Pre-exam weekend in Germany

This weekend the family was seeing off my cousin Chi My and her husband Anh Thu and two boys Ellen and Dylan before their permanent move to Vietnam. Luckily for me, my German carpool friend Eileen happened to be travelling back to Germany at the same time. It was good to see everyone from Co Chau's family here for a last get-together before Chi My left for Vietnam and I left Europe. It was also one week before the end of my housing contract in Leiden so a good chance for me to move the majority of my belongings back to my Aunt Co Chau's place. Finally, it was the weekend before my final exams and I was no stranger to a getaway study period in another country just before exams.

Thorsten's prep talk for Germany included a warning of/introduction to the German freibad culture, thus prompting my last minute spontaneous decision to grab my boardies, in addition to my study material, which paid off. The weekend in Germany turned out to be nicely warm and sunny. Although not warm enough for the outdoor swimming pools, the luxurious sauna and relaxation rooms were a perfect break from studying.
When I arrived in Germany at Co Chau's place, Anh Liem drove by to pick up Co Chau and myself. Squished into the car with Anh Liem, Chi Binh, An-Duy, Co Chau and half a car full of beach and picnic gear, I had no idea where we were going, assuming it was simply to another cousin's place. Somehow the GPS Navigator directed us for 3 hours on what was supposed to be a 1.5 hour drive to Bad Bentheim. When we arrived, I found out that the family had booked out a holiday home in a holiday village area next to a spa, sauna and outdoor pool (freibad) complex.



It also happened to be the weekend of the Champions' League final: the shirt colours, together with the corresponding facial expressions, indicate the result. Viet, a Bayern Munich fan, went straight to bed after the game.

From left: Anh Liem, Chi Binh, Anh Vinh, Anh Duy, Isabelle, Kevin, Dylan, Chi Lan, Baby ..., Anh Tu, Ellen, Chi My, Mai Anh, Anh Thien, Chi Mai, Viet, Anh Binh, Co Chau, Don.