Meet Bernd and Marga Olejak.  We met this friendly and fun loving couple while in the Galápagos Islands.  We enjoyed their company very much while on our 7 day boat trip, and we were very excited to come and visit them in their home in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.  

Marga and Bernd sailed with us on the South Pacific.  Bernd surprised Marga with this trip to the Galápagos Islands as an anniversary gift.

Marga picked us up from the train station and gave us a tour of the city.  Rotterdam was almost completely leveled by heavy bombing during WWII.  The city has built itself up again utilizing very creative and innovative architectural design.  These two bridges, which cross the Maas river, are two examples of the creativity which was used in the post war reconstruction.  This amazing view was enjoyed by us as we relaxed on Bernd and Marga's terrace in their truly luxurious flat (penthouse) situated on the top floor of their building.  

Every evening Marga made us very special, and absolutely delicious, meals.  Each evening we enjoyed these delicious dinners, cocktails, and wine and stayed up late telling stories and enjoying Bernd's professional photographs of their global travels.  Bernd works for Unilever and with his job, the Olejak family has enjoyed the pleasure of living all around the world (Brazil, South Africa, Germany, Austria, and The Netherlands).  Bernd playfully hides behind his plate (or perhaps he is licking it clean) while we take the photograph, but we eventually caught him on film.  Thanks again to Marga and Bernd for their wonderfully warm hospitality.

Another fine example of the modern architecture of Rotterdam are the famous rows of cube houses (Kijk-Kubus) which sit near the banks of the Maas river.

Marga was an excellent tour guide.  She took us to The Hague (Den Haag) to show us famous buildings, fine art and the famous Kurhaus Hotel where we enjoyed coffee in the cafe which overlooks the North Sea.  By the way, the North Sea shores near the Hague are famous for their large waives which are excellent for surfing.  Who knew??

One of the stops along our tour of The Hague was the Peace Palace, which is home to the International Court of Justice.  Cases concerning Bosnian/Serbian war crimes are currently being heard here--the first war crime cases since, we believe, war crime trials of Nazi's.

Following our tour of The Hague, we visited the charming city of Delft which managed to escape the heavy bombings of WWII.  Delft reminds us of a mini-Amsterdam with its beautifully gabled buildings, church spires, and its many canals.  

No, Rich was not drunk when he took this photograph.  The tower of Oude Kerk really is leaning (a 2 meter tilt to be exact).  The local residents of Delft, however, do not seem concerned about this.  The old church has been leaning for centuries, and nothing has happened yet.

One of the most beloved and traditional snacks of The Netherlands are french fries smothered in mayonnaise (you may recall John Travolta's--Vincent's--line from the movie Pulp Fiction: "...they smother them in that @#*$.".  While this may sound disgusting, you really must not knock it until you have tried it.  We thoroughly enjoyed this tasty treat while in Amsterdam two years ago.  We were very excited to get them again with our last four Dutch guilders just before we boarded the train to France.

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