Arrived

Well I'm here! A long journey but I was happy to leave the Amsterdam Centraal Station and look out over the mass of bikes, trams, tourists and old european buildings.  A bit like living in a fantasy world, the canals and tall thin apartments that line them seem unreal.  I've stayed two nights now in a hostel and continue to look for a place to live.  I didn't realize when I was leaving just how difficult that would be!  I've sent out close to 40 emails after searching through 5 or 6 different websites and have heard back from only 3, one of which was clearly a scam, and the other two illegal rentals which I can't rent.  Housing is such a tricky thing in Amsterdam, and very expensive.  Luckily, culture shock has stripped me of my appetite so I've been saving money in that department.  I'm switching hostels tomorrow and will stay at that hostel again Friday night.  I have not been able to find a bed in the city for Saturday night, so I may be sleeping on the streets?  Maybe my office will let me sleep in their coffee room....

heron at wreck beach

 I'm enjoying a few days in Vancouver before I leave the country.  Went for a walk along Wreck Beach with my friend Julie and we came across a heron catching fish in the shallows.  He let me get really close for some awesome pictures.

First Post!

Well this is the first time I've ever tried something like a blog.  I never kept a diary or journal when I was a kid so this may take some getting used to.  I've decided to try this out after my Aunty Cherie recommended it, and because I've followed some travel blogs from other people and thought they were interesting (mom and dad in Peru, Matt in South America, Kelly in India).

Today is my last day in Summerland.  It's been a nice two weeks in the Okanagan and I will miss the weather, the people, and the time-off.  I've packed up and I'm sure I'll be missing something, but hopefully I have the right things to get into the Netherlands.

I decided to make myself a "going-away" dinner on my last day here, and am trying to do ribs with the goal of producing something like Darren Greiner's.  I cleaned and demembraned them last night, made a rub, and had them marinate overnight.  Today I smoked them in the bbq for an hour using some hickory wood chips, then slow cooked for two more hours, and now I'm trying something called a "texas-crutch".  I guess it's like steaming them in apple sauce for an hour.  After that they'll go back on the grill, and after half an hour get some bbq sauce.  I'm a little nervous about them because I couldn't get the barbeque temperature low enough, and reduced the cooking time as a result.  Hope it works okay!  To go with them I have some  peppers stuffed with zucchini, red onions, carrots, arborio rice, and dill, and I plan to make some cheesy garlic bread as well.  It's okay to eat an unhealthy meal since it's my last day in Summerland right?