Going Dutch

--PICTURES NOW BELOW--

***Start Transmission***

Welcom!...and get ready for another edition of "long post"...

I have just returned from a 11 day trip to visit my dear friend Sarmad in The Netherlands. I had a lovely time catching up and seeing quaint towns in the region. It is beautiful here and the people are wonderful.

Each morning I had yogurt and peanut-butter toast (sometimes with cereal, most of the time without) and a big heaping mug of tea. Sometimes we passed the time reading on the patio of his flat, sometimes it was reading in a cafe in the town square...ahhhhhh. I had a most relaxing and enjoyable time; the kind of vacation where when you're 32 and trying to pass gracefully through another one of life's crossroads you learn to try harder to appreciate the small things like: a good friend, a good book and a crisp morning breeze.

I love that everyone bikes here, that everyone has a great, open love for their animals (especially dogs, they are EVERYWHERE with their owners!), and I love that these people love being outside. Not a bad gig if you can get it!

Here's the recap:

Day 1 (Thu) - Leave IAH, travel overnight on a bumpy airplane next to a med student who likes to talk. BOOOOOO-RIIIIING.

Day 2 (Fri) - Arrive Amsterdam, take train to Leiden Centraal, then Voorschoten, then Wassenaar to see the new bachelor pad. Walked around town, took nap, hung out.

Day 3 (Sat) - Cycled from Wassenaar to Leiden & walked around the open air markets, Sarmad saw a rottweiler allegedly bite a lady, then we ate at some Einstein Cafe and had hamburgers (with what seemed to be actual "ham" burgers). Cycled back to Wassenaar and continued our bike journey through the forest and around the awesome mansions in the area and boy...did my butt-crotch hurt! It felt like we cycled about 20 miles, but it was more like

20km. I'm such a wuss! Wuss or no, it was a great feeling to be biking around. That evening we biked to a nearby Pannekoeken Huis and ate scrumptious pancakes (mine had ham, cheese, parsley, tomatoes) and I even enjoyed a Weisbier.

Day 4 (Sun) - This day we went to nearby Delft on a gorgeous afternoon. It was sunny, beautiful and perfect for wandering around the city with no particular destination in mind. We went to the square and sat out on the patio (where I got sunburned) drinking hot chocolate and eating sandwiches, enjoying the post-lunch hustle and bustle of the town. Of course, I had to pee in the midst of all this loveliness and of course the only WC we could find was out of order...but I survived thanks to the train station automatic WC for 50 cents.

Day 5 (Mon) - We spent most of this day taking care of some mandatory car registration items for Sarmad's car (still has Texas license plates, ick). Afterward we headed to Gouda by train. Yes, THAT Gouda. The cheese Gouda! We walked around the (again) adorable town center and admired the old building facades and charm the town exuded. We actually went inside the De Sint Janskirk church (dedicated to St. John the Baptist, patron saint of Gouda) to admire all of the famous "Gouda Glass". This is the longest church in The Netherlands and some of these magnificent windows date back as far as the 15th Century! Amazing. Afterward we headed to a small kitschy cafe on the square and had a heaping bowl of Gouda cheese soup and a delish sandwich. Mmmmm. That evening, we went to the Wassenaar beach and caught the sunset in the cold breeze. It was great!

Day 6 (Tue) - This was the day we went to the AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL Kuekenhof Tulip Garden. There were manicured vignettes of flowers and just gorgeous outdoor settings, that in a couple weeks will probably be full of the native tulips and even more fantastic (it was still a little too cool outside to get a full bloom of the flowers). The pictures speak for themselves. That evening we went to my very first european soccer game! We went to the Netherlands vs. Hungary game at the stadium downtown. The game was absolutely full of happy, engaged, ORANGE fans and was a blast! The final score was 5-3 Dutch, GO Oranje! I sported my brand new beanie cap (orange, of course) with an embroidered "12" on the back so I would fit in a bit better. I say the "12" means I'm the "12th man", Sarmad says

I'm just crazy...but I don't believe him :)

Day 7 (Wed) - This day we went to Den Haag to try to catch a movie called "Wasteland" at the annual "Movies that Matter Festival" by Amnesty International. It was the last day of the festival and needless to say the movie was sold out. So instead, we grabbed a bite to eat in the cafe (I had a delish curry/potato bowl) and then went to see another film: Silent Snow about the effect of toxins on our environment (air, water, glaciers, our health...). I quite enjoyed the film.

Day 8 (Thu) - Slow start to the day ending in a trip to the nearby Ikea, followed by dinner in Oegstegeest at De Beukenhof, a boutique hotel and restaurant that housed Sarmad for the first bit he was here. We both had delectable meals, and mine included: Scallop tartare, halibut in ginger butter sauce with dutch asparagus, crispy duck with potato gratin, peas and mushrooms, and chocolate cake with calvados ice cream atop a macerated strawberry delight. At some point in the evening, in this MOST charming of restaurants (cozy, warm, eclectic, gorgeous) the fire in the fireplace got out of control and must have set off an alarm. 10 minutes later the fire brigade showed up and ended up clanking around in their full gear, testing the flue and mucking about for the rest of the evening. The owners were very apologetic, but for us, it was at least entertaining :) Anyone in the area, EVER, should definitely go to this place for a meal and if you can, stay overnight in their boutique hotel - it looks divine!

Day 9 (Fri) - Lazy day in Wassenaar where I slept in, ate breakfast, took a nap, finally showered, and then we went on a walk to the Bagel Alley cafe in town. I sat outside on the patio reading a book, eating a hot bagel sandwich and drinking hot chocomel with whipped cream. Sounds nice, doesn't it? We capped it off with a long walk around town, followed by a cozy pizza and wine dinner at home. Oh yeah, we got to see Wasteland too, on iTunes! DEFINITELY check it out if you get a chance - great film!

Day 10 (Sat) - We got up bright and early to catch the train(s) to Ghent and Brugges, Belgium. The trip was about 4 hrs travel each way...and sorry Belgium, your trains are not as great and were always significantly late. Yay Dutch train system!! Both towns were great, we wandered mostly and took in the architecture and people. In Ghent we ate lunch along the river and I got to have my Kriek bier IN Belgium! Woohoo me! It was a worthwhile trip to Belgium on my final day of vacation - booyah. It was a fun, albeit exhausting long day.

Ghent:

Brugges:

Day 11 (Sun) - I said goodbye to my friend and flew home on an 11 hr flight. I picked up Sammie from our friend's house, saw Kirby once home and of course, lamented Charlie being in Russia for the next two weeks. Boooo.

There was plenty more I experienced and detail I left out (for instance I finished two books: "Bread Alone" and "The Other Hand"), but hopefully you get the gist.

Thank you Sarmad for being such a wonderful host and most importantly, a great friend whenever I need one.

***End Transmission****