A Touristy Dutch Weekend

We had recently been asked by several people if we had been to Keukenhof yet. At that point, we had no idea what they were talking about but when we did our research we discovered that Keukenhof was a beautiful garden surrounded by the famous Dutch tulip fields. For more info check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keukenhof. The issue with Keukenhof is that it is only open for approximately 2 months and we had missed the first month. Originally we thought we would go Easter weekend because Gearoid has a long weekend but the same people who asked if we had been, highly recommended we avoid it on Easter weekend due to the amount of foreign tourists (mostly Germans) who would be there. Scared we would miss this beautiful garden we booked a car for the following weekend and decided to check out Keukenhof. Having a car for the weekend also led us to other Dutch sites and overall with the beautiful weather we had a great time.

Unfortunately, the pictures don’t capture the amazing beauty and wonderful smell of Keukenhof. Flowers I have never even imagined- feathered tulips, flowers with a checkerboard design, 3 foot high tulips, etc- were there on display. Gearoid was heavily influenced by the amount of other tourists playing photographer and captured everything he could- including the field of dandelions at the entrance. We thought it was pretty busy when we arrived at 9:30 but we were wrong. Two hours later we could not move without touching people. We happened to visit the gardens the day of the annual Flower parade. We had had our share of flowers and people by then and squeezed out to our rented car. After a quick picnic in the parking lot, we drove around the fields surrounding Keukenhof and I took quick pictures of the colorful flower fields. The color was amazing and the fields looked like giant striped carpets with orange, yellow, purple, pink, red, and white.

 After the flowers we headed to Haarlam, a gorgeous city which we plan to revisit in the future and explore more thoroughly. We generally just walked around and took more pictures. Afterwards, we sat at a café by a canal and planned the next adventure of the day.

After Haarlam, we drove less than 20 minutes and ended up at the beach. Along the beach, people were already setting up their “summer homes.” A long stretch of the beach was filled with almost uniform white rectangles that we’re assuming people use and live in on the weekends. The boardwalk and beachfront weren’t very attractive but the beach is the beach and I will definitely be returning. Across the street from the beach were dunes that are part of Kennemer National Park which you can hike through. After walking along the “commercial” part of the beach we returned to our car and then drove to the official entrance of Kennemer National Park and sat on a part of the beach unoccupied by summer rectangles.   It was a nice ending to a busy day.

 On Sunday, Gearoid had a soccer match and I had to run for my marathon training so we didn’t leave until early afternoon. Sunday’s destination was Kinderdijk, a world heritage site with 19 windmills built around 1740. We had a nice walk down a path that let you enjoy and take tons of pictures of the windmills. There’s really not much to say except the weather was beautiful and the windmills were plentiful. Afterwards, we had an early dinner in a little town that’s name cracks us up: Nieuw Lekkerland. “Lekker” is a word commonly used to describe something as delicious or really good.  We have heard it on a ton of commercials and I use it all the time (mostly incorrectly) in Dutch class when I don’t know what else to say. Anyway, dinner was lekker(!) in Nieuw Lekkerland.

 Over dinner we decided to extend our adventurous weekend and visit the town of Gouda- which is famous for the cheese and is pronounced as how-da. The perfect word to describe Gouda is charming. There were tiny bridges over the canals, a huge cathedral, the cheese weigh house, and of course cheese shops. Unfortunately, because we arrived late on a Sunday all we were able to do was walk around the town and take pictures.  Trust me though- I will be returning when the cheese shops are open. Gouda is also famous for my favorite treat here- stroopwafels – but I will be blogging about these delicacies at a later date. Overall, we had a beautiful weekend and although it was touristy- Dutch people in my running club told me that mainly foreigners visit these places- we were glad to have enjoyed these experiences.  Living here for the next two years has made us determined to visit as many places as possible- even if we have to fight tour buses to get in. Gearoid and I Iived 3 hours from Niagara Falls and didn’t visit them until we had moved away and were in the area visiting friends.  We don’t want to make that mistake again.  After all,  flights to Europe are pretty expensive.

