Go-Karting

We were happy that the Niederriter family was able to join us last month in Holland for part of their European vacation.

We did some of the regular stuff when they were here…. Anne Frank House, Zaanse Schaans, and of course a drink on a cool day on the Grote Markt. We also had a very memorable night at Frank and Natasja’s house. It started out at 5:30 with a gigantic paella for dinner and ended up eight hours later with karaoke to some unknown 50-Cent rap number. There must have been a few bottles of wine in there somewhere…......I don’t know where else all those f-bombs would have come from ;-)

But the real highlight of their time in Holland was the go-karting. We had been planning this for months in advance and after the Niederitter’s returned to Haarlem from a long haul trip through Belgium and France, the boys were ready for some fun on the speed circuit.

This Go-Kart place was like nothing I’ve ever seen in America. The huge warehouse complex held two serpentine race tracks, complete with bleachers and a large bar and restaurant. There were also plenty of video games and funky 3D reality-rides scattered throughout the place. The closest thing that I can compare it with is a Dave and Busters on steroids….but everything was oriented toward auto racing.

Let me tell you…they take their go-kart racing seriously. When we entered the hall, karts were screaming around the track at speeds that looked more like street racing than a kiddie ride. It was immediately apparent that his was NOT your average karting place found in the beach or mountain resorts in the states.

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After watching one race, the younger riders looked a bit nervous about what they had gotten themselves into.






















Now that the skid suits are on, they are looking a little more confident




















Lined up and ready to roll!



















What? You didn't think that we'd let the kids have ALL the fun, did you?



















This was really a blast! The cars zipped around the track and it was pretty cool skidding into the banked turns. But you know that you are really getting to be an old fart when you start to hope for the ride to end....not because it's scary anymore, but because you are getting motion sick from following the same serpentine course...over and over and over and over and over....

American Holiday

Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted anything. We’ve been traveling for the past two weeks in America with our good friends Frank, Natasja, and Eva. We started in the hustle and bustle of New York, then spent a great evening with Beth's parents in Rehoboth Beach before heading west for the peace and quiet of Mountain Maryland. We finished up with a visit to Pam’s in Washington, DC. It was a great trip by any measure.

New York City – Has it changed? Or did I? This is my third trip to the city and in the past I’ve never felt comfortable there – almost intimidated.


This time was different. Maybe it’s because we’ve been spending more time in places like Paris, Barcelona, and of course Amsterdam, but this time New York almost felt like home. The bright lights and bustle of midtown were exciting....


...but the real pleasure was spending time out in the districts – Greenwich Village, SOHO, Tribeca, Union Square, the Upper West Side and Brooklyn.

West Village – near Beth’s SAP office

West Village bakery. They were lined up around the corner for this one….it must have been good! Reminiscent of the Soup Nazi.

West Village

Doggie playground – Washington Square Park, Greenwich Village

Chess match in Washington Square Park. A bit cliché for a photo, but these guys were definitely for real.

Brooklyn Bridge. I never knew how cool this bridge was. We took a cab over to Brooklyn to visit a boxing school from one of Frank’s friends. The neighborhood was funky, the views gorgeous and the walk back across the bridge outstanding!

Intricate cables on the bridge. It is the Spiderman/Gwen Stacy bridge, right?

We stumbled on to a massive protest around city hall. This dancing troupe was hilarious. It’s not the same in a still photo. You really needed to hear them singing and see them “wagging their missiles”. It was refreshing to see dissent. It made me feel a little bit American for a change.

Lunch in the park in Midtown.

Relaxing in Central Park on a beautiful New York day.

The Chrysler Building is still my favorite building in the city.

The visit to Maryland was also great! I didn’t take many pictures but it was an extremely relaxing time visiting with friends and family out in the mountains. This picture of the Beth and Eva as they headed down the Youghiogheny River. I think it nicely captures our time in Western Maryland.

Washington DC was…well….Washington, DC. I don't think I need to expand on my thoughts about this city. However, it was pretty interesting as we showed our Dutch friends around the monuments on the mall. Have you ever noticed that 90% of them are war memorials? Or intricately related to war? I guess that is what the central area of our nation's capital is reserved for, but I never really thought about it until seeing it through the eyes of foreigners who weren’t all that familiar with the city and/or history. “Oh no. Not another war monument.”

Here is a picture of one that you all know by heart. It remains one of my favorites. If you've never read the speaches inscribed on the walls here, I highly recommend it. They are inspired compared to today's politics.

Our time with Pam was wonderful and we are looking forward to returning the hospitality when she comes to visit us in July.