European Holiday with the Family!!

December 8 - January 2 (2019!!!)

Well it's been a long time coming and something we have been talking about since April.  The Winkler's invade Europe!!  I'll end the suspense right now.  No one got deported or arrested, but we did have a lot of fun.  There is a lot to cover so sit down and grab your beverage of choice and get comfortable.  Personally, I am going to have some water as I need to dry out a little after two weeks of singlehandedly attempting to empty every keg and wine bottle in London, Amsterdam and Barcelona (but more on that later).

Before the family arrived, Cheryl and I took a weekend trip to a fun little village called Valkenburg.  It's about 2 hours and 15 minutes from Amsterdam near the Belgium and German borders.  In fact, that is one of the reasons to visit as you can stand in three countries at one time just south of town. Of course Cheryl and I had to partake and stood in The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany all at one time.  It was pretty cool.

The town of Valkenburg is known for creating a Christmas atmosphere with fun shops and decorations and we wanted to get in the Christmas spirit so off we went.  Now you know those cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies where the entire town looks like a Macy's store window and you laugh at how everything is just perfect down to the carolers walking the streets?  Welcome to Valkenburg.  We had a wonderful time just walking, shopping and getting in the Christmas spirit.  The funny thing was, while we were in the hotel getting ready for dinner we heard drums playing outside our hotel window and when we looked out?  Yep, a Christmas parade.  Did I just say Hallmark movie?

The next week was filled with anticipation as we waited for the our flight to London where we would meet the kids for the first leg of our European Vacation (step aside Chevy).  The plan was to all meet in London but unfortunately Kyle and Lindsay got stranded in NYC because of the drone fiasco at the Gatwick London airport.  Though we missed them terribly, they were able to get a flight to Amsterdam on the 23rd (whew!).

The 2 days (actually 1.5) in London were a whirlwind.  A lot of walking, site seeing, eating and drinking.  If you've never been to London during the holidays it is terrific.  There are decorated streets around every corner.  Not quite like Valkenburg but pretty neat.  We were able to see all the classic sites like Buckingham palace, Parliament, Westminster and of course Big Ben.  That was a little underwhelming as the clock tower is undergoing a renovation but of course we still needed to get a selfie.   We (along with 100,000 other people) walked Carnaby Street which has incredible lights.  To add additional impact, the lighted banners had the words to Bohemian Rhapsody to mark the release of the movie about Queen.   We ate at a terrific Indian restaurant called Dishoom that Jenna had on her list and shared many small plates.  Finally, as if all that was not enough for 1.5 days, we decided on a trek out to Abbey Road where we could walk across the famous crosswalk that the Beatles did in 1969.  It was hilarious watching people try to avoid traffic and get that perfect Instagram shot.  Of course we were right there with them.  I'm sure the locals just love idiots like us stopping traffic 24/7.  Wish we had more time in London but we had to get make to Amsterdam for Christmas!


Cheryl and I have been looking so forward to having the kids see our life in Amsterdam.  We wanted to schedule specific activities yet provide everyone time to explore on their own.  You know, so they could smoke a joint or see a sex show in the Red Light District.  Experience the real Amsterdam!  We had everyone stay in our place the first two nights but figured people would start requiring additional space by day three so we rented a room at a neighborhood hotel (come on, we love each other but we aren't idiots!)

Our first experience was a canal ride on a boat to see the lights of Amsterdam from the water.  Though we had great weather every day but one, it so happened the one was during the canal ride.  We were stuck in a 20 foot boat with plastic on three sides.  Fortunately for us we had plenty of beer and Gluhwein wine to keep us going.  Oh and I mustn't forget the matching Amsterdam hats we got to keep us warm.  The only thing missing from those were the neon lights spelling out "tourist"

The remaining three days were filled with traditional activities on Christmas Eve like making mini pizzas and watching Christmas movies.  We played board games, drank wine and enjoyed each others company.  It was a wonderful time.  After Christmas we explored the city visiting the Food Hallen (think big food court) wine tasting and of course we had to test our ice skating abilities.  Not a lot to share there except that fortunately there were no injuries.  We took the "More Beer Tour" (think BrewCycle without the cycle) and of course walked the Red Light district.  I must say, regardless of how old your kids are, it's a little awkward walking past half naked women in windows and sex shops and theaters with them.  "Hey kids let's step inside the Banana Bar and see what's shakin'.  I hear the food is delicious"

Two legs down and one to go.  Since the kids spent so much vacation time and money to "cross the pond" we felt it would be a shame to not visit one more European city.  There are so many options!  We discussed visiting the snow in Austria or the Colosseum in Rome but settled on the great and historic city of Barcelona!  Jenna was meeting a friend of hers to taste the delicious cuisine and wine in Paris and was unable to join us.  We missed her but from the pictures we saw, she had a great time.

