A recycled holiday ???

Dear Bloggers,

Yes, it was that time of the year again, time to break out of the daily atmosphere and go on holiday.
Although I have to admit that this time it would be different then former years.
Normally I was the one pulling the wagon and being active all the time.

These days are history and I was not looking forward to go on holiday as I am being tired quite a lot.

But I was pretty surprised that my kids simply did their things and we only had to guide them a little bit. That is also one of the big plusses of having everything inclusive so they can get everything themselves. As the staff is used to Dutch speaking guests the kids can simply manage themselves.

I am very happy man as I really got the chance to relax, my kids hung out with the entertainers and during the day we had all the time of the world in the park, as we had a few days to explore it. So for me there was only the stress of travelling to the park, but the navigation system guided us clearly to our destination.















We checked in and the relaxing could begin, in the restaurant you got your own table for the whole period. And that was absolutely fabulous as my kids knew exactly where to go.

To me it was a great experience, I really came to rest although I had to fight the fatigue attacks in the afternoon, but I could get coffee everywhere and this helped for the time being.

In a way it is one of the most bizarre amusement parks on the planet and it is called Wunderland Kalkar (formerly: "Kernwasser Wunderland") in Kalkar, Germany. http://www.wunderlandkalkar.eu
















It started its life as a breeder-reactor! Shortly before its completion it became one of the most expensive ruins (approx. € 4 billion) when numerous protests, the Chernobyl disaster and political queeries made it difficult to justify its existence.

The Dutch businessman Hennie van der Most had plans for it: He bought the whole ruin (minus the nuclear stuff) for just € 2.5 Million and converted it into a hotel and fun-park.























His early plans of building a rollercoaster-dark-ride through the spooky, labyrinthine hallways of the reactor came to a halt when he was confronted with the totally insane building-requirements in Germany.






















Poor Hennie was close to call it a day, when he famously gave an interview in which he nagged about the German bureaucrazy.

Apparantly placing some flower-pots on a 3 meter (10 ft.) thick concrete-slab required permission from various building-authorities!
Of course their have to be some safety requirements but this was a bit to much of sticking to the rules. At least that is what I think.






















Of course Hennie was also aware that the ambience of his artificial paradise left something to be desired.
Despite being beautifully located at the edge of the Rhine-River, the massive cryptic architecture of the plant overshadowed virtually any idea of family-fun.
So there had to be something done about it.
The cooling tower was turned into a climbing wall and was nicely painted.
Also the other buildings got some fresh and happy colours.

With all-inclusive offerings (all-inclusive means: food and dirnks and especially alcoholic becverages) he somehow managed to fill his bunker-hotel with groups of low-level business travellers and groups of youngsters to have a party.

The good part of this idea is that nobody has to drive home as you stay in the hotel. (No trouble about who needs to drive.) There are some strict rules about noise and that is no problem as the hotel accomodation is seperated in most of the cases from the bar street which is in the basement of the reactor building. And more and more families staying for a few nights.

In the hotel area there are a couple of restaurants in case you want to eat something different then the buffet food, you have to pay a little bit extra for the wok or piri piri restaurant.

We had our virgin experience with the hotel and I must say that we all loved it.
Me as a receptionist myself found of course a few little things that could be done better.
Of course I made a few remarks on the comment card, but these were a couple of minor notes. Our two daughters have already decided to go again next year as this was just not long enough for all of us.

The children's entertainers did a great job and had a good programme running. To please my spouce we have been shopping in Oberhausen mall called CentrO which is only 40 minutes by car from the park. I really have to compliment all the staff as they where all very friendly and helpful.

Eventhough people where queing in front of the receptiondesk, they really took there time for you and explained things how it should be.

The park is now in its 14th year of operation, catering to families who can´t or will not afford a day at one of the upscale German and Dutch amusement-parks in the area. (where you have to que at least for a minimum of 20 minutes on every ride.) We tried one of them on our last day.

















Moviepark Germany is approx 1 hour drive from Kalkar. I had booked the tickets online with a discount offer of 30% but still I had to pay more then € 80,-
The park was in my opinion absolutely overcrowded and only the atractions for the little ones were available within 10 minutes as they were running as short as possible.
For the main attractions like the rollercoasters at ten o'clock in the morning the queing time was already 50 minutes or more.
Furthermore several attractions where not open or under repair, strange thing to do that in the high season.

