River Cruise in the Netherlands and Belgium and Some DIfficult News

In mid-April, just after Meagan departed, we went to Amersterdam for two days on our own before we departed on a tulip time river cruise. We spent a day in Amsterdam at the VanGogh Museum -- always a favorite.

We met up with our frequent travel companions Norma and Juan Rengel and enjoyed an evening canal cruise in Amsterdam before embarking on our ship. Our first stop was in Antwerp which is a lovely medieval city. From there we were on to Ghent. It was cool but not rainy for our walking tour and wandering through the cities.

The main purpose of the cruise was to visit the Keukenhof Gardens, outside of Amsterdam. The photos do not do it justice. We happened to be there at the peak bloom. Luckily, we arrived very early because by the time we left the crowds were enormous. What a beautiful day.

My photos and memories of Antwerp, Ghent, and some other spots we visited on the cruise are a jumble, I'm afraid. When we were in Antwerp, enjoying a refreshing beverage in the historic center with Norma and Juan, Will received a (long awaited) phone call from his oncologist. She confirmed that he had Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer. She indicated that he would be treated with a combinaton of chemotherapy and immunotherapy and set up a time for us to discuss plans when we returned. Being with Norma and Juan at this time was a huge comfort. At last...we finally knew what we were up against. Will took the news well. He was subdued but not really surprised. We both still really enjoyed the rest of our cruise, seeing sights, spending time with the Rengels, or just by ourselves. To my chagrin, Will insisted on wearing his bedroom slippers to dinner. He was quite relaxed and enjoyed holding court in the lounge.