We rented an Air BnB in a great location near the center of town so we could walk to most places.  And walk we did!  My Apple activity monitor had us walking an average of over 20K steps a day!  We even walked to see the Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  For those not familiar with Barcelona, that's the one on the TOP OF THE HILL on the outskirts of town.  If you're keeping score at home, I got 21K steps and 131 floors climbed that day.  Did I mention I was wearing jeans?  Hello?  This is vacation!

The rest of the trip was a lot of fun.  We saw the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, the, Cathedral of Barcelona, the Olympic Stadium, attended a Barcelona basketball game and dipped our feet in the Mediterranean Sea.  Unfortunately the tickets to see the inside of the famous La Sagrada Familia were sold out, but just being near the outside is extremely impressive.  A few us even decided to take a sail boat ride on the Mediterranean Sea.  If you're keeping score at home, I got no steps for that trip and was extremely happy about it.

It wasn't all about seeing the sites, we also had some terrific meals and plenty of beer and wine (big surprise there!).  We had street food at the Central Market, amazing paella at Bodega Joan and Italian at the El Nacional.  Barcelona is catching up to the beer culture and we found many great beer places like the Beer Garage and the Humble Beer.

We were fortunate to be able to spend New Year's Eve in Barcelona.  We had dinner as a fun place called Beer'linale.  From there we went back to cheers a fantastic 2018 and welcome 2019 and play Kings Cup.  It was my first time playing this drinking game, and between having to drink with T-Rex arms, naming types of cereal and answering questions with questions, I'm surprised we made it out on the town to celebrate at midnight.  But we ended up at the Dow Jones Bar where prices for drinks fluctuate with how many drinks are sold.  Needless to say, prices soared when the Winklers walked through the door.  We had a great time and loved that we had no where to be the next morning and slept until 11 am.


Unfortunately the time came to say good bye.  Cheryl and I had an early flight back to Amsterdam while everyone else flew out later in the day to London.  I think it was good that the good byes happened quickly in the morning which minimized the tears.  We had so much fun being together and I so look forward to when we are all together again.  Cheryl and I love and miss our family so much.

Until next time........Happy New Year everyone!!

Another milestone in the books!

July 31 - August 22

I did so well in only having one week between blog entries last time and now it's been over three weeks!  I have a good excuse because we have hard at work checking of milestones on our overseas adventure checklist.  If you're interested, read on!!

If you've been paying attention (which I know you have), you know having a bike in Amsterdam is critical to maximizing your ability to experience the city as well as just being efficient in how you navigate your way around.  I bought mine after visiting one bike shop for 10 minutes.   As for Cheryl, it wasn't quite so straight forward.  There were many hours of investigation including a thorough internet evaluation and MULTIPLE bike shop surveys.  Did she go for the white Cortina, or the blue Popal?  Hand brakes or the "dutch way.?"  Single speed or multispeed?  Oh so many choices and options to consider.  Then one day she woke up and said today is the day and pulled the trigger.  She decided on a Gazelle PUUR NL 3 2018 Dames 46 cm.  It is a three speed, Sienna brown with rear brakes (the Dutch way). It is a BEAUTY!  We can now explore the four corners of the city as the Dutch do.

As most of you know, Kyle is getting married September 8 and what precedes a wedding?  The bachelor party!!!  Kyle, 9 of his closest friends and Dad as a tag along took a motor home road trip up north to Canada.  Though I can't go into detail because "what happens on a bachelor party, stays with the bachelor party," I can say it was a blast.  We did a little drinking, playing cards, some more drinking, hiking and trail runs, then to a bar for a drink.  It was a lot of fun enjoying time with "just the guys."  During the trip, I was in a pub buying a round of drinks (shocking) and noticed I had 3 different currencies in my wallet.  How crazy is that? When we moved to Amsterdam, the goal was to visit many different countries and cultures, but in the last 5 weeks I have been in 6 countries (Belgium, UK, France, Netherlands, U.S. and Canada).  Maybe its time to slow down a bit! 


It's been been a long road going from an established routine complete with cars, motorhome trips, weekend BBQs and parties at the house, to living in a new city with no routine (unless you count wine every night and weekly trips to IKEA).  The motorcycle went first, followed by the Intruder, then the pathfinder and finally the mini Cooper.  I can now say that the house officially sold!  Cheryl and I have had a mortgage payment in one house of another for over 30 years and now that streak is broken.  It feels strange but in a good way.  It is a liberating feeling knowing that you have no ties to a particular area and have a clean slate when we return.  I may feel differently 2 years from now when we can't find a place to live but hey, let me enjoy the moment. 

