Pieter's Former Student and Mushroom Grower Took us up into the Sky

It is obvious that in 1985 a lot of things happened.

Unusual things too.

We had taken the son of one of Pieter's former students, a mushroom grower, with us on a trip to Florida.

He was here for the summer, on an exchange from Roteract youth, staying as a guest with families from our local Rotary Club.

So now, they wanted to kind of take 'revenge'...

We were back in The Netherlands and got invited:

We arrived on October 7, around 11:00 at the home of Pieter's former student and mushroom grower in Standdaarbuiten, in the Southwestern part of The Netherlands.

After a coffee, we also joined them for lunch and then they took us to the Royal Tree Nursery of Piet Van der Bom, in Oudenbosch.

After that, they took us to Oudenbosch Basilica a replica of the famous St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

Then they took us by 14:00 to airport Seppe.

Vliegveld in Dutch means Airport
Daan Van de Nobelen seen to the left, the father of the Roteract youth that stayed in Georgia for summer.

Husband Pieter to the left with pilot and loyal former student(s) Dré Heestermans, and Daan Van de Nobelen

Daan Van de Nobelen, me and husband Pieter next to the little plane

Pieter's former student, Dré Heestermans from Ulvenhout, took us one by one, up in the air for viewing the different mushroom farms from above, over the region where Pieter for years drove to from Horst, for giving classes.

Wearing my Burberry skirt and trench coat, it was autumn in The Netherlands.

Pieter let me go first... 

He's always been a true gentleman, and living by the motto: 'Ladies FIRST'...

Pilot Dré, took me up first for 45 minutes, above Tholen, the area where Pieter taught its mushroom growers.

Son Rudy Van de Nobelen, had organized this for Pieter, as a THANK YOU

After I slid out of this little plane, it was Pieter's turn.

Pieter was taking off with one of his most loyal former students from that area...

Pieter's turn

Pieter ready for take off... but due to sudden weather changes, they were back after 35 minutes.

We all went to Kreekdijk, for supper with the Van de Nobelen family and after that, around 20:30 by surprise, all Pieter's former students from that region, where he gave classes in the 1950s before he established the practical training college in Horst, triggered in.

They served hors d'oeuvres, and after Pieter showed some slides with news from the Campbell Mushroom farm, they each told their story.

Quite an experience and rather moving for Pieter.

We were in bed by 1:30 in Standdaarbuiten en after breakfast in the morning we went with the son back to Van der Bom and then we drove to Limburg where we stayed with my brother Harry and his wife.

Related post:

Yerseke Oyster Fishers got Trained by Pieter J.C. Vedder to become Mushroom Growers | post by me about nearby