Mar 11
Schiermonnikoog - Part I
By the time you read this I will be in the luxury Chrysler Voyager, owned and driven by my boss, who picked me up from my appartment to embark on our yearly trip to the Dutch North Sea Island of Schiermonnikoog. Yeah, bite me! I had him pick me up rather than having to travel to his place… Pfffttt!!! There is such a thing as chivalry even if it has to be forced down his throat… Ha!
I will be there from Sundayafternoon until most probably Thursday or Friday, depending on whether my boss and I decide to leave the troops to their own defense a day early (which we probably will, being the only single divorcees having to get back to take care of our kids at some point)…
THIS is where I’ll be for the week…
At that typical Dutch North Sea Island… in a typical Dutch family hotel called “Duinzicht“… So there it is. … you know exactly where I’ll be… on an island… with nowhere to flee… let the stalking begin… Just so you know: all the Schiermonnikoog inhabitants and the participants at the course ánd the ferry personnel have got my back! We’re like one big SchierMob over here… And they have 2 policemen on the island as well, taking shifts… Just saying…
It’s, I think, my 9th year on the island for our annual Clinical Epidemiology Course (don’t ask) and in total maybe my 12 or 13th time visiting in all…. I was not really into our “Wadden-islands” but this island has really grown on me and the one time, just after my divorce, that I had to pass up on a trip over there I think I had withdrawal signs…
Our course will start at 5 p.m. on Sunday, right after we’ve arrived at the hotel. The people participating at the course will be busy attending lectures, performing statistical exercises ´n shit (again, don’t ask, I can’t explain it to you anyway, I used to be a blonde), and I will be handling some of the logistics and practical stuff for the course, being the liason between the participants, the teaching staff and the hotelmanagement. I’ve also packed up a shitload of backlog of work from the office to do over there and another shitload of stuff I need to talk about with either of the 5 faculty teaching staff (that I all work for). It’s a great deal: I meet a lot of nice people, I get a chance to get rid of some backlog of work and have some meetings with my bosses to take care of some office and scheduling issues, and the little time that’s left I try to enjoy a brisk walk or cycling tour on the island…
Although… me and one of the female faculty have been passing up on the mandatory cycling tour in the social program on Wednesday afternoon ever since we discovered that the hotel has renovated their cellar into a small sauna… *wink wink*… We are actually required to join the cycling tour… so we do… until the first sidestreet… we stay back in the cycling line… and when we manage to get to the first side street… we make a left turn… and another… and another… park our bikes in front of the hotel again and walk into the sauna, where the hotel manager is already waiting with our complimentary towels and bathrobes. He’s our partner in crime… By the time the other cyclists notice we are gone, we’ve had our first sauna session and are sipping our white wine… Shhhhhhh… Seal your lips on this one!!!
So today will consist of driving up (OK STFU! “being driven”) to Lauwersoog where the ferry to Schiermonnikoog is departing. I will be arriving in the hotel at about 5 p.m., unpacking, starting up the course, having dinner, do some more work for the course while the lectures continue and then have our first evening at the hotel bar with the participants… Wish me luck!
I’ll be keeping you up to date during the week and might show you some beautiful Schiermonnikoog sights! Muah!