Adaptations

So I usually pride myself on being a person who appreciates other cultures and is willing to try and experience new things. I avoid American restaurants, follow local customs, and try to truly appreciate where I am.  I remember when I was studying in Spain almost a decade ago and fellow Americans with my school’s program decided that instead of embracing the new culture they would embrace McDonalds and cover Spanish delicacies with ketchup.  I would scoff at their need to be and feel American. Let me make clear that I am very proud to be an American and although politics and systems in the States drive me up the wall, there are many things I value and appreciate. However, why travel to other countries and appreciate different cultures if all you want are American products and luxuries?

I would get so frustrated with my schoolmates and their “Spain Sucks” mentality. But as the weeks wore on and I had appreciated the hell out of this other culture, I missed familiarity and the culture that had raised me for 20 years (like I said- almost a decade ago).  I broke my cardinal rule and on one of my last nights, I joined my fellow American students and enjoyed ice in my soda and yellow French’s mustard on a veggie burger at the Hard Rock Café in Madrid. (Writing this I’m remembering that I also suffered homesickness about half-way through after a traumatizing Running of the Bulls experience and splurged on a Dominoes pizza to get me through the remaining weeks but that’s another story).  

Fast-forward almost a decade and I am living in another European country for a prolonged amount of time. This time it’s different though. When I was in Spain, it was only the second time I’d left the country in my adult life. I’m older, have travelled more, and am living not just studying in this new country.  My last experience living in another country has taught me that it is ok to miss the comforts of familiarity- especially when you have to pull buckets of water and light your way with candles but again another story. So although I have indoor plumbing, internet, and other developed luxuries there are simply things, practices and items that I miss from the States.

1)      Mustard- I am not a connoisseur of fancy mustards. For all of my foodie tendencies, I truly prefer the bright yellow vinegary tang of French’s yellow mustard. No Dijon or honey mustard for me. As cheese sandwiches have become a staple of our everyday diet we bought the brightest yellow mustard we could find at the grocery store. I eagerly spread it on my Gouda and bit into a horseradish-y sandwich. The mustard here simply doesn’t please my palate. Luckily, Gearoid made a trip to Montreal for a conference and brought me back a bottle of French’s Classic American mustard (although being from Montreal it came back as Canada’s favorite mustard).  Having French’s in my life again has brought back the joy evoked by cheese sandwiches.

2)      Free Tennis Courts- I learned to play tennis a couple of years ago and have really started to enjoy the game. I’m not too good so the best way to get better is to practice. In the States, Gearoid and I could only play when we were in town at the same time but we would always find a free (unoccupied) free (no cost to play) court. Despite all of the taxes paid here, courts aren’t free. Anyone can play for a certain price. We recently decided that we would eat the cost and join a court close to our house. We actually thought we were getting a good deal- a flat rate for all summer of unlimited play. Wrong- the flat rate only allowed us to play one hour a week during a time that we reserved ahead of time. This leads me to my next point…

3)      Living life with more spontaneity- I didn’t realize until now how freely we all come and go in the States without having to report to anyone but our loved ones. If we move we change our address with the postal system so our mail will move with us. However, if we wanted to, we could live in one place and have our mail sent somewhere else. You can play tennis on free free courts when you want. If you don’t show up to an adult education course, although polite, it’s not required that you call in to explain why you won’t be in class. I’m sure when I was in college, my teachers would not want to know that I wasn’t going to be in class that day because the beach was beckoning (not that I ever skipped class to go to the beach- my lack of a tan back then can attest to that).  I feel like here that life has become regulated and routine. I have to call ahead to play tennis. I have a handful of days to tell the city- not the postal system- where I’ve moved to. When you sign up for a gym, there are different payment plans for what time of day you think you may want to go. What happened to spontaneity?  In the grand scheme of things, these aren’t horrible restrictions and make logical rational sense. However, I have never claimed to be a rational and logical individual.

