The Zwaal Family

Family in Naarden, Utrecht and Huizen [Apr 19 - 23, 2025]

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It all comes back to us.

We have family in Naarden (Riek and Adri Twigt), in Huizen (Henriette) and Utrecht (Tom-Peter and Wendy).

We visited with all of them and had some great times.

It was surprising to me how much Dutch I can understand and how there are some phrases that I can actually understand and even use in conversation. New good memories of the trip so far. As I would like to practice and use my Dutch, big grin, they all seemed prepared to use their English. We had a super time with Lee's relatives. Tom-Peter and Wendy are super hosts, and I look forward for more contact before we return home.

Lez and the living wall at YEG [taken on Apr 19, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 1 / 32

Just waiting for the flight [taken on Apr 19, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 2 / 32

Schnitzel dinner in the hotel [taken on Apr 20, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 3 / 32

Dutch trains, quiet and fast [taken on Apr 20, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 4 / 32

In the land of bicycles. These are at the Bussum train station. [taken on Apr 20, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 5 / 32

The water tower is now an office building [taken on Apr 20, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 6 / 32

This was formerly a water tower in Bussum [taken on Apr 20, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 7 / 32

An old Mercedes van in the train station parking lot [taken on Apr 20, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 8 / 32

An old 1973 Citroen [taken on Apr 20, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 9 / 32

This Citroen is so old it still carries black Dutch license plates [taken on Apr 20, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 10 / 32

Lee and his second cousin Lucas Twigt [taken on Apr 21, 2025 ] 11 / 32

Lee and Lez at the monument to the Canadian liberators of Utrecht [taken on Apr 21, 2025 ] 12 / 32

Lee's cousin Tom-Peter Twigt and his wife Wendy [taken on Apr 21, 2025 ] 13 / 32

In Utrecht city centre, people have access to the basement from the canal. [taken on Apr 21, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 14 / 32

My cousin Tom-Peter and Wendy in their home. Fully renovated house from the 1890's. [taken on Apr 21, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 15 / 32

A monument in Utrecht dedicated to the Canadian liberators of the city on May 7, 1945 [taken on Apr 21, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 16 / 32

And in English on the other side of the white bear monument [taken on Apr 21, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 17 / 32

My aunt Riek and her daughter, my cousin Henriette [taken on Apr 21, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 18 / 32

This is the moat around a walled town (called a vesting) in Naarden [taken on Apr 21, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 19 / 32

The steeple on the church in the vesting is lit up at night [taken on Apr 21, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 20 / 32

Lez, Henriette and her dog Lapa [taken on Apr 22, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 21 / 32

Wisteria in Henriette's back yard. The Dutch call them the Blue Rain. [taken on Apr 22, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 22 / 32

Lez on a foot bridge behind Henriette's house [taken on Apr 22, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 23 / 32

A swan in the water behind Henriette's house [taken on Apr 22, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 24 / 32

Henriette owns the first floor of this building [taken on Apr 22, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 25 / 32

Typical Dutch, the bridge has a foot path and a bike path [taken on Apr 22, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 26 / 32

A nice backyard along the canal [taken on Apr 22, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 27 / 32

Trim the tree so it will grow again [taken on Apr 22, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 28 / 32

Camellia plant in the Twigt backyard [taken on Apr 23, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 29 / 32

Lez throwing Camellia petals in the air [taken on Apr 23, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 30 / 32

Riek, Lee, Lez and Adri [taken on Apr 23, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 31 / 32

Burls on a tree in the Twigt backyard [taken on Apr 23, 2025 by L.Zwaal/L.Zwaal-Worel ] 32 / 32