Holland –attempted robbery boarding train in Rotterdam.

As I was catching the train in Rotterdam to Belgium I had 2 or 3 guys try to rob me as I boarded the train!! They were so good at it, I was not even sure it was happening. Tidy guys came one in front, 2 behind and ‘helped me’ onto the train with my 2 wheeled bags (only around 15 and 10 kilos). As they were ‘helping me, they tugged hard, and the third was trying to pickpocket my purse. I looked sternly at him, said THANK-YOU and then grabbed my bags (having never once let go) and turning left into 1st class and they disappeared into 2nd. I think they were trying to grab my briefcase bag plus pick pocket. I will have my hands free purse not only dangling inside my jacket from now on, but the jacket done up, plus I will only board with no-one behind me, and in the middle of 1st class. Lucky for them I was not entirely sure they were doing what they were doing until they actually took off as I was very likely to lash out with my sharp toed boots and scream blue murder. Ask my husband next time about a similar incident in Denmark or when the guy tried to take my park!!!

Happy family times in Holland

HDM Hockey Club Den Haag

My original international student is Ana Marguiret, an Argentinean married to a Dutchman.

She is now a teacher, hockey coach and Mum just as I was when she came to NZ for a year in 1996. I stayed with her and her 2 kids in The Hague, and went with her to her hockey game. Her husband is a trainer for hockey and a coach for cricket. He played and coached cricket for 20 years, all over the world, until finally settling down back home.

Festival of Lights Berlin 2009- by bus

Eastside Gallery-Berlin Wall photos taken in rain and 3 degrees.

Berlin highlights

Ladies who lunch alot approve of Anna Blume's. 4pm cakes and coffe and Hot Frenchmen drinks.

Berlin women on the loose!

A fantastic few days have been spent in Berlin with Sarah and her friends Yvonne and Christian. We took the City bus tour over 2 days and the rest of the time was spent  

shopping, shows, and lots of doing as ladies who lunch alot do in Berlin-yes champagne lunch bars in Ka De We and Galerie La Fayette.

Coffees and cake are compulsory at 4pm in Germany so who were we to argue?

We were very lucky to have scored a 5 star hotel looking directly at the Dom and the light show
which was part of the Festival of Lights.

Off to Europe in the morning

Another marketing trip is about to start.
Europe for 5 weeks via bangkok. Keep you all posted.