Oudewater

SO much to tell you about!
We arrived in Oudewater at Gert and Trees' house on June 1, after madly packing and cleaning up our room at Berite's. We bought Bertie a nice plant friend as a thank you for all that she had done for us, but really thank you is never enough, especially after a whole month of kindness.
When we arrived in Oudewater the whole family was waiting at the house for us (aunts, uncles, grandchildren, cousins, brothers and sisters etc.) It was a little over whelming when we realized that they had all come specifically to meet us! (they said that family doesn't come from Canada every day, so they had to have a big to do). The whole family is very friendly and warm, and most of them speak english, so the first night was fine on the language front. We had a tasty BBQ, took a quick boat ride with Sebastien (one of the grand kids) and then went for a tour around the town of Oudewater with Ed (one of Gert and Trees' sons) and his wife (who I am sorry to say, has aname that I cannot even begin to think about spelling). She is an art teacher, and Ed is an engineer. They showed us the town centre, and the memorials from WWII. There were memorials for people as young as 14 years old, civillians who has died during the German occupation. One of the men on the list died on May 5, which is Liberation Day in Holland, the end of the war. The story goes that he had been listening to the radio, and heard that the peace treaty had been signed, and ran out into the street to celebrate, where he was shot by a German soldier who had not yet heard that the war had ended. Very sad story, it must have been terrible for his family.
Gert and Trees are the couple who we are staying with. They are both in their 70's (although you wouldn't know it, they are so full of energy and spunk). Gert, whos Mother was my Grandfather's cousin, does not speak english, but he is so excited to share stories with me that he makes himself understood through gestures and the occaional word in English or French (He and his wife have a house in France, so they have picked up some of the language on their vacations). For the past two days they have treated us like royalty, they took us to Kinderdijk to see the windmills (I think there are about 18-20) where we got to go inside a mill and see how it works, and where the family that ran it would have lived and slept. The Dijk (dike) is lined with mills, and looks just like every postcard of Holland I have ever seen, but still it is extremely impressive to see in person. A lot of the mills are privately owned, and we even saw one family bringing home their groceries, while the tourists on the path tried to stare in their windows. It was surreal. Yesterday we also met one of Gert's cousins, Hank Van Rooijen (that's how it's spelled here, by the way) and saw his farm, and met his cows. He is a Van Rooyen through anf through. HE has redish hair, and the SAME skin as my Dad, with all the freckles. He was very kind, and showed us around under the roof of his house, because Adrian was courious about the thatching (which is made from reeds that grow along the edges of the canals). Hank did not speak english either, and so through a lot of gesturing and smiling, we made ourselves understood. Actually, I was quite impressed that we were able to spend a whole day with 2 people who speak MINIMAL english, and make ourselves understood. Adrian is very good at the actual learning of languages, he catches on to what the signs say, and he can usually figure out the ingrdients on food packages, but I am very good at imterpreting people's intentions, and their mood. So between the two of us, we're getting along quite well.
Yesterday we also went to the Van Rooijen family farm, where my grandfather was born. I was a little dissapointed tha tthe only original building was the front wall of the old summer house. I guess that there was a fire in 1939, when all of the barns and the house burned to the ground. Adrian and I took photos of the remining wall, and got a shovelfull of dirt for mum and dad's garden, and talked with the current owner. He is the grandson of the man who bought the farm from my great grandfather in 1925, and he lives there with his family, and his mother who lived on the farm for most of her life. It was really amazing to see the same trees and walk on the same ground that my grandfather did more than 100 years ago (he was born in 1906). The sense of history that we felt was really touching, and enhanced by the video of my Grampa that Gert showed me this morning. It was made in 1987, one year after I was born, during the family reunion on the Van Rooyen family farm in Ontario. It was amazing to see Grampa laughing with his brothers... they all looked so similar. I know what my dad will look like when he's 80. :)
Every one here is so interested in my story, and our reason for being here. They think that Adrian and I are quite brave for coming to a town full of strangers in a place on the other side of the world. It makes me feel quite heroic really. Gert has the same family tree book that we have at home, except in Dutch, he was very happy to know that a version of it exists in english.
I realize that this is getting quite long... and I haven't even gotten to describe Oudewater yet. It is the most beautiful town! Small, but not too small, and full of history.
We are having such a wonderful time here, but I don't want to over load you. We will write again either tomorrow morning, or when we get to Munster tomorrow. There is all of today to tell you about!
But we need sleep (we bike 50 km today)
with love
Emma and Adrian