When I appeared on the cover of Life Magazine in 1946, people from all over the world wrote to me and also sent me gifts. A British General sent me a leather bookcover where he was stationed in Java. An Army Private sent me a coconut fromHawaii. That was a big deal. I also received wooden shoes froma family in Holland.

We corresponded with the family in Holland for almost seven years. Then I lost contact with them. Read on for an interesting story about the letter that my sister found in the autumn of 2003 after going through boxes of letters she had kept, after more than 50 years!

I wrote this letter to my friend Frans in Holland in 1953. He and his family had been corresponding with my family since I was on the cover of Life Magazine in 1946! My sister had been married in the autumn of 1952 and when I wrote this in May of 1953, my mother was suffering terribly from cancer and she passed away that autumn. It was a horrible time for me and for several years I was very depressed as all my hopes and desires I had made with my mother would never happen.

So this letter failed to get mailed and I lost contact with the Everlo family. Now, after over 50 years, I am trying to locate Frans or any of the family. Time shall tell if I am successful!

Reading the letter isinteresting as I just saw a TV show on the big flood in Holland that happened in 1953 and in the letter, I asked about it! I also made comments about how expensive it was to have photos printed, in New YorkCity no less, for my sister's wedding. Now we have instant gratification, digital photos!

I decided to look up the address on the envelope to see if it still existed. The address is about 30 miles, 50 kilometers, from Amsterdam! As you can see, the map quest found the address so I did a letter and pictures and I sent it to the address on the envelope. I wonder if someone there knows the family or if it will just be put in the 'unknown' bin? Time will tell! As we now know, I did send the letter and the person at the address, a housewife named Valerie Ridderwith two children, responded by e-mail and did a search on the Netherlands web pages and found a Pauline Everlo. Valerie was kind enough to send me the information. I then e-mailed Pauline and she respondedby saying Frans was her father! Frans then contacted me so we are corresponding again after 50 years!

So hopefully, I will be able to meet Frans and his family when I go there for the Tulip Festival in April of 2004! And I did meet Frans after 50 years!

NOTE: Read the letter I wrote all those years ago and some photos are included at the end of this webpage!

---

---

---

Amsterdam and Cruise Ship

Day 1, Saturday & Day 2, Sunday – April 11, 2004 - Amsterdam & the "River Countess" 

Passengers with Uniworld group air were transferred to the River Countess, a beautiful boat and a great crew.  The remainder of day was at leisure.  

Amsterdam Cruise Port

Our Ship!

---

---

---

Entrance to the Ship

Great Views from our Bedrooms!

---

---

---

Chuck and Gail and a Fantastic Dining Room and View!

Great Servers.

---

---

---

Nice Crew Members.

Sun Deck Rarely Used Except for Taking Photos!

---

---

---

Cruising Amsterdam Canals

Day 3, Monday – April 12, 2004 – Amsterdam & Hoorn

We started our tour with a panoramic city tour of Amsterdam.  Amsterdam has over 700,000 inhabitants and the canals were begun in the 14^th century.  The 17^th century canals are lined with picturesque gabled houses that are a trademark of the city.  Amsterdam is also renowned for the magnificent museums, beautiful flowers and bicycles. 

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

City of Hoorn

During lunch cruise out of Amsterdam and across the Ijsselmeer to Hoorn, a city with a long maritime history.  We then spent the afternoon and evening at leisure in Hoorn to shop or visit the Westfries museum. As we were walking along Gail suddenly said, "Look at the sign on that cafe by the tavern It almost looks like your last name - Bruintje!"  So I took a picture and wanted to talk to the owners but the cafe was closed.  Something for me to investigate sometime.  Our guide Magdeline, told me she thought Buntjer was a Dutch name.  I told that to Dagmar, our receptionist on the ship and she said, "Your name is German, and that is that!  I am German and you are German!"  Excuse me! 

The old City of Hoorn, famous for the first trips to the Spice Islands!

---

---

---

This Cafe Bruintje was like my name, Buntjer!

Making Home Made Cheese!

---

---

---

Town of Edam

We took a guided tour through Edam, with quaint brick houses and enjoyed free time in Volendam, a traditional Dutch village.

Now I have to explain something.  Everyone on the ship thought Gail and I were an item!  They kept saying, "Those two will be engaged by the end of the trip, or even perhaps, will be getting married!  Excuse me!  So Gail and I had champagne every night and sat on a love seat in the lounge and said sweet 'nothings', and I mean nothings to each other.  We were so cute!  It got to the point when we came into the lounge, the staff was ready to bring over the ice bucket and champagne, we were very good customers!  Then Ms. Germanic/Dutch Magdeline said to me on the wooden shoe tour, "Stand in those two big wooden shoes and I will get into the other pair.  Have your friend take our picture!"  So Gail took our picture and Ms. Germanic/Dutch said to me, "Vee look like two farm girls!"  Excuse me again!  You can't fool those Germanic types, can you.    Then Gail and I got in the Big wooden shoe and as our picture was being taken, the group came around the corner and smiled, of course, the cute in love couple were sitting in the big shoe together!  So goes life!  Check out Gail and Chuck sitting in a wooden shoe!  

The town of Edam!

Sinking into the soft bog!

Love Birds in a Shoe - Chuck and Gail!

Our very bossy German tour guide.

In the afternoon after visiting the open-air museum where we saw how wooden shoes were made we saw the famous windmills of Zaanse Schans.  It was spectacular with the flat fields and goats, sheep, and all kinds of birds wondering around.

