The ending of my Great European Adventure

The last stop on my whirlwind 5 week trip was the Netherlands (Holland). We all stayed with a close family friend Marieke and her husband Peter in a small town outside of Amsterdam. We had 4 days there each of which had its own adventure. Like the Dutch people we took to bikes and headed out for Amersfoort one day. It was a cute medieval village with canals and winding roads. We found the best Belgian fry and icecream place which Hannah and I got. Later though Jerri was feeling a craving and the trip we took to try and get back there took us all over the village. At one point I asked Jerri what street it was that we were looking for (Markieke had told her.) To which she replied “I don’t know, something-straat.”  Just to let all you readers know,  EVERY road is something-straat. We ended up going street by street and trying to remember visual landmarks. We found it eventually and the reward was ever so sweet!

Another day we grabbed the train up to Ultrect and shopped a bit and walked along its canals. One of y favorite day trips we took was up into Amsterdam. Hmm what to say about Amsterdam… Well for starters there are lots of coffee shops. Not the coffee shops like in Vienna, no these cater to a slightly different crowd – one with dreadlocks, lots of tye-dye, and bloodshot eyes.  We found the red light district which was… interesting? I’ve definitely never seen anything like that in the US. But apart from the stranger parts of Amsterdam I liked the feel of the city and wish I had had slightly more time to wander. But we of course had more places to see so we headed back to the main train station with its triple decker parking garage for bikes and headed to the sea, the North Sea.

A balmy 17 degrees Celsius (in US terms: numbingly chilly), the North Sea was a murky brown color but had a beautiful wide white sandy beach. Hannah and I walked along in the surf and picked a few select shells (very cool, they have thick stripes of color in rusty red white and black – unlike any I have seen here).

Back at Marieke’s house we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I have never eaten so much cheese in my life! But along with cheese I also developed a taste for red currants. They are delicious! Yumm, a few (read: a LOT) of fresh currants in with you morning yogurt and granola and I am a happy camper! Marieke’s house was fun to stay in. They had a beautiful garden and the most treacherous steps I have ever had to climb inside a house. We are talking steps maybe 5 inches wide that go up at an 80 degree angle. *this is not an exaggeration!

We had a lovely time everywhere we went. I miss Europe, I had made such good friends there and the freedom of traveling wherever I wanted was liberating. However, it is so nice to be home with my family and friends here. Dorothy knew what she was talking about when she said “there’s no place like home” but then again she also never had to spend 3 hours getting through the hullabaloo of US customs checkpoints!  

I hope you have enjoyed this blog. I loved getting to write it. Thank you for all the compliments on my writing. I try to write like I speak (even though in real life I get made fun of for not being a good story teller *cough: dad :cough*)  I will miss not having so many fun new things to write about but if you ever want to chat just send me an email and I will happily give current updates!  Email: atkempf@indiana.edu 

I didn't expect beautiful sand dunes in Holland, but there they were! And we were over 30 kilometers from the North Sea!

Our final dinner together  :)

European cars = too small for a group of 6 to get to dinner without a couple trunk riders

Our bikes we took on a day trip - mine was the flowery one with the basket. I had the most beautiful bike by far!

Our boat ride in Holland! A little drizzle never stopped us!

The North Sea! Yay! I love the beach!

So many bikes in Amsterdam and yet so many seem to never get used. Many parked next to buildings have plants growing through them! Honestly, where are their owners?

  MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!

Belgium math: Belgium fries + Belgium Beer + Belgium Waffles = Attie +10lbs

I met Hannah, Aunt Marj and Jerri in Brugge, Belgium and we hit the sleepy little town of Brugge. Our B&B was lovely and we enjoyed our stay in Brugge. We walked along the winding streets, stopped in along the shops, and took a boat tour of the canals. We ate the Flemish food. Tasty! A few of dishes included ham and cheese wrapped endive, waterzooi, asparagus soup, mussels, frites, and our favorite WAFFLES! My waffle was topped with fresh strawberries and powdered sugar, Hannah’s was a heart attack in waffle form with icecream, chocolate sauce, and a dusting of powdered sugar. And what is Belgium without beer? I indulged only once but would always try a sip of Aunt Marj and Jerri’s.

Brugge is so cute! It is the most precious town I have ever seen. Just walking around to see the town was the best part of our stay there. The buildings are all very old and made from red, orange, and brown bricks. They line the canals that snake through the entire town. The roof lines are the most interesting part of the buildings. They are pointed and look like a step ladder on each side. So cute!

Our second day there we rented bikes and headed to the nearby town of Damme. Normally the 12 kilometer round trip wouldn’t be rough on a bike. However, these seats were torturous to the rump. Bruised by the time we got there we decided to sit a while and have some lunch before heading back to town. While eating lunch the rain came and did not let up at all. After a very long lunch, involving cappuccinos and pancakes for dessert we headed back out into a very light rain. Our luck did not hold out. We road straight into the torrential downpour we had just waited out. Haha, whoops! We were soaked through by the time we got back to the B&B. We had a great time though and now it is a fun story to share with you.

Our other fun story comes from when Hannah and I were alone. We were sitting in the castle square waiting for Aunt Marj and Jerri. The square is just that, a square -buildings on 4 sides and an exit at each corner. There were 3 guys about my age standing in the middle when we got there. They looked confused and just kept standing directly in the middle of the square. Han and I sat on the bench to watch the spectacle unfold… The guys stood there looking around for a while then preceded to get out their Rick Steve’s travel book and read. When they finished with that they just looked around again, clearly not knowing what to do. One seemed to eventually decide they should look for something. They wandered out the lower left hand exit. 1 minute goes by and then they are back looking confused in the middle of the square. Guy #2 points to the upper left hand exit. They try that one. 1 minute goes by and they are back. One last shot and they are out a different exit as we have to walk away with Aunt Marj. The next morning who would end up at the same B&B breakfast? The 3 guys! They wanted to take a bike ride too so we let them see the map the owners had lent us. When they gave it back they made a crack that we should definitely take it because they would obviously have better directional skills. In my head all I can think is “riiiight…aren’t you the 3 guys who were lost in the middle of a square?”

Enjoy!

Han and Aunt Marj - Hannah is modeling her new blazer! We both got one! - VERY exciting!

A picture of a boat while we rode a boat!

The dog with possibly the coolest bed ever.

On the way to Damme  :)  Everything was so cute!

Soaked to the bone after our bike ride back from Damme  :)  It was still so much fun!

The rest of the photos are courtesy of my favorite paparazzi: Jerri.  This is my favorite pic of Han and I - obviously not posed ;)

also obviously not posed  ;)

WAFFLES!!!!(and chic blazers!)

Dear Brugge,
Your are precious.
Sincerely, Attie