Headed Home

Now it is just a waiting game. Bags are packed, apartment is cleaned out, and my 10 months here have come to an end. There are only a few more hours of airport waiting before I'm flying back to the States. I have a feeling of satisfaction and contentment, knowing that I have done my very best to live this time abroad in the best way that I know how, that has the most meaning for me, and I am ready to move to the next great adventure. But for now, I must play the waiting game.

Rotterdam, Netherlands

Rotterdam was the next stop on the Netherlands tour. The city was hit hard in WWII, and most of the buildings are post-1945. Architecture is one of the biggest reasons why people visit this city, and I was no exception. 

Erasmus Bridge, Rotterdam

My hostel was in the Cube Houses, an urban village designed by Piet Blom in the late 1970s. The complex itself serves as a pedestrian bridge over a major traffic artery, and the architect was commissioned to "furnish" this bridge. Blom's idea was to create "a safe oasis where several functions could take place: small scale business, shops, a school and a children's playground downstairs, living in the cubehouses upstairs." This "village within a town" was an archetictural experiment- a mixed use development that provides various functions for the residents (housing, good views, access to products and services closeby) and for the members of the external community (the pedestrian bridge). Right up my alley!

Inside the Cube House

Inside the Cube House

Rotterdam's other HUGE claim to fame is it's port. Up until 2005, the Port of Rotterdam was the biggest port in the entire world. It is the gateway to the European market and facilitates 430 million tons of cargo annually. The Maritime Museum has an exhibition called Mainport Live- Feel the Rhythm of Rotterdam Port.

I had been spending so much time in cities that my eyes were starting to get used to all that concrete. That is not a good thing. Something green, please! I grabbed the daypack and headed (via Water taxi, very cool, highly recommended) to Kinderdijk, a Dutch village near to UNESCO-recognized windmills, preserved since the 1700s.

It is absolutely remarkable what the Dutch have done in regards to water management in their country. The land mass of the Netherlands is to a great degree artificial, and as the folks over at Lonely Planet report "The efforts of the Dutch to create new land- which basically equates to reclaiming it from the encroaching sea- are almost super human...In total, an astounding 20% of the country is reclaimed land." What were once tidal flats, estuaries and marshlands are now agricultural land. Windmills original purpose was to pump water to drain the land for this agriculture. The classic polder scene (strips of farmland separated by canals) makes up 60% of the Netherlands landscape and Kinderdijk was a great example.

Adventure To Belgium

photo courtesy of geographicguide.net

After the first part of my Netherlands trip, I was able to make a short side trip down to Belgium to visit some family friends, Lori and Brad and their incredible kiddos. On the way down, I took a lunch break in Brussels and had a couple hours to wander and see what all the fuss is about. I only saw a tiny portion of the massive city, which carries the title of the de-facto capital Belgium and the European Union. All of the pictures below were taken within walking distance of the Central Station.

Belgian Flag and EU Flag flanking a building

I arrived in Mons in the evening and quickly got to playing in the backyard! It was really great to be part of a family setting again, and there is nothing quite like a good ol' backyard baseball game with charming littles!

Train station mural in Mons

Saturday's schedule was packed, and we wasted no time. First stop was a visit to the North Sea (read: the beach)!

Despite the wind, we all had a blast sticking our toes in the surf, discovering neat shells and romping around in the warm sand. The consensus on the beach trip: Next time, sand shovels and swim suits will be included.
Following the beach visit, we headed in to Bruges, yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Isn't it remarkable that I keep finding myself in these beautiful, historic, preserved, admired places? We enjoyed a delectable lunch of mussels and frites, finished up with gelato, and topped it all off later in the day with an authentic waffle. When in Belgium, right? Let's not forget the The Chocolate Line, a specialty chocolate shop that offers both traditional Belgian chocolates and "exotic" versions, like wasabi, earl grey, or my (surprising) favorite, fried onion. I know, it doesn't sound good, you just have to trust me.

