war bereits in 14 Ländern Weiterlesen
  • Tag 55

    Brussels Day 2- Bruges

    12. August 2023 in Belgien ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Bruges! Last night I was talking to one of the girls that I am sharing a room with, and we decided that we’d go to Bruges today! Her name is Moniza and she’s solo travelling from New York! So we started the day off with a waffle. It only felt appropriate to have a Belgian waffle in Belgium. Then, we walked to see the Royal Palace of Brussels which didn’t really look like much. Then, we caught our train ti Bruges which was only about an hour long. We walked into the main village which was so cute, medieval, quaint, and fairytale-esque!! It was adorable. Most of the buildings were in built with medieval style architecture and it was so cute! We did a lot of just wandering around, we went to the Market Square (the main square) and did lots of exploring. Then we found a theatre that we decided to tour. It was super cool, and showed the many ins and outs of theatre- props, lighting, the loges, and more! We got to go under the stage as well which was cool. After, we grabbed some poké at a cute restaurant which actually was quite delicious! After that, we stumbled upon a little outdoor market type thing and browsed the many goods. Then we walked around the O.L.V-kerk museum for a bit, and then walked very far out from the main town. We got into more residential areas which was more underwhelming, but we were just talking lots so it didn’t really matter. After we reoriented ourselves, we walked around the Minnewaterpark and the surrounding park areas which had lots of greenery. When we felt very tired, we decided that it was time to head back to Brussels. When we got back, we did a little refresh and then headed out to find some dinner. We went to some wok place that was actually an abomination to asian food. I got some beef noodle with sweet chili sauce but they DOUSED my noodles in sauce and did not hold back. It was way too much sauce and was unpleasant to eat. After that, we headed to the Grand Place to see what it looked like lit up at night- stunning btw. We sat on some chairs that we found and just chatted until it got late, then went back to the hostel. On the way back, I got some fries with aioli sauce- I didn’t know that Belgium is known for their fries!

    Also attached is a picture of um a pus bubble? Anyone know what this is? It’s flattened now (writing this 5 days later) but I was concerned for a bit.
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  • Tag 54

    Brussels Day 1

    11. August 2023 in Belgien ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    I decided to today quite slow, since it was another short train ride today. So after checking out of my hostel, I walked to get some bahn mi for lunch, then I walked to the beautiful park to eat it! It was a very peaceful lunch. Then I walked back to my hostel and stopped by a super cool like boho hippie type shop. Then around 2 i decided to say goodbye to the Netherlands, and go to catch the train to Belgium! A brisk train ride brought my to the town of Brussels. After checking into my hostel and dropping my stuff off, I headed first over to the St. Michael Cathedral, and checked out the inside as well. Then, I walked to the city centre and checked out the whole area pretty much. Lots of pubs, restaurants, and little shops lined the streets. I went to see the Grand Place which is like the main central area, it’s quite beautiful. I went to get a kebab-type thing to eat for dinner, and continued to check out the shops around the area. I went into this super cool like tapestry shop. And it had sooooo many tapestries that were really beautiful to look at. It was weird though because the other half of the store was like a convenience/souvenir type of store. I also saw the Mannequin Pis which is like a fountain that has a little boy peeing out the water LOL. After that, I went to a café and got some ice cream and finished off the book that I’ve been working at! Headed back to the hostel after that!Weiterlesen

  • Tag 53

    Rotterdam Day 2- Kinderdijk

    10. August 2023 in den Niederlanden ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Today was another one of my favourite days that I’ve had! How lovely. Yesterday, Lititia had convinced me to go on a small day trip with her to Kinderdijk which is a 40 minute boat ride from Rotterdam. So we met at my hostel around 9:30am and set off to catch the boat. Once we arrived, the weather was a bit gloomy, but our spirits were not! We rented bikes, and I got a kids bike and it sucked also LOL (the handlebrakes and bell didn’t work, it made a really funny noise, couldn’t adjust the seat). We biked all around the area which is littered with windmills. We didn’t get to go into one because we didn’t wanna pay, but we saw lots and lots of them and it was very fairytale- esque. There were lots of animals- cows, horses, sheep! It was lovely. We were also very adamant about not using a map for a while, but then somehow ended up in some residential area and got very very lost. But, we did find out way back. I was pooooooped after. We took the boat back and I slept. Then we went our separate ways for a bit to refresh. I had a nap and then took a walk to a nearby park that was very very beautiful! There was a stream that flowed in the middle and it was dirty, but the park was still very very pretty. Green and lush and had trees lining the stream, pretty flowers in some areas, and people were just relaxing. After, I walked towards Lititia’s hostel and walked past what I call “the egg” which is a museum, that I unfortunately never got to actually go inside. Lititia’s hostel is really cool it’s like these cube houses, she showed me the inside and it was pretty cool. We went to eat at the Markthal for real this time, and we both got gyros. Then, we went back to the egg and went to the architecture and design museum across from it, because there was free entry on Thursday evenings. I wasn’t a huge fan of the museum, but it was something to do. We went to watch the sunset at the nearby bridge, which, the sun was actually blocked by the tall buildings, but, we still saw the pink sky. After this, we met up with her hostelmate and we had a drink nearby her hostel. We grabbed some McFlurry’s as they walked me home, and we said a very sad goodbye.

