Temporary Nomad

A huge rush to the doors as the ICE train from Berlin to Copenhagen arrives at the platform. With our rucksacks, day packs and Freya in her pusher we battle with the crowds and are left stranded at the end of the carriage, with no reservation and not a spare seat to be seen. We can’t stay in the corridor, but we can’t even get through the crowded aisles. Packs are getting heavy, Freya has just woken up, people pushing around us are getting annoyed. Then, suddenly – oh, wonder! The conductor appears and motions us to follow. Wearily we comply. And suddenly, before us – a paradise: the children’s compartment. A compartment with everything we needed – a big table with wraparound seats, a door that closes, a foldable change-table, a ride-on bike and even a powerpoint for the laptop. Saved! And suddenly our horror ride to Lubeck has become a dream run.

Freya shows her delight at finding the on-board entertainment on the Berlin-Copenhagen train.

Finally we’ve played the tourist. Berlin is our first stop where we don’t know anyone, and don’t know the language. Staying in a backpackers, wandering the streets map in hand, navigating the public transport system, it’s all been quite like old times.

We managed to see quite a bit of central Berlin, based as we were in a rather funky part of town just north of Alexanderplatz.

But as usual, we got caught up in museum fever and managed to tour through some of the great museums of the city with a tolerant Freya in tow. Well, actually, we managed to time it so that Freya was so exhasted by the time we got to the museum entrance that she fell asleep for an hour or so almost every time, so we got to see a fair bit without her even knowing.

Poor thing: slept through the Ishtar Gate in the Pergamon Museum,

Freya falling asleep in front of Babylon’s Processional Way.

dozed off in front of Nefertiti,

Freya falling asleep in front of a Kouros, just opposite Nefertiti in the Altes Museum.

failed to appreciate Daniel Liebeskind’s Jewish Museum (though she enjoyed the garden) and was oblivious to the wonders of the European masters of the 13th-17th centuries in the Gemäldegalerie.

She did wake up just in time to play hide and seek through the Holocaust Memorial, which I think probably wasn’t the idea, but didn’t have much patience for the accompanying information centre. I’m very sorry to all the people disturbed by her hysterical cries there.

Freya fast asleep in the Holocaust Memorial.

Not long before leaving home, one of Freya’s new words was ‘bike’. She’d often notice people cycling by and shout out “Bike!” in an excited voice, often followed by some vigorous head-patting and a fervent declaration of “helmet, helmet”.

In the land of the bike, Freya is having quite a hard time, as we pass hundreds of bikes every hour and she feels the need to shout “Bike! Bike!” so often that I’m seriously worried she could wear our her bike-recognition neurons. Luckily, she’s also learnt the Dutch for bike – ‘fiets’, so she has a chance to give ‘bike’ a rest occasionally.

Freya checks out the bikes.

Ah, Delft! Back at last, after three years away. In some ways it feels like we never left. But there are a few subtle changes, like, for example – it’s summer! And that other giveaway – I now know the location of a lot more playgrounds, and the child-friendly cafes. Kobus Kuch on the Beestenmarkt actually has a sandpit – how is it that I never noticed that before?

Since we arrived, we’ve been throwing ourselves into all the old favourites – biertje on the Beestenmarkt, poffertjes on the markt, and of course catching up with lots of friends.

Freya has been quite a trooper. The flight over was more tolerable than expected, thanks to a less than full flight on the first leg, which meant a free seat next to us, and then the welcome discovery that she is still just light enough to fit in the bassinets – we’re keeping her on a strict calorie intake to ensure she still fits on the way back!

A particular highlight so far has been a trip to Den Haag, which included a visit to Het Mauritshuis, one of the loveliest small galleries in the world, and home to Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring”.

Het meisje met de parel, Johannes Vermeer, circa 1665-1667.

We have a print of it on the wall at home, and were quite impressed when Freya, on seeing it shouted out “Earring! Earring!” in obvious recognition.

Later on, we wandered through the annual outdoor sculpture exhibition in the Lange Voorhout,

Freya and Helen at Javier Marín - Mexican Sculptures, Den Haag Sculptuur 2009.

where Freya gave a new meaning to taste in art:

Freya shows her taste in art.

Well, it’s been a while in the planning, but we finally bit the bullet – or rather, the credit card – and booked a trip to Europe this year. We’ll be in and around Delft from July 23rd to about August 12th, a quick trip over to Germany, and then over to the UK from around August 17th to 31st, when we head back home, having neatly missed most of what passes for a winter here in Adelaide.

We’re hoping to be able to catch up with lots of you old friends (it’s been almost 3 years since we left Delft, and more than 10 years since first arriving in the UK, so, yes, we think of you as old friends now) and introduce Freya to all our favourite people over there.

So that you’ll recognise her when you see her, here’s what she looks like at 14 months:

Freya, 14 months old. She likes the camera case,

and ski gloves…

and especially the swings at the helicopter park.

Oh yes, we’re also looking for a place to stay in Delft for a few weeks. So, if any of you know of a friend or housemate who wants to sublet while they’re on their summer vacation, we’d like to hear about it!

Down Under Classic 2009

Adelaide’s been buzzing for days with the start of the Tour Down Under for 2009. And we’ve had a bit of the action too. I took Freya down to the end of the street to watch the opening night race around the parklands – but it was a bit close to bedtime and a bit busy, so after only 5 laps we came back home. But this morning we got our fix – the entire entourage, teams, support vehicles and all cycled casually past the front gate as we watched. Freya gave them a bit of a wave.

It’s a couple of years since I saw the Tour de France go past, but it’s nice to know we didn’t have to give up everything when leaving Europe.

It’s been a busy year and a particularly busy end-of-year and this blog has suffered. But, we’re still here in sunny Adelaide and here’s a quick run-down of some random events.

Our housewarming – just a week after we found out our lease would be renewed – yay! We celebrated with flags in the backyard and general revelry.

Cheerful flags added a party atmosphere to the backyard.

My colleague Davide married the delightful Adina in a ceremony at Adelaide’s Japanese garden.

Davide, Adina and family.

After the ceremony Davide told the assembled crowd a lovely story. His sensei in Japan gave him a little statue of a buddha with no eyes. He had to make a wish and paint on one eye. When the wish came true, he should paint the other eye. So, then and there, he picked up a brush and painted on the second eye – his wish had come true!

A less pleasant event this year was a scary accident. As I was taking Freya for a walk in the pram, a van turned a corner and ran into us, hitting the pram and sending us spinning. Through pure luck, Freya was unharmed, although the pram was a write-off. One of the scariest moments I’ve had in a long, long time.

Freya has been developing rapidly as babies do. Amongst a host of achievements, she’s trying to open doors,

Freya attempting to share a shower with Mike in the bathroom.

imitating characters in popular children’s books,

Freya managed to get herself into Mike’s t-shirt, which reminded me of this wonderful book (sorry, should have been a spoiler warning).

and picking up the finer points of wine appreciation.

Freya scrutinises a shiraz’s legs at Bridgewater Mill.

We ended the year with another traditional New Year’s Eve party, which was great fun, and we even had a phone call from the South Pole – thanks Gary!

A Happy New Year to you all!