In Amsterdam and the Jondelings (sp)

By Kyle Small -





Well we returned to Bremen last night following a great weekend in Amsterdam. On Friday, Lindsay and I met one another in Amsterdam. She came via Paris, and I via Bremen. It was a wonderful meeting point. The best part of the weekend was the time spent with the Jondelings (I might be spelling the name incorrectly). The Jondelings are a family from the church in Stockholm. They now live in Amsterdam. We had a great time sitting around eating, drinking, and talking the nights (and mornings) away.

On Satruday we took the bus to the city of Amsterdam. Ironically, on the way there, I read one of our travel books, and it said, 'Amsterdam is a quiet city where bikes and walkers trump the noise of other city's autos.' Well, when we arrived, Amsterdam was anything but quiet! Crowded, noisy, and obnoxious. The weekend was filled with summer activities, a canal boat parade, and thousands of tourists shopping, watching, and not paying attention.

But fear not. We still had a great time. We enjoyed walking around the city, taking photos, and laughing with one another. Lindsay wnet to the Van Gogh museum (very crowded) and I toured the Heineken museum. Not just a brewery but an experience in intentional corporate culture (very sophisticated). Then we ate lunch at CAFE T' SMALLE, where we also took time to catch up on last week - Lindsay's trip to Taize and I started my second course. Lindsay is in the process of writing her blog entry for last week - stay tuned tomorrow (Tuesday).

On Sunday we slept in (church in Dutch ain't much for us). Then we ate breakfast (bread with my new favorite - Hazelnut chocolate spread- like peanut butter only better). Then after packing our bags, we left for the Netherlands Coast. We took a walk together around the beach; I was even fortunate enough to eat wild blueberries...mmm. Finally, we left the beautiful coast for a trip to Schipohl, where we boarded our train and returned safely to Amsterdam. Another week of class.

Today Lindsay and I will meet for lunch, and then tour the town of Bremen,

Comments

  1. Anonymous9:53 PM

    Mmmmmm - my favorite - the Heineken Brewery Tour and Museum.

    Are you sure we aren't related?

    We miss you guys - Petra doesn't even pray for you unless we remind her - you used to be the top of the prayer "hit" parade.

    Sorry - you've been gone too long.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kyle Small5:17 AM

    Jeffrey b -

    Better than the Heineken BRewery is the BEck's brewery. I think I have a gift for you.... We went there yesterday. Heineken was a tourist trap, Becks is an actual brewery. They send 7 million bottles of beer PER DAY!

    Looking forward to seeing you. Please tell PEtra hello, and not to forget about me. I need friends.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Moving, Healing, and Times of Transition

By -
Image
               We have a spreadsheet for this season. The final column is for the dog. When I first made the spreadsheet, she wasn’t included. Then the plans were made to pack, travel, and move. Everything made sense until we asked about the dog’s whereabouts. I admit it is nice for the confusion to be about a dog. It’s been a  dogged  two years, yet our family is intact; our home is selling; the children are registered for schools; I get to keep my job; and Lindsay has an incredible opportunity on the horizon. But the real news is some we have been waiting for since February. Madeline had her MRI and CAT scan early in the morning last Thursday. A few hours later the results were available in MyChart. Lindsay called to read it to me. She hadn’t yet read it herself, so we were bracing to hear the words for the first time together. I was so anxious and even as positive words laced the opening lines, I was waiting for the “but.” The report communicated several things: 1. Decreased cervica
Read more

Returning to the ECC

By -
Image
Returning to ECC artwork by Julie Courtney Excelsior, MN We  were reflecting on Ida B. Wells and Sojourner Truth when the email came through acknowledging the activation of my ordination in the Evangelical Covenant Church. I was attending a conference centered on African American Religious autobiographies at the time. Somewhere between a discussion of Sojourner Truth’s words to Douglass, “Is God Dead?” and the autonomous power of Ida B. Wells defending Douglass’ white wife, I saw the email notification. Someone invited the rest of us to hear   Ida B Wells’ words, “Because white people forget Christianity and good breeding when dealing with those who belong to the darker races is no justification for this dark race to do the same. I cannot see it any other way than that the truly Christian, well-bred person is always so, no matter with whom they come in contact.” The decision to activate my Covenant ordination and suspend my ordination in the Reformed Church in American is not without
Read more

Returning to the Mitten - Small Family Update

By -
Image
Running - What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger? I went for a run on Thursday morning at the end of April. I was in West Michigan for a consulting project and enjoying a later start to the day. I left my in-laws house to run a route I enjoyed many years ago. Lindsay's uncle has a home on my West Michigan running route, and I decided to stop to say hello while running. I simply wanted to offer a hug and enjoy some connection. It was a delightful pitstop. I said, "I miss you." He said, "I miss you, too. Come home." His demeanor was energizing and directness a bit unraveling. His words fell distinctly on my ears. I continued running and his words wouldn’t leave me. I kept running and wondering if/how I should tell Lindsay about the encounter. Siri called Lindsay while I continued running. I wasn't going too fast (I couldn't if I tried according to my son). I asked Lindsay, "What if I said when we leave for Bethany we will not be returning to South
Read more