Happy 60th Mom!

Christmas tree-cutting: November 2010

First of all...Happy 60th Birthday to my fabulous mother! We wish that we could be with you to celebrate this great milestone with you. You're a wonderful woman! We'll make up for it in Paris! We love you.

Pardo family picnic: August 2010

Friday afternoon walk by Onze Lieve Vrouweplein

Busy, busy, and more busy! I feel like I'm getting back into the groove that I was used to in New York. I'm starting to get more settled into the job, my second Dutch class at the university started this week, and I'm beginning to find my balance between work and home again. It's been a busy week, but I'm starting to feel like I actually live here and not just visiting. I took a walk this afternoon into the city center and it was one of the more enjoyable times I've had walking around on a Friday. Where are all the tourists? The city was not crowded and it was wonderful.

Before my busy week, we had a nice and relaxing weekend. We attempted to go to the movies last Saturday and try out a Thai restaurant we heard about. Black Swan has finally made it to the Netherlands and we were excited to see it. We're quite the movie critics and Jaap has turned me into a movie buff. As for the Thai restaurant, several people recommended this place on Boschstraat and we finally got to test it out for ourselves, unfortunately we had to wait until Tuesday. Bummer. 

Our date night was detoured when we realized we needed to have a reservation for the Thai place and the movie was sold out. Although, seeing that the movie was sold-out gave me that New York feeling again. We showed up to the restaurant at 6 and were rudely turned away. I thought nobody would be out for dinner on a Saturday night at 6, but then I forgot that we're in the Netherlands. Saturday night dinners in New York don't happen before 8. Oh well. Just another thing to get used to. And now I sound like a New York snob. 

We got to relive date night on Tuesday. Thai food and Black Swan take two! The food was very good. It doesn't beat my favorite places back home, specifically Song in Park Slope, but it was yummy. I am relieved to know that there is good Thai food in Maastricht. I finally got my pad thai fix. Very lekker!

These pictures are from my afternoon walk today. I love how the cafés in Onze Lieve Vrouweplein are putting the chairs back outside. I think there was a good solid three months where the plein was empty. But the sign of outdoor chairs eventually means that spring is coming!