Hello young Adventurers!

Locations: The Netherlands- Leiden, Amsterdam, Voorburg, The Hague, Katwijk aan Zee, Wassenaar
Languages Spoken: Dutch
Words learned: Dank je wel (Thank You)
Where next?: This country is known for their chocolate and their waffles!

So much has happened, and I have been able to learn so much since I last left you, friends.  I’m going to try to keep this as short as possible, so bear with me!  There is so much we just don’t know that we don’t know until we get out there and go learn it ourselves.  The best part is- you never know what you’re going to learn, or where you’re going to learn it, and as long as you go with an open mind and ears, it will find you.

Last I left you guys, I had finished a day in Haarlem.  The next day, I got to visit the city of Amsterdam.  Before even leaving Leiden on the train, we stopped by a market  in town and got stroopwaffels.  These are basically a cookie mixed with a waffle, filled with caramel, and they are DELICIOUS.  Perfect snack before taking the train.  Now, y’all know me, I love big cities- so I was really excited to get to explore somewhere new.  Marie and I only had two main missions: 1) Eat all the food and 2) Go to the Rijksmuseum and look at beautiful art and history. 

First thing off the train in Amsterdam, Marie took me to this small stand that sells frites or fries covered in sauce.  Naturally, I drenched mine in cheese, and we continued on our way.  Marie took me on a walking tour of the city, frites in hand.  One thing about Amsterdam that I never knew- it has more canals than even Venice in Italy.  We saw the house where Anne Frank had to hide in back during World War II, but unfortunately we were unable to get tickets to go in and see the museum for ourselves.  I’m going to definitely have to find time to make my way back one day to see it. 

We finally made our way to the Rijksmuseum, or National Museum, and we spent a few hours looking at all the amazing artwork inside.  We got to see Van Gogh’s original “Self Portrait,” as well as a huge number of other famous paintings, art work, and historical items.  We even got to see some really interesting old instruments, including recorders, pianos, and various stringed instruments.  Museums always make me happy, and this one definitely did not disappoint.  Afterwards we made our way back through Amsterdam to the train station and headed back home to Leiden where we got some gelato and called it a night.  

The next day was just as busy, but it was what I like to call a “happy-to-the-core” kind of day, where everything just goes right.  I got up super early so I could catch a bus to meet my friend Lindsay in Voorburg and take a Body Pump class at her gym.  This was the same class I taught back in the States at my home gym, and it was a blast to get to take it in a new language with a new instructor!  Afterwards, Lindsay and I went to The Hague, a city where the King’s Palace is.  She took me on a walking tour, we get some delicious burritos at a place called “Salsa Shop (y’all know how much I’m missing my chipotle), saw some crazy sand sculptures, and got some coffee.  It was great to catch up with an old friend- it had been almost 20 years since we last saw each other!  Who knew that we would one day meet up again in The Netherlands?  It’s amazing how life plays out sometimes.

When Lindsay and I said goodbye, I headed back to Leiden where I had to overcome a huge fear- navigating to another new city on a bike alone with no GPS or any idea of where I was going except a few signs that were in Dutch along the way.  I somehow made it to Marie’s school in Wassenar where we met, and ended up crossing off a HUGE bucket list item while there.  Do you guys remember what instrument this is, or where it was from?  We learned about it last year in class!

For those who don’t remember, this is the Chinese Erhu.  It’s one of my favorite instruments in the world, and I had never had a chance to hold one before, let alone play it.  It was designed to sound sound like someone singing, but my playing sounded more like a wounded cat screaming.  It has two strings, is played with a bow, and the resonator is covered with SNAKESKIN!  I have a video I want to share… but I can’t quite figure out how to get it to upload yet on this. I’ll share it as soon as I can.  This school also had a full Balinese Gamelan which was just unreal.  This instrument is actually an ensemble of smaller percussion instruments that are played together by multiple musicians, and are usually the size of a small room!  It’s one of the last things I ever would have expected to find in a random school in The Netherlands, and I love it.

Marie and I left her school after that and biked to the beach and then back home- about 22 miles in total.  Now, I’m also obsessed the with beaches, so I was happy because I got to put my feet in a new ocean, although the water was wayyyy to cold to swim.  The ride there was absolutely stunning- full of sand dunes and unusual scenery that I had never seen before.  I fell asleep pretty soon after we got home, my legs had turned to jelly with all the biking and working out in the morning.  

My final day in the Netherlands found me staying and exploring the city of Leiden itself.  One thing that the Netherlands are known for are their Windmills.  They’re depicted on everything.  When I woke up, I got my favorite breakfast on the canal, a croissant and a cappuccino, and then I went and toured an old windmill that had been turned into a small history museum.

Afterwards, I walked around the city some more to see it until I could get into the Pilgrim’s Museum.  This is where things got really interesting.  While here, I learned that the same Pilgrims who came and settled the New World back in the 1600’s, lived in Leiden before making their way across the ocean.  They left England in 1608 to Leiden where they stayed for about 12-20 years until they began making their way across the ocean in 1620.  Their original ship was called the “Speedwell,” but it wasn’t sturdy enough for their adventure, so they sold it to purchase the now-famous “Mayflower.”  I had always thought and was taught that the pilgrims came directly from England, and I was definitely wrong.  In fact, both Former President Bush (Jr. and Sr.) and Former President Obama had ancestors that lived here in Leiden before making their way to the New World.

The rest of the day was just hanging out and resting- traveling is incredible, and it is also exhausting.  Marie and I were incredibly proud of ourselves, though.  We managed to ride on the same bike together at the same time. She drove and I sat on this small seat side-saddle on the back.  It was terrifying, and we loved every second of it!  I knew I had to be up early to catch my train in the morning, though, so Marie and I just relaxed until bed time.  I keep wanting to go and see everything, but I’m going to have to make sure I take time to take care of myself and relax as well, otherwise I’m not going to have enough energy to do anything.

My time in the Netherlands was very eye opening, and I will definitely be back.  I met so many kind people and made some new friends!  What I loved most, though, was how people just don’t drive around much, and instead they choose to bike and take trains and buses everywhere.  There’s a sense of community within these cities that I have never seen in the United States because of it.  People are constantly stopping to talk to a friend they see, and no one is ever on their phones.  Restaurants take their time, and grabbing a coffee can take up to an hour if you want it to which made my morning cappuccinos by the canals so relaxing and peaceful.  I never would have put the Netherlands on my travel list if I hadn’t had a personal friend there, and I’m so glad I did.  I 100% recommend visiting this beautiful country if you ever get a chance.  I definitely fell in love.

This morning I’m off on a train to spend a day in my next country!  I gave some hints up above- can you figure out where I’m going?  I’ll let you know in my next post!  Until then,

Have Courage, & Be Kind

Mr. Weavil