Monday, March 10, 2008 - The 17U
Girls were welcomed to Amsterdam at around 9AM Dutch time Monday
morning by some of their hosts in attendance at Schiphol Airport,
after an approximately 6 hour flight from Montreal. Looks
like the girls and coaches have settled in nicely with their new hosts
in The Hague and spent the first day seeing the town and getting
briefed on the hows and wheres of getting around by tram in "Den
Haag".
The host team, Volleybal
Verenining Kalinko, has added a
section on their website ("Bezoek van Canadees
meisjesteam") where our girls have posted brief profiles, and
where we hope they will continue giving us these great photos and
updates on the comings and goings of our girls.
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Tuesday, March 11, 2008 - The 17U
Girls spent Day 2 of the Holland trip visiting the
Escher Museum,
The
Mauritshuis art gallery,
Parliament, and profess to have
loved it all. Lunch at a restaurant on the canal was followed by
some free time to shop.
The 17s had dinner with the girls from
Gemini-Kangeroes Meisjes
1 volleyball team and apparently had a great time with the girls
from Voorschoten. Off to the gym, where the girls exchanged
gifts (all the players on the teams our girls will play receive a red
version of the orange shirts prepared to commemorate the trip), then
proceeded to be bad guests by defeating the Dutch girls 3-1 (
25-19, 25-16, 25-27, 25-19) in front of a boisterous
crowd.
You'll note that a couple of the girls
are in civvies for this match (see photos below) - seems they
arrived right on time, but without their gym bags! Hang in there
girls... and Chris!
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March 12-14, 2008 - Tough to
really keep up with all the goings-on of the 17Us in the Netherlands.
After a boat tour of the Utrecht Canal, the girls travelled to
Houten, had a lovely dinner and battled to a 2-2 draw with the
Taurus Meisjes-1 team (see photos below). Thursday was a day for
a brief tour of Rotterdam and an afternoon of beach volleyball at the
wonderful Kalinko Lindobeach facility (see photos below). Next
report should include some photos of the big party being hosted by
Kalinko in The Hague. Stay tuned...
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March 15, 2008 - After a visit to
the miniature village called Madurodam, Kalinko organized a day of
mixed volleyball fun with the Kalinko A-youth in their new Houtrust
sportshall. The girls played everything from blind volleyball,
to sitting volleyball, to circulation mini volleyball as played by the
youngest Kalinko players. (See photos below, courtesy of
Kalinko).
Seems the girls also received a greeting from the Canadian
ambassador to The Netherlands, Mr. James Wall.
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March 17, 2008 - The CAPS squared
off against yet another team from Holland on Monday evening (after a
tour of the Anne Frank House) - this time the VC Hoofddorp
MA1 girls team (see photos below). According to the VCH
website (please, please pardon the internet translation if I got this
wrong!): "After the game, it was quickly becoming clear that some
of the Canadian girls had acquired an appreciation for our language -
within this short time a large number of them had learned many Dutch
words!"
Itinerary - 17U Girls'
Tour of Holland:
Sunday, March 9
Depart Ottawa for Montreal
Depart Montreal KLM Flight 672
Monday, March 10
6:40: Arrive
Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam
Morning:
Travel to The Hague by Cars
Afternoon:
Tour the The Hague-get the lay of the land, purchase tram
tickets, learn how to use transportation system.
Meal: At
billets
Evening:
At billets, sleep!
Tuesday, March 11
Morning:
Walking tour of The Hague (Parliament, perhaps Panorama
Mesdag)
Afternoon:
Walking Tour of The Hague (Mauritshuis, Escher
Museum)
Evening:
Train to Voorschoten for match against Gemini-Kangaroes (18:00
- 20:00)
Wednesday, March 12
Morning:
Train to Utrecht
Afternoon:
Canal boat tour
Evening:
Travel to Houten to play Taurus (19:15 - 21:00)
Thursday, March 13
Morning:
Travel to Rotterdam
Afternoon:
Cube apartments and Euromast (Early return)
Meal: At
beachvolley center
Evening:
Beach volleyball clinic and matches (17:00 -
22:00)
Friday, March 14
Morning:
Down time, rest or shopping
Afternoon:
Visit Schiphol - behind the scenes of KLM
Evening:
Tour Amsterdam / train or car back
Saturday, March 15
Morning:
Activities with Billets?
Afternoon:
Volleyball tournament in new Houtrust Sports Center (15:00 -
18:00)
Evening:
Kalinko Party time
Sunday, March 16
Perhaps training with regional girls team in Woerden
Other possibilities: Activities with
billets or travel to Bergen Op Zoom to Canadian Military Cemetery,
Madurodam or Deltaworks
Monday, March 17
Morning:
Train to Amsterdam, walking tour and shopping
Afternoon:
Tour Amsterdam, Anne Frank Huis with Harke Heida
Evening:
Play Volleyball Club Hoofddorp (VCH)
(17:30-19:30)
Tuesday, March 18
Morning:
Train to Delft, walking tour (or if not on Sunday, visit
Bergen Op Zoom)
Afternoon:
Visit Delft Blue factory or Canadian Military
Cemetery
Evening:
Last evening with billets or match
Wednesday, March 19
Morning:
Leave The Hague
Afternoon:
Depart Schiphol KLM flight 671,
arrive Montreal
Evening:
Return to Ottawa
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