Old Pics - Visitors

This is an old photo from a disposable camera (well a scanned version), you know before we all had cameras on our phones!  This particular photo was taken over 10yrs ago (summer 2003), hard to believe... I swear we're still that young at heart (and looks, of course).  This photo was taken during our first year together here in The Netherlands.  Well, the pic itself was taken in Dunkerque (Dunkirk), France... back in the days when we used to explore the country or bordering countries every weekend.  Before we left Florida to start our new life here, we offered an open invitation to all of our friends and family that if they scrounged up the money for the flight we would give them a place to stay.  At the time we didn't really expect anyone to visit except for family.  Of course my Mom & step-dad turned up a few months after we arrived, and that summer a whole lot of friends decided to visit also.  They all picked the same summer (heat wave without a/c)... as soon as one set left another set arrived.  By the time the 3rd set of friends arrived we were unfortunately out of vacation time from work and money (sorry Ashley & Ursula!)  But it was so nice giving our young friends (all in their early 20's at the time) a chance to see Europe and to experience The Netherlands as we knew it, beyond Amsterdam and windmills.  Since then well, a lot of these friendships have faded away over time and I think only one more friend has taken the trip over to see us.  But luckily for us my parents & their partners have become regulars, even to the point I don't panic when they say they're going for a stroll through town.  (In years past I was sure they would never find their way back.)  Our living situation is more limited now that we have a kid, so nowadays when my family visits it is a small investment because they also have to arrange accommodations.  Hopefully one day we'll be able to sell our apartment and get the house we talk about so often.  And then maybe the extended family will decide to make the journey, hint-hint!