I have just a few minutes to write a final farewell to our 2014 European Adventure.  Yesterday was another rainy day, but it was our only chance to go in to Amsterdam so we had to brave the elements.  We borrowed jackets from Jeff’s aunt Tineke and along with Tineke, our friend Sven, and Stefan and Dani we went in to the city and checked off a few must-do’s.  Chloë replaced a necklace that she bought a few years ago (a fake antique watch on a chain) which she happily located for €5.  We walked around the market a bit more while occasionally hiding underneath awnings to avoid the sporadic downpours.  Our final necessity was to buy a huge bag of Dutch licorice to bring home, and I’m happy to report that we somehow managed to squeeze it in to the crevices of our carry-on luggage.

Dinner was at our friend’s Sven and Joyce’s house; we always have such a great time visiting with them and their children Luna and Viggo.  We could’ve stayed there all night talking and reminiscing, but they had to work the next day and Luna had school.  We also had to pack up and try and get ourselves to bed before our typical 2 am bedtime.  There is just too much conversation to be had!

And now here we are at the airport sitting outside of our gate and ready to go.  Time has flown by, and we have that end-of-the-vacation feeling of sadness mixed with excitement for our own beds. 

Tot ziens from Holland... until next time!