We took a little family trip to visit Lucas and Henry’s cousin Vivian in Rotterdam. Though the weather didn’t exactly roll out the red carpet for us — it was cold, windy, and the kind of gray that makes you want to stay inside with a blanket — we had a lovely time catching up.
Vivian and Suzan were wonderful hosts. We also had the pleasure of meeting their cat, Skye — a fluffy, loveable cat that warmed up to us right away. The kids were fascinated, and Skye quickly became the unofficial mascot of the weekend. We also met Vivian’s boyfriend Sven.
One of the highlights of our visit was a tour of the SS Rotterdam, a historic ship that’s permanently docked in the city. Originally launched in 1958, the SS Rotterdam was once the flagship of the Holland America Line and served as a transatlantic ocean liner, ferrying passengers between the Netherlands and New York. These days, it’s a floating museum, hotel, and restaurant. Walking its decks and exploring the preserved rooms gave us a real sense of the ship’s grandeur and history — you could almost picture the golden age of ocean travel.
Given the weather, we didn’t do much else in terms of sightseeing, but that turned out to be just fine. Michael and I did make it to a workout with Suzan. The kids dove into several marathon rounds of Catan (with a few debates over who was hoarding all the sheep) and plenty of Roblox sessions. It was one of those visits where everyone just relaxed, played games, and enjoyed each other’s company — no rushing around, just slow-paced, good family time.
Even with the wind whipping outside, our hearts were warm. Thanks to Vivian, Suzan, and Skye for making us feel so at home. We’ll be back when the weather is a bit friendlier.
