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...

To University of Bologna, Vicenza, Venice and via Austria to The Netherlands

We did start early that Monday, October 29.
Via the mushroom farm and hotel Gallo for picking up the Americans at their hotel and off in two cars to the University of Bologna for meeting with Professor of Mycology, Floriano Ferri, an expert with Pleurotus.

Here I'm holding Pleurotus in my hand...

Pieter in Bologna with Professor Floriano Ferri

A lot of translations back and forth between English, Italian and Dutch...
Further Pleurotus discussion at the University of Bologna and there also lunch, as a lack of time.
We went to a private Pleurotus grower in Ferrera, a former student of Professor Floriano Ferri.
On Tuesday, October 30, first to the mushroom farm of the Sartor family.
Around 11:15 we left for Vicenza and after lunch with spawn representative Antonio, we visited a Pleurotus grower in Vicenza.

Pleurotus grower in Vicenza

The very first photo I did show you already some Pleurotus...

With the Pleurotus grower and his wife, spawn representative and our friend Tommaso, American colleagues and Martin, Pieter's former student around the table with a wine and sweet potatoes.
Next day we got up at 5:45 on October 31 and we picked up our colleagues. Together with Martin we drove to Venice and via another Pleurotus farm we were at the airport by 11:00.
We said our good byes to Long Chi Wu and Frank Gabell, as they departed for the USA.

A little bit time for us in Venice and I found an 18ct golden ring with red coral in a rose form.
Matching with the charm I had for decades! Very happy with it.
By 16:30 we all met in Jesolo, resort area near Venice where Tommaso with his wife and Martin's wife and daughter had come to meet us.
After some shoe shopping (gift) we went to a fish restaurant in the direction of home.
Delicious meal and by 23:00 we were back in Asolo and to bed.
On November 1, finally some time for Tommaso's mushroom farms.
Pieter had a meeting with the Sartor staff and I had a coffee at Annelies' and time to write my diary.
We had dinner at Gianni', where Frank stared at his pigeon soup before...
Always delicious home cooked meals, by him and his wife.

We walked in Asolo together.
Wearing my self made woolen skirt. The fabric was a gift from a friend here in Dublin, GA who owned a woolen mill...
On Friday, November 2, we got picked up by Tommaso after he'd checked out for us at the hotel.
Now off to Montebelluna and that yielded lovely black boots for me!
We always have been treated royally.
We said our goodbyes at the mushroom farms, also to Martin and his brother.
Now off into the direction of the Brenner Pass to Austria.

Our hotel from 1981, Staudacherhof' was closed so we sleep at hotel Obermühle.
We had a delicious meal and were on time in bed!
Saturday, November 2 we got up at 7:00 and after a delicious breakfast (oh, how we miss that bread here in the USA) we were riding by 9:00 via Munich.
With a stop in Altenahr, Germany and a quick visit with a dear friend, just as a coffee break, we were at my Parent's home by 19:15 with Babi Pangang from the Chinese restaurant...
We ourselves did drive some 3800 km and in Italy they drove another 1000 km with us.
*
On Wednesday November 7, we had a 25th wedding anniversary of Pieter's best friend.
A lovely day with lots of people we know.
On our wedding anniversary day,  the 10th of November, we flew back to Atlanta, USA...
~~☼~~
Thanks for your visit and comment!

Driving from Budapest, via Austria to Asolo, Italy

On Saturday, October 10 of 1984 we did rise at 6:00 as we wanted to caravan with Pieter's Dutch student back to Italy where he lived and worked for the largest Italian mushroom farm.

Together with the two American colleagues in our rental car we did so at 7:45 as breakfast only was available at 7:00...

We had only done 1515 km but today we would be adding some more!

This is me in Asolo, Italy after arrival and a good night sleep!
Notice my love for roses? I'm wearing here my red coral + gold rose pendant...

Driving all the way from Budapest, Hungary, through Austria...
We ate here in St. Gertraud, Austria at Café-Restaurant Gutschi...

To the Venice area in Italy...

We arrived at Asolo by 20:00 and had now a total of 2390 km.

Husband Pieter took this photo of our Italian friend Tommaso  (l), Long Chi Wu and Frank Gabell, me and the Dutch student who worked and lived in Italy at the time.

After a glass of wine we go out to dinner. Boletus and delicious.

We were tame...!

Hotel Duse, Asolo - Historic Center where we loved to stay!

Sunday, October 28, we got up and had breakfast. 

We both walked around in Asolo, went to the little Church - being very happy!

We both love Asolo and staying at Hotel Duse was always a joy.

Lovely to walk around on a Sunday morning...
Wearing my Scottish Royal Stewart Tartan skirt, my own sewing creation from the fabric Pieter brought me home the year before from his MGA conference trip in England.
Pieter gifted me also the Royal Stewart Tartan woolen scarf + matching gloves.

Asolo's Historic Center is so special!

Medieval Asolo, with its cobble stone one-way roads!
By 11:45 Martin came to pick us up and we went to Tommaso all together.
Rosella had cooked a delicious meal for all of us.
Cozy in the lower part of the big house of his Father, with open hearth fire we enjoyed our lunch!

Martin took us to the Tempio Canoviano from a wealthy artist in Possagno.

Some climbing to do but breathtaking view!

What a lovely Sunday it was in the fall here in Italy!
We went to Monte Grappa and had a coffee with Grappa in their mountain hut.
Even on top of the mountain they grew Pleurotus in bags!

With our American colleagues we visited Bassano del Grappa with its covered bridge over the River Brenta at the foothills of the Venetian Prealps.

Sunday at the end of the day... Martin's wife and child and also his brother.
We rounded things off with a dinner together, specialty of the region at a local restaurant.
That meant pigeon soup!
I will never forget Frank Gabell's face when I did translate this to him...

What a day; stay tuned...
~~☼~~
Thanks for your visit and comment!

HAPPY EASTER 2018

Already for quite a while I had the photos...

So, here I will use them for wishing all my readers a HAPPY EASTER 2018!

Yes, one of my sewing creations, quilted and padded place mats with matching napkins.

Photo got made on Sunday, March 20 of 2005

Gero Zilmeta 528 Menuet silverware and for dessert the Bridal Rose by Alvin in sterling silver.
Fragrant daffodils...

Used here in a table setting for a dear friend on her birthday in 2007

Same as the 1st photo but now with flash light.

Those picture frames are always lovely for individual use at table.

Round silver napkin rings we had made in Indonesia.

Wishing you a HAPPY EASTER WEEKEND!