Flying in Europe

When I first moved to Europe (the first time) I had this roses and sunshine idea that I was going over their and light the sky on fire.
I had noooo idea what I was getting into.
I was at the time teaching for KLM, but they wanted me to stay in the States, not live in Holland ( these are just a few of the complications that arise when you run off with a colleague, something I will never do again.)
So I went to work for a place at Eelde ( EHGG ) called General Enterprises,the European importers of the Cirrus SR20. I was the Demo/Instructor pilot and had a blast with that little hot rod. My partner was flying Barons and Bonanzas, and was 3 months away from 747-400 school, so we were busy having the last hurrah before he moved into the heavys.We would dog fight, fly formation, and have generally way too much fun.
So then the winter arrived.
I learned to fly in Arizona,where, if the weather is bad, you simply dont fly (unless you are a freight dog of course)
Not so in the Netherlands.It is generally a bit easier as the IMC is generally stratiform layers and makes for a pretty smooth ride, and you can usually get on top.
So, on a saturday morning the weather was wet and crappy. ( The weather there is always wet and crappy or cold and crappy or a combination thereof.)
Consider this METAR: 2605 200OVC BR 2 miles vis 11/12 QNH 1011. So it was an IFR kinda day. Lets go practice some approaches! I was ALL exited ( actual IMC! WOO HOO)
VORDME RWY 5 at Eelde, flying right over our little house in Norg so I could rev the propellor at my boy who was 10 at the time.
Approach is going well, down to the MDA, then proceed to the MAP ( for those who dont know,everything in the pilot world is an acronym, MDA means minimum descent altitude which means if you go lower that that and you are in the clouds and cant see, you might clobber into something. MAP is the missed approach point, the place where, if you cant see the runway, you cant land and must execute the missed approach procedure)
I cant see any runway lights! Hey, I said to my partner, I dont see the rabbit ( approach lights) They are expensive he exclaims, Fly the Heading!! ( ?? !! )
So I did, and there was the runway ( kind of ) so I shoot the miss and once
established outbound I started to question him about the light situation. He explained to me that there was a tax on approach lights, the approach, the airway, the landing,etc,etc,
Can you believe that? What a detriment to flight safety!
WQe dont realize how well we have it here in the states. We can thank AOPA for preventing the same situation from occuring here.It would not only strike a serious blow to GA ,but accidents would have a serious increase due to pilots not utilizing vital services.
I was in for some other surprises as well.....