Happy Back Home and Riding Our Bikes

 Yes it sure did feel GREAT for being home again!

Regardless all the love and joy from being with friends and family...

Pieter looking happy as well on the day after my return.

We were ready to go to Church.

Still bird–poop from those sweet Eastern Phoebe babies that left their nest while I was still abroad.

Pot Plants on our Patio...

Happy me in my summery silk Escada dress and wearing my pearls and Marc Cain shoes.

The next day, back on my bike and riding along with my Pieter

Pieter in his t–shirt on our usual wooden bench on a friend's property for our mid–way rest stop.

Home from another bike ride and the kitty welcome committee is always on the driveway!

From left to right: sibling kitties Tiggy–Tiger, Spunky and Spooky–boy.

Sibling brother Bandido to the left and front sister–by–adoption Speckie also joined now.

Related link:

Eastern Phoebe Reside in Front Porch with Babies | previous post by me

Limburg 4Days Marches — Fun Fair and Dinner with Friends

You might recall me pointing out that Limburg in the South is a Burgundian province...

And yes, it very much IS!

They know how to celebrate.

So join me for a FUN day in Limburg...

Ellie prepared us a yummy Mushroom Soup for early lunch, so we would have something in our stomach...

By the way, it was through Ellie that I FIRST got introduced to mushrooms as her Dad had three small mushroom houses and I helped them with harvesting, if needed.

At least Ellie is mentioned by me in the preface of our book: modern mushroom growing 2020 harvesting

Highlighted: I changed, mainly due to my best friend's influence. Her Dad had a small mushroom farm and sometimes I helped them out.

After our soup, we drove to Venray where the 4Days Marches would end.

Elvira and Bob's two boys had walked the 10 km and 5 km; each according to their age.

Well, we 70+ girls found us a chair on a terras in front of a Turkish restaurant where we ordered a hot tea.

Yes, wearing hats today with my Escada outfit...

Both of us with hats...

Ellie and I were in a happy mood with all the music from the marching bands.

Bob, as well as Elvira, had volunteered to walk along with the little ones for these successive 4Days Marches.

The weather was perfect!

The eldest one, kind of collapsing after completing his 10 km!

His younger brother also called it QUITS for his 5 km and both are now more interested in the sweet treat from Grandma Ellie...

Wearing proudly their medal for completion!

Just like to share some culture from our Province: THE HISTORY OF FUNFAIR: 5 THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW←click link

DID YOU KNOW...

The fair was born in the Catholic Church? An annual fair was organized during a consecration. There was then talk about 'the Church Mass'. 

The first Dutch fair was in 1023...

Fair and patron saint—History in Limburg, The Netherlands←click link

Fairs have been created to commemorate the foundation of a Church. The first mass, usually provided by the bishop, was then commemorated, this is where the word fair comes from. 

Well, the town where Elvira and Bob live, there was the ANNUAL FUN FAIR...

At the same time it also was going on in the town where son Tristan and Sonja live...

Off we went, walking to the action—which was not far away!

The eldest son wanted to try this attraction.

ALL kids were so happy as for two years due to COVID, there was NO FUN FAIR...

Of course a Cotton Candy had to be tried... turned out to be way too large!

We smashed it into two plastic cups that got taped together by a friendly waiter, for taking home.

We met with other friends around 18:00 at Horst World Kitchen

We actually did not take any photos, and I forgot also my first plate.

This was my second, when I went back for some more sushi to be eaten with chopsticks, as this was healthy for me; no salt added.

Two days later we went to the Fun Fair in Ellie's present home town of Sevenum, where their son also resides.

Absolutely gorgeous weather!

The square near the Saint Fabian and Sebastian's Church is always used for setting up the fun fair.

Also tall linden trees provided shade.

Linden blossoms

Linden blossoms got used during WWII as a substitute for tobacco...

Many lessons to be taught to the children...

Cousins getting along very well!

Soft nougat block that I always loved, and so did Mom, brought her always one back from a Fun Fair I'd been to.

OLS monument met De Zes van Zaerum

OLS = Oud Limburgs Schuttersfeest

~

OLS monument with The Six of Sevenum

OLS stands for Old Limburgs' Archers' Guild (all from medieval times!)

Weej zeen os in Zaerum

Ter herinnering aan het OLS 2019

~ 

We see us in Sevenum

In memory of the OLS 2019

OLS 2019 Sevenum←click link

To get an idea about these medieval festivities from Limburg in Belgium and The Netherlands, click this link for video: OLS 2019 Defilé van Oud Limburgs Schutters Feest 2019***

Oh, Elvira had to get into this Fun Fair attraction with her eldest...

It is so high into the air!

Hope you learned a little bit about the rich culture of Limburg and why things are being celebrated still today.

Stay tuned for more...

