Damhert in 't Dierenbos

So, the "resort" where we are staying is called "Het Dierenbos" - the Animal Forest. Each type/size of condo-cabin-house has a different animal theme. Ours is the "Damhert" - the Fallow Deer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallow_deer

The resort is rather rustic, with lots of walking paths, ponds with various waterfowl, and a petting zoo. Yes, there are real damherten to go see. I'll visit them later, after the snow melts a bit!

There are murals with pictured of the deer on the outside of each unit, and many of the fixtures inside as well.
M, A and I are over in the Damhert region of the park. Our company arranged a separate unit for C, so he wouldn't have to deal with us women all the time. He's in the Pheasant section. There's also Badgers, Butterflies, Cuckoo and Squirrel. I'll post pics from the other areas when I get a chance.

Damherten everywhere! In the livingroom

Watching over the dinette table

And even on the outside of the units!

view from the livingroom

view from the dinette.

Woke up to an interesting sight: snow! Not something I saw a ton of as a kid here in Holland, but it's lovely to see.

I love the lights on the canals at night. 

While M and A went to Germany with a few friends of theirs from other departments, C and I decided to spend the afternoon wandering around Amsterdam. We just wandered the streets in the old city center, leaving the more touristy hotspots for when we head into town with a larger group.

It was wonderful walking about in my home town. I needed a quiet day of just walking about and getting a feel for Amsterdam again. We ended up having dinner at one of my favorite placed from my childhood: the Pancake Bakery, which is just a few blocks up the canal from where I used to live. We also made it to the Noordermarkt, a large street market that is held every Saturday on the square in front of the Noorderkerk and along a street nearby as well - across the canal from where we used to live.

Royal Palace at the Dam square in Amsterdam. 

Market at the Noorderkerk (which is in the background)

Interesting wares at the market. And NO, we didn't try any.

Drug store with traditional advertising: a "gaper".   

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaper

Warehouses along the Prinsengracht

They're right. Their pancakes are truly the BEST.
Hearing Simply Red playing in the background over dinner last night gave me and instant flashback to childhood dinners with my family. 

Westerkerk, on the Prinsengracht. Around the corner from the Anne Frank House

After-Dark windowshopping at it's best. 

Nieuwekerk, at the Dam in Amsterdam (you can see the edge of the palace on the left)

Broodje met Hagelslag - a typical Dutch breakfast item. YUMMY!

Main city square in Den Bosch. Went out to dinner with friends from work

What a wonderful way to welcome us to Holland! Pretty flowers and a card from some of our work-friends.

A statue of the man of the founder of Den Bosch. More info on him later.

First update from Holland

Well, I've finally managed to figure out a way to get wifi at our condo, and should be able to post more regularly.

The JetLag is mostly worn off at this point, and I'm settling in rather well at work. There are a TON of differences, and it's been great learning alternative methods and sharing techniques with my new colleagues. It's been quite the exchange of talent and knowledge.

They've set the four of us up in two condo-houses-bungalow-thingies. C, the only guy who came over with us from Ashland, has his own smaller place, and then A, M and I are in a slightly larger 3-bedroom unit.

So far, we've fixed dinner as a group, which had been a lot of fun. Taking turns cooking and cleaning, splitting grocery costs equally.

C and I are going to take a day-trip to Amsterdam this weekend, while A and T head to Germany for two days with friends they know who work in other departments back in Ohio.

I'm amazed at how quickly my Dutch is coming back to me. I'm pretty much fluent again, and only struggle/trip up on certain words now and then. I've been getting better daily.

Fortune cookies

Well, it seems that the people at my local Chinese restaurant know about the upcoming trip. This is the second travel-related fortune I've had in the past couple of weeks.

Well, here goes nothing: my first adventure into the realm of blogging. I'll be traveling in Europe for the next few months, and wanted to keep (and share) an account of my wanderings and musings.

My goal is to post daily, both writing and hopefully a picture of some sort as well.

Flight out is this coming Saturday, arrive in Holland on Sunday morning.

Much more to follow, so keep checking back!