4)      Knowing what’s going on- The language barrier is starting to get to me. I am progressing with my Dutch lessons and will hopefully soon be getting a volunteer language match. However, so many times we are told something in English and have been told wrongly. A few words can change the whole meaning of a message you are trying to convey (or receive). The tennis price is one example (can you tell yet that this tennis misunderstanding really bothers me?).  All along when I’ve tried to do important things that affect my life- get a bank account, get insurance, etc- I’ve been told  I have to wait until I get the Dutch equivalent  of a social security number- my BSN. I finally got a BSN and have attempted to get a bank account and insurance. However, in my attempts I have been told that I also need my registration card (my immigration form that I have been waiting for) to prove I will be in the country for a significant amount of time. I just wish that I could have received all the information at the same time (or at least the right information) instead of cycling in the rain to get piecemeal bits. In the States, as a legal American I take for granted that when I want something, I can get it. A bank account- no problem.  Insurance- not a problem with the right job.  Tennis court- after the overly tanned old men are done but not a problem.  I know the systems, I know what I need to do, and I know what others are supposed to do.  I don’t even know what the weather is because I can’t understand the local news. My spontaneity is coming from whether I need a coat or not when I go outside. I’m not dumb, I know I can look online but I miss watching the morning news and getting all my info for the day in one English dose.

5)      Blue Recycling Bins- I wish I could understand the trash and recycling system here. I miss the big blue bin where I chucked all of the possible recyclable items. Here we have trash, a bag for brown glass, a brown for white glass, a bag for plastics (but certain plastics are not allowed or recyclable), a bag for cardboards and we’re not sure when and where any of them go. We’ve tried asking but we keeping getting wrong information.  You can’t just get frustrated and chuck it all in the trash because they will know and track you down because they know all of your information. We recently found out by chance that you have to pay for a certain type of expensive trash bag or they won’t take trash. That explains why our brown trash bags have been left on the side of the road while the green ones are picked up. Did I tell you that you need a BSN to throw out trash here? I can at least do that. (just kidding)

6)      Appliances- I appreciate that space is limited in Europe and things are smaller and more compact. I also appreciate that Europe is more environmentally conservative than in the States and things are designed to be less wasteful.  However, I just miss my big old washer and drier. I miss large loads of laundry that when you put clothes in the dryer they come out dry. I know huge amounts of energy are used in the washing and drying of my clothes but I miss the convenience. We have a washer/drier combo here which sounds ingenious. I know I’m lucky that I even have a washer but it’s hard to remember that when I’m pulling hot damp steamy clothes out of the “dryer.” It’s like my clothes just spent 45 minutes in South Florida in July with no AC. As mentioned earlier in my blog, I miss my oven. Gearoid also brought me back some baking ingredients that I attempted to use in the tiny ovenette.  Frustrated with baking 4 cookies at a time, I spread the batter in a pie tin and made a pretty decent round cookie bar. Still not the same but I’m trying to adapt.

I apologize for ranting and complaining. I truly do appreciate this experience and there are things, practices, and items that I actually prefer in the Netherlands than in the States. That, however, is another blog. I miss things and that’s natural because I am used to and familiar to certain products, practices, language(!), and systems.  When I get items I miss in care packages from North America or find them in random Chinese stores here (true story), I appreciate them even more. The other day, my Coca-Cola light (same as Diet Coke but different name) came with 2 ice cubes in the glass and it gave me a little bit of happiness (also a true story).  Being here is reminding me of my appreciation for my country as well as teaching me to appreciate the culture of another. I still prefer a random café to McDonalds but it doesn’t hurt me or anyone else if I visit the golden arches when homesick. 

Fietsen or Cycling

Our first weekend living in the Netherlands, Gearoid and I made purchases that have significantly improved our quality of life. We got bikes. With our car safely stored back in the States and the cost of the bus eating into our monthly budget, we embraced the Dutch way of life and got a new means of transportation. We knew all along we would get bikes before we even left the States. Even though I already had a bike back home that I got as a Christmas gift back when I was in middle school, Gearoid’s bike was unfortunately stolen last fall and my mountain bike was trapped in a container crossing the Atlantic with the rest of our worldly possessions. It made sense to get bikes.

