This Week in Wijnjewoude 2024

  Week 51 in Wijnjewoude Cheryl Christmas Day 2nd Christmas Day Preppers 3 good things Best Wishes for the New Year! Certainly one to look forward to :-) We parked the car at a Park & Ride - caught the train to Central Station, walked through the Zeedijk, the Chinese Quarter and the Red Light District. Ben bought some buns from "the best Chinese shop"... The Begijnhof There's  a small courtyard close to the centre of Amsterdam - the Begijnhof  (Begijn Gardens). Dating from 1389 at least - the plaque says that it "was first mentioned in a book" of that date. The security chap at the gate said that the most important thing inside is to "please be quiet".                                                                           Then coffee... Then my favorite - a visit to Soho House.....

  Week 50 Christmas Haha getting forgetful in my old age... So, Happy Christmas...from Ken, Janny & Ben xxx (a day in Amsterdam, yesterday - then to Schiphol to say goodbye to Cheryl)

Week 50 Of interest Cheryl Christmas 92nd Birthday! Photos   Electric cars Electric cars are no longer cheaper to run than petrol or diesel-fuelled vehicles after the government wound down subsidies and tax breaks designed to encourage drivers to switch. The latest assessment by motoring organisation ANWB finds that electric cars cost almost 76 cents a kilometre to run, taking in the cost of fuel, maintenance, wear on tyres and depreciation. Petrol-powered cars are around 9 cents per kilometre cheaper. The high cost of electric vehicles, which cost €46,000 on average to buy new, has been offset by subsidies and tax benefits, but the new cabinet has watered down previous commitments to stimulate the transition to renewable energy. School Teachers Primary and secondary schools and vocational colleges are struggling with a shortage of 13,000 teachers and the number is expected to remain high for several years, education ministers Eppo Bruins and Mariëlle Paul have warned. Aging Frank ...

Week 49 Sunday Down to Amsterdam to pick up Ben and then to Schiphol to pick up Cheryl... Photos from the rooftop of Soho House - Ben's "Gentlemen's Club". Our car park in Amsterdam €34,00 for 3 hours!!. It is decorated for the Amsterdam 750 Years as a City celebrations... We had lunch at a Greek restaurant - set up as a "kiosk" at the edge of a park. Ben always provides us with a bit of "adventure" - should come more often, he says :-) On Monday, Tjeerd and I went for an extracurricular activity - a friends boat needed to be wrapped a little for the winter - the owners couldn't make it over from England. It's a bit rough as it was typically cold, wet and windy - but we hope it does the job... I  took a photo of Houtrib - also wrapped up for the winter (an "Aussie" boat registered with home port Melbourne). Cheryl joined the Day Activity clients for yet another birthday cake - they all received an Aussie Kangaroo pin - very though...