25th of January to 3rd of February, 2022.
Paul and Maaike are a very peculiar couple. It doesn’t surprise me that they ended up together. They both have a very peculiar character, but mostly Paul.
Apart from the living room and the rooms upstairs, the whole house is under ongoing projects. The bathroom and toilet are about to be finished (that’s why I am here); the kitchen in only temporary; the hall and Paul’s office are to be done; and we are using the toilet outside and also having shower in a improvised bathroom outside.
I help by panting the bathroom, filling some wholes in the walls and beams, and doing a lot of kitting. It doesn’t seem like much for 5 days but when I left, bathroom and toilet are finished. On my last day the plumber came over to install shower, sinks and toilets, and they finally start to having shower inside. And toilet too.
Paul is doing most of the cooking and it is quite nice. We have soups for lunch (most of the time) and something different for dinner. Paul also cooks a Brookie, a mix of brownie with cookie, which I eat most by myself (it is very small anyway) because Maaike get very sick for a few days. Not Covid but a strong flu. Apart of some great new soups, like cauliflower soup and corn soup, I also try two traditional Dutch dishes: Stamppot and pancakes.
I go for some walks around the village. But the wind is so strong and annoying, that they don’t turn out so great. The area is super cute anyway. There are some nice walks around, with loads of landscape to admire. But it is a shame that the wind does not make you feel like really going for a long walk.
I think it is funny how some houses, for being surrounded by water from all side apart the small entrance, have to build a gate on the top of that entrance, a gate without walls, a gate of about 2,5 metres, over water, without any connection with the world apart form the one at the bottom. So many houses are gorgeous, which shows me that people around here can be quite wealthy. Another interesting thing for me is how the houses are built. They are right at the street, with huge windows which show everything what is going on inside the houses, and people don’t have curtains! So basically, what ever is that you are doing in the ground floor (cooking, eating, watching television, reading, walking in your underwear, etc.), anyone passing by in the streets can see it! I know they might be used to this but I couldn’t possibly live like that.
Even though is a quite small village, I decide not to take the train to Groningen but trying to hitchhiking from here. During my walks, I have always seen a lot of cars on the streets. It is kind of a coincidence that they don’t have a car to drive me somewhere, so I can just walk.
Maaike is so kind and buy me some Stroopwafels for my travels. They look gorgeous and delicious, half covered in chocolate with peanuts sprinkled on top. Very gourmet! I feel a bit guilty for have been talking too much about them, and perhaps that be the reason why she got them. But it was really not intentional! I was just so excited to be in the Netherlands and finally be able to eat them. I was waiting for this moment since I first tried them in Jordan, from a Dutch volunteer, over 2 years and a half ago. But Maaike calmed me down a bit when she told me she got them the night before I was talking like crazy about them. They also got me a super cute card!
Just before the limits of Warfum, I am standing holding my sign witch reads “Gronningen / Amsterdam”. The funny thing is that I am actually going to Edam.
