Wednesday 13 July 2011
We were late to rise but rewarded with a breakfast bounty. If the table wasn't so sturdy it couldn't have held it all. Cheeses of course, seven kinds of breads, five meats, jam, honey, special cereals, fresh espresso, tea, milk, flowing yoghurts. Then we were off to see castles in the neighborhood and lunch at a Cistercian monastery where the calves were friendly enough to let you stick your hand in their mouth (obviously a love thing and not a desire for food).
Roos had been busy on our behalf, arranging to collect our money wired from Santa Monica before we left to pay for our camper home, speaking in German to our man Sebastian about the readiness of our vehicle that we would pick up the next day in Cologne, Germany, and insure/register/pay tax on, and a dozen other details.
But what was that? Roos was saying things we didn't like to hear, even in German. Then she relayed the unbelievable news: our little van had been hit by a large truck, while Sebastian watched helplessly and in shock from the window of the government office where he sat arranging paperwork.
We were late to rise but rewarded with a breakfast bounty. If the table wasn't so sturdy it couldn't have held it all. Cheeses of course, seven kinds of breads, five meats, jam, honey, special cereals, fresh espresso, tea, milk, flowing yoghurts. Then we were off to see castles in the neighborhood and lunch at a Cistercian monastery where the calves were friendly enough to let you stick your hand in their mouth (obviously a love thing and not a desire for food).
Roos had been busy on our behalf, arranging to collect our money wired from Santa Monica before we left to pay for our camper home, speaking in German to our man Sebastian about the readiness of our vehicle that we would pick up the next day in Cologne, Germany, and insure/register/pay tax on, and a dozen other details.
But what was that? Roos was saying things we didn't like to hear, even in German. Then she relayed the unbelievable news: our little van had been hit by a large truck, while Sebastian watched helplessly and in shock from the window of the government office where he sat arranging paperwork.
But he told us he would have another very similar vehicle for us the next day to drive for the three weeks it would take to go through insurance and repair it. Unbelievable. What a disaster. But whatcha gonna do?
You're going to let Henri and Roos take you out to dinner at their favorite local restaurant, in de Heerlyckheid, for a spectacular four-course "surprise" feast.
The following day we'd see what awaited us in Cologne.
Look at it this way, you've got that unfortunate but inevitable car incident out of the way in your first couple days...it's all smooth sailing...errr... driving from here on.
ReplyDeleteoh no! but i agree with tim, now thats out of the way and soon you'll be off to great adventures :)
ReplyDeleteIf not for the unexpected, then what's the point of travel? Luckily, you packed great stores of optimism and creativity --- and they don't even take up any room! Adventure on!
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