![]() When the supply ran out, we would delight in walking around the corner to a charming “drop” shop to pick up some more. Granny was always sure to have a well-stocked supply of licorice, which we consumed all too quickly. In the living room there was a cupboard which housed the most beautiful tins which contained various sweet and salty treats. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. Best of all was when we would go out for poffertjes, little Dutch pancakes that come smothered in butter and sugar. Tea was the main breakfast drink and around 10 am there was coffee with a lovely piece of boterkoek or speculaas. Granny always made sure to have a small container of orange juice in the fridge as a take-over from her visit to America and the morning glass of OJ. She was such a good cook and her vegetable soup with homemade meatballs was simply the best. Another ritual was het borrel when we would have drinks with peanuts or little cheesy crackers. Once our suitcase was put in the room, Guy and I were off to Nell’s. So good! Going to Nell’s became a ritual. Nell, made and sold the best fries which she put in a cone and slathered with Dutch mayonnaise. On the bottom floor of the apartment was a small grocery store, Nell’s. I loved the compact kitchen and was always quick to do the dishes. The rough granite kitchen counters smelled of the green soap my grandmother used for dishwashing. Another couple of steps down was my mother’s old room which had a trundle bed and next to it was a very compact little kitchen with a half fridge and a small stove and oven. Turning right from the landing one walked a few steps to the bathroom on the right which housed a big storage cupboard and a washboard. A dining room table covered with a Persian run stood in front of the window, a bookcase stood against the far wall and a big desk with an adding machine, that provided hours of amusement for Guy and me, playing store or some such game. Off the living room was the den/dining room. Turning left one took a couple of steps into the living room with its pullout couch where my parents slept, and a lovely round oak coffee table surrounded by comfortable chairs. Beautiful paintings, primarily of Dutch landscapes covered the walls in all rooms but the kitchen and bathroom, many of them painted by my one of my mother’s uncles.įrom the landing was a door to my grandparent’s bedroom with a big window at the back. The smell of grandad’s cigars permeated the air. Then up another short flight of stairs inside, and we were in. Once across the street, Guy and I would run up the outside stairs and press the buzzer at the door to the flat. The apartment had a beautiful orange awning over the living room window. We would cross the bridge on the Overtorm and park our car in one of the spots along the canal in front of the apartment. The visits to Amsterdam were always fantastic! Everything about the two-bedroom apartment on the Amstelveenseweg enchanted Guy and me. Indeed, for all of us, it was a special time as we were able to frequently travel an easy 4 hours by autobahn to visit granny and grandad. While the Canadian Embassy was in Bonn, we lived outside the city in the hamlet of Muffendorf near the town of Bad Godesberg.įor my mother, an only child, this posting was such a gift. What a surprise it was when a year later my father got his new marching orders from External Affairs and we were off to Le Carre’s, Small Town in Germany. Curious children could enjoy looking at the courtyard below and the balconies of all the apartments which faced the Vondelpark – a beautiful central park a block away. At the back of the apartment was a huge deck which the apartment opened to from the kitchen. Being in the apartment on the canal was an adventure. We stayed a few weeks with my grandparents at both ends of the European excursion. It was our turn to take the boat to Rotterdam. A year later my parents decided they would like to visit my grandparents in the Netherlands and take the opportunity to show their children the beauty, history and culture of Europe, which they both knew very well. ![]()
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