Lily Visit 2007

In less than one month we have had our second house guest. I have to label this Lily 2007 because I have a sneaky suspicion that Lily will be back to visit.

We visited a small town in Germany in the Rhine River valley. Let me tell you that September is not the time to go if you want to feel like you are in civilization. If you want to be alone and not have to fight the tourist, it is a great time to go. We all decided that we do not have to go back to this area anytime soon.

Don't get me wrong, it is beautiful and when you think about when the castles were built and the living conditions the people would have to live in, it makes you feel good that you are going back to your warm hotel room with running water and a proper bathroom. I don't know many people that could have survived living in a castle 400 years ago.

Germany was good for one more thing, driving!!! The freeway had a 130kph (80mph) speed listed but I didn’t see anyone obey that. The cars pulling campers were even going faster than this. I think the average driver was doing 150kph (93mph) to 160kph (99mph). There were quite a few that were going 190kph (118mph) and over. I was passed like I was standing still by a Porsha and I was going 180kph (112mph). Thats cool!!! The only down side of this is you can see your gas gage go down rather quickly. It costs around $126 USD to fill up the tank. Thats a big price to pay to go fast.

Next it was off to Paris. Amy’s 3rd trip, she loves it, but I don’t know how much our bank account handle. I think Lily really enjoyed seeing all of the sights, but was amazed how much there was to see and do. One of the best moments had to be when Abigail told Lily that 'she couldn't make it' and asked for her stroller...she was a sleep in 10 minutes.
Lily and Amy had a field day at the giant Louis Vuitton store and enjoyed all of the shops.
Abigail finally got her wish and was able to go up the Eiffel Tower (2nd level) and danced with her Mom and Dad. She was all smiles, but now realized that there another level (the very top) and wants Lily to take her back when she bigger. Looks like Aunt Lily will be making another trip to Paris.






Between Amy, and Lily there were over 600 pictures. They are Asian. It is in their blood.

The Peak Family Vacation (Girls Only)

Our first house guests. Amanda and her Mom (Beth) were the first to make it to our new home. This was their first trip to Europe and I am glad they chose to come to Amsterdam. Amy and I would like to say thank you for visiting us. It is great to see good friends and to be able to share in a great experience for the two of you.

The girls were able to visit Amsterdam for a few days. They were able to go to some of the Museums, Ann Franks House, and a canal tour. We did take them to the Red Light district one night so they could see it with their own eyes. I tried to warn them but we turned one corner and Amanda almost jumped out of her skin. She was not expecting the girls to be right there! She composed herself quite well and we continued with our tour. Beth was wondering where the boys in the windows were. Beth, I still haven't found them and I will not be putting much effort into it...Sorry.

If anyone didn't know, Amanda is the all powerful when it comes to famous people bios. I watched more Entertainment TV that week then one person should have to in a year(or lifetime), it was one of the only English channels we have. Amy sure did enjoy discussing clothing, shoes, and all of that stuff they cover with someone who cares and understands.

We were all able to go down to Antwerp and sample the chocolate for a day. After all of that, Amy was able to head off to Paris for a long, girls only weekend. It sounds like they had a blast. I have put some pictures here of their time in Paris.
The girls starting a night river tour of Paris. It doesn't look dark to me?
Can you see where the artist got his inspiration?
Look at that confident and gorgeous lady.










Mom is still in charge. Amanda, did this bring back any bad memories?














Amy returned home with a new purse. THANKS Amanda. You were supposed to control her spending. In all fairness to Amy, she has wanted one for some time and she is using it. I still don't get the argument that it was cheaper to buy it in Paris then in the States but I will let this one slide.




Amanda - Abigail is still asking when Payton and Max are coming to visit. She is worried that Payton doesn't have any friends. Isn't she thoughtful! :)

Gay Pride 2007

We started the month of August off with a walk through Amsterdam to find out that the Gay Pride parade was taking place. Most of the city was closed and we soon found out where everyone was. The parade happens on one of the canals and all of the "floats" are on boats / barges. The canal is lined with spectator boats, people standing on the sides, and most of the windows along the canal occupied. They sell beer and wine along the streets. The most impressive thing is that the entire length of the cannel, a couple of miles I would guess, was packed. It's one of those things Amsterdam is known for. Abigail slept through most of it but woke up for the last few floats. She didn't get it but she sure did like the music and all the people watching. She kept asking if the two guys together were "two dads" and if the two women together were "two moms". What a world we live in.