    Also side note is that Rotterdam is so different from so many of the cities that I’ve been to because it’s quite modern and newer, since much of it was destroyed in the world war.
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  • Tag 52

    Rotterdam Day 1

    9. August 2023 in den Niederlanden ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Today was a super chill day. As I mentioned, I really like Amsterdam, so I decided to spend some of the day here, and just head to Rotterdam whenever- since the train ride is only about an hour long. It was also SUNNY today- finally! So after checking out of my hostel, I went to sit by the canal for a little bit and enjoy it for the last time! I went to the same Suranamese restaurant as the other day to get a sandwich because that’s what I was really craving! I did lots more walking around, and walked through the flower market. Then, I went to this famous cookie shop called Van Stapele Koekmakerij which I had to wait in line for 15 minutes. The cookies were very yummy, worth the wait, I ate them by the canal. Later, I walked through the Albert Cuyp Market again in search of a stroopwafel but all of the places in the market were either closed or sold out! I was very sad….. but I got some Mexican street corn as a small snack. Then, I decided that it was time to go, so I went back to the hostel to grab my stuff, and off I went to Rotterdam! A short train ride later, and I checked into my next hostel. I met up with a girl named Lititia, who is a solo traveller that was on the very first day of her trip! We went to the Markthal, which is this coooool building with a bunch of food stands in it! But basically everything was closed by the time that we got there, but we did get a cannoli to eat! So we just walked around the area, and found ourselves at an Italian restaurant, where I got like a lemon cream pasta kinda thing- delicious! We walked to see the large bridge nearby for a little bit, and then she went back to her hostel, and I went back to mine. It was still quite early, so I sat downstairs and did some scrapbooking. The receptionist of the hostel kindly offered me to try a free beer which is actually the first beer that I’ve ever had to myself! I didn’t finish it tho lol….. beer hater for lyfe.Weiterlesen

  • Tag 51

    Amsterdam Day 3

    8. August 2023 in den Niederlanden ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Today was super awesome! I woke up and went to this coffee and vinyl shop called Black and Gold, which was recommended to me by that receptionist in The Hague. It was the cutest and coolest shop! The vibe was so cool and the worker was so cool too! I just got an oolong tea and read the Korean Contemporary Art book that laid on the bookshelf and sat in the little nook and drank my tea. I chatted with a couple who was from Edmonton! And they gave me some recommendations for London. I talked with the barista as well who told me about more things to do in Amsterdam, and Rotterdam which was my next stop.

    After, I went to meet Matty and Camille who are 2 girls that I know from Vancouver, that happened to be in Amsterdam on a day trip! I met them at the Rijksmuseum, but the line was too long to go in. So, we looked and walked around some vintage shops and then we went to our boat reservation! We drove the boat down the canal, more in the less touristy area so it was less cramped on the canals. It was soo nice, although the weather wasn’t necessarily the best. However, of course, at the very end, a plastic bag got caught on the propeller, so then our boat got stuck! And we were literally like 2 minutes away from the port. But luckily, Matty and Camille’s friend was able to call the boat service to come and help us and we made it back to shore! After that, we checked out some more vintage stores, and then grabbed some Lebanese wraps for dinner and they headed back to Germany, which is where they were staying.

    After this, I just walked all around the city til it got dark, got another stroopwafel of course, and then headed back to the hostel. I then met some girls from my hostel to go to Techno Tuesday! I honestly don’t like techno music LOL, but I felt like i haaaaad to go of course!