When Gearoid had his interview in November he noticed all of the bikes and how most of them looked like they were from the era of WWII.  His estimation was that we would pay about 50 euros for a used bike. Wrong! We visited quite a few used bike stores with the cheapest bikes being between 200-300 euros apiece. For a couple of hundred euros more we could have gotten new bikes. Honestly, Gearoid and I don’t know what makes a bike good (although he may deny this lack of knowledge). Why did these antiquated looking bikes cost so much? Being close to succumbing to paying an exorbitant price for a used bike we asked around some more and found a little more-used bike shop with cheaper bikes. There we were able to get both our bikes for 210 euros combined! We were very happy with our finds and the fact that my gears are temperamental and when Gearoid rides it sounds like a grandfather clock is attached to the back didn’t bother us. We had embraced Dutch life and made getting around a lot easier with our purchases!

That first day we rode the 10 minutes home and the next day decided to go for a bike ride to explore areas of the town we hadn’t been able to explore yet. The 10 minutes the day before created a situation that Gearoid has dubbed “Dutch Butt.” We were inevitably tender in places that our usual car driving derrieres weren’t used to. Being naturally endowed in that area, my Dutch Butt only lasted a couple of days but it took Gearoid weeks to overcome the tenderness.

In the 3 months since being here, we use our bikes on a daily basis. Everything we used to do in a car is now done by bike. Meeting potential new friends for a drink or dinner- ride the bike. Trips to the market for groceries- ride the bike. Travelling to work, class, and volunteer locations- ride the bike. I honestly enjoy not using my car. It has been over a month since I have been in a car which is almost strange considering my former daily dependence on it.  On the bike I see things I would never see in a car. With the arrival of spring, I have been able to enjoy blooming flowers and budding trees at closer distances. I also notice odd random things I would never notice in the radioed –air-conditioning of my car. For example, the other day I took a street in a nice looking neighborhood that I normally don’t ride through and had to laugh at its name- Generalsmutstraat.

Riding bikes here is safer and more convenient than driving at times. There are specific pathways and roads for bikes (although scooters and electric bikes are also allowed on these pathways and can be quite scary when they zoom past you) and specific street lights as well. Parking can be an issue with a bike or a car. There are specific parking spaces for bikes but if it is sunny and nice parking is difficult to find because everyone else is taking advantage of the elusive sunshine. Some people risk just locking their bikes to a tree or just parking them outside a store. However, just as with parking a car illegally, your bike could be at risk of getting a ticket or towed (hauled off somewhere).  Plus, bikes get stolen daily here.

It’s not all sunshine and tulips though. There are definitely times when I miss my 2 year old Honda Fit. For example- after a tough workout from running club my legs are definitely wobbly and a ride in the car would be more appreciated than talking my legs into working more. Also- cycling in the rain when it is cold is not so fun. The other day I was caught in a torrential downpour and I caught every red light-which although annoying in a car is infuriating on a bike in the rain. I rationalized that I was heading home and it was late enough that I could enjoy my pajamas for the rest of the evening. However, the next day the rain hadn’t stopped and I had meetings to attend about immigration and a 20 minute ride to Dutch class. It is funny how the rain almost always is at its peak when you are nowhere near where you need to be and it stops when you reach your destination.  After cycling someplace, I almost always arrive sweaty and with a runny nose. I don’t know if it’s because I’m wearing too many layers of clothes or I am exerting myself too much. I’m hoping that as the weather gets warmer and I don’t have to wear Eskimo layers of clothing that the sweaty and runny nose arrivals stop.

One more thing- my body is not really bike friendly. The Dutch are supposedly the tallest Europeans and when they stop at one of those specific bike-traffic lights, they just have to rest a foot on the ground with their butts still on the saddle. When the light turns green they go. Being on the shorter side, I have to practically dismount and then kick start my way to go. It is inevitable that when I pull up to a red light, that as soon as my foot touches the ground to wait for green, the light changes.  I think I almost get more of a workout starting to ride versus riding itself.

Although I have been riding a bike since I was 5, it has always been recreationally and in the past couple of decades my riding has increasingly decreased. Other than a big cycling trip around Ireland in 2003, my bike has been capturing dust in the many places we have lived since then.  Before the trip itself, my bike which I had had for about 10 years at that point still had brand new looking tires. So although I can get to where I need to go and carry a bag on my shoulder without wobbling too much, I am in no way capable of performing the acts I have seen Dutch people do on bikes.

