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Luthien Posted Mar 30, 2008, 7:04 pm	Hi I´m Amelie from Portugal! Well, lets start showing the village where i live Sesimbra is a fishing village surrounded by sea and mountains with a castle on the top. It´s calm and relaxing take a walk side by side to the atlantic sea... I also love flowers My favorite´s Lavender perhaps because the fragrance or to be purple. My hometown ´s a perfect spot to the tourists. Where you can spend a comfortable holidays on the beach or enjoying the view. If you would like to visit Lisbon, well it´s 30km far Now i´m sitting expecting the new trip into the North of Portugal, after that i´ll be ready to meet the world for the first time. See you later
Luthien Posted Apr 7, 2008, 6:33 pm	Before we went to the North, I pass for the Capital - Lisbon. This spot´s called "Terreiro do Paço" it´s one of the most importants squares in the city. If you saw the Series from Guliver you can see the part that he pass under the Arch. In the "Baixa Chiado" you can spend some time shopping or drinking a juice in a coffee shop. I suggest you the "Brasileira" where the famous poet Fernando Pessoa spend some time, that have a statue near to the entry. The statue of the Horseman is the king D. Jose I I went into a Kiosk and i bought some postcards before we picked up the subway to "Santa Apolonia" Station. After that, will starts the trip to the North ---> Oporto city. Coming soon.
Luthien Posted Apr 13, 2008, 12:28 pm	Were we are again in Portugal. This time i went in the city of Oporto at the North. This is a famous spot in the Oporto city, it´s called "Avenida dos Aliados". It´s here where the OPortos Football Team celebrates the Championship league. Here you have a good view for the Clerigo´s Tower You can also visit the magnificent Douro´s River and drink a good galss of Oporto Wine. Oporto is a fantastic city to visit and spend the time. It´s also the Capital of the culture in Portugal. The People from Oporto are really honest and they´re so kind for each others, being portuguese or not. They really are a humility people. Next trip will be in a place somewhere in Europe... So, see you soon!!
BlackCat Posted Apr 20, 2008, 11:06 am	Hello ! Amelie arrived in Germany ! She will update her Travelog soon, but first we will have to make some photos ! She is taking a nap right now ! We will update again, soon ! Fabi
BlackCat Posted Apr 20, 2008, 10:22 pm	Hello! I arrived in Germany today ! It was really funny. I heard someone barking outside, before the envelope was opened. I was a little bit scared, but then I saw, that it was just Wauzi, the stay at home Toyvoyager of my new host Fabi. He welcomed me very warm ! After that I had a look around the flat and in front of Fabis PC I met anouther mouse. She just stpod there and looked around. I made a photo with her, too ! And guess what arrived at the same time than me? A mapcard from Portugal. I looked on it and described Wauzi, where I am from. He was very interessted in it ! I like this card !
BlackCat Posted Apr 21, 2008, 4:27 pm	Hello ! Today we visited Fabi's brother, who is alone at home at the moment. His girlfriend is in hospital, so we decided to make him some funny moments ! I went around in the flat, meeting some nice other animals and after that, we played Super Nintendo ! It was a funny day ! Fabis Brother !
BlackCat Posted Apr 22, 2008, 10:20 pm	Hello ! Here I am again ! Today we stayed at home, because Fabi has to do so much. So I decided to help her. First she said no, because the cleaning supplies are toxically for a mouse like me. But after cleaning the flat, she decided to make her Traveling book ready and I helped her. First I looked in the book. It is a nice one. I tried to find something to read in it, but there wasn't anything. Fabi told me, that she will write in the book, when we designed it a little bit. First she printed the words 'BlackCats Traveling book' and I wanted to paint it. I looked at the crayons and decided which one I want to use. After that I start to colour the first letter. I was so tired, that I take a nap after colouring the first letter. When I woke up again, everything was coloured. I was a little bit shocked and looked at it carefully - it was coloured without my help. Then Fabi told me to choose a cutter. I choosed the smaller one, because I don't like the big one. I cut out the words and I glued it into the book. After that I looked at the book. Doesn't it look great? Now I am so tired, that Fabi does the rest alone. I have to take a nap now. Will write again tomorrow ! Amelie
BlackCat Posted Apr 23, 2008, 9:11 pm	Hello, Today Fabi and I drove with the bus =)! It was funny, because everybody was watching me. I was sitting next to Fabi and I had a lot of fun. When we went out of the bus, I saw why Fabi wanted to drive so long with the bus (It was around 45 minutes long). We visited a ruin of a castle. The castle Altendorf. Here are some facts about: The ruin of the castle Altendorf is located south of the Ruhr in the district of Essen called Burgaltendorf. It is the biggest obtained living tower between the Rhine and the Weser. It was built in the second half of the 12. Century. It was so nice there. I sat down everywhere I could and let Fabi made a photo of me. It was so funny. The bus driver even looked at us like at an animal in the zoo. After making the photos, we drove back home. Such a nice day outside. Hope you have a nice day, too, Amelie
BlackCat Posted Apr 27, 2008, 1:05 pm	Hello ! Today I saw the Hundertwasser house in Essen ! It is such a colourful house ! It was built for the parents of ill children from far away. Here in Essen is a big clinical centre where a lot of ill children from all over the world get help. So the parents of them can sleep in the Hundertwasser house to be near there children. Sometimes the whole family sleep there. It looks so nice ! Amelie
BlackCat Posted Apr 27, 2008, 1:25 pm	Hello ! Today I saw the church where my host wants to marry one day. It is a nice old church in Essen-Werden. On the photos you can see the church and some things around (the gate of the church, the balustrade of the stairs outside (with flowers <3) and a window of the church). It looks really nice. We wanted to go inside but it was closed. So maybe we will visit there again soon and see, if we can make some photos inside. Have a sunny day, like we , Amelie
