Amsterdam from Taiwan after his 3-week trip to Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan on his People to People Citizen Ambassador Program.

April 13 - Pieter went early at 5:45 to the airport for flight from Amsterdam to England and got home by 23:30 after dropping his American Campbell Soup colleagues off at their hotel.

April 14 - Pieter went with American Campbell Soup colleagues to a mushroom farm in Boekel, The Netherlands and to Thilot, visiting Jan Thielen's plant where my youngest brother also worked at the time. Next Pieter visited with his American colleagues the Dutch Compost Cooperative...

April 15 - Pieter left at 4:45 to pick up his American colleagues at the hotel for driving to Düsseldorf, Germany for flight at 8:00 to Zürich, Switzerland...

By 9:30 my youngest brother called me that his boss, Jan Thielen, had not yet left for Switzerland where he'd have to deliver an engine at the very Kuhn mushroom plant where Pieter was on his way to...

I made a quick call and offered to be his designated driver and after Jan Thielen picked me up at my Parents', we left at 11:45. For lunch Jan had a beer, after he'd asked if I would drive. Sure I said and so I drove in his B.M.W. to Full in Switzerland. At 18:30 we surprised Jörg Kuhn, his son Hans Jörg and manager August Enzler. Pieter arrived by 19:00 after having been to their mushroom farm first. We went to the Bahnhof hotel and had a delicious meal with the Kuhns, senior and junior and the Americans. 

Bonus was that Pieter and I shared a great down duvet bed together!

April 16 - After breakfast, Jan Thielen and I drove to the mushroom farm in Full and Pieter went to the Sohm mushroom farm in Austria with his American colleagues, see photo above...

I'd driven with Jan Thielen, next to Herrenberg, south of Stutgart in Germany to visit another mushroom grower. We had lunch in a little village and by 14:45 I headed back to Horst, The Netherlands were I arrived around 20:30 after some 600 km and some 170 km/h...

Pieter had arrived only 10 minutes earlier, so flying sure does not beat driving!

April 20 - with Mom and Dad and lots of luggage in Pieter's rental car we all drove back to Amsterdam airport for our flight back to the U.S.A. - Mom & Dad's 1st Flight Ever...

Pieter did stay in touch with the advanced mushroom growing countries, for educating Campbell's Mushroom Plants' Staff and doing so in a language other than our mother tongue.  Pieter also was in the process of designing the newest Campbell plant in Hillsboro, TX which would be opened on October 7, 1987 - see post below.

Related links:

Mom & Dad's FIRST Flight EVER - Part in KLM's Business Class | previous post by me
Visiting A.G. Linfield Mushroom Compost Facility in England | previous post by me about Jan Thielen from Lottum, The Netherlands
{Part XVI of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Taipei, Taiwan} | previous post by me
Husband Pieter's Design for the Campbell Mushroom Plants in Dublin, GA and Hillsboro, TX | previous post by me

Netherlands Open Air Museum with Mom & Dad and American Colleague's Wife

For a business trip to The Netherlands, with several of Pieter's colleagues from Campbell Soup, I also took care of the wife of his colleague.

We all went to the Dutch Mushroom Days on the day before and sealed it off with a dinner at the famous Turfhoeve, in Sevenum, The Netherlands.

Pieter's American 'boss' could not end the day and thus we landed in bed by 2:35 AM!

Again, rising early after a few hours and I dropped Pieter off at the Experimental Station where the excursion started (his boss remained in bed...).

Then, I continued with Mom & Dad and Mary-Jo, the wife of his Campbell Soup colleague from the USA.

We were going to visit the Open Air Museum in Arnhem, The Netherlands on May 30 of 1986...

Well, I'd been here before and this photo shows me in October of 1971, when we went with all colleagues from the Practical Training College for Mushroom Growing together as a day's outing!

On one of the old bridges, with a windmill in the back.

Wearing my own sewing creation, dress made from a Burda pattern in a rayon fabric.
Standing on a Double Drawbridge, you will see later in more detail.

Two of my colleagues and me on the right...
Beautiful home and windmill from the Zaan region, North Holland in the back behind the canal.

Husband Pieter made this photo for his photo club, before we immigrated.
Open Air Museum Arnhem had homes from centuries old from most Provinces.

Some of the very special Dutch gavel homes from the Zaan region, North Holland...

Don't really know what this is...
Probably Willy from De tante van Tjorven would know!

And this... It might have to do something with Suriname, Curaçao or other Dutch Caribbean Island or any of the former Indonesian colonial buildings.

