My first trip outside the Netherlands was to Belgium - the land of chocolate and beer. With my friends Paula and Erik, I visited Brussels and Brugge (Bruges in English). I must admit that my favorite part of Brussels was our trip to the chocolate museum. The city, of course, had some beautiful architecture and some very impressive squares, but the city was spread out with many different "city centers." The famous statue "Mannekin pis" was very disappointing. The locals find it amusing to make a big deal and attract all the tourists to this silly little statue of a peeing boy. Supposedly, he saved the city from a fire by peeing on it, but I don't buy it. Atomium, the giant molecule created for the 1958 World's Fair, was actually quite cool. It was a bit far from the city, but it was fun to see the view from the top and climb through the futuristic nearly vertical hallways.
Brugge has been my favorite city so far. It is gorgeous, charming, and very romantic. We climbed to the top of the Belfry (366 stairs) and were able to see a beautiful view of Belgium. We also went to a brewery tour, tried more chocolates and waffles, and bought lace (which in one of Brugge's claim to fame). We finished our trip with a boat tour through the canals - a great way to get a final tour of the city.
My friend Diep and did a few day trips in the beginning (to Delft and the Hague). Delft is a charming little town only 12 km away. The first picture was taken in a garden Delft. The Hague is home to the Dutch government and hosts the court of justice and many other famous buildings. The next 3 photos are from the Hague. This past weekend, we made the trip to Utrecht - a really beautiful city 40 minutes away. It has a very Dutch feel, but also caters towards younger people. The narrow streets are lined with museums, antique and second-hand stores, bakeries, cafes, and high-fashion stores. We went to Utrecht for the day for a fashion exhibit. We left very happy and with bundles of tulips from the weekly flower market.
Hello everyone! So, I've been here for a month now and I'm loving it. I already sent a two-week update, so I'll illustrate my wonderful world full of cheese, bikes, and canals and then dive right into my latest adventures. This is a picture of my neighborhood, Delfshaven. It used to be the port of Delft, but after WWII, was integrated as a part of Rotterdam. To the left of that windmill (out of the view of the camera) is the church from which our forefathers left . That's right - it's been a secret all this time, but the pilgrims (not on the Mayflower, but the other boat that also landed at Plymouth Rock) left from this exact port (before stopping in England).
