Down Under with Jan Mikaela Nora and Ella

The World Cup soccer is on in full swing, which means many late nights or early mornings for us. With two teams to support it is vital to wear the right gear at the right time. Yesterday night we had to rapidly change after Holland’s Orange squad took on the Japanese, just to be in time to cheer on the Aussie Socceroos in their match against Ghana. Important to get your colours right! But South Africa is not the only place where the action is right now. Look at our little girl ... only walking since a couple of weeks and already totally into the ball game. See this video .

Today we finally started exploring Bridgie, as the locals like to call our little town. We went down to the Bridgewater Mill, and made a nice walk through the woods. Since there are many trails we can follow in the area, we bought ourselves a little present: a baby backpack. Not one for Nora to carry, but for her to be carried in. As picky as she sometimes can be we were a little concerned how she would like it, but it was a great success. She loved being walked around: things to see everywhere. Luckily for daddy the trail ended in a play yard, so he could take a rest while Nora and Mummy were sliding the slide and swinging the swings (see video ).

Pffff, that was a big project. But we are finally seeing the end of it. We moved across to our new house in Bridgewater, and have handed over our old place. And despite the fact that there are still many smaller jobs to be done, we now have most boxes out of the way and it is starting to look like a real home. And just so you know: we love it. So much more space and green here, and the neighbours actually come up to us to introduce themselves. Yes, this is a nice little town in the hills. Our move coincided with the start of the winter. And since we are a good 600 meter higher than in the city, it’s no wonder that the nights get pretty chilly. We were told that by mid-winter the minimum night temperature can go down to 0°C !?! Nora has done pretty well with all these big changes. Although she is still getting used to her new room, she is starting to enjoy her new environment. Our move also coincided with her starting to really walk. No stopping her now. Let her show you around in t...

Yes, we are on the move again. After almost three years in Johnstone Place we are leaving North Adelaide tomorrow to go and settle ourselves in the Adelaide Hills. It is with a little sorrow that we depart, because this place has brought us great memories: our first arrival in Aussie, the BBQ's with friends and family, the lively atmosphere of the city and of course Nora's first year. And remember the owl on our patio when she was born? It's been a great start for us, but we are happy to move on. Next chapter is called Bridgewater ! Meanwhile Nora has decided she wants to be packed and shipped in the big box ....

Who says you can't have a proper Dutch national Koninginnedag outside Holland?!? Big party yesterday in our favorite Belgian beer place. Great turnout of Dutchies of all background and ages, and for sure all dressed up in Orange. Of course some of us had a private party at home ..... Lang leve de Koningin !!! And for those who are not familiar with Koninginnedag (Queensday) try this very educative  video !!!

It might be just a few steps, but here's the undeniable evidence that Nora is on the walking path !!!

Breaking News: we bought a house! We will be trading the busy and lively metropole for a more relaxed environment in the Adelaide Hills. About 25 minutes from the city on the other side of Mt Lofty lays a charming and lush little town called Bridgewater . That’s what we’ll be calling home from next month on. It’s a completely renovated three bedroom house with a modern kitchen and two bathrooms. In typical Aussie style it’s built on ground-floor only. And with around 1000m 2 of land it has some nice space for Nora to play and run around. The house came on the market on Saturday, and we fell for it instantly. So we made an offer immediately and by Sunday morning we had the deal sealed. We’re still in shock, but what a nice Easter present, right? Here’s a link with some  pictures . We’d love to hear what you think …..