greetings from the Grand Duchy

That's what they call Luxembourg here, perhaps because of the Grand Duke Henri who rules this small but prosperous country. We spent last weekend camping in a national park in the Ardennes region (northern part), with lots of hiking trails and beautiful rivers and lakes (and towns too, of course). After we hiked to this lookout point, we took a dip in the river. I'd forgotten how nice it is to swim in open water and probably enjoyed that part of the trip the most. And best of all, there were no noisy jet skis -

It was our first experience camping as a family in Europe -- we chose a small, private campsite w Dutch owners. I must admit it was funny to be surrounded by Dutch campers, but they were very friendly and the kids made friends in no time. There were fun activities planned for the kids (kiddie karaoke, pyjama disco, craft activities, etc.), so in no time the kids were racing around w their friends like they were in lala-land. They always liked camping, but now they LOVE it! 

What the Heck does this mean?

 

riding ponies

The kids spent 3 days riding ponies this week at "Het Gulden Spoor" (the golden spur) and learned a ton. By the end of the week they could tell you everything about the 8 ponies, including their colorful names, like Einstein, Edison, Galileo, Freud, and Noble. In this photo, Phoebe is with Newton and Alex is with Tom.

Phoebe is the horse lover in the family and has been dying to ride for a year, but we had to find a club that had ponies since horses shouldn't be ridden until kids are at least 7. You can see here that she's in heaven with Newton. She never stopped talking to her pony, even when she was riding him, and also when her teacher was trying to give her instruction!

Alex is a little more nervous around ponies (and animals in general) and learned a valuable lesson. When she's nervous the pony can sense it and won't listen to her. I'm hoping that after another week or two with the ponies, she'll be able to get over her fear and enjoy the ride. Then she should be able to move on to riding horses. Pretty soon they'll be talking 3 languages: english, dutch and horsey!

the Willis cousins

L to R:

John (7)
Paige (13)
Sophie (1)
Phoebe (5)
Kim (11)
Katie (14)
Alex (8)
Thijs (3)
Catesby (11)
Scott (11)

the happy couple

As we chugged down margaritas on the beach the memories of mom + dad's wedding on June 30, 1956 began to pour. It was a double wedding ceremony, with my mom Frances and her sister Barbara being wed to my dad John and his brother Mac.

The bridesmaids wore wide-brimmed hats and the men wore white summer suits. The wedding was the talk of the town and it all took place at Camden, a historic Virginia plantation home where my mother once grew up. They honeymooned in the Virgin Islands.

My oldest brother John made a movie that highlighted the last 50 years and we all sat down and watched it together after Jodie's phenomenal stuffed pork dinner and some nice words said by mom and dad. It was great to see the old family photos that we'd grown up watching in slideshows and also to see our own families grow and multiply.

It's also interesting to see history repeat itself. As I watched the pictures of my beautiful young mom flash on the screen, two things came to my mind. One is that Katie, the oldest niece in the family (daughter of Carter + Debby) , looks so much like mom did in her twenties. Their resemblance is striking - must be those dominant Pratt genes! And the other is that Alex definitely gets her fashion sense from mom (at least she got it from somewhere). You should've seen mom in the dresses and swimsuits she wore on their honeymoon - she was stunning! Mom's always had an art for looking good.

Now with Dad in his 70's and mom fast approaching they're still looking good! It was wonderful to be with them in one of the most beautiful places on earth to celebrate their time together. They've been an inspiration to us all.

manneke pis

Thijs has already picked up an unfavorable Belgian MALE trait, which is to feel free to drop your drawers at any time, any place in order to relieve yourself. He does it occasionally in our yard, and here you see him doing it in nana + grandaddy's yard in Florida.

There was no warning, which is atypical for Thijs. Normally he broadcasts in a loud voice, "pee-pee doen", which means "i gotta pee" in Dutch. Maybe he sensed we were too busy saying goodbye to my brother Carter and his family and just decided to take matters into his own hand, literally speaking! Luckily Debby was spot on him and captured this moment on film.