There are a total of eight windmills at Zaanse Schans. The De Zoeker, also known as the seeker is an oil mill. De Huisman (The Houseman), which is a mustard mill. De Gekroonde Poelenburg (The Crowned Poelenburg), a saw mill.

---

---

---

Zaanse Schans and the sheep, goats and sea gulls!

Gail and Ducks!

---

---

---

A Mustard Mill Perhaps!

Lots of Sheep and Milk and Wool!

---

---

---

Kroller-Muller Museum

We visit the Kroller-Muller Museum, sister museum to the Van Gogh in Amsterdam. The museum is located in Holland’s largest park, de Hoge Veluwe, and houses a large collection of late 19^th and 20^th century artists including over 200 paintings and drawings by Van Gogh.

The Kröller-Müller Museum was founded by Helene Kröller-Müller, an avid art collector who, being advised by H.P. Bremmer, was one of the first to recognize Vincent van Gogh's genius and collect his works. In 1935, she donated her whole collection to the state of the Netherlands. In 1938, the museum, which was designed by Henry van de Velde, opened to the public. The sculpture garden was added in 1961 and the new exhibition wing, designed by Wim Quist, opened in 1977.

---

---

---

---

---

---

This afternoon cruise from Nijmegen to the city of Heusden.  This quaint Dutch town has been restored to its original appearance, complete with city walls and windmills.

---

Heusden

We enjoyed a late afternoon tour of the town and spend a free evening overnight in Heusden. Of note, our tour guide was named Jan and he was very funny.  His English was a little off due to the fact he hadn't spoken it too much lately.  He would say a phrase, stop, and I would tell him the word he wanted to use.  He finally got to the point when he finished a sentence, to fill out the description, he would say, and blah, blah, blah!  We all laughed all the way through the tour.  Here I am with our famous tour guide Jan Blah, not a very Dutch name if I say so myself!

 

Heusden and our guide!

---

---

---

Delft

Day 6, Thursday – April 15, 2004 – Rotterdam – Schoonhoven

We cruised from Heusden to Rotterdam, one of Europe’s largest ports.  This is where I met my friend Frans at the terminal named Tropicana in Rotterdam.

Delft is known for its blue and white pottery while Gouda is famous for it’s cheese.  Frans said I needed to buy something to remember our meeting and my trip to the Netherlands so I bought a piece of Delft porcelain and had a picture taken of the actual artist that painted the piece!  Frans and his wife Yvonne then took me to the ship in Schoonhoven.

My purchase of Delft and the painter of the porcelain box!

---

---

---

First Face to Face Meeting after 55 Years!

My friend Frans and his wife Yvonne, met me at the terminal named Tropicana in Rotterdam.

They took me to lunch and then to their home to show me photos Frans had taken in the late 1940s of the family sitting in the back yard wearing clothes we sent them plus books to read. Their house had been bombed during World War II.

Frans and I sat in his back yard looking at the photos. They then took me back to the ship in Schoonhoven in the evening.

---

Frans & Chuck

---

---

---

Captains Dinner

I then spent the night after an unforgettable evening at the Captains Table for dinner.  You must read the following as it details how I found my invitation to the Captains Table, how Gail and I were invited to the Captains Table and then how we were chastised by a woman and the reason we sat at the Captains Table!  An excellent story of jealousy over which we had no control what so ever!  After the fact, Gail and I had to have a good laugh about people and their desires!

---

---

---

Captains Table for Dinner!

---

---

---

Keukenhof Gardens

Day 7, Friday – April 16, 2004 – The Hague – Keukenhof

Depart the ship for a scenic motor coach ride through the Dutch country side to The Hague.  The Hague is often called the greenest city because of its many parks.  The Hague is home to some impressive royal residences and the seat of the International Court of Justice.

The highlight is an excursion to the Keukenhof Bulb Gardens.   Here you will find the largest floral bulb display in the world.  We had the greatest time in the garden.  The temperature was around 70 degrees, 20 centigrade, and perfect for walking and taking pictures.  

Keukenhof Tulip Gardens is usually opened from March 21 till 12 May each year. It’s the best day out among the tulips near Amsterdam! Every year, more than 7 million flower bulbs are planted by hand in the autumn to flower in spring. There is a variety of 800 different tulips. A unique and unforgettable experience for everyone.

---

---

---

---

---

Keukenhof Gardens, once ever spring for three months, there is a fabulous display of tulips!

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Red Light District - Evening Cruise

Day 8, Saturday – April 17, 2004 – Amsterdam – A free day!

Spend the last day at leisure in Amsterdam.  Stroll along the cities canals, visit one of the fine museums.  Of course we had to visit the Red Light district and Gail and I told everyone, it looks just like San Francisco and LA!  Of course they all thought, they are from California!  Check out Chuck in front of one of the numerous 'Coffee' houses or clubs where one can buy what ever one wants except coffee!  This evening, we did the Dutch experience with a candle light cruise of Amsterdam, (No candle!), the perfect end to a Dutch vacation! 

Red Light District - Red Carpet to Heaven!

---

---

---

Flight Home!

Day 9, Sunday – April 18, 2004 – Amsterdam – United States of America

We disembark and were transferred to the airport for the flight home.  All in all, another fantastic vacation with many lovely sights and many nice people!

 

Letter to Frans 55 Years Later

---

---

---

Frans & Uncle

One Room School - Cover of Life Magazine - 1946

---

---

---

---

---

Created on: 2004.04.25

Home   Page

Updated on: 2023.07.10

---