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We went to Europe this summer to visit the towns where we were born.
Ben writes... I was born in Pontarlier, France.
Anna writes... I was born in the Groningen, the Netherlands.
We visited Amsterdam and Paris and spent a week in the homes of different friends in the Netherlands, Germany, and France.
Ben writes... I'm 11 and love soccer, Legos, and my friends. I couldn't wait to try a real French baguette.
Anna writes... I just turned 9. I am on the swim team and love reading, writing, and cooking. I am on the look out for some European fashionistas!
"A tout suite!" (that means "to be continued!" in French).
Ben writes...
When we went to Amsterdam on our two week European trip we were very touristy. We went to a giant hands-on science museum called the NEMO. In addition to that we went on a canal tour in a tour boat. Also every where we went there were bikes. Bikes, bikes, bikes, bikes. People carry everything on bikes like kids, packages, suitcases and dogs. There were probably at least 100,000 bikes. TTTTTTTTTHHHHHAAAAATTTTTT was CCCCCCCRRRRRAAAAAAAZZZZZZZZYYYYYY. Bye, Ben
Anna writes...
We are visiting friends in the northern part of the Netherlands. Our friend, Ally, lives in an old house that is attached to an old barn. In her yard she has a zip line, a vegetable garden and lives by a lake (that is called a 'meer' in Dutch). The farm is cool. We can see a windmill across the lake. Ally speaks Dutch and English. Many TV shows are in Dutch except for a few cartoons that are in English with Dutch subtitles under them. Bye, Anna
This is the house where we used to live. Anna writes...
When we were touring the town of Groningen, where I was born, we had so much fun! First we went to the landlord of our old house, Joyce, and her son Tjalling (Challing). Their house is big and grand. Our old house is big just like theirs. Now Joyce (being the landlord) let us into our old house, which is now four flats (apartments), but we still got to see the main hallways. My Dad pointed out where everything used to be when we still lived there. It was so cool. After that we went to the Prince's garden. There were sooooooooooooooooo many flowers there, it made the whole garden so colorful. There were bushes that were trimed to look just like a maze. That was really cool too. The last thing we saw was the Martini Tower. it was soooooooooooo tall and old. I felt like it could come tumbling down to the ground at any moment! It felt good to be back in Groningen, it felt just like home! Born in Groningen, Anna
Ben writes...
When we were visiting our friends, Jolanda, Wilfred, Laura and Esmee, in Hoogezand we did a lot of fun things like we watch their daughter play a tennis match. She is ranked 34th in Holland! Also we took a ferry to an island about 45 minutes from the coast. But, on this island of Schiermonnikoog the main transportation is bikes. So we rented bikes and set off around the island. We saw a 200+ year old lighthouse, stood in the North Sea, and had hot chocolate and apple tarts. YUMMY! The one down side was I was pedaling really fast and my bike wouldn't turn, SOOOOOOOOOOOO I fell head first into a ravine, completely out of sight. It was not fun. Then we went out to a nice dinner and it made everything better. Well TaTa for now, Ben
Anna writes...
Today we went to the city of Koln. When we were there, we saw those statues that look like statues but are humans that come to life when you give them money? Those were the ones we saw. We saw an angel, Roman dude, magic man, etc., etc., etc. When we were also in Koln we saw the Koln Dom. The Koln Dom is a really old tower and cathedral. It took more than 200 years to build. We climbed the 533 steps to the top which gave us a great view of the city. We also crossed the River Rhine on a walking bridge and on a gondola that was high above the river. We were with our friends Anica, Natasha and Alexandra. Their house is big with a swimming pool, trampoline, and bunnies. The two bunnies I liked were Alice and Bella. In Germany the cars are really fast. Cars can go as fast as they want. It is so cool. We will be driving on the Autobahn (a superhighway) again to go to France.
the Pontarlier Center gate Ben writes...
When I was in my birth town we did a lot of things like met friends, saw the town, and just hung out. When we met our friends, we met Sarah, Pierre, Brigitte, and Angel. We had a lot of fun seeing them. After we met up with them we went into the town where I lived for the first two years of my life. My parents said it has really changed although I do not remember what it looked like before the change happened! When we were done with the town we went back to their house and just hung out. We had a nice French dinner which consists of an appetizer, main course, cheese, and dessert! We also played a lot of Soccer. I will only blog one more time after this, so Ta Ta for now. Ben
Ben writes...
When we were in our last few days in Europe we made sure it was a night to remember. First we went to a museum called L'Orangerie. It was very modern compared to what we were about to see at La Louvre.There we saw the very famous Mona Lisa up close and in person!!!!☺☻☺☻☺☻☺☻☺☻☺☻ We also went to a fair that was on the lawn of La Louvre. It was very extravagent. My favorite parts were the Fun Houses.
Anna adds...
When we saw the Eiffel Tower from our apartment it was 10 p.m. and it started sparkling like there was no tomorrow! It only sparkles for a few minutes a night every hour. On our last night I went to the high platform with my Dad and we could see the whole city. When we were in Europe we went to a lot of cafes. It is very European to sit and enjoy your drink when you are at a cafe. Well, that is all I can say for now. Toodle- oo, ta-ta, ciao, au revoir and see you when I get home!!
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