The Prodical Daughter
Trip Start
Nov 04, 2010
1
15
22
Trip End
Jan 04, 2011
Where I stayed
Kats Host Family
Odiliapeel, North Brabant, Netherlands
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
For the next 2 days we are visiting Odiliapeel in southern Netherlands, it is a small village of around 2000. Kat lived here for 5 months in 2001 as an exchange student and every few years she gets back to see her old host family to which she has become quite attached.
We caught the train from Brussels and were greeted at the station by Kat's host mum and brother Thea and Frank. Everyone was so excited she was home, she talks so fondly of the place that i was super excited to see what all the fuss what about. i can tell you, the country charm was not lost on me.
Our accommodation was an old farmhouse just on the edge of town. It was lovely, we had the place to ourselves and it was very rustic. The Netherlands is so flat that you can ride anywhere. Kat had talked about riding while she was on exchange so i was looking forward to the challenge. We arrived at our accommodation around 4 and needed to be back in town ( about 2kms away by 5) we got our bikes and headed in, it was such a great time, we rode only by the light of our bikes off into the darkness.
It was so quiet and peace full with only the familiar and over powering stench of pig excrement to keep us amused on the short ride. We arrived and had a traditional dutch meal. Frite Special (chips with a curry sauce and onions) which sounds bad but was spectacular and a selection of other dutch foods from frickendle (a sausage thingy) Kaassouffle ( a deep fried cheese thing) it was all really nice and it brought back many of fond memories for Katherine, she really had a great time catching up with her host Family, father Jaan and daughter Marion with her boyfriend Derek. We talking late into the night and had the most beautiful ride home chatting in the darkness.
the next day we decided to ride the bikes to Uden, its a small town of around 8000 about 7kms away. We were lucky as in Holland you generally have a lane either side of the road dedicated to bikes. We rode for a while stopping to marvel and the beautiful countryside and arrived in Uden around lunchtime, we did a bit of shopping but mainly just walked around, it brought back memories for Kat, and to be honest our bums were starting to get sore from the pushbikes so we were happy for the break. we had a beautiful picnic lunch in the park and basked in the winter sunshine for a while. It really is a pretty place. We had a few drinks that night in Odiliapeel, with a few of Kat's old friends coming along, it was a night of laughter and reminiscing. We made the bike trip back around 11, guided only by moonlight and a small bike light it really was something to remember.
We left Odiliapeel the next morning and catch the train to Amsterdam, needless to say we are both super pumped and can't wait to immerse ourselves in the culture.
Hoedo (good bye in Odiliapeel)
Leigh and Kat
Comments
I am so glad Katherine got to see her host family again. It is always such a trip to go back to the small towns you do your exchange in! I can just imagine how much fun she had
Your entries are getting better and better I am with you in your stories...and remember shop till you drop and post it all back....So pleased you made it to Odiopeel..Miss you both so very much...xxxxxxxxx