On my final day, the whole fam packed up for the Sunday flower market in downtown Mons. The town is quite close to the border with France, and French is the main language spoken this far south in Belgium. Dutch is the predominant language further north, and there is considerable cultural tensions between the two regions. And don't forget the German speakers either! It appears that things are not all butterflies and flowers in terms of national politics or cultural relations in Belgium, but for that Sunday morning, everyone was focused on the flowers, and the mood was light. 

 For my upcoming travels, I managed to give a lucky head-rub to the little monkey of Mons.

We spent the rest of the afternoon touring the Chievres Air Base and school campus where my hosts work. A big thanks goes out to Lori and Brad for opening up their family and home to me! I really appreciate it!

Bikes and Stroopwaffels- My Visit to Amsterdam & Utrecht, Netherlands

I'm back from my Netherlands trip and had a fabulous time! My first stop was Amsterdam. I immediately bought a museum pass and used it everyday. My hostel was quite close to the Van Gogh Museum as well as the Rijksmuseum, both headliners of the Amsterdam museums. The Netherlands has a rich art history and to be able to see the masters on display was a neat experience, even for a non-artsy scientist type.

  

One of the most rewarding things one can do in Amsterdam is to wander along the canals. Without intention or direction is best. There are so many secret pockets to find, bikers to observe, houseboats to yearn for, and stories being told from those cobbled streets.

Another highlight of my museum circuit was the Anne Frank Museum. The Frank family moved to Amsterdam from Germany to escape the anti-semitism of Hitler's regime when Anne was four years old. Almost ten years later, in 1942, the Frank family went into hiding above Otto Frank's office space. It was here that Anne wrote her diaries recounting life in hiding. I was able to walk through the house, from the office space downstairs, through the secret bookcase, tiptoe up the staircase, and soak in the fear and confinement that seeped into the walls of the hidden apartment. It gave me a new perspective on how lucky I am to live free of fear of persecution, and how important it is for all of us to assure that for all members of society.

Anne Frank House

The Netherlands is known as a bike-friendly country, both geographically (it is super flat) and in terms of infrastructure (tons of bike lanes and endless bike parking). My expectations were surpassed! It was almost unbelievable how many people I saw on bikes- men in business suits, women in high heels and summer dresses, moms balancing with three (3!) kiddos on her bike, crusing down the path like it was just another day, which I'm sure it was. Nothing was too big for a bike. I saw new TVs being transported via bike rack, friends hopping a ride (called "dinking," I would later learn), and more groceries than you could imagine.

One of my most memorable evenings I spent in Vondel Park, watching the residents of Amsterdam enjoy the setting sun and acres of inviting grass, sunbathing, sharing a BBQ, and of course, on cruisin' on bikes!
Other museums of note that I visited in Amsterdam include the Amsterdam Historical Museum, Dutch Resistance Museum, and NEMO.

My high school friend Nikki is studying in Utrecht this semester, so after my time in Amsterdam, I jumped on a train for a fun weekend! She was a fantastic and fun host. I got all of the local secrets, especially at the Saturday morning market, where I indulged in too much dip and tasted my first stroopwaffel, a fantastic Dutch secret treat. Just the ingredients list will make your mouth water. Look 'em up.

We stumbled across Museum Speelklok, advertised as "The Most Cheerful Museum in the Netherlands." We would have to concur.The museum really does have it all, from musical clocks to street organs.

The cherry on top was Michel Jackson's "Thriller" played on the organ at the end of this room:

Afterwards, we strolled through the cozy streets of Utrecht, passing by the Domkerk (Dom Church) and wandering along the canals. I don't think I'll ever get tired of that!

A huge thanks to Nikki and Austin for showing me the sights and giving me a great taste of student life in Holland while I was visiting Utrecht!

Please Hold...

My time in the Netherlands is going great- sun, sun and more sun- too many museums to count- windmills and cheese and stroopwaffels and old friends to show me the sights- not much to complain about here! Today I depart for Belgium, just a quick hop away really (travelling between countries here is a shorter trip than most daily work commutes in Teton County!) and I have a scenic train ride to get me there. Stay tuned for photos(!) and real recaps- they will be coming atcha in a few more days. Happy June and I hope the weather is as fabulous wherever you are as it is here!