My trip to Europe:
On the 28th of December 2004 I left New
Zealand for my trip to Europe! My "Oma" (grandmother), Granddad and "Nanna"
brought me to the airport in Auckland. After some drinks in the restaurant
we say goodby and I left for the departure lounge. I boarded on the plane at
15.55 and we left at 16.30. Taken of was great fun....the first time for me
to fly...wow....
I flew with the airline Emirates
Click here for the route I flew.
Auckland - Brisbane:
On the plane I met a boy, James who was flying to Brisbane Australië, and we
talked about playstation-games and before I knew we where in Brisbane. In
Brisbane I had 10 minutes to go on another plane to Singapore.
Singapore - Dubai.
On this flight I met a girl,
Sarah who was flying to Dubai. It was good to meet some people on the plane
from my age to talk to. We arrived in Singapore at 02.00 (local time).
With the landing in Singapore I was getting sick! I had to vomit and felt
terribble. In Singapore we had a 10 minutes stop before my flight to Dubai.
Dubai - London:
We left Dubai 07.55 local time.
Arriving in London:
My Dad lives with his girlfriend in Bromley London click her for map
Me, cooking in Dads flat
Click here for foto's [under
construction]
Opa and Oma Ellen coming to London:
My Opa [and Oma Ellen] came down to London [by car -ferry] on the 30th
of Januari 2005 to pick me up for going to Belgium. I was really excited to
see my Opa....I did not seen him now for nearly 8 years! I walked with my
Dad to Cristal Palace park where we would meet Opa. At 14.30, Opa rang my
Dad to say that they had arrived...but we could'nt find him? It apeared that
they where waiting at another entrance then where we where....so my Dad and
me walked to the other entrance....
Meeting Opa and Oma Ellen:
We where about 50 meters away from the carpark of the other entrance but
we I did'nt see Opa... there whas only a lady and a men taking pictures...it
was looking like they took pictures from us....then my Dad said "that's your
Opa"!!! I did not reconized Opa...he was looking older and I did'nt know Oma
Ellen....a warm feeling was coming in my stomach and I speeded to Opa to
gave him a big kuddel!
London - Belgium:
We left London at aprox. 16.30 for the ferry to across the canal [between the U.K. and Europe] We arrived in Calais [France] after an 1hr.15 trip. It was very stranges to see everyone driving on the wrong side of the road....the trafic in Europe drives on the righthand side....After a trip of 2 1/2 hours [ I slept most of the time do...]we arrived in Tongeren Belgium[Tongeren is Belgium oldest town]....the city where my Opa lives. I will stay with my Opa for a fourthnight [untill the 14th of januari 2005]
Belgium:
Click here for the map of
Belgium and info about Tongeren
After a good night sleep I woke up at 9
o'clock and after breakfast I looked around at Opa's and Oma Ellen's
property. It's so big....there are two buildings connected with eachother.
They have two companies, CFIweb- internetcompagny [www.cfiweb.be]and
Chrandels fashion - Ladies gala-evening-dresses wholesale compagny [www.chrandels.com].
The buildings are stil in renovation, and there is al lot of rooms to be
renovate. The left building is where Opa and Oma Ellen lives, the right
building is where my uncle Sonny [son of Opa] gonna lives, when it's
finished.
2004-2005:
On the last day of 2004 we went to Maastricht in Holland. It's about a 15 minutes drive from Tongeren. The center of Maastricht on the market it was set up with a lot of atractions..."Winterland"! It was very cold but good fun!
For more information about Maastricht click here
At 00.00 hr. we lit some fireworks Opa and Oma Ellen bought for me...great fun!!! IT'S 2005!!!
On the 2de of januari I helpt with Hökon [Oma Ellen's father] spreading some woodchips on to the parking!
Trip to Vaals:
We made a day-trip to Vaals. What's so special to Vaals? Vaals is the most southern located place of The Netherlands. Just a bit to the south and you're in Germany. A bit to the west and you're in Belgium. Vaals is especially known for the Three Countries Point just outside the town, on the highest location of the country. That's where the borders of The Netherlands meet in one point with those of Belgium and Germany. In dutch it's called "Drielandenpunt". Vaals is also the town where Oma Ellen grew up. It's an very nice area [well for dutch standards] there are some hills [ like the dutchies call them...in fact it's only not so flat as anywhere else in Holland!]but there is some forest and nice [small] roads with nice scenery.
I ly down on "Drielandenpunt "with my feet in Germany, my bottom in Holland and my head in Belgium...cool!
