June 2016: Amsterdam & Utrecht!

A couple of weeks ago I took a short trip to the Netherlands to visit my friend Sofía, who is au-pairing for a family there. I was done with exams and needed a fun getaway, so what better time to come and visit?

I woke up fairly early on Sunday the 5^th and got ready to head to the airport, having to say good-bye to Amélie and her parents in between because they were also leaving that morning. The trip to the airport ran smoothly; no suitcases to check as I was only there for a couple of days so I was travelling with a cabin bag. Plus, I have been to Bristol Airport (or any airport, for that matter) so many times that I have nailed down my security check routine and can get through in a matter of minutes: liquids and creams in a bag, technology on top so I can just pull it out, travelling with trainers and no belt if possible. I’ve become a pro, trust me. Once in the waiting lounge, I grabbed some coffee to keep me going and bought lunch to eat during the flight, which was an hour long - just long enough to chill and eat. I arrived on time in Schiphol, at around 2pm, and Sofi was waiting for me outside. I was so glad to see her, it felt unreal!

First, it was incredibly hot the few days that I was there: hot and sunny. Not going to complain because British weather lately is nothing like Summer and I actually got a slight tan, but let’s just say Chopi and I are not used to these temperatures anymore… Then, the train back to Utrecht. We were supposed to take the Sprinter, which is the high speed train, but there was a problem with the trains that day (and neither of us speak Dutch to understand the messages) and so we took the Intercity, which takes a bit over an hour rather than half an hour. Anyhow, it was alright because we got to catch up during the train ride and I got to see other towns in the Netherlands. However, we were just one stop away from Utrecht Centraal, when the train stopped. Stopped. Like, we all had to get off. We were in Utrecht Overrecht, no trains to Centraal seemed to be arriving in the near future and the information screens were full of delays – not how Dutch trains usually run. Anyway, we checked Google Maps using the station wifi (because Sofi doesn’t have data) and decided we were close enough to her house to walk there, so we got out of the station and started walking into what looked like a migrant or worker-background neighbourhood which Sofi has never been to before, looking for Griftpark. After a couple of minutes, we asked a lady if we were going the in right direction. Well, apparently not. We’d got off the wrong side of the tracks so we had to go back to the station and start again. On our way back we saw a bus heading to Centraal and a mass of people coming from the station. The bus and stop were packed so we thought it would be faster to walk rather than wait for the next bus and try to get on it. This time, we were on the right track… and we suddenly realized Sofi had her bike at Centraal

station. Anyhow, after half an hour walking under the sun, we finally got to her house, which literally looks like IKEA. She went to get her bike back while I took a shower and kinda unpacked my stuff. What a long way back!

After Sofi had returned, we met with her friend Maialen and headed to a nearby café where her host mother was; she offered to buy us a picnic dinner at the supermarket before we went to the park. We got some salad and tomatoes – all super healthy- and went to Wilhelmina Park, which is just down the road from where Sofi lives and was lovely and sunny. We joined Elle and Carla for a bit and then Luisa and Oihane also came along. Lovely chill evening and with the sun setting so late during the summer, we stayed until after 11pm. We didn’t do that much on the Sunday since getting back to Utrecht from the airport was such a hassle, but I really enjoyed meeting her friends and just chilling at the park instead, I love these kind of Summer nights. Once we were back we were quite tired but had a catch-up before bed. It had been a while since I’d seen Chopi so it was about time!

On the second day we woke up early (technically even earlier since the sun was out at five, but we got out of bed at 8) and made a breakfast fit for a Queen : Mediterranean style – rye toasts with olive oil and tomato, orange juice, coffee and fresh fruit, ready to start the busy day ahead! Since Chopi was free both Monday and Tuesday, she was able to be my guide both days. On the Monday we decided to visit Utrecht. We thought riding a bike would be a good idea. The thing is, I don’t really cycle (even though I know how to, but I don’t own a bike), plus the bike she gave me had pedal brakes and the seat was incredibly high so my short legs were having trouble reaching the pedals while sitting at the same time… The result? I had a lot of trouble getting started and then whenever I had to stop (which in the Netherlands is a lot with all the cycling paths and traffic lights), it took me three tries to get going again…

We had a bike adventure around the outskirts of Utrecht first. We went to the countryside around the city passing by Wilhelmina Park and the Rietveld Schröder House. The latter is a house built in the 20s that looks incredibly modern, it was amazing! The fields in the countryside were also great and I loved the bike ride there because there weren’t a lot of people so I didn’t stress out, contrary to the city… We also went to the University campus, which is super modern, and to Sofi’s favourite spot, a lovely lake in one of the parks. On our way to the city centre we dropped off the bikes at the house and then walked to the centre. 

We saw Dom Tower, the country’s tallest tower, and the old part of Utrecht with the canals. I loved the city centre with all its streets and it was buzzing with activity on such a lovely sunny day! Then it was lunchtime so we got some food for a picnic and headed to Griftpark to find a spot in the shade (love the sun but I’m way too fair ie. sunburn menace). We were at the park for a couple of hours just chatting, sunbathing and chilling. Luisa and Anika joined us with some sangria and after a while we decided it was time to get a move on and walk to a mill (can’t go to the Netherlands and not see a mill). 

It was a bit far away but we walked near Centraal station, the Town Hall and the Muslim quarter with the Ramadan chants. It was nice to see the other side of the city, the more modern side with the steel and glass buildings and immigrant quarters. Everybody seems to get along quite well which lately is a relief. The mill itself was nice; we were going to sit near the canal but there were ducks, swans and geese around, not too welcoming, so we sat in a nearby park instead to catch our breaths before heading home. That night we had pasta bolognaise for dinner before heading out the door again to meet Sofi’s friends at the park; got to make the most of the good summer weather when it makes its appearance! And in lack of a beach, the parks in Europe are just as good! We stayed there until late with all the Spanish girls. It is funny to hear them speak about their ‘kids’; because as they are or have all been aupairs they talk as if they were mothers, which I guess they kind of are, but it still makes me laugh because they are so young and it is so bizarre!

