Scarlet Blondie hit the road in spots

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

The Netherlands Day 6 & 7

(Thursday)- I got to sleep in again! I ate breakfast and then they went to get groceries while I relaxed. I had lost my red notebook at some point during the week so they went to check the shops for me. They got back and we ate lunch then they went on a bike ride. A longer one. I showered and got ready. Worked on a paper I was writing and my journals.

It was a pretty relaxing day. Around 6 Laurens and Mandy came over for our last dinner. We ended with the same thing we had when we first got there, the salad. We all just talked, had sparkling wine, and ate. It was very pleasant, and the food was amazing as usual. It was bitter sweet, but I was ready to go at the same time. I had been gone for two months and was ready to go home.

That evening we packed everything and relaxed. Our last night.

Friday morning we got up around 5:30 am and got ready to leave. I always feel sick that early, so I couldn’t really eat anything. About 6:30 we were on our way back to the airport. We check in (everything was under weight!!!) and headed to security. We said our goodbyes. Lots of kisses and love. Goodbye Europe, it has been quite an adventure!!

The Netherlands Day

(Wednesday)- Haarlem! Mom and Pete went for a walk after breakfast and I relaxed/worked on my blog. I think I wrote my last Dublin blog that day.

It was another cheese lunch. They put me on the bus and they rode bikes to meet me. After getting off the bus I wait for them in the sun, just reading. The buses are a lot different in the Netherlands. They are only one story and much smaller.

Once I met up with them we walked around for 3 hours looking at Alms houses. Alms houses were house built by the rich for the poor. There was a a little courtyard. The houses were all little and cute. But, you can only see so many of them. After a while they all just kind of blend together.

I headed back on the bus again and the driver gave me a call so I would know. I sat and read on the wall outside of a library waiting. That night we had a chicken dinner. It was almost a peanut sauce but all Moroccan spices. The next day was our last day in the Netherlands.

The Netherlands day 4

(Tuesday)- We woke up late an ate the usual breakfast. We walk around Heemstede (Pete’s village) then headed back home for lunch. After a lunch of cheese, ham, and jam on rice cakes we headed back to Amsterdam. This tim we were going to see Milan and Floortia. They had moved into a new apartment about 10 months ago. It was just built, so it was pretty modern.

Before we went to their place for dinner we went to the popular area of Amsterdam. It was the first time I had ever seen the prostitutes in the window. Most of them looked really bored. And you could smell the weed from the street. I also learned what coffee shop REALLY meant. lol. I kind of knew but didn’t make the connection when I was looking for the American version.

I finally bought my one and only pair of Birkenstocks. They are super comfy but it may take me a while to get used to how they look. I also got a really cute skirt. It is full length and red.

For dinner we had a special Dutch dish. It was two kinds of mashed potatoes. One also had carrots, mustard, and spinach. The other had bacon and endive.We also had meatballs. It was just good and will definitely try it when I get home. It is on the list of new recipes! We stayed until nearly 10.

We headed home on the tram to the train, but we took the wrong tram so we had to go from one train station to another in Amsterdam before we could head home. At home it was bed almost right away. The next day was a trip to Haarlem.

The Netherlands- Day 3

Monday)- Today was the day we were going to Amsterdam to Tobias and Joost. We spent some time just walking through the Dappermarkt on Dapperstraat. It is there everyday and it has everything you could possibly want. Clothes, produce, medical supplies, shoes, etc.

Tobias and Joost live in the east part of Amsterdam. They live on the top floor of a really old three story building. The stairs are almost vertical. We met their cat Zita and waited out the rain eating ham and crisps.

After a while we just had to give up and hope it stayed light. No such luck. About half a block from their apartment it started down pouring. We hid in a doorway to try not to get anymore wet. It stopped for quite a while as we continued onto the zoo. The next 2 hours was spent walking around the zoo. I got to see a baby elephant and a baby lion. So many cute animals.

Our day did not end there. We took a long walk around their part of Amsterdam and headed home. I had left over chili while their had a shrimp dish.

The Netherlands- Day 2

(Sunday)- This was a pretty long day, but it was a lot of fun. We slept in and relaxed. We started our day with yogurt and fruit then got ready for our walk. We went over to a forested area. We walked for quite a ways along a beautiful path. It ran along a river. We saw ducks and deer and bunnies. It started to rain, but we just kept walking and taking pictures.

At one point we stopped at a shelter that had been put up for hikers. We ate a little fruit and crisps for lunch. It was peaceful. Once we were done eating and the rain stopped we started walking towards the beach.

By the time we got there the sun was out and it was nice and warm. The water was very shallow so I walked quite far out while mom and Pete satin the sand. We collected a bunch of shells and sat in the sand for a while.

Next we walked up the beach. Boy, that was a loooong walk. In town we stopped for ice cream before walking the last half hour to the car. In all it took about 5 hours. Let’s just say I was feeling it that night.

Pete made a VERY good chili. It definitely hit the spot after such a long day. We had to get up early the next morning.

The Netherlands- Day 1

(Saturday)- Get up between 5 am and 6 am. Go to our taxi and 7 am. My friend Lexi joined us for the ride. Through security really early. Chill out and eat since we didn’t know which gate ours was yet. Saw my friend Brandon. He was going to Amsterdam too, but at a different time.

Slept whole flight and taxied for a long time. Our bags were the first ones and got through customs quickly. Pete was there waiting for us with a big smile and lots of kisses. We packed her small car to the gills with our suitcases and headed to her place.

We had an amazing salad for lunch. It was probably the best salad I had had all summer. It was lettuce, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, green beans, mini-potatoes, and mozzarella balls. I threw on a tiny bit of italian dressing and it was golden. I’m definitely going to try and make it at home.

After “lunch” (it was about 3 pm) we headed off to one of Pete’s son’s new place, but first we went to the village he and his girlfriend used to live in. It was ity-bity and there was no way two cars could drive down the same street. We walked around, up and down the canal for about an hour. Then, we drove to the village next door and went to a memorial fora church. It had a spot where you could sit down and look at nature while listening to some classical music. Right across the street was the smallest candy store in Holland. It was about the size of the bathroom in my last apartment. About 9 ft. sq. It was really cute :)

At about 5 or 5:30 we were at Laurens’s and Mandy’s new house. They had designed it and had it built. They made fun of my for not eating fish, which seemed to be a theme the whole time I was there. It was fine, just playful slagging. I just ate the spinach and the potatoes they had made in their new unit. It was a big black block that had a streamer, coffee maker, and small oven on top, and a freezer, refrigerator, and dishwasher on bottom. I had never seen anything like it before. It was really interesting.

After dinner we hung out until the others got there because we all were celebrating Laurens’s birthday.We stayed until about 10:30 talking with people, eating cheese, and drinking plenty of wine.