I'm just glad he got his pants down for a change, but I sure hope he kicks this habit. I think it's one of the rudest behaviors I've seen in Belgium, and I can't stand it. Once, I was watching a pair of mandarin ducks in the park, and a jogger stopped exactly within my line of view, turned around and took a leak. I felt infuriated because I couldn't continue watching my birds without him also being in the picture. He spoiled my precious moment to commune with nature! 

my sangreal

There were some 400+ photos snapped during our vacation in Florida, but in my opinion this one best captures the essence of our week on the beach. A totally casual, relaxed time with the family in what has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. In fact, Grayton Beach was voted as the most beautiful beach in America in 1980-something.

This is also my favorite because I took a similar photo of Stijn 18 ya on a similar stretch of beach when I first took him home to meet the parents (during Thanksgiving). Back then he had more hair (it was wild!) and a better libido (ha-ha), but little else has changed since then. He still has a smile that won't quit, a dry sense of humor that works (for me, at least), holy socks and underwear (the reason for Father's day, please excuse the pun!), and an unshakable confidence and spirit that have only grown stronger with time. 

sophie's shoes

I have a special affinity for Sophie and Catesby (highlighted in next post) as they're goddaughters of ours, on my side of the family that is. Sophie is my brother Beau + Jodie's daughter, and you can already see her Aussie upbringing shining through -- notice the wide-brimmed hat and solar shirt, which no Aussie would go without for fear of developing skin cancer, which is so prevalent in that part of the world.

Sophie exhibited so many cute mannerisms during our week on the beach (June 23-30, 2006), but the one captured here was my favorite. She kept picking up shoes, especially flip flops, and wearing them around. Her favorite flip flops were Phoebe's pink ones from the movie Madagascar. She carried them with her everywhere and wore them constantly. As it turns out, Sophie has a shoe fettish!

Little does she know that she shares the same trait with her cousin Alex. When Alex was but 4 years old, we took her to Australia to celebrate Beau and Jodie's wedding. When in Melbourne, what does Alex want to do but shop for shoes! A 4 year old! Whenever we replay the scenario over in our head it seems absurd, but there it is. These cousins may just turn out to be the best of friends! 

she's off to chicago!

Catesby has boarded the plane, ready to fly to Chicago to compete in the Nationals for tumble track. She did so well at regionals that she qualified for 3 events: tumbling, trampoline, and the double-mini. She began competing this year so to imagine even making it to nationals is just amazing. We're all so proud of her! When she competes this Friday you can bet I'll be phoning her mom Jayne every 15 minutes for an update. Alex is pretty excited too and asked me if the meet would be on TV!

dynamite disco

Is Alex auditioning to be a disco queen? No, Alex celebrated her 9th birthday with a disco party at our home this past weekend. She invited 7 friends who would undoubtedly be on vacation this summer during her real bday (Aug. 9th), and we celebrated early.

The kids were thrilled with the sparkly costumes and makeup, and they learned an entire dance routine in less than an hour. The parents showed up early to watch the kids perform, and they actually looked really good! Phoebe and Thijs even kept their positions!

Alex is already feeling the pressure that comes with age. She told her dance teacher she was 10, since at that age you're allowed to ask when you can go on "point" (use toe shoes). She also told a fellow dancer she was 10 since she didn't want to be the youngest in the class, where most of the kids are 10-13 years old. I told her she should be proud to lie outside of the mean. That's the goal of statistics, and it's what makes each of us unique. She just looked at me and then did another handstand. 

Golden Anniversary

This is a BIG year for my family. Mimi (mom's mom) turned 90, grandma Phoebe (dad's mom) turned 100, Carter & Debby celebrated 25 years, and my parents are celebrating 50 years of marriage.

Just thinking about it amazes me. Their relationship survived life in the military, 4 kids (3 boys!!!), moves every 3 years which comes to a total of at least 9, 2 overseas assignments, rip-roaring hurricanes and lots of tropical storms.

But they're in their prime, hiking 10-20 miles a day on walks like the Coast to Coast in England and the Compostela de Santiago in Spain. They did some big walks, the names of which escape me, in Italy and New Zealand. The Dordognes in France will be their next adventure, as well as a hike around Tervuren Park when they visit us in Belgium this Fall!

