Kraantje Lek (The Leaking Tap!)

Today after Andrew got home we had a quick dinner and decided to go for a bike ride. When the weather is nice, as it was today, you have to grab it!  We rode our bikes to the dunes near the town of Overveen. I didn't realize how beautiful it was going to be, I didn't even think about bringing my camera!

We started our ride at 2000hrs (8:00 p.m.), and headed west. Thankfully, in the Netherlands, there are dedicated bike lanes everywhere. There were a few areas I had to stop and take a breath because I was getting a little scared, but most of the time I was okay. There weren't many people riding tonight, so it was quite peaceful. When we reached the dunes, the bike path (fietspad) is off the road entirely. It is so beautiful. There are flowers blooming everywhere and birds singing. People were out walking their dogs in the area.

After we left the dunes, we got to the bottom of a hill and stopped at a little restaurant called "Kraantje Lek" translated it means The Leaking Tap. The restaurant is nestled at the bottom of a hill surrounded by trees. We sat outside and listened to the birds singing. It was soooo peaceful. We sat there for about a half hour and had a nice glass of wine.  The story behind the name of the restaurant is that the men in the village would go there to drink and go home with empty pockets. Their wives would always say they must have found the Leaking Tap!

The ride home was nice and quiet. We reached the house at around 2230hrs. (10:30 p.m.), and it was just getting dark!  Our bicycles have front and back lights that are generated by pedaling.

Next time....I will definitely bring my camera!  Rain again forecast for tomorrow......



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 A couple of days ago I decided to try to make the chili I used to make back in CA. I usually make it in a crockpot, but I have yet to find one here. What I did buy recently was a large cast iron pot, so I decided to use that. I'm also still not used to cooking on a gas range...so that was a little different. I had brought a lot of my spices from CA and a couple of cans of chipotle chiles. All of the other ingredients I was able to find at the stores here (had to go to a couple of different stores).

While I was cooking I noticed there were pigeons in the trees eating the berries!  The pigeons here are huuuuuge!

This coming Sunday our street will be blocked off from traffic and everyone on the street will be having a street party!  We're planning on bringing out barbecue out there to cook some chicken and veggies. I'm going to make chili for everyone....hopefully it's not too spicy for them!  I'm planning on toning it down a tad!