Mercure Haren Groningen 3m

No photo's this time guys!
I just wanted to share the fantastic news with you all that I am officially a Dutch resident.
The lawyer called us with the news on Monday morning.
We are ecstatic. This means I can reapply for a five year residency in July next year.
It also means I can now search for work.
I will keep you all informed of how that search goes and of my ongoing travels.

Wish me luck!

Shannon.

On Saturday the 8th of August Petra, her mum and I went to Bourtange.
Bourtange is a medievil village that is just on the Dutch/German border and is still inhabited today!
Once a month they have a Medievil market in Bourtange complete with knights, armour, sword fighting, celtic music, archery, cannon fire and re-enactments of famous battles!
This was absolutely fantastic.
As we walked through the main gates we were greeted with cannon fire coming ...

... the Appingedam cathedral which was built in the 1500's and has artwork and architecture that was restored only 15yrs ago.
Later we walked through the Appingedam museum which was originally the residence of the local Brass smith and still had entire rooms full of his original tools.
It also had bikes from over one hundred years ago with wooden ...

Well I'm on my way at last: how strange after such a build up.....

Been resting, sleeping and chilling out with friends in Groningen after a mad dash onto the Dutch flyer overnight ferry and then connecting trains to Groningen. My friend Helen ...

... We ended the day at a rooftop party, looking down on "The Grote Markt" (town square) and watching the crowd disperse at 6pm. There were times today that I felt like we were all cattle being herded around the city, when for 10mins at a time the crowd would barely move at all and still, everyone smiled, everyone greeted one another with a friendly demeanor. A pat on the shoulder, a handshake or a smile. Not one single fight broke out!

On Friday we went to the Molen (windmill) in Gieterveen (Petra's parents town) and met the Molenaar (Windmill Operator). He was more than happy to show me around the windmill explaining the workings of it and what it was used for. Amazing. After this it was time for Sinta Klaas at Petra's parents house. This is similar to our Christmas only they have it on the 5th of Dec and it is a story that tells of a spanish bishop ...

... bed. Funny thing - I wasn't too impressed with this place earlier, but that seems to have changed. Now this place gets 9 senoritas out of ten! Though I must admit, that I was disappointed with the customer service. I joked with the girl that it felt kind of creepy sleeping in this cavernous room by myself. Secretly, I hoped that she would offer to tuck me in and read me a bedtime story, or perhaps sing me a lullaby. That's not too much to ask, is it???

... it was great catching up and remonicing about our time together in Germany. Then the folllowing day I met up with one of my best freinds and his girlfreind from Germany. He was from Aus, and his girl was from Slovenia and it had been a year and half since I had seen them. So we spent the day wandering around and catching up. Then the following day I met up with my freinds again and went to check out some of the museuems, it was a shame because I ...

Greetings from Groningen, Gwen and I are staying in a little village called Paterswolde, just outside of Groningen. My Oma's cousin Diek and his wife Francien have taken us in. It's so great to find my long lost relatives. Before even bringing is to their home the first priority was to see a windmill. With that accomplished, and some biking later in ...

... in the country and I had a hatchet I wanted to bury before I left. As kids, both my sisters and I had gone to schools originally founded by Dutch immigrants to Tasmania after the Second World War, and two generations later the cultural ties within the schools were still strong. I remember as an eleven year old at the school fair tasting Olliebollen, a kind of fried doughnut without a hole, but was so overwhelmed by the ...