BlackCat Posted Apr 30, 2008, 11:47 pm	Hello ! Today we visited the watergate Neukirchen. It isn't active anymore so it is really scruffy...But it was interesting to see it ! I have made some photos for you, mum ! Hope you will like them! Amelie
BlackCat Posted May 1, 2008, 9:34 pm	Hello ! Today we saw some animals around here ! First we saw some ducks. They were really nice and after feeding them a little bit, they get really devoted. We ran away, but they followed us, until we sat in the bus ! It was funny, but there are no photos of it ! After that we went into the Gruga again and there we saw some pelicans. They were swimming around there and I was watching them a while. The weather was so good, that we decided to eat something there, but there was a child on the table next to us, who kept an eye on me, so I decided to stay in the pocket of Fabi's boyfriend. We had made some photos for you, I hope you like them ! Amelie
BlackCat Posted May 2, 2008, 8:41 pm	Hello ! Today I will show you some photos of me and some flowers. When we went into the botanical garden, we made this photos. Hope you will like them ! I will make some other updates today, too ! I have a lot of new photos to show you ! But I will tell you something about them, then ! Lots of Love, Amelie
BlackCat Posted May 2, 2008, 9:07 pm	Hello ! So, here are some other nice photos of the botanical garden ! We visited some houses with different plants in it ! There was one for the rainforest, one for desert plants and another one for the cloud forest ! And in the middle of the three houses was a house with bonsai trees. (I hope that is the right word...). We made a lot of funny photos and I had a lot of fun there ! Hope you will like the photos, too ! Amelie
BlackCat Posted May 2, 2008, 10:51 pm	Hello ! Here I am again. We went into the city this morning and made a lot of photos there. I will make some updates, because there are some things I saw, which are important, to show you. In this update, i will show you some nice places I saw, which aren't so important, but which looked good ! I hope you like the photos ! Amelie
BlackCat Posted May 2, 2008, 10:56 pm	Hello ! In this update I will show you the old synagogue of Essen. It is a museum now, for the Jewish history in Essen. It was closed, when we were there, but maybe we will visit it again and go inside. I have made a lot of photos. The arm in one of the photos is Torstens arm (the boyfriend of Fabi) - he has to hold me, while she was making the picture ! It was funny ! Have fun looking my pictures. Amelie PS. Some history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alte_Synagoge
BlackCat Posted May 2, 2008, 10:58 pm	Hello ! My last update from the city ! We found a shop, which I really like ! You will see, that they have funny things inside. We were laughing a lot about their things. Amelie
BlackCat Posted May 2, 2008, 11:06 pm	Hello ! When we came home today, we found an envelope on our chair. Wauzi and I looked at it and try to find out what was in it...when Fabi opened it a little bit, we looked inside and then we knew what was in it. Trafalgar arrived today. Right in time, because we will go to a big festival tomorrow ! Hopefully we can make a lot of photos ! Welcome little Trafalgar. Hope you will have a good time, here! Amelie
BlackCat Posted May 4, 2008, 8:29 pm	Hello ! Today we had a long drive. We wanted to go to Xanten. It is around 1 1/2 hour away from Essen. So we drove with the car of Fabi's mum. We had a break on the road (at a resting place) and made some photos. I want to show them to you ! Amelie
BlackCat Posted May 4, 2008, 8:40 pm	Hello everybody, we went on a Middle Ages festival today and we made some photos for you. I saw an windmill and made a photo with it ! But it wasn't in Holland, so my life mission isn't fulfilled ! We saw an Knight's tournament, but we couldn't make photos with us on it, because we were standing really, really last row. It wasn't funny. But after the tournament we made a photo with the place ! Hope you like the photos. They are not so good, but maybe we will go to another festival next week. Amelie We and Fabi in her dress (left side )!
BlackCat Posted May 9, 2008, 8:02 pm	I am so sorry, that I didn't update this week. It was such a great weather, but the camera is broken ! Hopefully it will be fixed soon, because we will go to an other festival tomorrow. Cross your fingers for us, Amelie
BlackCat Posted May 10, 2008, 12:33 pm	Hello ! We don't have so much time so I have to hurry updating. We are already ready to go to the next Middle Ages festival. But the postman came and gave Fabi a big envelope. Chocolate Moose arrived here! Hope we will have some fun in the sun today. Amelie
BlackCat Posted May 10, 2008, 10:10 pm	Hello, here I am again. We are back home from the Middle Ages festival at Castle Broich. Now you can see how nice the German Middle Ages fans are. We made so much photos for you. I was able to sit in a selfmade cage and next to a campfire. I learnt how to fly and I met a lot of nice people. I am so happy about it. And I want to say thank you to the people who were so nice and let us make photos with their things. Lots of love, Amelie
BlackCat Posted May 16, 2008, 7:36 am	Happy Mothersday, mummy! Today was such a nice sunshine outside, that we went into the garden. We had a lot of fun. First we played Hide and Seek. Trafalgar hided behind the high grass. We need a long time to find him. But it was funny. After that I layed down in the sun and took a little nap. It was so nice and warm. When I wake up again, we picked some flowers for Fabi's mum. Fabi's mum wished herself for Mothersday some selfpicked flowers. So we helped Fabi and made a big bunch of flowers ! Have a nice day, Mummy, Amelie
BlackCat Posted May 17, 2008, 12:03 pm	Hello, when you read this I am already on my way to the next host. I am a little bit scared of the travel. But Fabi said, it isn't too long because I will go to South Wales. That's not so long, she said. I hope she is right! It was hard to say goodbye to everyone. But I hope we will meet us again somewhere else. Maybe at a next host! I had to eat a lot, before I went into the envelope, so that I can stay there for some days. Fabi made me a Pizza baguette. It was really delicious. I hope I can tell you, that I arrive safety, soon ! Lots of Love, Amelie Goodbye Chocolate Moose Goodbye Trafalgar (he is at the post office with me, but in an other envelope) Goodbye Wauzi! Yummy !
