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Our home.
We live in a plain renovated corner house with an extension, at the edge of a wood, with no opposite neighbours, in a safe street and a neighbourhood with small playgrounds, suitable for children. Looking down from the kitchen window, you can see the entrance to the wood. You can start walks or go for a cycle ride/trip right from the front door.
There is a two-car parking place on the premises. In the garage you can find extra garden furniture, four bicycles (2 for adults, 1 for adult/youngster and 1 for a 10-year-old child), etc.
The back garden has a 5/5m natural stone terrace with an electrical awning, a garden table with six chairs; and a 3/3m terrace with bower and a small table with four chairs.
Inside we have an attic bedroom for two persons. This second floor has a combination boiler (gas/electricity) and a sort of launderette with a cold/hot water sink-unit, washer and dryer (both Miele). On the first floor there are two bedrooms - a double one and a single one - a bathroom with toilet, and a study. On the ground floor there is a living/sitting/drawing/dining room and kitchen with pantry, refrigerator, gas cooker, electric boiler, dishwasher, combination oven and two coffee makers. Further there is a hall with toilet, and a scullery with larder and freezer. We have an extra guest mattrass and a baby's cot, which can be used in the attic bedroom, the single room or the study.

Our family.
Our nuclear family consists of four (4) people, as four children already live on their own because of marriage and profession. The father (55) used to be a social worker (BSW), but became a secondary school teacher of English (BEd) 14 years ago. The mother (52) is a part-time geriatric helper and a part-time housewife. She used to take care of elderly people full-time.
Our son (20) is a second-year theology student, our daughter (16) does fourth form on a reformed secondary school. Our son will not join in our holidays and ofcourse he will not be at home when you are staying at our place. A 16-year-old girlfriend may join us instead of him.
Two or three of our sons/sons-in-law and daughter/daughter-in-law could be of some help if you like. Besides Dutch, most of them speak English (one son is a teacher of English too), German and French. A daughter-in-law also speaks Spanish fluently as her mother is Spanish. They all live in Rhenen and - close by - in Wageningen and Ochten. You just have to phone them if you like.
A part of our family is Christian. We are a non-smoking family.
We do not want you to take (a) dog(s) and or cat(s) with you, as we have two cats of our own. They are clean, six-year-old red/white cats: Ruskin, a sensitive one; and Muffin, a sweet one. They stay inside mostly. If you do not like cats, we strongly request not to exchange houses! We feel quite responsible for their well-being....
Ofcourse, we do not mind looking after your pets with care at your place.

Our neighbourhood/area.
Rhenen is a small and friendly town on a hill at the Rhine (Neder-Rijn), a bit East of the middle of The Netherlands. Rhenen is known for its large church (Cunera Kerk), a fantastic zoo (Ouwehands) and a War Cemetery (Grebbeberg). Rhenen has a TIO (Tourist Information Office, VVV, 1 km, http://www.openingstijden.nl/VVV/Rhenen/Markt-20/ .
Rhenen is situated at the edge of an area with natural beauty: woods, nature reserves and wetlands. Well-known areas are: Utrechtse Heuvelrug (woods with plains with wild horses, sheep, deer, wild boars and Scottish Highlander), De Blauwe Kamer (wetlands), Betuwe (a river area with fruit growing and tree nursing), Veluwe, Edese and Ginkelse Heide, Planken Wambuis (moorland/woods). 'Park De Hoge Veluwe' - nature and culture - at Otterlo is recommendable.

Info Riverside: http://www.rivierenland.nl/nl-nl.aspx?sc_lang=en

You can take walks, go for bicycle rides or mountain-bike races, in the vicinity/neighbourhood. You can go for a swim or do all kind of watersports like canoing, sailing, diving, water-skiing/surfing and fishing, but also paragliding, pitch & putt golfing, tennis and volleyball: "De Beldert" in Zoelen - 15km N320; "Eiland van Maurik" with yaught-basin in Maurik - 16km; "Henschotermeer" in Woudenberg, a beautiful swimming lake in a wood - 22 km via N225; "Strandpark Slijk-Ewijk" at Slijk-Ewijk - 22 km A15/N836; "De Meent" in Beusichem - 26 km N320; "Rijkerswoerdse Plassen" in Elst (Gelderland) - 28 km N225/A50/N837 or 34 km A15. There are catering and recreation areas with playgrounds, playing fields and outdoor/water equipment, adventure island, diving raft and so on at all locations. See http://www.uitrwaarde.nl and for cycle routes also anwb.nl or Google Maps.
There are two cities close (8 km) to Rhenen: Veenendaal (big market on Tuesdays, small one on Saturdays) and Wageningen (big market on Wednesdays, small one on Saturdays). Other cities: Ede (20 km), Arnhem (25 km), Nijmegen (35 km) and Utrecht (43 km). Interesting towns/villages are Wijk bij Duurstede (by bike/car via dykes - Rijnbandijk - at the other side of the river Rhine - and ferry 25 km), Woudenberg (Pyramid of Austerlitz - with playground - built to honour Napoleon Bonaparte, 26 km via N225 - http://www.pyramidevanausterlitz.nl), Culemborg (both 31 km), Vierhouten (63 km via A30/A1/N302/N310).
Harderwijk (59 km VIA n226/a28) is famous because of its dolphinarium. The show is just great. Start and end the visit with watching the dolphins, because the show is absolutely fantastic and changes all the time.
You can easily visit Utrecht (historic and pleasant centre, 'De Dom' church), Nijmegen (nice city centre, Sanodome), Arnhem (Burger's Bush Zoo, Airborn Museum, Openlucht [open-air] Museum), Apeldoorn (Palace 'Het Loo'), Amsterdam (capital), Rotterdam (sea port, Euromast, Future Land / Maasvlakte 2, Diergaarde Blijdorp Zoo), Leiden (Naturalis Museum; Corpus) or Den Haag - by car, or by train as Rhenen has its own railway station (2 km). If you like churches, you should go to Delft (especially the 'Nieuwe Kerk' (stained-glass windows), but the 'Oude Kerk' as well) and Gouda. But you can find lots of small(er) and beautiful churches all around The Netherlands. You can also go to Dordrecht (75 km) and visit a life-size replica of Noah's Ark (http://www.arcofnoah.org/).