    I really enjoy Amsterdam. Something about it seems so liveable- I could see myself moving here or doing an exchange here or something. Besides the weather which has only been rainy, I like it here. Everyone moves at a slower pace, everyone just seems so chill, but also friendly! And also it’s so beautiful!
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  • Tag 50

    Amsterdam Day 2

    7. August 2023 in den Niederlanden ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    I took it slow this morning, and started the day off with some thrifting. I still felt like I didn’t have enough “warm” clothes so I was on the hunt for some. I walked to a thrift store that was 20 mins away and left with a new pair of jeans, a longsleeve, and JORTS (which I’ve been on the hunt for!) I was very happy. I dropped my clothes off back at my hostel and took the metro to the Albert Cuyp Market which had lots of different stands. I went to get some Dutch pancakes, which are just little pancakes, but they were cute. I went for lemon and powdered sugar. After that, I went to a bead store where I got some really cute charms and some earring thingies so that I can make some earrings! I went to a nearby park for a little bit, but not long. I met up with my other hostelmate, Benita who is from Australia! And we went back to the market to get some more food and look around. We had this like potato, feta, spinach crêpe, some fries with picalilly (which is like a pickle-mustard sauce?), and some more stroopwafels of course. We also went to a vintage store where I bought a really cool belt! After, we wandered around and looked at lots of the super cute house boats, many of which had luscious gardens and plants. After, she had to go to a boat tour, so I continued to wander around. I walked across many canals, and just took the rest of my day at a leisurely pace which was so nice. I went to look at this movie theatre which was designed in an art nouveau style which was cool- didn’t watch a movie but I just wanted to check out the inside. After I went to a restaurant called Waterkant, which was a recommendation for Surinamese food. But they didn’t have sandwiches at that time which made me sad, but I got this korean-glazed cauliaflower which was quite delicious, I wished it was friend chicken. I was still hungry after so I still went to find a Surinamese sandwich at another restaurant. Just to find out that they also don’t have sandwiches at that time (which was really, really disappointing), so I settled for some noodles. After that, I headed to the central station to take a tram back to my hostel.Weiterlesen

  • Tag 49

    Amsterdam Day 1

    6. August 2023 in den Niederlanden ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    So today I’d actually spent most of my day in The Hague. I woke up and checked out of my hotel, but left my bags. I went to take a walk to the Schvenigen pier, where, a seagull had taken my breakfast out of my hand…… after, I walked along the beach for about an hour. It was chilly out but the beach was still so nice to see. After that, I walked through the Statenkwartier neighbourhood which houses lots of unique architecture. The houses were very very cute to see. After that, I took a tram to the centre to find something to eat- and I went to find some Surinamese food, as per the recommendation of the hotel receptionist! And it was honestly the most delicious meal that I’ve had on this trip! Surinamese food is “a complex blend of Indian, Javanese, Chinese, Dutch, Jewish, Portuguese and Native Amerindian influences.” I had this pork sandwich which also came with like this spicy ginger paste. Delicious. That’s all I gotta say. And cheap too! After, I walked over to the Binnenhof plaza where I saw De Ridderzaal which is like this castle palace kind of thing. Then I walked around the water towards the Lange Voorhout which is an L-shaped street that ended up housing a cute vintage market where I bought some jewelry! I finished my time in The Hague off with a stroopwafel- this particular place was also recommended to me by the hotel receptionist. I love stroopwafels, i think I’m addicted. The rain began to pour very very hard, and that wrapped up my time here, and off I went to Amsterdam.

    I arrived in the evening, and tell me why the hostel was set up like this (2 twin beds pushed together). There was also a bunk bed, but both of those beds were taken so I had to settle for the single beds. I was notttt gonna sleep next to someone else, so I did a little renovation and moved the beds apart LOL. This hostel was actually so nice and modern looking, I wish I took a picture of the bathroom cuz it was so nice. Later on, I went to eat Thai food for dinner with my hostelmate, Emma, who’s a chemist from California! I got like a spicy coconut milk chicken soup and some veggie loempia. Yummy! After, we went to go watch the pride closing party, which was like a big drag show type of thing which was cool, but to be honest the music wasn’t very upbeat which was a let down. We’d met up with a pair of brothers from New York who were also staying in our hostel, and we went to a bar down the red light district. Then we finished our night off at a karaoke bar which was super fun! We sang Locked Out of Heaven and Counting Stars 😎.
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  • Tag 48