Penvmbra Posted May 25, 2008, 8:36 pm	Hello guys! I arrived in South Wales and I'm ok. I was starving and it seems someone was expecting that as I had this 'cheesy tea time' prepared for me by this nice japanese doll! I couldn't understand a word she said but Penvmbra told me she's coming with me to Portugal to stay with my mum  Then there was this nice surprise: Lucky Duck had arrived just before me so I won't be alone in my adventures, eheh He joined us for the 'cheesy' tea: And then, resting time  Take care, Amelie
Penvmbra Posted May 25, 2008, 8:49 pm	Hi again! I haven't updated that often because Penvmbra's on examinations season at university and had loads to study, but I have had nice chats with Lucky Duck about our travel experiences  However, today was a really nice day and we went for a walk in Cardiff city center. Wales is a land of deep celtic roots. There is an ancient tradition of giving a wooden spoon as a token of love to the loved one's. Here you have the story of the Lovespoons: That's me and Lucky Duck with an ancient warrior: And me on his hands: Then we went to a comics book shop called Forbidden Planet where there was hundreds and hundreds of comic books: Before we go home we passed by a handmade soaps shop called Lush that smells really good. Here I am on a pile of soaps to make bubbles: I won't probably update so soon because Penvmbra has 3 examinations due next week, but once I have news, I'll show you Kisses for mum and hugs for the rest, Amelie
Penvmbra Posted May 30, 2008, 2:04 pm	Today Penvmbra's friend Hugo, who came to visit her to spend her birthday with her, cooked a spanish speciality called 'tortilla'. It was really good.  Then, me and Lucky Duck spent some time exploring our hostess' books. But we got tired quickly.  By the way, look at her laptop  And this is all for today! Take care everyone, Amelie
Penvmbra Posted May 30, 2008, 2:08 pm	Today was Penvmbra's birthday so, besides she's full of stuff to study for the exams, we went to have a british breakfast outside and walk a bit. The typical british breakfast is full of greasy food! Here's the tower of a church near her house: And then me and Lucky Duck spent the afternoon chatting on this nice art nouveaux gothic style sofa, eheh Kisses, Amelie
Penvmbra Posted Jun 3, 2008, 12:14 pm	So, today is my last day here in Cardiff as we're going to Portugal tomorrow (mamy, I'll be with you soon, weeeee). However Penvmbra told me I can come back later as we didn't have time to visit the castle, the museam and other cool places of the city. It is a sunny day and we went to the park that is right in front of Penvmbra's house. People here loves to go to the parks. This boy was making acrobracies with balls.  There is a small river passing through the park and we passed over a celtic bridge. Here we are: me and Lucky Duck posing for the photo, eheh The park is quite big, so we took a rest by that tiny flowers, before go to the bigger (and funniest) section of the park. Here in UK is tradition people buy garden seats and put plaques on it in memory of the loved ones who already passed away. This one is in memory of a lady who died with 99 years old and who used to walk in this park very often =) So learn people: if you want to live so long, walk a lot in the parks  There was a playground with noisy children  Although the park is just by the road, it is very clean and tidy, you see no rubbish nor dog poo anywhere  In the middle of the park there is a big beautiful lake. The park is full of ducks, crows, swans and other birds. Lucky Duck was amazed with the ducks, obviously  While he was running after the ducks I kept enjoying the park. I think LD wasn't successful on his demand, though  This lady knew how to conquer the birds: food! Before we return home, me, Penvmbra and Lucky Duck rest a bit on the grass. We finnaly arrived home and now me and Lucky Duck are going to play on our new favourite spot  Look, I have an arm armour, eheh Hugs to everyone and kisses do mamy, Amelie
Penvmbra Posted Jun 4, 2008, 10:24 am	Hello! Today I'm very excited because me, Penvmbra and her friend Hugo, and Lucky Duck, we're going to travel to Portugal, where my mum lives!  Here we are waiting for the bus to Bristol, where we're going to catch the aeroplane: And here we are in the aeroplane already: I'll have new updates soon  Take care everyone, Amelie
Penvmbra Posted Jun 9, 2008, 4:30 pm	I've finally arrived in Lisbon! =) When I came into Penvmbra´s parents house I found out that there was another TV in there and she's also a girl Is Gui and her cat Migui! Gui has a bag to carry Migui, like I have mine to carry my worm  So here we are: me, Migui+Gui and Lucky Duck Migui loved my tail! I actually found out that Migui is a tiny copy of the 'real' Migui who is a panter who attacked my tail and scared me to death  There is also a tiger named Mimi who lives in the house! It is hard for a rat to live with such felines above the same roof, but they ended up being quite friendly  There are also funny objects all over the house, like this one: I will show you some more later, because now I'm too tired. Kisses, Amelie
Penvmbra Posted Jun 9, 2008, 4:46 pm	Today I went for a walk around Lisbon! First I had lunch in a restaurant which had the Portugal flag. Then we went to Augusta's street which is a street in the city center of Lisbon only with shops, restaurants and people selling stuff on the street. We found this indian people playing folk music of their country. And also some cool paintings of Lisbon. In a shop there were those Barcelos' roosters, a typical symbol of Portugal. On the walls of a building we found some more portuguese symbols. The portuguese shield: And the 'portuguese man o'war': There was hot as hell, so we stoped by for a drink. The ice cube the waiter brought seemed more to be an iceberg  This waffle was awful  Then we decided it was good weather to go to the beach, so we went to Costa da Caparica. Here we are passing trough the '25th of April' bridge. Ahhh, sunny bath! And that's all for now folks. Amelie