Tourist information (TI) cities:
Amsterdam: http://www.iamsterdam.com/en/visiting
The Hague: http://en.denhaag.nl/en/visitors.htm
Rotterdam: http://www.rotterdam.info/cms.php?cmspageid=12&langid=2
Utrecht: http://www.utrechtyourway.nl/en/events/see-do
Arnhem and Nijmegen: http://en.vvvarnhemnijmegen.nl/
TI The Netherlands: http://www.holland.com/uk/tourism.htm
TI Die Niederlanden: http://www.holland.com/de/tourist.htm
TI Les Pays Bas: http://www.holland.com/fr/tourisme.htm
TI Holland: http://www.holland.com/dk/tourist.htm

Sea beaches: nice family-beaches in Katwijk aan Zee (98 km via N225/A12/N11/N206) and Den Haag/Kijkduin (114 km via A12). Noordwijk aan Zee (100 km, close to Katwijk aan Zee) is an option too. Scheveningen (99 km via N225/A12 or by train) and Burg Haamstede are more touristy, but have fine beaches. Zandvoort aan Zee (101 km via N225/A12; combine with Haarlem, Frans Hals museum) and Hoek van Holland (121 km via A15/20) have nice beaches too and can easily be reached by train. Travelling by car can give some parking problems with hot (beach) weather if you do not leave early enough....Travelling by train is not cheap....

Recommended restaurants Rhenen: 'Wokpaleis' (very good, big, cheap stir-fry restaurant), 'De Grebbeberg' (excellent modern pancake restaurant), 'Koning van Denemarken' (Dutch food, successful restaurant), 'Korianders' (modern and successful), 'Tante Loes' (modern and successful restaurant lounge at the river Rhine), 'Bella Venezia' (Italian, cheap), 'Kalkoentje' (exclusive and expensive, closed on Sundays). There is also an excellent (and rewarded) snack/luncheon bar 'Colijn' (we wouldn't recommend the other one), which serves fish too, and delicious soft-ice. You will find the best Chinese food in Elst (with another good stir-fry Chinese restaurant close by) and in Kesteren. Good Italian ice-cream at Martino's (Rhenen centre).

Rhenen is very close to Germany: Emmerich am Rhein (68 km via A12/Arnhem) and Kleve (58 km via A15/Nijmegen). The Eifel (mountains) are about 200 km from Rhenen..... Too far, I reckon.

Our lifestyle.
We love walking in nature (mountains, hills, woods, moors, coasts and cliffs), sunbathing/swimming (lakes, sea, reservoirs, rivers and streams) and culture (visiting villages, towns, cities and museums - art mostly; looking at/inside churches/buildings).
We like small animals (cats, dogs, chicken, rabbits, guinea pigs, etc.), however Roelanda is allergic to them. We also like birds, butterflies and bees.

Our 2013 Summer holidays last three weeks - from 2 to 24 August 2013. We already have a short holiday at a sea resort from Sa 10-Sa 17 August. We still can exchange from Fri 2-Fri 9 August and Mo 19-Sa 24 August.
We were thinking of (close to/in) Berlin as our daughter had a little accident and therefor had to miss a 3-day school trip to Berlin in week 20. BUT, we would like to go to France (Normandy, East.), (close to) Prague/Paris; Switzerland (mountains, glacier), Belgium, Luxumbourg and Germany as well.

Varen/zeilen, Mogelijkheden om te vissen, Golfbanen in de buurt, Paardrijden, Wandelen/trektochten, Openbaar vervoer, Meer, Centrale verwarming, Parkeergelegenheid, Gelegen aan water, Internettoegang, Rookvrije accommodatie, Gebruik van fiets(en), Geen huisdieren