Whatever Lola wants....(or in this case, mother-in-law wants)

Well;
I had a request to talk about shopping here. Since we had a day hitting the IKEA, the Jumbo grocery store, and the Praxis hardware store, it seems appropriate to address my mother-in-law's question about shopping here. Having not lived in the US (or anywhere else) in the 50's I would guess that that is sort of where we are in some ways (granted this is from Leave-it-to-Beaver idealism, rather than first hand knowledge).

We have grocery stores that would look a lot like your standard grocery stores in the states, maybe bigger or smaller, and selling beer and wine, which might or might not happen depending on where you live. Within biking distance I can use the following chains: Em-Te, Jumbo, Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Aldi (which strangely carries the Trader Joe brand on some items), Plus, Bio (all organics), and Lijn. The grocery stores carry a lot of prepackaged prepared foods that are fresh, so you get your stir fry mix or your soup mix in the fresh veggie section. You can also pick up a prefabbed dinner complete with all the food, just to put in oven or microwave. Often these are very tasty and complete. And of course very handy, when you don't have many herbs and your sole spice is pepper. But, I miss cooking....that will be a story for when our household goods arrive (they are in a warehouse some place farther south in the country....they'll get here eventually).

Now, on top of that variety there are tons of butchers and bakers. Our baker is on the Dutch olympic baking team and an amazing baker (and really funny, posed as though a baguette is a javelin). The Dutch favor very creamy cakes. And there is a custom of open door hospitality involving a small piece of pastry or a cookie and a cup of coffee for almost anyone that wanders in your home. This can create a cultural discomfort...but that is for another post.

Beyond the butchers and bakers and the large grocers, every town has a fruit & veggie market at least once a week - even tiny Volkel. Uden has it twice a week. Often you can buy other things like flowers and fish or even bicycle stuff and clothing.

What we have discovered is that things are sold more ripe here...both local produce like the strawberries and cherries, and the imports. Consquently, I shop at least twice a week, or we cannot have fresh fruits and veggies (both of which Eileen decidedly enjoys with her rice cereal).

So, we buy for two or three days at a time.

Here is the time to say that we will start stocking up on canned goods, cat food, meats, and other frozen foods once a month at a commisary on a US faciility. We have issued in our home, beyond the kitchen fridge (which has no freezer), a standard US size fridge/freezer, and a full freezer as well.

In answer to the thought questions: IKEA is pretty much like IKEA every where, down to the restaurant, and the Swedish food, and the snack bar. Jumbo is local and smaller than some, but recently redone and a very decent grocery option. Praxis is more ACE without the helpful hardware man than like Home Depot.

I hope this answered what shopping is like, please let me know if there are details that are of interest.