Part two. So where did we leave off? B and I got back to our hostel at the end of our day in Antwerp.
I didn't realize this before I came, having never spent a summer in Europe, but the sun goes down so late. Not until about 11:00 at night does it get really dark. It made going to bed before dark feel really, really strange. But it had to be done. We were exhausted and we also had an early train to catch.
We were up by 7am and headed to the station around 8. Everything seemed in order, and yet somehow, we ended up on the wrong train. Thanks to B and her ability to speak Dutch, we caught the problem early on and were able to nip it in the bud. We got off the train at the first stop and waited for one to come in the opposite direction to take us back to the station.
A woman came by while we were waiting and asked me a question in Dutch, so I looked inquisitively over at B, as if to say, "I understand your question but unfortunately I don't have an answer for you, but perhaps my friend here..." They chatted for a minute and judging by the giggles and shrugs, I gathered that B had told the woman about our mistake. She smiled reassuringly and spoke to me again in Dutch. And then B said something again, in which I picked out a word that sounded suspiciously like "American," and the woman sweetly looked at me and said, "It will be alright." Aw, thank you, kind stranger.
The train arrived some minutes later, and B and I picked a spot right by the door, praying to god that no one came by to check our tickets, as ours were for a different train. We were almost so unlucky. I saw a man approach the woman who told me it would be alright. He was asking her to buy a ticket. The train ride was only 6 minutes back to the station, but he was right beside us and it made me nervous. But get this! The woman, ever so coyly, went through her gigantic purse, looking for her wallet and stopping to make a comment about how she should really clean out all the trash inside and to offer the man a piece of gum and to finally insist that she had exact change in there somewhere. It took her exactly the same amount of time to busy the man as it did for us to get back to the station and for B and I to make a clean getaway. What a pleasant surprise! I didn't know random acts of kindness existed in Europe!
Okay so after our little delay, we arrived in Amsterdam a little late. We dropped our bags in a locker at the station and went on our way.
We first tried the Ann frank house, but tickets were 9€ and B said it was pretty underwhelming inside. Apparently there isn't even access to the attic in which her family hid, which kind of seems like the whole point. Not to mention the line, which would take over an hour.
Travel Tip #7
If you're going to the Ann frank house, book online first. Link here:
So we decided to skip that. We went to the Rijksmuseum, which is famous for the giant red and white "I Amsterdam" letters, but it was under construction and wasn't complete. You could still visit it, but it was still full price at 14€, which just seemed silly. So we had a visit to the famous letters, a popular tourist photo opp, and took pictures.
We took a stroll through the flower market, which was interesting to see. For those of you who think pot and red light district when you think Amsterdam, they're also famous for their tulip fields, windmills, and canals. Oh, and bikes. You know what the most frequent crime in Amsterdam is? Bike theft.
On our way to a flea market down the road, we spotted an ice bar. So we went in.
The thing about ice bars is, they seem like such a great idea when you're going in, and the next thing you know, you're shivering like an idiot holding your tiny ice cup of your 10€ drink, wishing you could feel your toes and wondering if you might have to amputate them after all this. So um, don't go to ice bars. The coolest part would be the pictures you get from it, and that's usually not even allowed (they want to take their own pictures so they can charge you 13.95€ for them later), so just take a picture from outside and lie and say you went in. Your friends will believe you.
After, we warmed up with some award winning Belgian fries (although at this point we were in Holland) and took a walk to see the monuments. Then we embraced our inner tourists and went on a canal tour. Another thing I didn't know about Amsterdam is how much of a canal city it is. Really it's just a step down from Venice. The city also has a famous shortage on housing, so houseboats are a really big thing. There's even a houseboat museum, if you can believe that.
On the tour, they told us that they put rails up lining the canals because cars kept driving into the river. It worked for a while, and they averaged only 1 car per week. But I guess people got over confident, because currently they average THREE cars per week driving into the canal. Just a little fun fact.
