Holland

I went to Holland this week for a management training course. To my surprise we stayed in an old monastary. It was recently bought over and is now used as a school for young people wanting to work in the hotel business. I'd have to say that the average age of the people working there must have been about 20!

The hotel was in the town of Amersfoort.

We visited one of the old dams and raised it slightly the way they used to do it in the old days by running on giant wheels (almost felt like I was a mouse running around in a wheel)

Holland would not be Holland without bicycles.

As one of the team building event was to sail this 14 meter sail boat in Lelystad.

Boy was it cold, windy and rainy. Notice the small eyes, I think I partied a little too much the night before.

We distributed our roles on the boat (none of us had even sailed a boat before). Mine was the skipper. Then we had mini regadas. It was loads of fun.

Alsace

We went to Alsace in France with our neighbour's a couple of weeks ago. This is one of the many castles in the area. It was on a mountain and had a very impressive view.
Alicia and Lea touring the castle.

One of the little villages we visited. You have to hope you don't have any problems with your neighbours when the houses are so close!

The weather was great! We took long walk through the wine vineyards.

Picked wallnuts from the trees.

Even gathered quite a few.

Look at all those grape vines. Have to say, the wine was excellent.

Alicia playing with Loris at the restaurant.

While we were there Brandon had to be hospitalized for asthma attack.

Feeling a little better.

Transfer in an ambulance from one to the children's hospital. That was both Brandon and my first time in an ambulance. We got to do it again when coming home from Alsace because the hospital insisted we be accompagnied back to Switzerland in case Brandon had another attack (he didn't).