Typical Dutch Double Drawbridge from the Zaan region as we have so many over the canals...

Thatched roof homes and a water well in front.

This Open Air Museum is so realistic, all the way! This is a typical Dutch landscape with its black and white cows.

One could stroll around for hours... and probably for days!

Yes, complete with authentic gardens!

Interior with tiled walls...

The following are from slides by G. J. Derksen who also published books about Open Air Museum Arnhem.
It is the Living Room Farmhouse from Budel, North Brabant.

Interior Farmhouse from Staphorst, Overijssel

Interior Farmhouse from Zeijen, Drenthe

Parlor from Hindeloopen in Friesland
Notice the steps to the 'Bedstee' (cabinet bed)?
Also called Box-Bed or Closet-Bed (cupboard bed) and in French Lit-Clos...

Kitchen Farmhouse from Midlum in Friesland

Parlor Farmhouse from Midlum in Friesland

Two Mills from Huizen and Delft in North Holland, picture by F. van Heetkamp

Drainage Mill from Noordlaren in Groningen by F. van de Heetkamp

Sheepcote from Daarle, Overijsel by F. van de Heetkamp

Veluwse Farmhouse from Vierhouten, Gelderland by F. van de Heetkamp
Husband Pieter is born in such a 17th Century home!
Sadly it got destroyed during WWII...
Above photo is also from the Province where Pieter is born!
Interior Fisherman's Cottage from Marken, North Holland by G. J. Derksen

Fisherman's Cottage from Marken, North Holland by F. van de Heetkamp
With Mom & Dad and our American guest we drove back via a bakery in Wanssum for some typical Limburgse 'vlaai' a special pie.
Back home at Mom & Dad's place also Pieter joined us for a farewell coffee with pie...
Mom & Dad enjoyed the American lady and they had so much in common, same size family and same religion.
It was a special day for ALL!

Thank you for your visit and comment

Related link:
{My Teacher, Mentor, BOSS & Husband over 44+ Years} | previous post by me where you can see my 1st photo...

Taking Mom & Dad to Bremen Cathedral in Germany where Dad sang with his Choir

Campbell Soup kind of forced us to move to Pennsylvania, from Georgia/USA...

Packing up and preparing for the big move, I also did fly to Düsseldorf, Germany on American Airlines, for only $ 195.00 and 30,000 frequent flyer miles.

This to transport some of our plants and other valuable things on October 9, 1988.
So I boarded American Airlines' 767 Luxury Liner in Atlanta, after saying goodbye to my Pieter who himself had a later flight for Campbell Soup to Denver, Colorado...

I'd told Mom & Dad that I would be wearing my black leather jacket and black beret, so they would spot me from a distance at the German airport.

Mom & Dad had been stuck in heavy traffic, thus I stood for an hour outside but they soon found me on October 10, 1988.
Above photo got taken later in May of1993 but still the same outfit and it's ME!
Still have all pieces but it's rather hot for wearing it now in Georgia...

On October 12, I took Mom & Dad along on my trip to Visbek, Germany.

Delivering the brass mushrooms for Pilzland where I'd done consulting before, and they wanted to purchase my own design Lacquered Brass Window Decorations with their business logo.

We ate our own lunch at the home of Jan Koopmans, the manager, and Pieter's former student.

Next I drove in about 1 hour, to Bremen and its City Center where Dad did perform with the Horster Mannenkoor in 1981 and Mom could not join at that time.
So now she got to walk in Dad's footsteps as well!
This is the famous Sankt Petri Dom, or St. Peter's Cathedral in Bremen (just click the link) where Dad sang with his choir.
Bremen Cathedral is a medieval building.

We enjoyed the Bremen City Hall (click link) also located at the Market Square.

Bremen's Marktplatz (Market Square) just click link.

Of course, we also did see the famous
Bremer Stadtmusikanten or in English Town Musicians of Bremen (click on link) from the well known fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm.
Mom was delighted for finally, after 7 years, having been there herself and it made me of course very happy!

St. Petri Dom Bremen, Tower Topped Romanesque Cathedral from above, with Market Square and top left are the Bremer Stadtmusikanten (Town Musicians of Bremen) all very close together!
Upon returning home I continued with my stops:
Visiting my aunt Mia in Venlo, Dad's eldest sister to whom I have been very close, my Mother-in-law, Pieter's brother Thé and his wife and also my brother Martin and wife. Did not get to see sister Diny and brother Piet during this short 3-night visit!
Next day I flew back to the USA, after Dad did drop me off at the Düsseldorf/Germany airport.  Mom  could not join us, she had to sing with her choir.
Got delayed in Chicago by 3 hours and poor Pieter waited in vain for me in Atlanta. We got home by 2:30 AM and I called Mom to let her know that I'd arrived safely home.