For more information about "Drielandenpunt" click here
On the same day we made a trip to Netherlands-American Cemetery and Memorial in Margaraten. It was freezing cold [-4] so we did not stay very long. Opa could not walk very long and we did not bring his wheel chair. I had an impresion of the many soldiers who died here in this area in the second world war. [Click here for more information about the wars in Europe]
On the way back to Belgium we had a drive over Aachen - Germany. Click here for some photo's Opa took on an previous trip
Trip to Dinant:
After a nice drive - ca. 2 hours - through hilly country we arrived in Dinant. Dinant lies in the south of Belgium close to the borders of France. The Citadel is built during the Dutch occupation c. 1820. A famous native of Dinant is Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone.
We visit the fortress by cable-lift. [You can walk the 420 step stair leading to the top of the rock, but because Opa can't walk [click here for the website of Opa's medical history about loosing his right leg] we took the cable-lift] Inside the citadel is an arms museum, dioramas and a collapsed shelter cave. It was very impresive to look from the top over the city Dinant and I had an good impresion of people living in the 1800 period.
For more information about Dinant click here
The Netherlands:
Click here
for information and the map of The Netherlands
My grandparents Cornelissen:
We went for a day-trip to my grandparents in Grave Holland. This was for me an exited meeting as that my grandparents where in New Zealand when I was born. I have never seen them, apart from pictures. It took us about 3 hours to drive to there place. The trip was a bit boaring as that everything in Holland looks the same.....and so flat!
It was so good to meet them and they where very nice...like my Opa :-) They are 83 years old but my granddad looks much younger. Even I could not understand dutch I had fun with my granddad.
Uncle Sonny:
On monday the 3th of januari 2005 uncle Sonny picked me up! I was going to stay for 4 day's at his place in Tegelen [Venlo].
My grandmother Vermeulen:
With uncle Sonny we visited Oma vermeulen [grandmother] who lives in Venray.
click here for photo's
[a pitty that there where not many photo's made with my visit to my
grandmother....uncle Sonny is not such a photografer as Opa!]
More information about Venray click here
Daytrip to safaripark "Beekse bergen" Hilvarenbeek:
Uncle Sonny, Oair and me went for a daytrip to safaripark Beekse Bergen in Hilvarenbeek - between Tilburg and Eindhoven - a 1 1/2 hour trip.
click here for photo's [Because I was only for 4 days in Holland I
had not the opportunity to visit a lot of places!]
More information about "nice things in Holland
to visit"
click here.
[Uncle Sonny brought me back in the evening to Belgium thursday the 6th januari 2005.]
The coming days I spent my days with helping Opa a little with renovations and working on this website. Wednesday the 12th januari we will go to Disneyland and the Eifeltower in Paris!
More information about Paris click here
Disneyland Paris:
On wednesday 12 Jan.2005 we[Opa and Oma Ellen and me] left for a two day trip to Disneyland in Paris. We left at 6 o'clock in the morning by car. We arrived in Disneyland at 10.30 and we checked in at the Cheyene Hotel where we stayed for one night. From the hotel we left by shuttle for Disneyland [ 2 minutes drive] and there it was......wow, Disneyland!
I had two days of fun, fun and more fun! Oma Ellen went with me in every atraction. I had however some bad luck...on the first day when we came back [late] in our hotel...I did not have my wallet anymore....I lost it!!! Oma Ellen and Opa went to the reception to report the missing wallet. [I was really upset about it because there was not only my pocket money in it, I had also english pounds [about 60 nzdollars] given from Opa and Oma Ellen and some money I won with playing cards...] Opa and Oma Ellen bought for me an another wallet....and they gived me the lost money as well...they are so kind....now I have to make sure to keep my pockets zipped up![what they where telling me all the time...!] Was I suprized the next morning when Opa told me that the wallet was found....with all the money still in there!!!
The planning on the second day was to go to the Eifeltower....but Opa and Oma Ellen gived me the choice to go to the Eifeltower or stay in Disneyland! I made my mind up very quickly...stay in Disneyland...I loved it there, and I did not see all the actractions yet. wow another day Disneyland!
click for slideshow
Luxembourg:
As that we stayed the whole day in Disneyland [it was really so much fun] it was late when we left Paris. The planning was to drive trough Luxembourg to go back to Belgium. Therfore was it dark by time we arrived in the capital of Luxembourg named also Luxembourg. We stopt in the center and walked to a point where we could oversee the town. An very nice outlook, even it was a shame it was dark. The foto's taken show not what I saw....I saw nice lighted bridges and a castel.
As that we could not take day-pictures of Luxembourg Click here for more photo's of Luxembourg taken by Opa on a previous trip. [Photo 3 [100.jpg] in this album is the spot we are standing when the photo's where taken in the album above.]
Back to London:
Friday the 14 januari 2005...Iam going back to my Dad in London. We left Tongeren at 0.700 in the morning. There was frost on the car and we have to de-iced the car windows. On the way to the ferry I saw frosted landscapes.... I have been so looking forward to see snow in Europe but did not see any...! We made one stop for breakfast and arrived at 10.15[just in time] at Calais for the trip to Dover.
London:
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