After returning from Prague, Jon and I enjoyed five days with my parents at home in the NL. This is the third time my parents have visited us in Sittard (fifith for my mom) and it's wonderful to share a sample of our lives here. We visited the Thursday morning market, took my Dad on our favorite runs around the area, did some bike-riding and enjoyed the beautiful spring weather. That Saturday, we took a day trip to Leuven, Belgium, for the Zythos Beer Festival. Beforehand, we toured the city and had lunch. I had not heard very much of this small city near Brussels, but was surprised by how beautiful the old town was and all the great shopping.
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| Leuven Market Square |
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| Lueven |
That afternoon, we arrived at the Zythos Beer Festival, where we met up with friends and enjoyed tasting beers from throughout Belgium. We knew this was going to be a fairly serious event when we walked in and were given a beer guide and tasting chart where you can rate your favorite beers. There were so many to choose from, and we ended up getting recommendations from locals as there were simply too many to try. Although we didn't intend to stay too long, after chatting with our friends, and with the locals (Lar found a great table of young Belgians to converse with), before we knew it the hours flew by! It was definitely a unique experience and one that Belgian beer lovers should not miss.
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| Enjoying a Halve Maan brew and reminiscing about when they toured this brewery in Bruges together two years ago. |
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| Charm and I chose to sip on the delicious fruity Belgian beers. |
On Sunday, my parents attended church with us and as it was my Sunday to teach the kids in Children's Church, I recruited a special helper. My dad taught 4th grade Sunday school for many years and I knew it would be a treat for these kids to have him lead the lesson. They were absolutely enamored by him and were listening better than they ever have before. I am so proud to have a father who has made teaching children about God a priority. Both my parents have been such godly role models for me and I feel blessed that Jon and I both grew up in Christian homes where church involvement was part of our lives.
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| Back at the house after church |
On Sunday night, Jon and I wanted to treat my parents to a unique evening of medieval bowling and tapas at the nearby Kasteel Limbricht. A mere five minutes from our house, Kasteel Limbricht is now used as an events venue with several restaurants and yep.... a bowling alley. Although none of us had bowled in years, we had the best time together showing off our slick moves. Afterwards, we enjoyed a tapas feast. It was definitely not your average evening in the Netherlands!
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| Posing in front of the Kasteel Limbricht inner moat |
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| Medieval bowling anyone? |
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| Between bowls, we lounged in these thrown-like chairs |
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| "We're gonna rock, we're gonna roll, we're gonna bop, we're gonna bowl" |
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| Tapas Dinner |
My parents' last day in Sittard, April 30th, was Queen's Day, and I was so happy they got to experience this uniquely Dutch tradition. We began the festivities with a bike ride downtown to visit the historic market. Afterward, we continued to the park where we set out a blanket and watched bands perform and plenty of Dutch families enjoying the beautiful day.
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| Historic market in Sittard |
It was yet another fantastic visit with my parents, and I only hope they can squeeze in one more trip during our last year here. I love you so much, Lar and Charm, and thank you for being such fun, incredible travel partners, once again!
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