Cheryl and I have been Hall and Oates fans since before we were in high school.  I'm not going to tell you how long ago that was, but Abandon Luncheonette was the first album we bought.  We have seen them multiple times in concert and before we knew we were leaving, Cheryl bought tickets for us to see them again in the Moda Center.  Since I was already home for the bachelor party, I hung out an extra day so Kyle and I could go to the concert.  Lexie, Kenzie, Greg and our friend Philly decided to join and we all took a trip back in time to watch two old, but terrific musicians.  We exchanged bets on whether or not they would come out in walkers.  They didn't and put on a great show. 

Well, that's the latest.  Until next time!

Alexander Boersstraat 54 II

May 30 - June 3

As I mentioned in the last post, there were some big events coming up in the next 10 days.  Well one of them happened Friday June 1.  I MOVED INTO OUR AMSTERDAM APARTMENT!!

It is super exciting.  Our new address is Alexander Boersstraat 54 II, 1071 KZ Amsterdam NL.  Yes I realize you will get carpal tunnel typing all that in which is why I expect no cards or letters from the states.  Besides, that's what texts and emails are for.  At least you know what to type into your phone when you get on the plane to come see us.  Oh ya, that too will never happen.  But if it does, you know where to find us.

It was quite the event moving here.  First of all, I came by a couple of days early to walk through the apartment while Facetiming with Cheryl to see what "furnished" really means and how much of our own stuff from Beaverton should get shipped over.  The verdict?  The entire kitchen needs to come over.  Not that it matters to me as I've been eating pizza, but Cheryl needs her good knives, pots and small appliances (we have a converter for the electricity).  So once that was done, I went back for my final night in Utrecht.  Unfortunately before I got to my place my car got backed into!  Oh great, less that 30 days in the Netherlands and I'm in a car accident.  Fortunately there is just a scratch on my bumper that I doubt will even get noticed.  The other driver was a "younger" kid (with a full beard) and we waited at the scene for his dad as there was a significant dent hi his bumper.  Of course I couldn't understand what he was saying but by the look on the kids face, the volume of the dads voice and all the arm waving, I don't think he is going to be letting his son drive again anytime soon.   

Thursday night was busy as I had to repack all of my clothes, gather up the food I had accumulated and do laundry so I was ready to head out to Amsterdam first thing Friday morning.  Before I did all of that, I had to join Jerome and Mo for one last Ramen meal at Sanju.  "The usual" I said to Jerome as I walked in.  Then it occurred to me that I was one of THOSE guys!  Maybe its good for me to be moving on.   

Simply packing up and loading the car is not as trivial as it seems.  There is literally no room in front of my apartment to park so I need to have everything staged at the door, go get the car, then park in front of my door with the hazard lights on (like that really helps the pissed off person behind me) and do my best impression of an Indy Car Pit Crew and get everything loaded.  ready. Set. Go!  Unlock the front door (tick, tick tick), load the front seat (tick, tick, tick), remotely pop the hatch while getting anther box (tick, tick, tick).  Jump in and hit the gas!  Made it in record time!!  I didn't get it all as I have to come back for the bike in the afternoon.  Jeez got to do this AGAIN!

The stress of the loading event had passed as I got to Amsterdam to meet Dorte (rep from Cartus), Nadia (real estate agent) and Pauline (landlord) to take possession of the apartment.  Seeing it cleaned and move in ready reaffirmed we made the right choice.  It is such a neat apartment.  I think we will be very happy here.  There is plenty of space, the large deck and excellent location.  Pauline is terrific and really concerned that everything must be perfect at move in.  The TV wasn't working and she immediately demanded a cable guy come right over.  "Pauline" I said, "I haven't watched one minute of TV the past 30 days!  It's fine." Cable guy was there in 30 minutes.  I need Pauline on my services staff at work!!

OK, back to Utrecht for the final loading.  The heart rate began to accelerate as I rehearsed the loading sequence in my mind and I approached Korte Lauwerstraat #3 one final time.  What if the bike doesn't fit?  What is my back up plan?  I decided to take the safe route and parked the car in a safe location and rode the bike to the car to test fit.  Pretty smart eh?  (I was born at night, but not last night!)  Oh no, bike didn't fit!  3/4 in and the hatch won't close and no rope to tie the hatch down.  My solution?  Make a rope out of a garbage bag.  It wasn't pretty and the Utrecht passers by could only shake their heads as I slowly and carefully drove to Amsterdam holding my breath that I would not lose the bike out the back.

The unpacking was uneventful and I had a terrific first nights sleep.  I got up Saturday morning and went for a run in Vondelpark.  It is a huge and beautiful park literally right next to our apartment.  The run was terrific (as runs go anyway) as there are miles (or kilometers) of trails crossing back and forth in and around the trees and ponds scattered throughout.  I see Cheryl and I spending many hours in Vondelpark. 