Penvmbra Posted Jun 11, 2008, 9:10 pm	Today we went to a play called 'The Bald Singer' performed by the students of a local university. Here you have some photos of the play:
Penvmbra Posted Jun 16, 2008, 12:11 pm	"Olá" (Hello) everyone! Tomorrow will be bank holiday here in Lisbon because is the day dedicated to Saint Anthony. It is tradition on this season to party on the streets of the 'old' Lisbon and to eat sardines, baked chorizo and green broth (a typical portuguese soup made of collard green). Penvmbra is not specially keen on this kind of parties, but she went for the first time with her parents to show us how it is =) Here you have the photos: On the background you can see a picture of Amália Rodrigues, a very famous artist who sang fado. Sangria, yay Later on we went for a coffee in a bar situated in the terrace of a theatre, with a great view over Avenida da Liberdade which means liberty avenue. Kisses, Amelie
Penvmbra Posted Jun 16, 2008, 12:46 pm	Hi there! I'll let you with some photos me and Lucky Duck took still in Cardiff. The first two are in the Cathays Cemetery, where almost all tumbs have celtic crosses. The last one is from a lunch we had with kidney pie, so typical in UK and with an awsome taste. Amelie
Penvmbra Posted Jun 16, 2008, 5:02 pm	Today was swimming pool day We went to Oeiras, a town close to Lisbon and by the sea, to an oceanic pool, which is a pool filled with treated water from the sea! Ahhhhhhhhhhh, sun bath Outside there is this whale stucked on the floor...poor whale  After that we had dinner and ate portuguese cheese and a portuguese stew called the Alentejan bread and coriander soup, complete with its poached egg. Then we went to the house of a friend of Penvmbra to rest and played with some cool stuff he has in there, but don't worry mumy, we didn't get hurt!  Bye bye, Amelie
Penvmbra Posted Jun 17, 2008, 10:57 am	Hi there! Today was a special day! Me, Lucky Duck and Migui+Gui went with Penvmbra's mother, who is a children teacher, to her shcool and we had so much fun In the morning we had painting time: I made a beautiful paint, don't you think mum? Then we found a new friend: the Ladybirdy The children invited us to play with their farm toys: After that it was lunch time, so while the teacher went to eat we stayed in the classroom resting: But like children, we got bored quickly so we decided to read a book: After lunch we had play time again, this time with constructions: And then the children invited us to play a role in their small theatre: We loved it I think I was made to be an actress! Look at me, so sexy By the end of every day children should calm down, rest and talk before they go home: And here we are, returning home after a tiresome, but very funny, day at school  Kisses, Amelie
Penvmbra Posted Jun 19, 2008, 2:32 pm	Hey people! Guess what: I met someone like me Actually, 12 dwarf rats, eheh 10 of them are babies, the 2 adult ones are the mother (white) and the auntie. They are sooooo cute and they live in very nice place, although a bit creepy  I hope you liked my new friends I also met some old residents of the house: Meow Penvmbra's stepfather was a navy sailor once and he brought this old man from one of his trips. He also loves jazz music, so there are 2 of these dark men in the house. This one is from my hostess' mother!She does Reiki and loves zen stuff. The following ones are from Penvmbra. I like the fairy, but I didn't get along with the other mate  And that's all for now! "Beijinhos" (kisses), Amelie
Penvmbra Posted Jun 19, 2008, 2:50 pm	Today Penvmbra and her parents took me, Lucky Duck and Migui+Gui to a Marroquin bar. It is very zen, the decoration is beautiful and they have amazing teas and a fruity tobacco to smoke in the narguillas. قبلات, Amelie
Penvmbra Posted Jun 23, 2008, 4:29 pm	Today we went for a pik-nic in one of my mum's favourite places: Sintra! Here we are: me, Migui+Gui and Lucky Duck on our way to the Sintra Mountains Already in the park: Look, the chorizo is baking by us =) This place is so calm and beautiful... There were kids riding donkeys in the park, so cute And to finish this amazing day, we went to Cascais to have a very famous handmade ice-cream, the Santini Ice Creams, some say they are the best in the world! Kisses, Amelie
Penvmbra Posted Jun 23, 2008, 4:47 pm	Well, I had a great time here in Lisbon but it's time to move on! I'm going to Switzerland! Here you have my farewell photos: With Migui+Gui With Lucky Duck With Penvmbra friend's ferret. On my way to the post office: I bought a card from the Belém Tower to give to my new host. I hope I can come back to Portugal again and visit my mum next time Kisses and see you soon, Amelie
annbear Posted Jun 25, 2008, 8:51 am	I´m here in Switzerland and it´s really hot!!! Wow I´m baking - photos to follow.
annbear Posted Aug 1, 2008, 11:04 am	Well this is the land of lakes and mountains indeed. I`m surrounded by them. It`s great!!
annbear Posted Aug 2, 2008, 4:10 pm	Who is this strange dog in the water diving for stones? Maybe I should take a dip too??
annbear Posted Aug 4, 2008, 11:33 am	Can you believe that behind me are the Jungfrau, the Eiger and the Monck. It`s not fair!!! I can`t see them hardly at all because of all the silly clouds. Grrrrrrrrr
annbear Posted Aug 19, 2008, 9:39 pm	Healthy walking in the fresh air in the Swiss Alps  . In one of these pictures, behind me is the ski jumping - they held the World Skijump Championship here last year. At the moment it has no snow but it still looks very scary to me
annbear Posted Aug 20, 2008, 9:45 pm	This is such fun and look at the cute little wooden chalet we found. Can I go and live there?
annbear Posted Aug 21, 2008, 1:33 pm	This is a very nice town. No wonder Annbear likes to wander round enjoying the scenery.
annbear Posted Aug 23, 2008, 10:45 am	I have gone on holiday with annbear to the lovely region of Provence. La Belle France!! Did you know I could climb trees??
annbear Posted Aug 23, 2008, 12:42 pm	This relaxing is hard work you know.......