I can carry my purse on my shoulder and if it’s not too heavy ride a straight line. However, if my bag is uncomfortably digging into my shoulder I hesitate to readjust it because I am prone to wobbling into the people riding past me or falling entirely off the bike. I can also ride with my groceries in the back saddle bags if the weight is evenly distributed. Otherwise, too much weight on one side will drag me in that direction.  I have seen people ride with multiple children on the front and back of their bikes with groceries as well. Gearoid was very impressed with a man carrying a heavy suitcase and a cello. Some people without tying mechanisms for the racks on the back of their bike will ride perfectly straight with their arm bent behind them holding a full and heavy bag of groceries. A woman rode past me one day with a stroller in one of her saddle bags.

A list of the most impressive things I have seen people doing on bikes from impressive to amazingly impressive:

1.       Riding and talking on the phone
Holding an open umbrella while riding a bike (between 1 and 2)

2.       Carrying something heavy with one hand while riding

3.       Carrying children on the front and back of their bikes

4.       Riding with an adult (although a light one) on their back bike rack

5.       Eating while riding- sandwiches, ice cream cones

6.       Peeling and eating a banana with one hand while riding

7.       Texting and riding a bike

MOST IMPRESSIVE

8.       Using both hands to eat a full bag of potato chips while riding a bike- like no hands on the handlebars!
RECENT EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE EVENT ON A BIKE
A college kid moving a full size couch on a cart in front of his bike. At times his "assistant" would jump on and sit on the couch while cycling was going on!

I’m sure I will see more impressive things but being someone who can just now make hand signals indicating which way I’m turning without wobbling and who can check the time on my watch if the wind is blowing the right way and I’m gliding nicely along I am far from doing impressive things on my bike.

What's Natasha up to in the Netherlands?

So unable to legally work and with Gearoid at his dream job (sarcasm aside- it is a very ideal work situation for him) I have been busy finding activities to keep me busy. The first month wasn’t so bad. I think I used that time to decompress from my former job and get used to my new country by sleeping in, reading many novels, and hunting for American shows on T.V. (btw- I am now addicted to the Dog Whisper which is on all the time).  Many of you may be astounded to think I was lazy and stayed inside after moving to exotic Europe! However, the weather was complete crap and I was tired. I had just made a huge life decision and had to catch up on rest so I could enjoy it fully when ready.

However, laziness only lasts so long and it did hit me that I was living in Europe! Plus, Gearoid can only deal with so many days of coming home with me in my PJs. By the end of the first month I had visited the volunteer center, researched Dutch classes, and got my paperwork situation straight (although I’m still waiting for results). We also moved into a new place and unpacking had to be done. With our house straight and no more excuses, I got busy.

This is what I’m doing:

Dutch Lessons- I found inexpensive Dutch lessons (only 90 Euros!) just a 20 minute bike ride away from my house.  On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, I bike over for my 2 hour lessons. The class began in October and I was 8 chapters behind but it was nice to be out of the house with people in similar situations as me. The first class was very overwhelming as my teacher Carla is of the mindset that if you are trying to learn Dutch, you must only be spoken to in Dutch. However, by studying my book and using the corresponding CDs and website I am becoming increasingly able to understand what she’s saying and understand what’s printed in the book. However, despite understanding I can’t respond to save my life! All those years of studying Spanish keep wanting to come out and I have to be reminded that I’m in Dutch not Spanish or English class. The class outwardly groans when it is my turn to read aloud because my pronunciations are horrible! Having moved around so much growing up, I really thought I had avoided some kind of accent. However, my American accent is very much present when I’m speaking Dutch and being a good teacher, Carla almost physically pushes the language out of my mouth.  After a grueling class today in which she had me ask the other students questions in Dutch, she told me in Dutch that I’m getting better (at least I think that’s what she said).

Speaking English with Asian Ladies- The place where I take my Dutch lessons is a community center in which other types of classes are offered. One day I was approached by a Taiwanese lady who overheard me speaking English and asked if I was American.  That conversation has sparked weekly meetings with her and a Japanese lady who want to improve their English conversation skills. We drink tea, eat tart, and struggle to converse. I say struggle not because their English is so bad but because I have little in common with two older Asian ladies who moved to the Netherlands before I was born with their Dutch husbands. We make it work somehow though and they are both very friendly and appreciate the help. I also appreciate having something to do!