Related links:

Visiting Castle Gardens Arcen with Friend Ellie | previous post by me

Food for Body and Soul in Limburg | previous post by me

Walking in Limburg in Beautiful Nature | previous post by me

Limburg — The Emotional Part | previous post by me

In Limburg with Friends | previous post by me

Flying on Delta Premium Select–Savannah to Amsterdam | previous post by me

Back Home from my 67th Trip to Limburg in The Netherlands | previous post by me

{What YOU should LOOK for when Buying Fresh Mushrooms} | previous post by me

Grateful to Friend Gil for Capturing Pieter's 93rd Birthday

 We sure are grateful to photographer friend Gil Gillis for capturing Pieter's 93rd Birthday Dinner with Friends.

Pieter is ready for Mass and for his special Birthday Dinner following...

Wearing the very same Escada silk dress with roses, Escada patent leather sandals and Majolica pearls, that I wore for Pieter's 80th Birthday dinner with friends and family. 

Pieter's Goddaughter then flew over from The Netherlands, for being here!

Wearing my special handmade bracelet, a gift from Blogger Friend: {Rose Bracelet from Enma in Spain - Blogger I Admire} ←click on link.

We were greeted by friend and Lady Chef Maria Runggaldier from Ristorante da Maria ←click on link.

She hails from Bolzano, the capital of the Province of South Tyrol in northern Italy.

Both of us were quite surprised to find our invited friend Gil Gillis, the previous owner of our local TV station, with his professional camera...

How precious for having these photos as a lasting memory!

Thank you so much Gil for you thoughtfulness!!!

Now Gil is in the group as well, standing next to me, as Tara, the young lady on the right, took over his camera.

He personally has trained Tara, to become a professional photographer herself with TheFurgPhoto ←click it.

Pieter received his dessert with a Birthday candle on it and we of course sang Happy Birthday to him.

As a Dutch touch, some white tulips in vases with pebbles, graced the table.

Ristorante da Maria

Our Menu 

All in all, it was a perfect evening.

This text on a towel, wrapped around a wine bottle that Pieter received as a gift from our friends, sums it up perfectly:

THE SOUTH

Where tea is sweet

and accents are sweeter.

Summer starts in April.

Front porches are wide

and words are long.

Macaroni & Cheese is a vegetable.

Pecan Pie is a staple.

Y'all is the only proper pronoun.

Chicken is fried and 

biscuits come with gravy.

Everything is "darlin"

and someone's heart is

always getting blessed.

FOND MEMORIES! 💖

On my FB Page Mariette's Back to Basics

1,249 views on Pieter's LinkedIn profile.

My Pieter Turned 93

 Yes, today is a very special day as my Pieter turned 93!

Thanks to a great Cardiologist and complete change of medications he lived beyond the grave message we received from our previous cardiologist; who actually neglected him.

Prayers also DO help!

Just to show you our ABUNDANCE of fresh flowers back then...

All varieties of Calla lilies and sweet smelling white Lathyrus.

I used all kind of Baccarat crystal vases for them, also Baccarat perfume bottles.

Below is a 1:33 minute short video from our vases with garden flowers on Pieter's 74th Birthday.

At 0:46 you see our white fragrant peonies.Immediately followed by pink roses in my Rose China with sprigs of Forget–Me–Not.A DREAM! We have no roses left, and if you see how many we had back then...Guess the competition of the now huge oak trees and others is way too fierce.And we miss the spent mushroom compost already for two decades!That was the very best from mushroom cultivation.

A Happy Pieter on his 81st Birthday on Dutch Queen's Day celebration in Atlanta.

This was good 4 months before his heart attack and open heart surgery on September 3. 2010.

Wearing my Escada suit that we saw while in Budapest but could not afford it then, at full boutique price.

Found it later on eBay.

Around Pieter's Birthday, our Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold is at its BEST.

One of our Palm Trees is right in front of it in this photo.

Sadly today was the funeral of the late Georgia Congressman, the Honorable J. Roy Rowland who had a special U.S. flag flown over the U.S. Capitol for both of us on December 30, 1993...

April 23, was Pieter's 29th Birthday as a United States Citizen!

Post shared on FB Page

Shared also on my FB...Pieter had a very special and happy Birthday!

Related link:Our Garden at the Time we had Access to Spent Mushroom Compost | previous post by me with video from Middle Georgia Magazine{1993 Today, the American Flag was flown for both of us...} | previous post by me 

Arthur Ravenel Bridge and Angel Oak Tree

 When staying in a lovely hotel and enjoying day after day exciting trips, time is FLYING...

Our departure day did arrive...

Just had to capture this Arthur Ravenel Bridge.

 So I crossed the Cooper River by car onto Mount Pleasant and turned right for standing behind Embassy Suites by Hilton Charleston.

The height of the two pylons is 175 meters and the total length of the bridge is 4 kilometers. 

It is the 3rd longest such span for a cable–stayed bridge in the Western Hemisphere.

The design is done with the frequent natural disasters in mind; the bridge can withstand gusts of wind in excess of 480 km/h and earthquakes rated 7.4 on the Richter Scale.

