Day 18: Barendrecht

What a soaked day. From the morning until after lunch, it didn't stop raining for a moment. So I, with all the dignity in the world, settled in Tom's basket. Yes, it's for cats. And yes, it's small. But hey, it's not bad at all. Warm, cozy, and with a pusi aroma. What more could you ask for.

After lunch (they eat here when I usually have breakfast), the rain kept falling, but Daddy Edu and his gang had plans. A walk to the shopping center, with a raincoat and good mood. They tied me up outside, as if I were a designer handbag, next to another dog who also had a "what am I doing here?" look on his face. Meanwhile, Daddy Edu, Uncle Antonio, and Aunt Wilma wandered through the shops as if it were a human safari. Not even a piece of sausage for me, by the way.

But the weirdest thing came in the afternoon. Around seven o'clock, after dinner (they have dinner here as if it were noon), everyone set off... on bikes! It was like a stage of the Tour of Holland. Daddy Edu, Uncle Antonio, Aunt Wilma, Lars with his girlfriend Charlize, and Britte with her boyfriend Rutger. All of them heading to Rotterdam. And me? At home. With Tom! Luckily, we tolerate each other now. There were no fights. No shared naps, though.

And where exactly did they go? To a huge theater, with four thousand people. Four thousand! A certain Najib Amhali was performing, who is apparently very famous here. A comedian of Moroccan origin who has been on stage for 30 years making the Dutch laugh with stories about his childhood, life between cultures, and those things that make you laugh when they're told well. And from what they said when they came back, this gentleman tells them very well.

Around eleven o'clock, they all came back laughing, talking about jokes that I didn't understand (but that surely had to do with mothers-in-law or kebabs). Last drink of the day with French cheese (nothing for me) and then, as always, a short walk and to the camper, which is still in its place in front of the house. My bed, my blanket, and to sleep. Because even if it's a day of the sofa and rain, a cellar dog needs to rest in case tomorrow is an adventure.