On Tuesday it was time to go to Amsterdam. I’d been to Amsterdam before, when I was a kid, and I remember absolutely loving it and telling my mum I wanted to study in Holland (in spite of not knowing any Dutch but, oh well, that’s a whole other story). It was not all as I remember, there seem to be a lot more tourists nowadays, but I guess when I was eight or so I wouldn’t have focused on the amount of tourists either. The city is as charming as always nonetheless. After getting ready, we rode the bike to the station (this time, I went as a passenger on the back which is actually a decent workout trying not to fall off. Fortunately, Sofi is used to carrying weight so she was fine carrying me, kudos to her). 

This time we got the right train and within half an hour we were arriving at Amsterdam Centraal which is an impressive red building that looks like a palace, and made our way to Dam Square with all the tourists and human statues gathering between the buildings. 

Then we walked to Magnum Plaza, said to be one of the prettiest shopping centres in the world and it sure was. It was quite strange actually because there were a lot of pieces of art on the walls amongst the high end shops, quite an odd combination. Then we went to Anne Frank’s House but did not go in because we didn’t have the time nor tickets. I remember going there as a kid and the thing that struck me the most were the height marks on the wall, they were the proof that people actually lived there for years. 

After that we made our way to the Museumplein where the main museums and the famous ‘IamAmsterdam’ sign are, stopping by the Flower market for some Gouda tasting and souvenirs. It was lunchtime by the time we got to the Museumplein so we went to grab some lunch at the supermarket and found a spot in the shade to eat before going into the museums. I found it so cool that they had ping-pong tables in the grass so you could play. If it hadn’t been so incredibly hot, it would have made a fun break! After eating, we entered the Van Gogh museum. Fortunately, I had a friend of Sofi’s museum card so I could get in for free so cheers for that! It was really cool to see the original works now that I have actually studied History of Art. Now I understand what I am looking at. I like going to museums and with my parents I’ve been fortunate enough to have visited a lot of museums and art galleries, but I feel it is only now that I have actually studied the different periods that I can look at a piece of art and understand what is behind it, be it the idea, the movement it adheres to or the technique. I especially loved a couple of the paintings and also reading about his life. Then we went to the Rijksmuseum because I wanted to see Rembrandt’s ‘Night Watch’. The museum is way too big to explore in one day so we stuck to the 1600-1700s works before making our way out. Then we decided to try to find the Begijnhof, an old group of houses or Béguinage around a small and peaceful slot of grass in the middle of the busy touristy streets. It took us a while to find because it is hidden away from the crowds with only an arch to mark the entrance, but we finally found it. I really liked it; it was a break from the hassle of the other streets. 

After the Beginjhof we tried to go to the Jewish Museum but it was about to close when we arrived, so instead we headed to the Red Light District with the famous prostitutes on the shop windows and then stopped for some beer near a canal. It was time to go home after that, we were absolutely knackered from all the walking so we went back to Utrecht and had dinner by the lake with Maialen. It is such a peaceful place; I can see why Sofi loves it. It was also hilarious on our way back when Sofi lost control of the bike on the turn to leave the park and we crashed into a log and fell from the bike. We started laughing like mad and an Asian couple came for help but I’m sure they thought we were drunk or something! Fortunately, we were fine but we laughed all the way home!

Wednesday was my last day in Holland. Sofi had work that day so in the morning I got ready and made my way to the Spoorwegmuseum or Train Museum which is near her house. It was a lovely museum with lots of different trains from different eras and interactive rides and visits. I really enjoyed it. I found it interesting to see a wagon from one deportation train that took Jews to concentration camps, it gave me the chills but I’m glad these things are shown to the public – this is how history’s mistakes won’t be made again, by educating ourselves. 

Since I had some extra time to spare after the museum, I walked to the centre and saw the Pandhof garden and church garden which had been closed when we’d visited on Monday. I also popped into H&M to take a look at the sales, but didn’t find anything eye-catching… Once back home I had lunch with Sofi and then we took the little girl to her dance lesson. It was so hot outside! We sunbathed in the porch and then I decided to leave because I had to go back to Amsterdam and to the airport, and after the experience on Sunday I’d rather have extra time than run late in case there were problems with the trains. Anyway, Sofi had work so there wasn’t much else I could do. I said good-bye to everybody; Sofi’s host family is amazing and I’m really thankful that they let me stay in their home. And I’m going to miss Sofi but it sounds like she’s going to have a great Summer so she can’t really complain… And I’ll probably see her in September before going to France.

I walked to the station without getting lost – I’m pretty good at orientation, that is one thing I’m proud of! And I had no problems taking the Sprinter to the Airport and passing security. So I was there a lot earlier than I was expecting and found myself on my own in the waiting lounge (which I had been to for a connecting flight earlier in the year, so I knew what was there anyway). I chilled for a while and had dinner at MacDonald’s and then found out my flight was delayed for over an hour. I was so glad for the four hours of free wifi that are available at Schiphol Airport! I got some coffee, watched some YouTube, walked around… And finally, after nearly four hours in Schiphol, the gate was opened and we were allowed to board the plane having to put our cabin bags in the hold because it was so overloaded. After a really long trip back, I finally arrived in Bath, two hours later than expected, but finally home after an amazing break in the Netherlands. Thanks a lot to Sofi and her host fam for having me x

 PS. Can I just mention how lost I felt when people spoke Dutch? It sounds like nothing I know so I couldn’t make out any words and it felt like I had lost one of my senses or something. #languagestudentproblems