The Canal Conspiracy
Our first day in the Netherlands comes to a close. Reluctantly, we leave the windmill and tulips and head for Leiden. Jet lag kicks in, and our energy wanes. All we want is a bed to collapse on. Our Holland guide book lists a hotel named the "Nieuw Minerva." Aah, interesting name, and the price is right. Using a pay phone, we dial the number with no success. I ask a young girl, nearby, if she knows the way to the Nieuw Minerva Hotel. She does--she used to work there in the dining room. She gives us directions, and Dan and I set off by car to find it. We see the road we want, but a canal blocks it. As we retrace the route several times, canals appear before us, with seemingly no way over or around them, and we end up back where we started from. Is this some kind of conspiracy? Too bad we didn't think to bring a boat with us. We could have reached the hotel in no time.
The Missing Hotel .
Then a young couple tells us where they think the hotel's located. Dan and I follow their directions. Sure enough, there stands a huge sign with the name: Nieuw Minerva Hotel. However, the hotel is missing!
But if the sign is here, the hotel can't be too far away. Dan finds a parking place nearby, at a train station. As we sit there, wondering what to do next, an elderly lady comes along, walking spryly, with her cane. If anyone would know how to get to the Nieuw Minerva, this woman should. She's probably lived here all her life. I get out of the car, greet her, and ask if she can tell us how to reach the hotel.
"Ya, Ya, de Nieuw Minerva," she replies. She motions for me to follow her.
Burning Shoe Leather
I'm thinking, "Hot dog, it must be right around the corner!" She's German, so between her German, my English, and a smattering of Dutch between us, we carry on a baffling and amusing conversation as we walk. . . and walk. . . and walk. We talk about our kinderen (children) and the mooi weer (beautiful weather). She tells me her name is Beatrix, the same as the Queen of the Netherlands. But as the blocks keep disappearing behind us, I begin to wonder if she's forgotten all about the Nieuw Minerva. "Are we close to the hotel?" I ask her.
"Ya, de Nieuw Minerva." She nods reassuringly with a smile.
Destined to Sleep in the Car?
But we keep on walking down more roads, past more buildings, cutting across a street here and zigzagging there. Then we pass through a deserted alley. Still, no hotel in sight. I start to get concerned. Dan must think I've been kidnapped, or at best, so hopelessly lost that I'll never find my way back to him. Maybe Dan and I are destined to sleep in our car tonight, if I can ever find it again.
Next week: The Outcome
I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. Psalm 32:8
What? You're going to make me wait an entire week to read the outcome of this adventure? I'm not feeling any closure and it feels like I'm being suckered into purchasing the next novel. :-P Thanks for leaving me hanging, Mom! LOL! Love you!
ReplyDeleteYou're too funny, Brita. I know exactly who you're talking about, and I know it's no fun being left hanging. :O( I promise I'll never do that with my novels. That's unforgivable.
ReplyDeleteHowever, my instructor told us that we should keep our posts at about 400 words, maybe as many as 500. But this little episode ended up being over a thousand! I was desperately trying to pare it down, but it refused to be told in 400 plus words. Life can get pretty complicated sometimes. So, it was suggested to me by a trusted soul, to split it in half, and post the second part next week. I hope I'll never have to repeat the unforgivable, again. So sorry, Brita. :O(
I love you, too. :O) I'm looking forward to reading your new post.