Looking at new pictures of Wunderland, it seems that they somehow manage to blend out the buildings by simply throwing lots of paint on them.
Besides, after a place has been used for a different purpose long enough, the "old ghosts" seem to vanish.
Still, the idea of putting an amusement-park into an atomic powerplant is awesome, even if the outcome is a bit underwhelming.

At this moment Henny van der Most bought himself a “new” powerplant in Meppen (just across the Dutch border between Groningen and Assen.) http://www.funpark-meppen.de




























This so called funpark Meppen will be opening this year partly but will be more based on extreme action sports.
The concept will be similair to Wunderland (All inclusive) but this one is for the bigger kids and their moms and dads of course.


The Old Sailor,

Homesick

Dear Bloggers,

I have been to the hospital again on the second of June, and had a few tests condition wise to check if there is anything in my lungs.
The next step is a CT scan and a bloodtest on different features again after the results or the bloodtest are known, they will call me for the scan. According to the lung specialist it is a very little chance Sarco but to be 100% sure they will make a scan.
I hope to be able to tell you more in a few weeks after the scan but the future looks a bit better
And now it is time for another story.



Homesick we are going to call it.
Although I enjoy being with my family, I do miss work somedays. It is not that I am not enjoying myself but you can call it a kind of homesick. I have been so used to my life on board that it is sometimes hard to find a bit of time for myself. On board I have my own cabin where you can be on your own and sit down and relax for a while.

My eldest daughter had to go on a overnight school journey and to my surprise she was feeling homesick. She is normally the one that is very independant and is not afraid to try new challenges. She probably just missed the idiotic jokes of her dad and the calmness of her mum. But it gives you as a parent on the other hand a good feeling, your child is missing you and her home. We cannot be all of us Nomads and travel through the desert of this dry and dull life.



Furthermore I find it hard to get used to the people around me that have a routine of weekends and working days. Especially now the holidays are coming they start to panic as in about four weeks they have to go and travel. (they all go run around like Kevin from the movie home alone) When they ask me if I have made any plans about where we should go, I have to tell them no. My daughters and me have been discussing where we should go this year and booked a hotel on the internet for a few days. We are not that hooked on campings or holiday parcs as we are not average tourists. We are just going there for a few nights and discover our surrounding when we are there. We are not really holding on to a budget as I do not want to think about money at all. I normally book a all inclusive holiday as that is the easiest and you don't have to search for a place to eat. Lunch of course we do on our way.



My family does not have any panic, we just pack our stuff that we need and see all surprises as a challenge. We just hop in the car and drive to our destination and even that has become easier as the navigation system leads us in 90% of the way. But one thing is for sure we are never in hurry and every two hours we switch places so we can enjoy the surrounding. I have never understood that the man has to drive the whole way, as this is leading to extra stress and a higher change on accidents.
Last year we did trips into town and left the car behind at the hotel, when you travel by public transport there is no stress as we have all day and no shedule. We just hop on a bus or tram and ask the locals what is good fun to see or to do. Better tourguides you cannot find as they know the city and tell you where you can find nice pubs and cosey restaurants where you can go for lunch. First of all your not in between the massive tourist crowds and the prices are quite normal. We are on a real adventure trip as we are not having many set goals, we just end up somewhere and learn a lot on our field trips.



When you ask the locals you find great little places like museums, playgrounds which are not on the tourist maps as they are not rich enough to go in the brochures are just being on the outskirts of the city. Strange enough none of us is being homesick, also my wife is enjoying her free days as we both take care of the kids. The kids are having a few basic rules to stick too, but for the rest they are free to play are whatever they are planning to do. So for everybody that needs to go on a holiday soon, remember to relax. Make sure that you are on a holiday too. Otherwise it is useless to go anyway. Do not make your schedule too tight and take care of your families safety all the time but do not overreact.

It is not you that is sick, it is all the others around you.

The Old Sailor,

Miserabel weer stemt tot blijdschap

Geachte Medebloggers,

Ik probeer ondanks het miserabele weer te genieten en ik moet zeggen dat dit aardig begint te lukken.
Als ik buren zie retourneren van een camping vakantie.
Maar het gekke is ze hebben zich allemaal vermaakt.
Vreemd want het is al een tijdje kutweer.