After our canal tour, feeling thoroughly exhausted, we caught a train back to B's hometown of Leeuwarden. Her mom graciously picked us up from the train station. B warned me that her mom didn't speak fluent English, but I thought she did quite well. B's house was really nice, but I hardly had the energy to be impressed. We went to bed pretty soon after getting home and slept until a glorious 11am.
We first went food shopping for ourselves. A small(ish) market was just around the corner from B's house, across the street from a bakery. The sun was shining and kids on bikes rode past housewives walking their dogs and the whole thing created the image of a perfect suburb. After eating a sandwich and watching an episode of CSI with Dutch subtitles at B's house, we hit the town.
First to see was Leeuwarden's own leaning tower. Halfway through construction of the Oldehove, they realized that the tower was leaning because the soil it was built on was too soft. But master builder Jacob van Aken decided to continue, trying to compensate for the tilt by building more on the other side. Eventually they realized they couldn't continue construction and it remains unfinished, leaning, and crooked.
From the top we could see all the important buildings of Leeuwarden, the tallest building to a bank in the shape of a sphere.
After the panoramic view, we went to get some ice cream and B gave me a short walking tour of her city. She showed me where she we to high school, where she graduated, where her and her friends would hang out if the weather was nice, and where she had her first job. This was the most interesting part because everything else is a cool part of history, but this little tour was endearing.
We walked along Leeuwarden's canal, where tons of people sit out in the sun or go boating. After a while of walking, we went back to her house, where her mom cooked us all an amazing dinner (I know at this point of eating almost literally whatever I can get, I am very easily impressed, but I assure you a hot home-cooked meal was very, very appreciated) and we sat around, watched TV and chatted.
It was off to bed fairly early, as we were still quite tired from walking for hours and hours for the previous four days. So that is my tale of Brussels, Antwerp, Amsterdam, and Leeuwarden. Two countries, four cities, four days. My story continues, of course, but this is where the title becomes no longer applicable.
The next day was B's birthday! We slept in yet again, waking up in our own time. First thing was to go to the store and buy a cake. They're more what I would call "pie," but who's to say, really?
Then it was back to her house to eat it, of course, and to open presents. She received her much-anticipated new smart phone, and it was back into town to get her a fancy cover for it. We walked through town a bit more, and then decided to take a canal tour, which was kind of fun because B was being a tourist in her own town.
The tour was in Dutch, but I had B to translate the interesting stuff for me. We saw what's left of the oldest building in Leeuwarden, what used to be a big brothel, and a railing that was put up to line the canal, because a member of the royal family drank too much and they worried that he might fall in.
After the tour we went to the train station to meet B's childhood friend Daphne. Or maybe Dafne. I didn't ask. That night we went to a fancy restaurant for B's birthday, where we had a meal of several courses and even though there was a lot of Dutch talk, I had a great time surrounded by a family atmosphere.
The next day, I had to catch my flight back to Spain at 5, but having to get to the airport around 3 and that it was about an hour and a half drive away meant we didn't have a whole lot of time that morning. I said my goodbyes and thanked them for everything and was on my way.
If you're a regular tourist, you might find Leeuwarden a little dull if you don't have a friend there, but it is quite the charming little town. It seems like a really nice place to live. Holland in general was really enjoyable, so don't pass it up if you get the chance. Belgium was great to visit as well, though the people take some getting used to. I may be partial to Holland because of B and her family's hospitality. All in all, an exhausting, wonderful week.
And remember:
El mundo es un libro y ellos que no viajan leen solo una pagina.
Great story, Sherri. I've made that same mistake several times -- getting on the right train, but going the wrong way. I loved Amsterdam and glad you got a chance to see it. I did go through Ann Franks house. It was interesting, but you are right in that you don't get to go up to the attic. You do get to see the secret door though. And I stayed on a houseboat when I was there. That was cool, but only for one night. It was expensive for me. Then I stayed at the "Hotel California." my favorite place to eat was a place that was called "the Pancake House." they served the best pancakes which weren't like our pancakes. More like a crepe, but delicious.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are having a great time. I miss you.