Ten Years On...

This year is a special one for hubby and I as it’s out tenth wedding anniversary. It’s hard to believe that a decade has passed since we rode with hearts pounding in a carriage pulled by two jet black Friesian horses to Vorden Castle and exchanged vows on an unusually warm spring morning. The wild fennel was in abundant bloom along the country roads and the oak and beech woods all around us were an explosion of fresh green leaves and birdsong. Anything seemed possible on a day filled with such promise and ten years on, we certainly haven’t been disappointed.
Like any married couple this first decade will probably prove to be the busiest, or at least the one filled with the most ‘firsts’. We bought our first house, had our first (and second!) child, got our first house rabbit, moved abroad to live…the list goes on.
Marrying someone from a different culture and in another country is always a challenge, even if you do speak a common language. Holger and I met at a particularly difficult time for his family: his father was diagnosed with terminal cancer just after our first date in November 1995 and passed away within two months. I spent New Years Eve 1996 in the local hospital with appendicitis; not exactly the quiet night in we had planned! The weather was atrocious and I vividly remember gazing out the window as snow ploughs, two abreast, slowly lumbered past followed by trucks spreading salt to try and melt the black ice which had formed on the roads. People were warned to stay indoors and not drive due to the treacherous slippery conditions but Holger braved the snow storm and icy roads to be at my bedside, bringing ‘oiliebollen’ and orange juice to toast the New Year together. We had only been going out for about a month but as I saw him walking up the corridor (he had lied to the nursing staff and told them he was my fiancé in order to come outside normal visiting hours) I knew that this was Something Big.
Seven months later we were engaged and on May 30 1997 we were married on that perfect spring day.
So how to celebrate ten years together? Our plans have shifted constantly as our living situation has changed, and so far we are more or less having a whole year of celebration! In May a mystery package arrived for me; a beautiful silver plate commissioned by Holger from our friend Ton Postma in Holland, silver and goldsmith extraordinaire (see top photo). For Holger I hunted down a gorgeous length of hand woven Cambodian silk suspended on a long, ornately carved wooden hanger crafted in Malaysia (behind Carl in the photo left).

This weekend we decided to continue the celebrations by having dinner at Raffles Hotel, something we have both wistfully considered for years! I have to say that we were not disappointed. If I were to write my own book of 1000 things to do before you die, this restaurant would be near the top. Oozing with opulence and steeped in history, it’s not just a meal but an event. Consistently voted one of the best hotels in the world, the food at the Raffles Grill is sublime, the service superb, and the surroundings stunning. I chose lobster followed by venison while Holger had tuna followed by cod. We indulged in gorgeous desserts, pistachio soufflé and rum parfait respectively. Each course was punctuated by an ‘amuse’ from the chef, delicious bite sized morsels to clear the palate and lead to even greater temptation! The wine list was impressive if a bit overwhelming; an 80 page book resembling a family bible more than a list of drinks!
To top off our anniversary celebrations we are also planning to do something together with the kids to but more about that later when the plans are finalised.
Celebrating this anniversary is proving to be so much fun that I’m already looking forward to our 20th!