Volunteering- Earlier in the blog I mentioned how a trip to the volunteer center yielded three possibilities:  working at a petting zoo, the botanical gardens, or teaching (other) foreign women how to ride bikes. Despite bruises on my legs and reminders from Gearoid that I sometimes struggle myself on the bike, I contacted the International Women’s Center (IVC- women is vrouwen in Dutch) about the bike lessons.  I contacted the IVC because I hope working there will lead to other opportunities. My work/volunteer experiences in the past have led me to enjoy working with people (women and children mostly) from other cultures. The bike riding was just an obstacle to overcome- I mean I’ve been riding since I was six. We meet once a week and provide (other) foreign women theory and technical lessons. The theory lessons include parts of the bike- which I actually taught in semi-Dutch! - road signs, rules of the road and that sort of thing. The technical lessons are on the bike. The women use shorter bikes so their feet can touch the ground. They learn to ride in a series of phases starting with their feet on the ground, one foot on the ground, both feet of the ground, stopping without falling, hand signals, etc. The most interesting thing for me about the experience is that some of these women have been in the country for over 20 years and have never learned to ride a bike. They must be very experienced bus riders because it seems to me that it would be difficult to function here without a bike.

Running Club- Gearoid and I bit the bullet and signed up for our first marathon (Dublin October 31, 2011). I really enjoyed having a running club while in DC so was happy to find one here to help jump start my training. We meet on Tuesday nights and Saturday mornings. There are some differences though. In the States, my running club would have a distance goal on Saturday mornings (i.e. 2 miles, 5 miles, 20 miles, etc). In DC we would do a few stretches, split into our groups (fast, medium, slow, and my group - the very slow), and run on a trail. When you finished you went home. Sometimes you would run faster than your group and other times you would be a lot slower.  My new group (also the very slow group) does everything together. Instead of distance we run for time so I have no idea how far I’m running. Before the other members took pity on me, I wouldn’t even know how long we were running for because not speaking Dutch I would just follow the trainer. We also do extensive stretching and warming up exercises. We do all of this in the neighborhoods around where we meet. So imagine you look out your window Tuesday night and see about 15 women in highlighter yellow vests pretending they’re apple picking or see them walking backwards down your street. What would you think? I don’t mind though and I like the group approach. I’m getting to know more people, can practice some Dutch, and know when we finish that we finish together and I am not the last person. Plus we usually get coffee afterwards.

Book Club- Gearoid found an English-speaking book club for me. There are themes for each month and books I would never usually consider are chosen. I’ve only met with the group once but once again it is nice to meet people in a similar situation as me. Last month we read “The Doors of Perception” and this month it is Master and Margarita. They’re a far cry from some of the chick lit I usually devour and almost homework-like. It doesn’t hurt to stimulate yourself intellectually though. I mean other than trying to learn a third language I am watching a lot of The Dog Whisperer so some 20^th century Russian literature won’t hurt me.

The gym- Before in the States I always had the excuse of work keeping me too busy/making me too tired to go to the gym. I have no excuse now and we found a gym within the first month. It is right around the corner from my house so I can literally walk there. Normally, talking about going to the gym is not very interesting but this is an interesting gym. I never miss a gym class because they are taught via video every hour and half hour. I can take power pump, zumba, spinning, stretching and/or abs class every day. They do offer live spinning classes and I did try one, thinking I could just pay really close attention since I wouldn’t understand the Dutch instructions. However, I was wrong. The instructor literally got off her bike in the middle of the lesson to ask what was wrong with me. I explained I didn’t speak Dutch and she gave me one of the sad understanding looks I’ve become used to and told me in English to stick out my butt more. The other very interesting thing about the gym is that it has a room completely designed and devoted to Dance Dance Revolution.  There are about 20 dance pads installed on the floor. Gearoid and I tried it once after some teenagers had had it set to an impossible level. After we figured out how to set it to “old people” level and found some music we knew Gearoid promptly out danced me.  Overall, the gym’s not bad if we can avoid teenagers not mocking us in Dutch.