    The Hague Day 1

    5. August 2023 in den Niederlanden ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Set out early to take a loooong train to The Netherlands. The vast majority of this day was spent on trains, first a 6.5 hour train from Berlin to Amsterdam, then a shorter, 52 minute train to The Hague. Travel days really take it out of you, despite the fact that you’re just sitting for an extended period of time- and even sleeping too. So, I had actually gotten a hotel for my one night here, which was actually the best thing ever!!!!! I didn’t realize how much I needed it- privacy, my own space, a NICE space. (BIG SHOUTOUT TO UNCLE PETE❤️❤️) It was amazing, even though I barely got to spend time in the room. So, I spent a short hour getting ready and showering- and also calling Ailish 😁 and I left to go and watch the NDT summer intensive open night!! For context, Emma has been doing the intensive here in The Hague for the past 2 weeks (which is a huuuuuge deal and honor- which she rightfully deserves) and on the final day they have classes that you can watch, and a performance. For one, it was so nice to see a familiar, friendly face after a month of strangers, and two, so amazing to watch Emma dance and partake in such an amazing achievement!!! She is so amazing and I’m so happy for her 🥹🥹🥹. After, I went to eat pasta for… breakfast!!! I hadn’t eaten all day- despite a little waffle and an orange- because I’d been on the train all day, or crunching time to make it for the performance! So I was starving, as it was 10:30PM. The pasta was sooooo good though, maybe extra good bc I was so hungry. It was raining so hard after dinner 😭😭😭 so windy, and so cold. I went back to the hotel, and talked with the receptionist for a bit, who’d given me some good recommendations for The Hague and in Amsterdam! I’d wanted to catch up with Emma and hang out but the travel day rlly got to me, and I had a big fat sleep. IN MY HUGE BED IN THIS BEAUTIFUL HOTEL ROOM!!!Weiterlesen

  • Tag 47

    Berlin Day 3

    4. August 2023 in Deutschland ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    This morning I set off to go and see the East Side Gallery, which is like an open air art gallery on the Berlin wall that formerly separated East and West Berlin. Some of the artwork reflected the tension and despair of that time, and some is just some goood artwork!! It was super cool to see, and the weather was nice for the walk as well! After I’d walked along the gallery, I went over to the Anne Frank Museum. I actually never fully knew about what had happened to the family so it was super interesting. After that, I went to eat a bahn mi, then I went to another museum which was called the Germäldegalerie, which is an Art Nouveau museum. There were so many huge paintings, a lot of the them were portraits or allegorical paintings. I stayed there for a while- it was a huge gallery! Then after, I walked over to the nearby Tiergarten, which is a park. There was a nice pond that I sat and eventually napped by. Then, I walked back towards the city and passed by the Brandenburger Tor, which I’m not really sure what it’s purpose is. I also walked through the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. I went to find some food and went to a chinese restaurant and got some dumplings. Sadly they were not soup filled. And then I realized that I left my water bottle at the park so I had to walk all the way back to the park, then I made my way back to my hostel. And that’s a wrap on Berlin!Weiterlesen

  • Tag 46

    Berlin Day 2

    3. August 2023 in Deutschland ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

    Today was so unproductive and I felt like I didn’t really do anything because I felt brain dead for some reason 😭. Basically I woke up, went to the grocery store to get some pastries to eat for breakfast, and I went to meet a walking tour. So i’m an hour into this tour and I realize that I’ve retained 0 information and I haven’t been paying any attention so I decide to sneak away from the tour. After lots of contemplation on what to do next, I buy the Berlin Museum pass because it’s a great deal! Except all of the national museums that I wanted to go to are fully booked for the remainder of my trip…. I didn’t think that one through. But there are other museums on there to visit, so I went to the Jewish Museum (which is free without the pass…) and spent some time reading on the history of the persecution of the Jews. It’s not a fun museum, but holds a lot of historical importance. After, I went back to the currywurst place and had another sausage. And then, I went to the thrift store because I need more pants/longsleeves!! There were actually so many cute things but I ended up leaving just with one oversized pair of pants. After this, I went to the grocery store to buy some junk food because I was feeling snackish 😁 and I stumbled across a korean fried chicken place so I grabbed a rice bowl for dinner. Man, I miss rice. After that I went home to do laundry. Stupidly, I forgot to turn on the dryer before i left the room, so I had to stay up an extra hour even though i was sooo eepy 😴😴😴Weiterlesen

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