Hi Everyone

It is time for another story on my blog because it's been far too long since the last time I wrote. Many of you know I had planned a trip to Netherlands because my sister's 25^th wedding anniversary and it had been two years since I had been in Holland so a good reason for a trip. I had booked my trip sometime last year but later on I saw a course on the internet that looked very interesting, only this was in the week before I would arrive. So I informed whether there are other data that would come from me would be better but that was not the case. So I called to ask if there would be more data available in the time that I would be in Holland, unfortunately there as not. So I decided to change my ticket and come a week earlier. I had told a couple people what I had planned but my mother, brother and sisters didn't know I was going to surprise them. I had a lot of fun but also doubted a bit if I should tell them because everyone was looking forward to the day that they would pick me up from the airport, and I felt a little bit guilty for taking that away from them. But with some small white lies to my family I have kept the secret anyway. It would be the perfect surprise. It was my mother's Birthday the Wednesday before I would arrive and it seemed she would celebrate it on the Saturday when I would arrive in Holland that would be perfect that way I could surprise the whole family at once.

That Friday George brought me to the airport, with lots of time to check in when we noticed that the flight had been delayed with an hour. They told us it was because the plane had arrive late but would not be further delayed, so we spent some time at the airport and later on George and I said goodbye and I headed to the gate. Only to see that the plane was delayed with another hour so I asked if I would still be on time for my connection to Reykjavik and Amsterdam. But that should not be a problem I would have enough time to get to my other flight. Because I rebooked my flight I now had to go from Halifax to Toronto to Reykjavik to Amsterdam instead of leaving Halifax going to Europe. It turned out that the delay was caused by bad weather in Toronto and the airport had some technical difficulties. We were not cleared for landing and had to circle for a bit and I started to worry about my connection. They told me that a lot of flights had bean canceled or delayed and with a little luck my connection would be delayed as well.... I was not that lucky my flight to Europe had left on time when we finally landed. By now it is 10 pm and there no more flights leaving to Amsterdam. Because a lot of people were stranded by missed connections the hotels near the airport were fully booked and I spent the night at the airport where I tried to get another flight through the internet. Eventually around 3 am I gave up, and decided to try to get some sleep in a row of chairs, that is not easy especially if every half hour they announce to not leave your luggage unattended.

Anyway the next morning I try to see if there is a flight at some of the desks and through the internet time is running out, my mother had decided to celebrate her birthday on Sunday instead of Saturday so I still had the chance to surprise all of them. But with my course starting on Monday on the other side of Holland didn't give much time. I saw my whole surprise fall apart, because if I would arrive late in the day, I would go straight to my nice where I could stay during the course and then now one would now that it I was in Holland already But this time I was lucky, eventually I found a flight that put me in Amsterdam on Sunday morning with enough time to surprise everyone. I had called a friend and asked if they could pick me up from the airport and bring me to my mom's place and she was happy to do so.

At the apartment building we had to come up with another white lei to get in to the building, so my friend rang the doorbell and asked if it would be okay visit for a cup of coffee. My Mother who had now idea said sure now problem come on up. So they took the elevator and I took the stairs... I hear them at the door and get in and then I took my luggage out of the elevator and rang the doorbell. It took a while but then my brother opens the door and stares at me.... Finally he you're a week too early. One of my sisters realizes what is going on and says that's Gabrielle... but no one is responding and before I know it she's at the door as well and then the rest of them is realizing what just happened and is gathering in the hallway to welcome me. A very successful surprise I can say. Later that afternoon I take a refreshing shower after two days of traveling and I am ready to get back on the bus and train to go to my cousin where I would stay during the course. Once there we sit and talk a lot and before we now it it's time to go to bed.

The course is a practical 2 day course for beginners covering the techniques required to create moulded chocolates, novelty figures, truffles and hand dipped chocolate we are having and small group of 7 people all with different backgrounds. One has a small catering company the other makes cakes to order another one has an ice cream parlor and there are two that work for the company itself and this way the learn more of the product that they sell. In the morning we start with some theory about the chocolate and in the afternoon we start working with chocolate, it is a lot of information but lost of fun. That evening begins the strike rather than fatigue. The next day we have another trainer and after a little bit of theory we are working with the chocolate where we left off the other day. At the end of the day we got a really nice book about chocolate with a lot of recipes and we got to take all the chocolate that we made back home which turned out to be almost 3 kg.

Meanwhile it's already bean a week that I arrived in the Netherlands to see friends and family .I have a pretty tight schedule and I don't want to cut anyone short which seems impossible to do in 5 weeks. The weird thing is it seems like I've never left and I am back into the Dutch rhythm and habits. And in this short time I think I already traveled about 800km and there will be a lot more.....

That's my story so far from Holland, talk to you next time, Gabrielle