After the run, I decided to see what Amsterdam had to offer.  I had heard at work about "A Taste of Amsterdam" food event at Amstelpark.  Food, alcohol and a bike ride away on a beautiful day.  That's a pretty easy decision.  It was a fun event with many types of food and beer and wine.  My favorite was the Gado Gado by Remy Martin.  I know I sound smart saying that but truth be told, I didn't even know what Gado Gado was but it was 4 euros and that's how many tokens I had left in my pocket.  Serendipity!

If you remember a couple posts back I went off on the Google translator app.  I used it today as I was approaching the entrance to the A Taste of Amsterdam and wanted to show you first hand.  I had arrows pointing in two different directions.  Where to go, where to go..... Turn on the app point my phone at the sign and presto, I know right where to go!  It's like magic!

So that's it for now.  Another big event happening in a few days.  Looking forward to it.  Until them...........

Time to catch up on the blog!!!

May 16 - 29

Wow how time flies!  It has been almost 2 weeks since my last update.  Sheesh, I was going to update the blog at least weekly.  It's amazing what nice weather (hottest May in 300 years here), good food and wine, plus a bike will do to my planning.  Of course I covered myself saying this wouldn't be a daily blog but at this rate it may turn into monthly!!.

A lot has been happening so grab yourself an Americano and let me catch you up!


Of course everything starts and ends with alcohol so as to not disappoint, let's start there.  I have been doing may share in enjoying the wonderful wines and "OK" beers here in the Netherlands but as amazing as it sounds, I have not had many spirits.  Marty at my go to coffee shop knew I worked at Nike and turned me on to a whiskey bar only a block away and the owners wife works at Nike.  It's called the Malt Vault and it's pretty cool.  They have many types of whiskey (said Captain Obvious), some of which, are very exclusive brands (I can't name any of them but take my word for it!).  Sitting on the sidewalk tasting whiskey, not bad, not bad at all.

Not far behind the alcohol is the food.  Wow the food here in Utrecht has been really delicious.  I've had salads, burgers, pasta, pizza, kabobs and of course the Ramen and Kangaroo.  Even as good as it is, it is made even better by the atmosphere.  There are a couple shopping areas here where it is foot traffic only (that's serious if bikes are not allowed) that have many shops and restaurants.  A few of the restaurants are located right on the canal which on a sunny day makes anything taste good.  Even my barbecue ham and a can of Safeway Select cut green beans would stand a chance here.

With lots of good food and wine comes lots of good calories.  As you all know I am a exercise psycho and need to work out everyday.  It has been made worse by my obsession with Orange Theory Fitness.  I got hooked on the whole green/orange/red system while in Beaverton.  OTF has an app with a selection they call "Out of Studio" workouts.  Its where your monitor logs your workout with the green/orange/red system away from a studio.  Even here in the Netherlands!  I use it everyday and though I really feel I'm getting excellent workouts in and burning a lot of calories, my belt buckle tells a much different story.  I guess it's time for a new belt!

Last Sunday my boss Nuno and his wife Patricia graciously invited me to spend the day with them in Amsterdam to walk and learn the city.  Of course when they said walk the city I didn't think they meant WALK THE CITY.  Hey Nuno, Amsterdam has an amazing public transit system!  Nuno and Patrician are Portuguese so we started at a wonderful Portuguese cafe called Nata Lisboa.  We had some delicious tarts and coffee before heading out for "a 3 hour tour..... a 3 hour tour."   Though I joke about all the walking, it really was a terrific day and I can't thank Nuno and Patricia enough for all the time they spent showing me the best theaters, comedy clubs and markets to go to.  We even walked by Cheryl and my future residence.  It was also my first attempt at navigating the intercity train system by myself.  It's less than an hour door to door from my place but I gave myself two hours just to be sure.  I only had to talk to the information center person twice.  I think that's pretty good!

This last weekend I had planned to go to a nice little lake called Henschotermeer for a little run and possibly a jump in the water since it was over 27 C here.  As I was getting my gear together I got a text "Vickiy Van Beek here in Amsterdam!!!!"  For those that don't know, the Van Beeks are long time friends from Tri-Cities Washington.  You may remember them from our visit at Lost Coast Brewery during our 1ktothebay ride (see below).   We never see them where we live.  We want to wait until we are thousands of miles away.  It gives "I was just in the neighborhood" a whole new meaning.  OK, so back to the story.....   So I obviously decided to put the jog on hold and opted for the ice cold beer near the canal in Amsterdam.  Just call me the Rocket Surgeon for making such intelligent choices!  It was soooooo much fun spending the afternoon with the Van Beeks and their traveling friends Paula and Jeff.  I can't wait to see them when I travel to Antarctica.  I can see it now, "Vickiy Van Beek here in Antarctica!!!!"

So that's it for now.  I've got some big things coming up in the next 10 days but I'll leave that as a surprise for now.  Until then, so long from Utrecht!