Short and intens trip but with very fond memories!
Thanks for reading my stories and for your comment.

Related posts:
{My Own Design of Brass Mushrooms} | previous post by me
Mom & Dad's FIRST Flight EVER - Part in KLM's Business Class | previous post by me with more links below post

Mom & Dad's FIRST Flight EVER - Part in KLM's Business Class

Thanks to Aviodrome in The Netherlands, I did obtain a photo from KLM's Boeing 747-300 as it still was in use over 1987 when Mom & Dad made their FIRST Flight EVER; together with us!

On April 20, 1987 we left together with husband Pieter, who had circled the globe, from Atlanta via Seattle to Tokyo, Beijing, Hong Kong, Taipei to Amsterdam for some business in Europe, following his People to People Citizen Ambassador Program; both for Campbell Soup.
During the three weeks that Pieter was in the Far East, I went to Europe.
So togethe we went back to Schiphol Airport in Pieter's rental car and relaxing in the Van Gogh Room (for Business class and Royal class only).

On March 24, while Pieter was in Beijing, China, I had gone to the bank for handing Mom & Dad 1,000 Dutch Guilders, approximately US $ 500.00 as part of the ticket price.
Sister-in-law Wilma, seen on the left, did take care of the tickets on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
Pieter would be back in Europe by April 10, on April 20 all four of us flew to Atlanta...
The next day while at home in Dublin, Georgia/USA, Mom & Dad were welcomed over the radio by 'Uncle' Bo Whaley during his talk show!

In previous posts you could read about some of our trips or just Mom & Dad with me, as Pieter had to work for Campbell Soup.
Above photo shows the final evening of Tuesday, May 12, that we sat together at table, with Pieter (who took this photo) before he had to travel to Dallas, Texas next day...

Our final Friday evening together at home... We just had gotten back from visiting some friends and Mom had received a nice hand painted cloth from India, to take back to The Netherlands.

With my KLM Courtesy Card, I got all three of us checked in at the Business Class counter and also access to the Business Class Lounge AND A BUSINESS CLASS SEAT!
Mom & Dad had seat 11A and 11B and I had 11D.

Business Class in the Boeing 747-300 was in the upper deck and also in the lower deck where the 3 of us were seated.

The only disadvantage was that I was in seat 11D, about 'half-a-row' behind their seats 11A+B, contrary to other seat rows in the center and on the right side in this Boeing.
But I happily accepted that, as it gave more leg room and seating space, complete with dinner served on china and so on.
It was a night flight so one ought to sleep as much as possible...
My brother Harry with his wife Elly did pick us up in Amsterdam and I had to do consulting work in Germany the next day...
Dad had insisted towards Pieter, that I'd use their car instead of renting me a car for the 2 weeks of work in the Bremen area, Germany.

On June 3, I did travel back home from Amsterdam, The Netherlands to Atlanta, USA with business friend Jan Thielen from Lottum, The Netherlands who gave me a ride to the airport.
In return for that ride, I could share the privilege of checking in at the business class counter and access to the business class 'Van Gogh' room with my KLM Courtesy Card. Just as we could with Mom & Dad in tow. You were allowed to bring a guest...

Those were the days of classy travel with lots of privileges!
So grateful for having been able to let Mom & Dad share in it.

Related links:
Mushroom Friends in Austria and their Mushroom God Statue | read about our insane schedule before taking Mom & Dad home with us...
St. Augustine, 1st Florida city with Mom & Dad in 1987 | previous post by me

Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad with Mom & Dad and again with Pieter | previous post by me
Taking Husband Pieter back to Knoxville, TN in Mom & Dad's Footsteps | previous post by me
{Mom Lived 16 Days Short of Her 91st Birthday} | previous post by me with Mom & Dad's words in guest book
{MEMORIES of HAPPY TIMES} | previous post by me
{Do YOU all know Our Nations Oldest City - St. Augustine, Florida?} | previous post by me
Visiting A.G. Linfield Mushroom Compost Facility in England | previous post by me about Jan Thielen from Lottum, The Netherlands
{Part XVI of Husband Pieter's Trip to East Asia - Taipei, Taiwan} | previous post by me