May 20, was one of those days as a couple we will always look back at with joy even though it involved much unexpected hard work.

For more pictures click on this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=25992&l=1b7eb&id=617928368

Today was more of an adventure than we expected. Weather today was low 60’s, breezy, and mostly sunny. We took the train to Ede-Wageningen planning to take a bus to the Kroller-Muller Museum (about 10 miles away) only to find that the bus drivers were on strike. So, our only real option was to rent bikes. The bike man said it would take about 30 minutes (maybe for a Dutchman) but it took us about 2 hours. Luckily most of the ride was through woods on a nice bike path. This modern art museum was great—all those Van Gogh’s were wonderful to see and we were about the only ones there once a school group left. There were sculptures inside and out. We felt a little pressure to get going once the inside was done because the bike shop closed by 7 p.m. and we knew we had 2 hours at least to get back.

On the ride back through the woods we encountered what we think were some kind of military games as a jeep and truck with soldiers wearing ski masks and holding guns roared by and helicopters and jets flew overhead. This lasted about 45 minutes and one helicopter pass almost blew Allan off his bike!! We even heard gunfire! It was good to get back on the train after that!
Back in Haarlem we had a great dinner (pasta fruit of the Sea with many unusual small things that looked like tentacles and suckers and squid). It was delicious. Then we went to a free organ concert at St.Bavo Church. It started and ended with very weird modern discordant pieces and had Mendelsohn and Bach and 2 others in between. This was our chance to see inside this fantastic church that took 150 years to build (15th century gothic). It is one of the best known landmarks in Holland. The floor is paved with large slabs over graves. Painter Frans Hals is buried there. The pipe organ is 100 feet tall and very ornate. The arched ceilings are wooden and the stained glass windows beautiful.