Mary's Diary (Part 17)

Maria Berg (72) made a wish come true: she moved to Thailand in October 2012 and she has no regrets. Her family calls her an ADHD senior and she agrees. Maria worked as an animal caretaker, student nurse, animal ambulance driver, lady bartender, activity supervisor in day care and as a caretaker C in private home care. She was not very stable either, because she lived in Amsterdam, Maastricht, Belgium, Den Bosch, Drenthe and Groningen.

Free return ticket

To my surprise I was offered a return ticket for the Netherlands. The whole family went. That meant there was no one to feed the cats. What done now? Suddenly I knew, the tuktuk driver.

My Thai acquaintance called him and sure enough, he wanted to take care of the cats. Two days before we went, he came and was told everything through my daughter-in-law. He asked if he could come back that afternoon with a colleague. He had one day off a week so that his colleague could take care of the cats. That was arranged and I could go on holiday to the Netherlands with peace of mind.

To the Netherlands

That means not only visiting all my friends, but also driving a car again. I also have a wish list of all the things I want to eat. Fries, croquette, warm meat sandwich, brown bread with cheese, vanilla custard, yogurt with nothing in it, apple sauce, rhubarb sauce, semolina pudding with berry sauce, tartlets and much more.

Arrived at Schiphol on Friday at 19:00, my family and I say goodbye to each other, we will see each other again at Schiphol when we fly back. I go to the car rental department, where I ordered a car online. Complete all forms and pay. I get the car key and then it's a long walk to the department where the cars are. After a long flight it is nice to go for a walk.

A Fiat Panda is waiting for me. Pack your bags and off I go. The ride goes to Utrecht, where a whole family is waiting for me. We eat something together and despite the fact that I am very tired, we talk to each other until 1 o'clock in the night. In Thailand I always get up at 6 am, here I sleep until 8 am.

Brown bread with cheese. Delicious!

– Saturday at breakfast I already get something from my wish list, brown bread with cheese, delicious! A little chat over a cup of coffee and then I drive to Amsterdam. Corner Stadhouderskade-van Woustraat, there is a locksmith. I have all locks with me from an antique secretaire that no longer work and he is going to make it so that everything works again. They will call me when everything is ready.

Called a friend in Purmerend, immediately went there. As if from one mouth, we both shout: How nice to see you! We have known each other for thirty years, with no one I can laugh as much as with her and why? That is inexplicable. At 19 pm I drive back to Utrecht.

– Sunday after lunch, to a friend's daughter, with her I eat fries with a croquette. Go back to sleep in Utrecht.

– Monday to the market in Amsterdam. To the yarn and button shop, stocked up on everything. Bought white fabric at the Stoffenhal, I still have to make two cushions. Back to Utrecht.

– Tuesday at 13 pm an appointment in the Middenbeemster with a school friend. She lives there in a large square farm with lots of fruit trees that are in bloom. Sheep and lambs walk under it. Stay here, very special, in a real box bed. At 11 o'clock I leave for The Hague. A friend wants to introduce me to her new boyfriend. I will eat and sleep there. We eat raw endive stew with meatballs.

Warm meat sandwich

– Wednesday morning we go to Scheveningen and eat a hot meat sandwich there. The moving company that moved me to Thailand is located in Scheveningen. I want to say hello to them, had a cup of coffee there. Said goodbye to this friend and her new love.

In the car I get a call from the key maker, everything is ready, I'm going to get it right away. Then to Haarlem, where we ate with a friend and caught up. She has to get up early the next morning for work and I drive back to Utrecht.

– Thursday is a day off, go and do everything for myself.

– Friday at 10 am an appointment with an acquaintance who lives on a beautiful houseboat on the Amstel, in a beautiful place. In the afternoon an appointment with a friend in Amsterdam, where I will eat and sleep. Sleeping is because we're going to drink wine and then I won't drive anymore. To my horror it is suddenly half past two in the morning, we should go to sleep. After we've had breakfast, she cuts my hair, I can take it again.

– Saturday at 13 pm an appointment with a nice couple with four dogs, have a pleasant afternoon there. Then back to Utrecht.

– Sunday 10 am an appointment with a brother of mine in Amsterdam. He has two sons, the children have grown enormously. Late in the afternoon to a friend, had dinner there and then back to Utrecht.

Raw endive stew with bacon and a pork chop

– Monday at 10 am an appointment with a young couple with twins. Have only seen the children as a newborn. Now they are 2 years old. In the afternoon to The Hague, to a befriended couple, we have known each other for 48 years. Stay there and eat and what am I eating there? Raw endive stew with bacon and a delicious pork chop. At 22 pm I drive back to Utrecht.

– Early on Tuesday I leave for Germany. Just across the border near Emmen, a good friend of mine lives there. I stay there for two nights. There are four ponies in the meadow there, one of them was born last year when I stayed there, a mare, she got my name, I really liked that. There are also chickens, cats and dogs.

The first evening we go to a couple who have ten donkeys and three Gangal dogs, a very large dog that originally comes from Turkey. Ate red cabbage there. Then we go back to the farm.

Nice cold dish

– A tour through Groningen and Drenthe on Wednesday. Had lunch in Exloo, then back and had a nice cold dish with my friend. We don't go to bed too late.

– On Thursday I will drive back to Utrecht and sleep there.

– On Friday with one of my sons all day. Drinking hot chocolate with whipped cream with a good slice of apple pie, spent the evening in Utrecht again.

– Had lunch with a friend on Saturday in Amsterdam. Then did some shopping in Amstelveen, back to Utrecht.

Easter breakfast with Easter bread, eggs and so on

– Sunday Easter Monday a real Easter breakfast, with Easter bread, eggs, etc. At 17 pm to Amsterdam. I'm going out for dinner with my foster daughter, African, everything with your hands, that's no problem, only you can't wash your hands anywhere afterwards. We drink a cup of tea with her and I sleep in Utrecht again.

– Monday Easter Monday again to my brother, late in the afternoon again to a friend, we eat together and I go back to Utrecht.

- All things arranged on Tuesday.

I arrive tired in Thailand. It takes some getting used to the heat

– Packed my bags on Wednesday. Have to return the car at Schiphol at 14:30 PM and then to the departures department. There I see my family. We walk to the plane together. I can never sleep on the plane, so I arrive in Thailand tired. Then another two hours by car home. The whole cat family is in the garden, fortunately, they are still there. The tank with water plants and guppies has become a stinking mud pool.

The next day, I clean everything. A new water plant in it and the neighbors give me some guppies, it looks nice again. It takes some getting used to the heat, otherwise it's like I haven't been away.

Maria's Diary (part 16) appeared on March 27.