Taken while driving over the actual bridge...

There are 8 lanes, four in each direction and also lanes for pedestrians and cyclists.

What a marvel; it got opened in 2005.

In about half an hour, we arrived at St. John's Island at the ANGEL OAK TREE

It is HUGE and you can read more about it here: Angel Oak® | Charleston, SC – Official Website ←click link.

Circumference is 25.5 feet or 7.77 meter. 

It is the largest Live Oak Tree east of the Mississippi estimated to be 300 to 400 years old.

It is named after the owners Justus Angel and his wife, Martha Waight Tucker Angel whose family owned the land in the 1800s and 1900s.

Charleston County purchased the land in 1991.

Houmas House the Sugar Palace in Darrow, Louisiana | ←click previous post by me with huge Quercus Virginiana or Live Oak Trees

Oak Alley Plantation in Vacherie, Louisiana | ←click previous post by me with huge Live Oak Trees

Same photo but now cropped...

Me in front of this giant wearing my Escada stretch pants and boots; seen here: →click {Happy with my Escada Stretch Pants}

It was quite dark from this giant!

Now Pieter stands in front of one of the branches that are laying down.

Do you see to the left those two wooden poles, to support these huge branches?

It is really hard to capture its enormous size...

Pieter wore his Zegna summer jeans.

There were lots of people when we were there.

Again, perfect blue sky.

Now the 3.5 hour drive home for picking up our tax papers at the CPA and for making it in time for early choir practice for Holy Thursday...

Below is the short Relive video from drive over bridge and to Angel Oak Tree; enjoy!

Got to cross the Cooper River and the Ansley River...

Our Charleston See–It–All Sightseeing Bus Tour

 Quite pleased with having booked us a Charleston See–It–All Sightseeing Bus Tour!

That proved to be excellent and conveniently close within walking distance to our Hyatt House Charleston Historic District in South Carolina.

Thanks to TripAdvisor, where I found some excellent reviews that highly recommended this.

Also instead of a carriage tour, which covers only a limited area and would be rather noisy as you are out in the open... Considering my Pieter wearing hearing aids.

Having booked on line I had our tickets on my iPhone and we walked in about 5 minutes from the Hyatt House Charleston Historic District, to 375 Meeting Street to VISITOR CENTER of Charleston.

That's where all the tour buses come to pick up their passengers.

Charleston with its Southern Charm was founded in 1670 as Charles Town in honor of King Charles II.

Charleston is also called the Holy City because of its religious tolerance and abundant places of worship.

Charleston has lots of handmade wrought iron work. Notice the elaborate front door that goes to nowhere?

It just gets opened for letting the natural breeze go through all the way by opening the next door and/or windows.

Also the single house (one room wide) has its narrow side with a gable end, along the street.

Always facing north/south or east/west for taking advantage of prevailing breezes.

Citadel Military College

The Citadel Airforce Jet named Annette from the Vietnam War era.

Huge Replica of the Citadel's Class Ring

Colonial Lake Park a charming historical city park in the middle of Charleston's historic neighborhoods

As you can see, the weather was perfect!

Charleston maintains also a perfect green image of its beautiful historic city!

Great architecture and perfect gardens, parks and green sections throughout.

Lovely historic home and especially the lower outdoor shutters are exactly in the pattern as we have for our indoor shutters and doors!

You can see our Historic Charleston raised panels here: {Our 'GREEN' Bedroom} ←click on link.

Also The Charleston you can see here: → Solid Oak Shutters REDONE: Now Professionally Mortise Hinged by Husband Pieter

Real lovely homes and often surrounded by Live Oak trees, as you see here in the front.

Statue to the The Defenders of Fort Sumter Monument in Battery Park

Text reads: To The Confederate Defenders of Charleston 

Fort Sumter

1861–1865

The statue is located in the southern tip of the Battery

The Battery in Charleston is a fortified seawall and promenade.

The Battery is lined with historic antebellum homes... the cream of the Holy City's architecture.

Our Sightseeing Bus Tour lasted 90 minutes and the driver was very knowledgeable.

My Pieter enjoyed listening to him and getting to know more about Charleston's history and architecture; so did I!

Charleston See–It–All Sightseeing Bus Tour provided by Adventure Sightseeing, SC ←click for more info.

Just snapped this picture hastily as we had disembarked at the Visitor Center before driver Benji pulled up...

That was a wonderful Adventure!

Now we leisurely stroll back to our hotel...

Pieter comfortably dressed in his Zegna jeans and comfy shoes, just as I was wearing, with my Escada jeans and Wolford top seen in top picture.

Lovely handmade wrought iron work everywhere and these lanterns got adorned with flower baskets.

And arriving "HOME" again at our Hyatt House...

Perfect for tea time at our One Bedroom King Suite!

The weather was perfect as well with still 23℃ or 73.4℉ at 16:40 o'clock! 

Enjoy our short Relive video and stay tuned for more...