Nou ja alles is wel zeiknat maar ze hebben een geweldige vakantie gehad. (Waarschijnlijk omdat dat zo hoort.)
Ik heb er zeer zelden doekjes omgewonden als ik iets of iemand zwaar kut vond.
Ik kan me dan ook terdege ergeren aan mensen die het overdreven leuk hebben gehad op vakantie, en daar een ieder die ze tegenkomen mee lastig moeten vallen.
Ik kan dan ook niet meer genieten als dit soort mensen een volledig verregende vakantie hebben gehad en als verzopen katten terugkeren.



Helaas moet ik tegenwoordig ook met de massa op vakantie omdat mijn kids leerplichtig zijn.
Maar ja, het kan niet altijd meezitten.
Als ze straks groot zijn en het nest hebben verlaten dan ga ik op mijn oude dag omzwerven en genieten van elk moment.

We zijn dan wel dik in de 50 maar ach ja, het is modern dat ouwe lullen gaan reizen. Velen hebben afgewacht tot hun pensioen om leuke dingen te doen.
Dit laat mij koud en onverschillig want al is mijn leven nu redelijk stabiel en moeten de kinderen iets gaan leren voor later.
Het zal mij niet weerhouden om andere dingen te gaan doen.



Ik moet zeggen dat ik langzaam aan wel word afgestompt door mijn directe omgeving, omdat ze liever spelletjes spelen op de computer of naar programma’s van commerciële omroepen kijken die absoluut niets toevoegen aan het leven.

Iets cultureels doen is of saai of eng omdat we er niets vanaf weten.
Of was je op schoolreis met een groep verstandelijk gehandicapten. (Een voordeel van gehandicapten, ze hebben humor en zijn veel dankbaarder.)



Nog even en ze weten me te bepraten om in een caravan te gaan zitten voor twee weken op dezelfde camping.
’s Ochtends met je handdoek en je rol schijtpapier onder je arm, strompel je richting het altijd net te ver wegstaande toiletgebouw.

Goedemorgen zeggend tegen al die vreselijke mensen die op dit onmenselijke tijdstip ook al wakker zijn.
Omdat in een caravan slapen geen pretje is in vergelijking met wat je thuis hebt.



Vakantie in een caravan is en blijft een foute vertaling van "een natte droom".
Gelukkig het was alleen een nare droom en mijn oudste dochter wil al niet eens in een zomerhuisje in Nederland bij zo’n opgesmukt vakantie park.
Volgend jaar gaan we gewoon weer in een paar hotelletjes, als we niet massaal ontslagen worden tenminste, maar ja wie dan leeft wie dan zorgt.
Onthoud maar een ding: “Het maakt niet uit waar je vakantie viert, ze zijn allang blij dat ze jou zakken leeg kunnen kloppen.”

Allemaal nog een fijne camping vakantie toe gewenst.

De Old Sailor,

Het is weer bijna op vakantie

Geachte Medebloggers,

Nog een paar dagen werken en dan gaan we ons weer eens heerlijk laten verwennen in een hotel, kamperen is namelijk niet mijn ding.
We gaan of in een huisje of in een hotel.
Dit jaar is Antwerpen de eindbestemming en de auto is ons favoriete vervoermiddel. We gaan weer optimaal genieten en als de kinderen naar bed zijn gaan pa en ma nog gezellig een flesje wijn opentrekken.
Hierna zullen wij waarschijnlijk weer veel oud en vertrouwd het zogeheten "visserslatijn" spreken.
Het mooie aan Belgen vind ik dat ze veel meer originele (Nederlandstalige)woorden gebruiken, wij zullen ons dan ook volledig laten plezieren.
Laat het schip maar even zonder mij kunnen, de mobiele telefoon blijft thuis en de e-mail lees ik de komende dagen niet.
Ons budget is aardig en wij gaan ons te buiten aan alles wat god verboden heeft.
De kinderen gaan voor het dagje pretpark en zeer waarschijnlijk de dierentuin, moeder voor de rust en vader voor het genieten.
In plaats van met toeristen werken gaan we de toerist uithangen.
Het is dit jaar een korte vakantie maar het vast weer heftig.
We hopen dat we mooi weer krijgen natuurlijk, maar ja dat zal moeten blijken.


In verband met deze komende vakantie is er volgende week waarschijnlijk geen blog.
Kortom we gaan genieten van het leven.
Elke dag dronken is ook een geregeld leven toch?