New Years in the Netherlands is one big party centered around family fun with fireworks. Although you hear them starting days before, fireworks are officially allowed beginning at 10am on New Years Eve. From that point on, I heard almost one a minute until dark, when, in my American eyes, all hell broke loose. I imagine the sound is very similar to that of a warzone, but the beauty and lack of bullets just made it all very exciting. At midnight and for over an hour after, walking out the front door of our house was like this (sorry for the squealing and the poor camera work):
I don't think the video does it justice, because if you stood in one point and turned 360 degrees it was this way in every direction, but add the smell of smoke and turn your speakers up loud and you'll get the point :)
January 1st we spent with Ralph's family. I had fun learning (how to lose) a new Dutch card game. Max had a good time sleeping off his firework-induced exhaustion on people's laps. January 2nd we went to the dunes by the ocean at Noordwijk. On our lo-ng walk we witnessed a beautiful progression of scenes, from the highway to forest, to barren rolling sand dunes, to gorgeous grasses and beach bordering the ocean. Max had a blast running to his hearts content, though I had to pick him up a couple times because I was afraid he was going to be flattened by one of the horses walking near us.
Now Ralph is getting ready to leave for Hawaii on Wednesday (lucky duck!) for his conference and I'm getting ready to start my new job on the 19th.
I wish you all a healthy and happy 2009!!!
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