But first we'll see them and my family in sunny Florida, where we'll spend a week on the beach to celebrate their golden anniversary. It should be great fun -- 20 people under one roof -- 2 post-reproductives, 8 reproductives, and 10 pre-reproductives. Never a dull moment will there be, that's for sure. I can already hear Jodie's incessant laughter and camp director Debby spurring us to go, go , go. Camp Willis -- here we come! 

a day in Brugge

Thijs loved the boat ride. Phoebe, our adventure seeker, wanted to know why the boat didn't go faster. Alex loved the frites (french fries with mayonnaise). Stijn was happy we didn't get stuck in the mad rush of cars heading back from the coast after a holiday weekend. I just enjoyed getting away for the day and having some fun visitors! Brugge has been called the Venice of the north and has spectacular architecture. We lucked out with sunny weather and not too many crowds. Could easily spend a week there touring the museums, looking around and just getting lost in it all ... 

our social butterfly

Phoebe bonded to Nicole so quickly that Nicole didn't have a chance to suffer jetlag from her flight from Miami. They were inseparable the two days that Nicole and her mother Marcela visited and they had a great time together. Nicole is a wonderful kid. She has a good head on her shoulders and is very conscientious. She'll be studying international relations at the U. of Florida in Gainesville this Fall, which is where Stijn and I met more than 18 years ago. It was nice to see her and her mom and take them for a little sightseeing. They enjoyed walking around Tervuren and seeing Brugge, and they took a bus tour around Brussels. Plus, as an added bonus they got to meet Stijn's parents and Willem and his family! Marcela brought English muffins and Stijn made eggs benedict, which she remembered having for the first time when she visited us in Kent! 

vaderdag

This was taken on Father's day (June 11th) on our back patio in Belgium. If you look closely what color do you see Stijn wearing? Why ORANJE, of course! His team had just won their first victory against Serbia in the World Cup and we were here to watch it, in Europe at least.

The house isn't decorated with orange, but the air is filled with an intensity and excitement that normally does not exist. I have to admit it's contagious as I was just watching the Brazil - Croatia game ALONE while Stijn is doing business stateside. He'll miss Dutch game #2 as he'll be in transit and I feel obliged to fill his space in front of the tube, with a Belgian beer in hand to keep me from biting my nails.

So the end result is that Stijn had a fine Father's day. He spent it with the family (biking in park, swimming, schoolfeest, teriyaki turkey w yummmmmy leeks, tomatoes, mushrooms and potatoes), and I think it's fair to say that we've had some great moments together while we've been here. It's hard to believe a year has almost passed since we first landed in Zaventum for our first visit to find a house & school for the kids, and now they have just a few weeks til they finish their first year. Now it will be interesting to see what next year brings! 

beautiful British birds

The yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella), or yellow bunting, yellow amber, scribbler (for squiggly marks on egg), was one of my favorite birds in Britain. I saw the bird in flight and yelled to Stijn "Geelgors" (dutch name for yellowhammer) which made him slightly more motivated to pull over, although we were on tiny winding roads surrounded by tall hedgerows and there was literally nowhere to stop!

British bird names are so colorful and interesting, and the explanation of the yellowhammer is relatively straightforward. Its face is brilliant yellow, although the photo doesn't do it justice, and the second half of the name is thought to be derived from the German for bunting which is 'ammer', yellowhammers being the commonest of the buntings (or once were). Now they're red-listed, according to RSPB, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (www.rspb.org), which is the highest conservation priority, w/ species needing urgent action. Fewer hedgerows and the trimming of verges are thought to be involved in local declines. There's also a yellowhammer in N.A. -- the flicker (Colaptes auratus) -- which has a flash of yellow on the underside of its wings, and hammers trees for insects.

Most of our birding was done on the road, but we did get a 2 h walk at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve (www.naturereserve.ryeharbour.org) . Nevertheless, my binoculars went on first thing in the morning and didn't come off until we sat down for an ale. Stijn enjoyed seeing a bird now and again, but he wasn't riveted like me. He was more concerned with staying on the right side of the road, which of course wasn't the right side! And he didn't want me driving since it would've taken us 3 times as long to get anywhere w/ all the stops for birds! So w/ mostly 2 eyes/ears, the trip list came to 53 species. I got 11 new species which brings my year list to 95 species (so close to my 100 year goal!). Just one more trip could tip me over the edge.

