May
Open the red door to the alley with a key. Open white door to stairs with same key. Up narrow, tip toe size stairs to landing, room 5. I can hear a clock bonging the hour and the sound of wheels on the brick walks...small hard wheels of a suitcase and large soft wheels of a baby stroller. A baby should love to hear his voice jump in a vibrato tone as he rides the bricks. Many many bicycles also riding the bricks. It should make me have to pee. Chris left early so I had breakfast in the bakery alone...cheese, lunch meat, tomatoes, bread. Pleasant weather.
Kids are doing ok. Em isn't feeling the best. I hope they are all okay. Chris has meetings so I walked around Delft and to a windmill. Just the prettiest of small towns! So charming.
Walked to a shop to get something Chris wanted (cheese and stroop waffles). Lady in front of me in line to pay is conversing with the checker in Dutch. I notice she puts aside a package of cookies then a roll of liverwurst. I wonder if she hasn't got enough change. She keeps all the bottles of beer. Should I assume she can't pay and offer her change? I don't know the language nor am I familiar with the Euro. Would it offend her? I feel a bit in a stupor over helping or not helping her. My turn. I pay for my things and feel sad at the unfairness of my 20.00 Euro bill in my hand and only pennies in hers. Perhaps I'll see her outside and give her my change. She can then go buy the two items. I see her out there. Would this confuse or embarrass her to just hand her money like I'm better than her or something? I'll just do it. My thinking and hesitating costs me and I can't find the lady. It's too late to help. My thoughts spin around "I should have done this or I should have done that." My charity was nothing more than a fairy tale that never comes true, a good thought that didn't bear fruit, a seed that never grows and hope that dies. Ok I'm being a bit dramatic as I walk and think but still I pray forgiveness for being in a right time and space to help someone and did not.
There's a horse drawn calliope with puppets that bob up and down. It's filling the square with that old charm music that only calliopes bring. A look and sound of something very happy that you want to climb into and be a part of rather than just observe. The man jingles a tin cup of coins to the rhythm. I drop in 3 coins and remember the woman in the store without enough coins for her food. I remember what I didn't do. A small young girl runs to the calliope wearing an old fashioned red cross hat and another with thick colorful yarns braided into her hair along the skull then bob in her yarn thickened pigtails as she walks. I just can't help but smile. I feel like I'm back in time. Like an observer from the future that no one can see. This charming town so old and the sounds and sights so unlike reality. But it is real to these people and I remain in awe as an observer.
I ride a train to Rotterdam to meet Chris and Bryan and we go to dinner with SKIM. So much continuous smoking in the restaurant.
Again I toured Delft while Chris was in meetings. Found tourist info place. Toured William of Orange Museum at Old Church. Toured Old and New church and went to the candelier next to New Church that info had told me about. I had a guide all to myself and he showed me the whole Dutch Delft pottery process which I just loved! (see journal for fun details on this and the trip)
Went to dinner with Chris and Bryan at a tavern type thing. There was a minstrel singing with accordion fun German sounding beer drinking type songs that everyone seems to know as they sing along. Happy countenances. There were no eating utensils and chickens running around! Just delightful!
Flew to London where we met Mom Clarke and Laurel.
The most thrilling fantastic fun thing of all was to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Paladium theater. Just so perfectly flawlessly done!
Train to Scotland -
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| Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh |
We got to go to Bridge of Weir, home of Archibald and Elizabeth McPhael and Henrietta (who crossed the plains in Willies Hand Cart Co.
I took off my shoes and socks and waded in Loch Lomond. Loved dinner with fresh veggie sticks (beans, carrots, parsnips, zucchini, pea pods) all bound together with a steamed green onion top.
See journal for more