annbear Posted Aug 24, 2008, 10:50 am	Life on the ocean wave. I could be a sailor and sail round the world well round the swimming pool anyway
Eryah Posted Sep 6, 2008, 6:12 pm	Hello! Today i arrived in Alkmaar, the Netherlands. I picked a very good day. I heard a lot of noice so i really wanna get out of my envelope. First i met the other tv's who are visiting Eva now: There was a big party today at Eva her home! Her son Mirdin was celebrating his birthday so i ate a delicious pie: We also helped Eva and Mirdin make presents for the kids in his class. I also learned some dutch words, because the things you see on the picture are: box with 'snoepjes', potloden and we wrapped it up in a 'servet'. Tadaaaa! I think i'm gonna have a great time here! Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Sep 9, 2008, 10:09 am	Hello! Because Eva isn't able to go outside at the moment we decided to show you information and sites about Alkmaar at another way. I hope you enjoy it! Cheesemarket: This cheese market is open every Friday morning between 10 and 12 from the first Friday in April until the first Friday in September. Market activities are explained in Dutch, German, English and sometimes Japanese. There are four teams (vemen) of cheese-porters (kaasdragers), who can be recognised by their differently coloured straw hats: red, blue, green and yellow. Two porters bring cheese on stretchers to the weighing house (Waag) - a typical stretcher "weighs in" at about 160 kilograms. Merchants sample the cheeses and decide on a price using a barter system called handjeklap, literally clapping hands. Ruin church in Bergen: This picturesque ruin church in Bergen once was the biggest church in Noord-Holland. From the 16th century church there is only a ruin left now, because the Beggars started a fire here. Only the choir of the church was rebuilt, so from the original church you can now only see the ruins. In the village Bergen in Noord-Holland there are many beautiful old houses situated around the old village church. Big church During building the largest medieval church in Alkmaar, the church was already called the big church, because of its size. The big church is not only the largest and highest church in Alkmaar, but also the church which trough the centuries, stood most and called the jewel of the city. Originally the church was dedicated to Saint Laurens. That’s why, for centuries, the church is called The Saint Laurenschurch. The church was probably designed by architect Anthonius Keldermans (Belgium) (1440-1512) Beside Anthonius Keldermans brother, also his son was involved in the disign of the church, in which 26 freestanding columns support the roof. The Saint Laurens church is a basilica, The outside walls rest on a fundation which is just below the ground. Built in the Brabant’s gothic style, which is bigger and more massive in its form than the French gothic. The building is 35 meters high and has a cross length of 85x56 meters. The outside walls rest on a one meter broad foundation which is just below thethe ground, and gradually becomes broader to a depth of tree meters. The last resauration of in-and exterieur was accomplished in 1996. The large saint Laurens church counts two, world famous organs: Van Covelens organ (also called choir organ) and it VanHagerbeer/Schnitger or large organ. The choir organ descends from 1511 and has been placed against the northern wall of the church. The last restoration of this old, still playable, organ in the Netherlands, was completed in the year 2000. In 1636 arose the idea for the construction of a large organ in the church. Several organ builders have worked on it, but in 1645 Jacobus Caltus van Hagerbeer completed the large organ. Jacob Van Campen devised the organ cupboard and in 1643  Caesar Van Everdingen got the task to paint the doors of the organ cupboard with the ‘triomfe van den Coninck Saul’. This painting belongs to his first large work. Above the organ the painter Romeyn de Hooghe painted in baroque striking, (‘de deugd, die de ondeugd verplettert’)" virtue crushing the vice". From 1723 up to 1725 the large organ was restored and extended by Frans Caspar Schnitger. In course of time there have been several restorations on this organ. St. Joseph Church This church was put in use in 1910. Designed by famous church builders and students of PJH Cuypers, the Margry brothers. The church is built in neo-gothic style, which shows by the way the towers are placed and by the arched roofs. The church is placed beautifully and is in possession of wonderful stained glass windows. The statue of Christ has been placed in 1948, in memory of Alkmaar war-victims. Their names are placed on a memorial plaque on the churches wall. Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Sep 10, 2008, 3:10 pm	Hello! Today it was time to say goodbye to Mulalu. He's going to Marjolein who also lives in the Netherlands. I'm gonna miss him, because he is a great guy. I wish him all the best on his travel. Bye Mulalu! Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Sep 16, 2008, 2:51 pm	Hello! Today we played with Mirdin his toys. We played with his little puppets and garage. It was a lot of fun! Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Sep 16, 2008, 3:06 pm	Hello! Today we met the pets that live here. This is Isis. She is a sweet fluffy eleven years old cat. She sleeps most of the time. This is Mammoet. He is a sweet rabbit. Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Sep 16, 2008, 3:11 pm	Hello! Today i wanna do something creative. Eva her mother paints a lot so she learned me to paint. This is what i made, tadaaaaa: Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Sep 16, 2008, 3:22 pm	Hello! Today we meet local cartoon caracters because it is a life mission of Muumipeikko. This are Woezel and Pip They told us their story: We are caracters from a story for children here in Holland. The woman who brings us to life is Guusje Nederhorst. For many years Guusje played in a soap called "Goede tijden slechte tijden'' (good times bad times). In 2002 she discovered her real passion: writing stories for children. That was the beginning of Woezel and Pip. Two inseparable dogs who experience funny and sometimes naughty adventures. The little novels are a big hit here in Holland. Unfortunally Guusje never had the change to see how many children enjoy the adventures of Woezel and Pip. She got breast cancer and died in 2004. Her husband set up the Guusje Nederhorst foundation as a memory for her creative, headstrong and brave personality. Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Sep 16, 2008, 3:27 pm	Hello! Today we asked Eva to tell us everything she know about Alkmaar and the Netherlands. She told us some funny stories! Alkmaar is above all Holland's cheese town. During the season from the first Friday of April to the first Friday of September a traditional cheese market is being held here on Friday mornings between 10 and 12.30. The cheeses are sold by dealers on a clap of hands. Thereupon the 400 year old cheese porters' guild goes into action, carrying the cheese off on barrows after the lot has been weighed at the Waag (the official scales). In the Waaggebouw - in which the scales are housed - a cheese museum that tells everything about dairy farming has been established. Cheese has been weighed in Alkmaar since 1635. Alkmaar is historical with around 400 monuments. The Waag, dating back in its earliest form to the 14th century, the 16th century town-hall, Grote St. Laurens Church and the many courtyards, facades and canals give the town an ambience all of its own. With the past as a setting, the town has a modern stock of shops offering a wide choice. Besides the predominantly small shops in the old centre, the Noorder Arcade with large scale shopping facilities stands by the side of the Noord Holland Canal. Alkmaar is the biggest town in the region. Relaxation can also be found in the Geestmerambacht recreational area close by. The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland]) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba in the Caribbean. The Netherlands is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy, located in Western Europe. It is bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east. The Netherlands is often called Holland. This is formally incorrect as North and South Holland in the western Netherlands are only two of the country's twelve provinces. As a matter of fact, many Dutch people colloquially use Holland as a synecdoche, being well aware of the widespread use of this name. For more on this and other naming issues see terminology of the Netherlands. The Netherlands is a geographically low-lying and densely populated country. It is popularly known for its traditional windmills, tulips, cheese, clogs (wooden shoes), delftware and gouda pottery, for its bicycles, its dikes and surge barriers, and, on the other hand, traditional values and civil virtues such as its classic social tolerance. But primarily, the Netherlands is a modern, advanced and open society. An old parliamentary democracy, the country is more recently known for its rather liberal policies toward recreational drugs, prostitution, homosexuality, abortion, and euthanasia. The Netherlands is also one of the most densely cabled countries in the world; its internet connection rate is 87.8%, the 2nd highest in the world. The Netherlands has an international outlook; among other affiliations the country is a founding member of the European Union (EU), NATO, the OECD, and has signed the Kyoto protocol. Along with Belgium and Luxembourg, the Netherlands is one of three member nations of the Benelux economic union. The country is host to five international(ised) courts: the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Court and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. All of these courts (except the Special Tribunal for Lebanon), as well as the EU's criminal intelligence agency (Europol), are situated in The Hague, which has led to the city being referred to as "the world's legal capital." A remarkable aspect of the Netherlands is its flatness. Hilly landscapes can be found only in the south-eastern tip of the country on the foothills of the Ardennes, the central part and where the glaciers pushed up several hilly ridges such as the Hondsrug in Drenthe, the stuwwallen (push moraines) near Arnhem and Nijmegen, Salland, Twente and the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. Religion Main article: Religion in the Netherlands The Netherlands is one of the more secular countries in the Western Europe, with only 39% being religiously affiliated (31% for those aged under 35), although 62% are believers (but 40% of those not in the traditional sense). Fewer than 20% visit church regularly . According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2005, 34% of Dutch citizens responded that "they believe there is a god", whereas 37% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 27% that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force". In 1950, before the secularisation of Europe, and the large settlement of non-Europeans in the Netherlands, most Dutch citizens identified themselves as Christians. In 1950, out of a total population of almost 13 million, a total of 7,261,000 belonged to Protestant denominations, 3,703,000 belonged to the Roman Catholic Church, and 1,641,000 had no acknowledged religion. However, Christian schools are still funded by the government, but the same applies for schools founded on other religions, nowadays Islam in particular. While all schools must meet strict quality criteria, from 1917 the freedom of schools is a basic principle in The Netherlands. Three political parties in the Dutch parliament (CDA, ChristianUnion and SGP) base their policy on the Christian belief system. Culture Erasmus (1466–1536).The Netherlands has had many well-known painters. The 17th century, when the Dutch republic was prosperous, was the age of the "Dutch Masters", such as Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Jan Steen, Jacob van Ruysdael and many others. Famous Dutch painters of the 19th and 20th century were Vincent van Gogh and Piet Mondriaan. M. C. Escher is a well-known graphics artist. Willem de Kooning was born and trained in Rotterdam, although he is considered to have reached acclaim as an American artist. Han van Meegeren was an infamous Dutch art forger. The Netherlands is the country of philosophers Erasmus of Rotterdam and Spinoza. All of Descartes' major work was done in the Netherlands. The Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens (1629–1695) discovered Saturn's moon Titan and invented the pendulum clock. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was the first to observe and describe single-celled organisms with a microscope. In the Dutch Golden Age, literature flourished as well, with Joost van den Vondel and P.C. Hooft as the two most famous writers. In the 19th century, Multatuli wrote about the bad treatment of the natives in Dutch colonies. Important 20th century authors include Harry Mulisch, Jan Wolkers, Simon Vestdijk, Cees Nooteboom, Gerard (van het) Reve and Willem Frederik Hermans. Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl was published after she died in The Holocaust and translated from Dutch to all major languages. Replicas of Dutch buildings can be found in Huis ten Bosch, Nagasaki, Japan. A similar Holland Village is being built in Shenyang, China. Windmills, tulips, wooden shoes, cheese and Delftware pottery are among the items associated with the Netherlands. Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Sep 16, 2008, 4:31 pm	Hello! Today i said goodbye to Muumipeikko and Henry. It was time for them to move on. I'm gonna miss them a lot! Bye Muumipeikko and Henry. I wish you both a great trip and maybe we will meet again. Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Sep 17, 2008, 3:21 pm	Hello! Today i played in the garden with Bumba, a Teletubbie and Zoe from Sesamestreet. First we take a ride in a thing they called here a 'bolderkar'. It's a very cool bolderkar because it has a print of cows. On the background of this picture you can see Dharma, the dog who lives here. It's a very sweet dog, but he's very wild. I have to look out for his sharp teeth, because when he playes he try to bite you. In this garden i found a house, wich Eva and Mirdin called there little dreamhouse. It is made of wood and there are living dwarfs in it. It's such a great house! Lying on the roof, but i can't get a tan. It's cold here in Holland at the moment (14 degrees). I met one of the dwarfs. This one is keeping an eye for people who wants to see it from the inside. Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Sep 25, 2008, 12:00 pm	Hello! Today i played a game called Mahjong on the computer all day long. It is a addicting game to play! Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Sep 25, 2008, 12:04 pm	Hello! Today Mirdin showed me the dutch version of 'Bumba' on the television. I learned a few dutch words. stuffed animal = knuffel hug = knuffel kiss= zoen i love you = ik hou van jou thanks = bedankt you're welcome = graag gedaan the Netherlands = Nederland bye = doeg or doei hello = hallo Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Sep 25, 2008, 12:07 pm	Hello! I'm not alone anymore! This doesn't mean i don't like it to be the only TV here, because my host family is very kind, but it's always fun to meet other TV's, because you understand of each other why you are here. So exciting! Who can be in it? It's Bokkie! She's coming from Africa and she told me great stories about her travel till now on. I think we are gonna be great friends. Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Sep 25, 2008, 2:34 pm	Hello! I really wanna show you some pictures of Alkmaar and the Netherlands. The Netherlands This is the flag of the Netherlands The Netherlands is a small country next to Germany and Belgium. On the left side lies the Nordsea. Here you can see the Netherlands and the biggest towns. Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands. Alkmaar The flag of Alkmaar The weapon of Alkmaar The map were you can see Alkmaar This was the map of Alkmaar in 1652 The cities wich lies next to Alkmaar and last but not least: the city hall of Alkmaar I hope you enjoy the pictures. Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Sep 25, 2008, 4:52 pm	Hello! here i am again, because i really wanna tell you something. My new host is a very strange lady. We wanna suprise her, so we decided to vacuum clean the house: Suddenly Eva start screaming. We had no idea what was going on, and run to her and asked what was wrong. But she kept screaming and we tried everything to calm her down. The only thing she did was pointing to a book on the table. We decided to take a close look: First we still didn't understand what was going on. Why are you screaming to a book? Till we saw the name on the book. It was her own book! After years of writing and try to get her book published it finally succeed. Eva her book is in the shops since today, so now we understand why she screamed so loud. To be honest: i still hear a strange beep in my eares. After we calmed her down we wanna help her cook a meal. We thought she wasn't able to do it herself because of all the emotions. Tadaaaaa: I'm gonna tell you in dutch words what this is: - spinazie met ei - gebakken aardappels - kaassoufle I know it looks very weird, but it taste delicious! Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Sep 28, 2008, 3:52 pm	Hello! The last few days i was making a suprise for you. We collect al kind of items that represents the fall. Here in Holland it's rainy, windy and cold in the fall. Trees losing their leaves and other stuff, so we had a lot of items to make the suprise. Mirdin was helping us because on his school they also collect items to make a table special for the fall. Here's the suprise: I hope you like it. Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Sep 29, 2008, 5:43 pm	Hello! Today we went to the Geestmerambacht. This is a recreation area with a big lake and lots of beautifull fields around it. First we climbed up on this mountian: Dharma (Eva her dog) was also with us: The view on the mountain: This is me again Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Oct 4, 2008, 12:50 pm	Hello! Today we found Eva crying on the couch. Serious: what an emotional girl. First the screaming we had a few days ago, and now this. We asked her what was wrong.... She cried because Coldplay have a concert this evening and tomorrow and she couldn't be there. To comfort herself she decided to watch a dvd with a live concert on it. But it didn't comfort her, it make her even more sad than she allready was. To make her happy we watched it with her and sing along with the dvd. It cheers her up. Luckely for us... Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Oct 4, 2008, 12:57 pm	Hello! Today we played hide and seek. It always fun to play this game. First i hide in the plant. Every time Bokkie came near me, i hide behind the leaves of the plant. Finally she found me. Now it was her turn to hide. I couldn't find her. Till i heard a strange sound coming from the fridge. When i opened it she said: 'Finally, it was so c-c-c-cold in here'. Eva and i warmed her up in towels and after that it was my turn again. I allready had something in mind and it worked! I was doing exactly like the yogi man. Bokkie searched for hours, till i couldn't stop laughing anymore. Bokkie her turn again. I looked under the couch, in closets etc, but she wasn't there. Luckely for me Dharma gave the place she was hiding away. It was a great day! Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Oct 4, 2008, 1:08 pm	Hello! The last two days it rains a lot here in the Netherlands. Yesterday there was also a thunderstorm. But today we finally see the sun again! Behind the window it's hot, so we decided to enjoy the sun there. Tomorrow it also gonna rain the whole day, so we gonna sit here now it still can. Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Oct 7, 2008, 4:03 pm	Hello! Today i finally complete a life mission: take a picture in Holland near to those traditional mills. We went to 'Korenmolen 't Roode hert' (translation: mill the red deer) in Oudorp/ Alkmaar. It is the thirth mill standing on this place. The first was burned down in 1817. The second one was burned down because of firework on september 15th 1924. The mill you see now is build in 1925. In this mill they make the ingredients to make bread. They are thinking about move the mill 300 meter from the place it stand now because the new stores in this area keep the wind away, and a mill needs wind to work perfect. They are gonna do this is 2011/2012. Here i am, standing in front of the mill, and we went sneaky inside it, till we get caught. Unluckely we have to leave the mill, but luckely we allready made some pictures. Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Oct 7, 2008, 4:14 pm	Hello! I allready heard that the people in the Netherlands ride on a bike a lot. They learn it to their children almost before they can walk and lots of people go to their work on a bike. But the moment i saw this, i was very suprised.... Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Oct 7, 2008, 4:16 pm	Hello! Today we went to the dutch Burger King. Off course i wanna sit in the bag and show it to you. Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Oct 7, 2008, 4:27 pm	Hello! Today we eat a typically dutch snack called kaassoufles and kroketten. It taste very strange in the beginning but after a few bites it was delicious! I also learned some dutch words. Bites = Hapje Delicious= Heerlijk Strange= Raar Cheese= Kaas Fridge= Vriezer Strawberry= Aardbei Sweet= Zoet Sour= Zuur Spoon= Lepel Knife= Mes Plate= Bord Drink= Drinken Food= Eten Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Oct 17, 2008, 7:27 pm	Hello! Today we drived around on the dutch highways. Off course i made a picture of it to show it to you. Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Oct 17, 2008, 7:36 pm	Hello! I'm sorry you haven't heard from me in a week, but it was a very hectic time here. Eva her son went to school for the first time, so it were also exciting times around here. Today we wanna go to the playground. The moment we arrived it started to rain. And not a little bit, no, it was very hard and there even were some hailstones. We whaited for a couple of minutes and decided to go home. Hopefully we have better luck tomorrow. Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Oct 17, 2008, 7:40 pm	Hello! Today we had better luck! We finally went to the playground and played a lot. As you can see we had a great time! Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Oct 21, 2008, 2:37 pm	Hello! A new TV arrived here today. He's joining random act 3: the TV challenge. He was so excited that his adventure has started now. I think we are gonna be good friends. He seems very nice! His name is *~Mr. Bubbles~* Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Oct 24, 2008, 3:15 pm	Hello! Today we went to the Northsea in Bergen aan Zee. It was raining so hard, that we decided to make pictures and run back to the car as soon as we can. Here some information about the North Sea: The North Sea is a marginal, epeiric sea of the Atlantic Ocean on the European continental shelf. It is more than 600 miles (970 km) long and 350 miles (560 km) wide, with an area of around 222,000 square miles (570,000 km2). A large part of the European drainage basin empties into the North Sea including water from the Baltic Sea. The North Sea connects with the rest of the Atlantic through the Dover Strait and the English Channel in the south and through the Norwegian Sea in the north. The North Sea averages about 100 m (325 ft) deep, with a maximum depth of 700 m (2300 ft) and in some areas shallows can be a mere 15 m deep. The North Sea lies above what used to be the triple junction between three continental tectonic plates in the early Paleozoic Era. Movement on the faults associated with these tectonic phenomena can still cause earthquakes and small tsunamis. The sea's coastal features are the result of glacial movements rather than tectonics. Deep fjords and sheer cliffs mark the coastline of the northern part of the North Sea, whereas the southern coasts consist of sandy beaches and mudflats. These flatter areas are particularly susceptible to flooding, especially as a result of storm tides. Elaborate systems of dikes have been constructed to protect coastal areas. The development of European civilization has been heavily affected by the maritime traffic on the North Sea. The Romans and the Vikings sought to extend their territory across the sea. Both the Hanseatic League and the Netherlands sought to dominate commerce on the North Sea and through it to access the markets of the world. Britain's development as a sea power depended heavily upon its dominance in the North Sea, where some of its rivals sought power, first the Netherlands and finally Germany and to a lesser extent Russia and the Scandinavian nations. Commercial enterprises, growing populations, and limited resources gave the nations on the North Sea the desire to control or access the North Sea for their own commercial, military, and colonial ends. Its importance has turned from the military to the economic. Traditional economic activities, such as fishing and shipping, have continued to grow and other resources, such as fossil fuels and wind energy, have been discovered and developed. And here am i in front of the dunes, and in front of the sea: Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Oct 30, 2008, 8:58 am	Hello! Today it was time to say goodbye to Bokkie. She become such a good friend. I'm gonna miss her a lot. Maybe we will meet agian sometimes. I hope so! Big hugs Amelie
Eryah Posted Nov 5, 2008, 12:40 pm	Hello! This is my last message from Alkmaar, the Netherlands. I'm going to Leidschendam now! I planned to go earlier, but my host had the flu, so i wasn't able to go away. But it gave me more time to say goodbye to everyone here. I had a great time! Bye Alkmaar, Leidschendam here i come! Big hugs Amelie
Charda charda1982@gmail.com Posted Nov 7, 2008, 9:10 pm	I arrived in Leidschendam today! It wasn't such a long trip. I will update with pictures later
Charda charda1982@gmail.com Posted Nov 16, 2008, 10:13 pm	Today I arrived here in Leidschendam. I hope I'll like it here!
Charda charda1982@gmail.com Posted Nov 16, 2008, 10:24 pm	They have this really strange tradition here in the Netherlands. It's called 'Sinterklaas'. It's a bit like Christmas with the Santa Claus, but not exactly. This is what Wikipedia says about Sinterklaas: The Sinterklaas feast celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas (280-342), patron saint of children. Saint Nicholas was a Greek bishop of Myra in present-day Turkey and became the patron saint of children based on various legends that include resurrecting children from death and saving them from prostitution. Sinterklaas has a long white beard, wears a red bishop's dress and red mitre (bishop's hat), and holds a crosier, a long gold coloured staff with a fancy curled top. Sinterklaas carries a big book with all the children's names in it, which states whether they have been naughty or nice in the past year. Sinterklaas is assisted by many mischievous helpers with black faces and colourful outfits, modelled after 16th century Spanish clothing. These helpers are called Zwarte Pieten (Black Petes) in Dutch (see below for names in other languages). During the Middle Ages, Zwarte Piet was a name for the devil.[citation needed] Having triumphed over evil, it was said that on Saint Nicholas' eve, the devil was shackled and made his slave. Although the character of Black Pete later came to acquire racial connotations, his origins were in the devil figure. Sinterklaas traditionally arrives each year in November (usually on Saturday) by steamboat from Spain, and is then paraded through the streets, welcomed by cheering and singing children. Invariably, this event is broadcast live on national television in the Netherlands and Belgium. His Zwarte Piet helpers throw candy and small, round ginger bread-like cookies, kruidnoten or pepernoten, into the crowd. The children welcome him by singing traditional Sinterklaas songs. And last Saturday he arrived in the Netherlands! He arrived in the town of Almere. We watched some of it online. This is Sinterklaas still on the boat: And this is him with the 'Hoofdpiet': It feels like a real celebration here!
Charda charda1982@gmail.com Posted Jan 3, 2009, 10:19 pm	Today we did something really exciting! We travelled by train! This is me next to a large cup of coffee This is the view from the train: And this is the inside of the train:

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