For those interested, I've listed the British names below in the order the birds were seen:

Blackbird
House sparrow
Wren
Hedge Sparrow
Chimney Swift
Eurasian Jackdaw
Crow
Rook
Common Tern
Herring Gull
Black-headed Gull
Greater Black-backed Gull
Kittiwake
Robin
Song Thrush
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Barn Swallow
Chaffinch
Starling
Blue Tit
Chiff Chaff
Magpie
Common Nightingale
Pied Wagtail
Linnet
Northern Wheatear
Lapwing
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Common Redshank
Little ringed Plover
Kestrel
Little Tern
Sandwich Tern
Mallard
Tufted Duck
Cormorant
Goldfinch
Moorhen
Pheasant
Yellowhammer
Mute Swan
Greylag Goose
Coot
Great Tit
Mistle Thrush
Rock Pigeon
Grey Heron
Long-tailed Tit
Ringnecked Parakeet
Goldcrest
Canada Goose
Jay

plus: Cinnabar moth, Red Admiral

back in time

The past week has been a nostalgic whirlwind. First we traveled back to England, a place where I grew up between the ages of 3 and 7 (30+ years ago) . Then we rebonded with grad. school friend Kristina Stanfield and her family in London (12+ ya). And this weekend we were visited by family of college ex-boyfriend, Marcela and Nicole McGrath, (20 ya) as well as Stijn's oldest brother et familia and Stijn's parents. Whew! I need a week to recuperate!

It was like walking down memory lane: exploring castles and countryside, riding a double decker bus, walking the White Cliffs of Dover and cobblestone streets, eating fish & chips and bangers & beans. Having spent some of the best years of my childhood in England, I felt at home there and with the people (who happen to love birds!). I could easily envision a yearly pilgrimmage, esp. one connected to birding opportunities and visiting friends. This photo was taken at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, an excellent birding site on the southern coast of England (www.naturereserve.ryeharbour.org) where we saw nesting oystercatchers, lapwings, wheatears, linnets, redshanks, and colonies of terns and gulls. It was the closest I've come to heaven since moving to this side of the big puddle. 

kids at Bodiam castle

 

a full english breakfast

This was what our hostess served for breakfast! It was delicious, delectable and divine, but I just kept wondering whether the pleasure was worth all the days of dieting it would take to work it off. I tucked in one morning, but that's all I could muster. My thyroid medicine makes me gain weight just looking at food! Stijn, however, did not miss a bite. The kids only ate the bangers, hash browns and eggs. 

our B&B in Rye

We stayed at this B&B just 1 mile from the center of Rye, a small coastal town about 1 h south of London. The funny round structure behind the kids is where they used to roast hops for brewing beer, and the ground level is where we stayed (plus 2 other rooms and 2 bathrooms - tons of room) (www.rye.me.uk/leasamfarmoast/) .

The place was wild. There were animals everywhere (and animal hair) - horses, ponies, dogs, cats, a chicken, turtles birds -- and the kids absolutely loved it, of course. Crazy Dave was the first thing we met - a young pony that would try to mount you if you weren't watching. Quickly we made a game of trying to stay away from crazy dave, or he'd get you!

The kids also loved playing with Hebe, the 6 year-old daughter of our hostess, who was also pretty wild. She'd take the kids around the farm and show them the horses. Soon the kids just wanted to stay at the farm and play all day with Hebe and her sister Hermione. Luckily they went camping in Belgium w their dad, and we got our vacation back. Maybe we found a B&B that was a little too kid-friendly!

good news

It's been one of those unusually good days (the sun came out!), and weeks for that matter. Just got back from England where we visited my old college buddy Kristina Stanfield & her family, and before that Oma Els and Opa Harry paid us a very nice visit before they went caravaning around in Holland.

When I answered the phone this afternoon I was caught totally by surprise. It wasn't Stijn for a change. It was Marcela McGrath, an old friend of mine from Miami, Florida. Her daughter Nicole just graduated from high school and the two of them are coming to Europe. They'll be staying with us this Sun. & Mon. before traveling to Amsterdam. When she asked me if there was anything we wanted from the states, the first things that came to my mind were cans of black beans (impossible to find here) and hershey's kisses. A complete meal w/ a little rice!

Our first visitors from the U.S. of A.! How exciting is that!