Europe - Trip 5

Day 7 - February 10, 2002

Older type road with newer type mill

We got up this morning and headed back south to Greetsiel to check out the lighthouse on the main coastal dyke. It was a great view and finally helped get Sue’s lighthouse quotient up high enough. Not much else to see there other than the ocean and the polder and some lovely farm canals along with a scenic whack of grasses and birds and the local German families out for a lovely windy stroll.

Sue trodding towards the lighthouse of Greetsiel

We did a bit more driving and viewing and stopping and picturing, probably driving Marten around the bend as we took too many photos of things that he thought were completely mundane and pedestrian. He mentioned that Todd’s interest in the clouds was unusual as he sees such lovely sites most days of the year. Todd pointed out that it had rained almost continuously since they arrived on this side of the Atlantic. Sue went back to the car.

We then stopped for a bite to eat in Emden where Sue and Marten had nice cups of coffee and Todd decided to have Oostfriesian tea, a presentation that later he saw was seemingly only ordered by old ladies. He sat and tried to act tough (pinky in) so that the construction workers at a nearby table didn’t look at funny and say things like, “yer naut frem around heer boy arr yew,” except in German. Sue and Marten mostly laughed.

Just as it looks - Canals with grasses

The drive back was lovely as we sauntered through an stretch of road (near Slochteren) lined with old farms and farm houses – houses that were many times attached to barns in the back. Marten pointed out many excellent examples of various ages.

Dutch clouds in Germany

We finally got back to Groningen and the Wierenga household where we started making the salsas (onion/basil/lime and tomatoe/chilli/onion/basil) and getting the rest of the meal prepped. The kids came as well, Pieternel, Luci, Marten and Rolf. Sue and Todd feel that the meal was enjoyed quite a bit, from the taco ingredients of broiled fish and stir fried chicken to the salsas and other filler bits.

More visiting and conversation ensued until the youngins headed home (but for Rolf) and we headed for bed.

Nice and sunny with big fluffy clouds and only a little bit of rain and fewer German beer drinking type lounge tunes on the radio.