The Blog- For those of you who are interested I really want to share our experiences with you. Life is life here. It’s a little different and those differences can be interesting but a lot of it is our regular boring day to day lives. Gearoid joked the other day that the most interesting thing we had to say for our Saturday was that we got the last loaf of our favorite type of bread. Gearoid’s job still consists of reading, writing, and the occasional lecture and my life is now filled with non-stop hobbies. However, in order to not overlook the small interesting differences I think it’s good to document them. So here they are in the blog which surprisingly takes up more time than you think. 

Road Trip

Gearoid and my modes of transportation here in the Netherlands include bikes, trains, buses, and recently rented car. We had been in Nijmegen for 6 weeks before I suggested we take advantage of living in Europe and visit neighboring countries.

We rented a tiny car for an affordable price (although we paid exorbitant gas prices for the tiny gas tank) and set off early on a Saturday morning. We started by driving south to Maastricht a Dutch town on the Southern border. We spent a couple of hours walking around the town which was preparing itself for Carnival by festooning the streets in banners and flags and had shops advertising adult princess costumes for the festivities. We warmed up with coffee in a café on the main square before heading off to visit the sites. I know we saw a lot of tiny European streets, old buildings, and some cannons but the most memorable stop was a book store. This book store was built in an old Dominican Church and had amazing arches and artwork. It was quiet like a church inside and Gearoid commented that is seemed unnatural that people were eating cheesecake in the café in the back of the store.

After Maastricht, we drove quickly through Belgium mostly because we had to pass through to get to other places. We do have plans to visit other parts of Belgium in the future but this time we just enjoyed a nice drive through the countryside. We did stop for a coffee to say we did do something in the country.

The next stop was Clervaux in Luxembourg where the Battle of the Bulge was fought during WW2. It was a very nice but quiet little town. We arrived 2 weeks before the tourist attractions (i.e. museum and castle) were open to the public.

We ended the night in Luxembourg City. We visited the city center to find a place for dinner and I was astounded by the many Americans I overheard as well as the chain restaurants that had made their way over the Atlantic. We saw an actual Chi-Chi’s restaurant! Haven’t most of these restaurants been closed in the States?

The next day we drove into Germany. We were pleased to see just enough snow to make the landscape idyllic but not enough to impair our driving.  Our first stop of the day was Trier, a German town with a lot of history. We walked to the Porta Nigra left by the Romans, a pink palace, a cathedral, and the house where Karl Marx grew up.  We also stopped to get (more) coffee at a café that reminded Gearoid of coffee shops in the States where he completed much of his dissertation.

Afterwards we hopped in the car and got lost on our way to the next location.  We ended up stopping in a little town and waiting over an hour for a pizza and salad at a local restaurant. After FINALLY eating (I really miss the quick and efficient service you get in the States- especially when all you have sustaining you is some European Cocoa Puffs and half a bag of rice cakes)we then got on our way and drove up a big mountain just to drive down it and enjoy the beautiful scenery of farms and vineyards.  Our destination was Bacharat, Germany, a cute town with fairy tale looking homes. It was quite nice and reminded me of my visits of Busch Gardens, Williamsburg.  (By the way- I’m sorry Europe for comparing a cheesy (yet fun) beer-run themed park with the real thing!) We then drove along the Rhine and enjoyed views of many castles dotting the river on both sides. At first we stopped at every castle to get a picture but after the 4^th or 5^th we realized there were going to be many more. After our scenic ride along the Rhine, we hopped on the interstate and headed back to Nijmegen. We originally planned on visiting Bonn, where Gearoid studied German over half a decade ago but after getting lost and waiting about half a decade for pizza it was getting late and Gearoid had to work the next morning. The view on the interstate was significantly less scenic but we did find a very ritzy McDonalds with its own coffee bar. As a person who doesn’t even eat McDonalds in the country of its origin and as a rule avoids American restaurants in foreign countries, I felt a little sinful stopping. However, I really wanted an “orange soda”- aka Hi-C orange drink-only to find out that the McDonalds in Europe actually serve orange soda- Fanta.

Overall, it was nice to get out of town and we’re excited to do it again.