Coffeeshop Soundtrack

I’ve literally written and rewritten the start to this post so many times, I’m at a lost as to where I should begin, I feel like so much has happened in the past week that there’s really no correct way to begin it I suppose. 

            In the past week, I’ve been to three different countries, heard a different language spoken I haven’t heard so fluently spoken before, had true Belgium Chocolate as well as a Belgian waffle, and got a little bit of an eye opener strolling through the red light district (let’s just say the set up is the same as how animals would be on display at an animal rescue, this time with humans.)

            Last Friday was a very very long day filled with about a two-hour ferry ride into France as well as a 6-hour bus ride through Belgium into the Netherlands, where we set up camp for the weekend. The bus ride through the country side was just beautiful the lush green grass, little sheep grazing along the river and the old style houses making everything feel real. When we reached our final destination of Amsterdam we were put into an awesome hotel, the room and view were just beautiful.  It was a bit complicated trying to figure out the lights I must say, you had to place your key card into a slot in order to get any sort of power or heat in the room, Tricia and I had quite a bit of difficulty trying to figure this out naturally. If America thinks they are a head of the times with technology and saving energy, than they have yet to be to Europe, that’s all I have to say. 

Enough about my room, now to the nitty gritty. We regrouped with the tour group we came with and set out for the main central part of Amsterdam. Walking out of the train and seeing the sight in front of me was crazy. In the span of two days I saw to Geisha’s riding bikes as well as someone dressed as the Joker and a smurf. The nightlife was in full effect and the old buildings along the water were just a sight to see. Due to Amsterdam being a “swamp” there were canals at every corner, with many buildings directly inline with the water, only inches from the windows. 

Amsterdam is very keen on saving the planet so they bike everywhere. When I tell you I have never seen so many bikes in my life I am not lying. They were chained on every corner and they even have their own bike paths, that if you dare cross, you may not survive, they are quite ruthless.

The next day I awoke to a nice breakfast and beautiful top floor scenery of the city, coated with snow. It was a spectacular view, and breakfast was mighty good. Next on saturdays agenda we were setting out to visit some traditional Dutch towns in Holland, Edam and Volendam. Edam was a place for me, they are famous for their cheese so I was excited to get the chance to take a bite into some freshly made, later I wouldn’t be too excited when I was literally scooping it out with a spoon because I forgot to purchase a knife. 

When we arrived at Edam I walked with a content feeling, the little town was very quite and very antique looking so it was hard to not feel something. Yet again there were canals along the city center and with the snow, it just painted a picture more beautiful as you walked further. This was literally someone’s home town so as we casually strolled through the streets we came across an elderly couple sitting at a table by a window relaxing, reading the paper and just eating breakfast, but it honestly had to be the sweetest thing I have ever seen and honestly made the whole experience a little bit more magical.

Next on Saturday’s journey we set out to a little harbor town called Volendam. This town was set along the water, kind of like back home with a fancier boardwalk. Volendam is known for having the best fish and their main dish is fresh RAW Herron. I made a deal with myself before I came to study abroad that I would try any odd foods that seemed to be the main dish, so naturally I was set to shovel some down. I honestly hate fish, I’ll eat the occasional salmon on tilapia but this is raw fish we are talking about here. I put on a brave face and just went for it, and when I tell you it was good, I tend to even surprise myself. They covered the fish in onions so it was able to have a little seasoning, but that was all they offered. I was shocked I was able to eat the whole thing but I did and was honestly proud of myself, accomplishment of the weekend. 

Once we finished up with visiting the towns we were dropped off at central and were able to do what ever we pleased. The one museum I was most excited to see was Anne Frank’s house. The house in which Anne Frank hid was right along a canal, the outlook I’m sure beautiful back than, even in the midst of the chaos she experienced. Once we were inside there were no words to express just how one feels in this situation. I was overcome with an overwhelming amount of sadness for this little girl as well as her family. They had writings from her diary set up on the walls as you walked through as well as many pictures of what the place looked like back than. When we reached the rooms in which her family and friends hid it just became surreal. In one of the rooms there were original pictures of magazine clippings she had cut out to decorate the room still lining the walls, as well as a section of the wall specifically to keep a growth chart of the children living inside. The rooms in which they lived were very small and when you think of how many years they spent in hiding it was quite crazy. 

At the end of the tour they had many of her journals on display and being able to see her words, in her hand writing, was just an awesome experience, even though in the end she was not able to make it through, she did accomplish the one goal she was set on completing, becoming a well known writer. 

When the tour was over, Tricia and I set out along the city walking around the shops and just exploring the city, the thrift store we found was by far the best. We played it smart that night and called it in early, we needed to be to the bus by 8:30 or they made it clear we would be left. 

Sunday morning there was more snow on the ground and an even prettier view as I sipped on my coffee and ate some yummy breakfast yet again. As we all piled on the bus we began our journey to the town of Burgee, Belgium. This too was also a great city. The town center held all medieval type buildings and was also set along canals. There was a strong aroma of chocolate through out the city and a wind chill of freezing. This had to be the coldest I have been while living abroad so it was tough to fully enjoy the impact of this beautiful city, but all in all it was a beautiful sight to see. 

One thing I did realize while on this trip was that for the first time I actually missed my new home, my small flat with an airplane sized bathroom. This was a great realization because it made me feel as though I was finally believing this was my home, I guess it should be now for in two days time I will have officially been living abroad for a month. Can you believe it? I know I can’t. 

Tomorrow I am taking a trip to Parliament as well as the Globe Theater so I’m very excited. Until next time. 

-Cheers