By the way - I wish they would schedule something big every weekend. It seams that whenever there is some big function, the weather is great. The day after the parade it was back to overcast and rainy.

Champagne, Paris, and Bruges

We have just returned from our first real vacation in Europe. It was great but with Amy's schedule we were only able to get away for one week. One week is better than nothing. We drove from Amsterdam to the Champagne Region in France. Our plan was to do a couple of tasting but we hit bad traffic on the way and got there to late to do tasting on the first day. The second day we got to go on a tour of Mercier. It was perfect. They have a train ride through the caves that they do all their mixing and bottling in. Abigail loved it. After that you can walk the vineyards if you want. It was a good chance to let Abigail and Lucas stretch their legs. We actually saw sun as well. It hasn't stopped raining in Amsterdam for the past two months so it was great to have a day without rain and to see the sun.



Next stop Paris. If you ever think about driving in Paris, DON'T. It is a bit crazy. Their road system is like a bowl of spaghetti. Paris is beautiful and big. My advice is to have comfortable walking shoes if you are going to do the tourist thing, lots of walking. We were able to do a river cruise, tour the Louvre, walk to the Arc de Triomphe, dance under the Eiffel Tower, and run through lots of parks. Abigail did her best Marline Monroe impression at the Louvre. The best part was it was sunny and warm the entire time we were in Paris. We realize that vacations are a bit different now then they were without a child. The most difficult thing was finding dinner. Abigail was so tired by the end of the day that she wanted to go to sleep around 8:00 but the restaurants don't even open until 7:00pm. 7:00 is really early to eat there because most Parisians eat around 9:00 or 10:00. If the time challenge wasn't enough, a true French menu is a set, three serving meal. It takes about two hours to eat if you are trying to hurry. I don't know many two year olds that can sit for that long. We were able to get one great French dinner at a restaurant where we sat outside at an end table so Abigail was able to play on the sidewalk.





On our way back to Amsterdam we stopped for two nights in Bruges, Belgium. Amy and I fell in love with the city. It is a small, charming, old, classical European city. Not much to do there but just walking the streets and shopping is well worth the trip. Oh yeah - the chocolate and the beer help make it an enjoyable town. Abigail went on a horse carriage ride. I thought she was going to burst from the excitement. At one point she squealed so loud the dogs were running away. She is an animal lover. Lucas even became a bit more proud. I think he knew he was back in his home country. We even got to see a local bike group race through the streets. Abigail wanted me to go out and do it to. You have to love kids. She thinks I can do everything. Abigail experienced her first concert here as well. It was in Flemish but she loved it anyways. She sat on my shoulders and waved her arms, clapped, and I think if we would have given her a lighter she would have had the true experience. All and all what a great trip. WE can't wait to go see more of Europe.

Abigail Pics

It's been some time since I put some pics of Abigail up. Here are a few.

Le Tour De France

7-9-2007 I drove to the border of France and Belgium today to watch stage two of the Tour De France. Six hours of driving, two hours of standing, 5 seconds of riders flying by, Priceless. The logistics to make this race work are amazing. The athletes are even more amazing. There is a caravan of all the sponsor cars that lasts a couple of hours before the race gets to you. It was my 4th of July parade. Lots of noise, gifts tossed from the float like rides, and even dancing gals. They didn't look like they had much fun at 30 mph in the cold rain. I liked the Bart Simpson one the best.

Amy and I getting ready for Paris next week. More to come.

We Have Mail

We have officially received our first piece of mail from someone other than NIKE, the Dutch Government, bills, or junk mail. THANK YOU MOM (not yelling). I knew I could always count on you. It is good to see the lost art of writing with pen and paper is not lost.