Haarlem!

Dear Readers,

So sorry for the long wait and silence. I have been busy with my new job , boyfriend and I have moved to Haarlem while I was away. I also had to deal with a few things on the private front which was not always that pleasant.

However, despite some unpleasant things I must say life for me is not all that bad at all. Some "kinks in the road" are to be expected in life in general and have been lucky to meet the most awesome people the last few months. I have also moved into a big house with a colleague were we are allowed to have animals. In the end of this month we will have a housewarming BBQ in our garden which I think will be really nice. Some Spanish flavors, nice friends and colleagues and fun stuff happening and let's not forget to mention the wifi will be working by then! Hehehehe Who knew no internet could make us so "handicapped". I have never been more social, more effective than now without TV nor WIFI!.

But back to Haarlem, it is a small side town of Amsterdam which has more charm than you would every imagine. As I wrote before it has historical buildings and a very nice shopping streets. Lifte there feels safe, green and spiced up by the "mad hatters" you tend to walk into here and there. Haarlem takes care of those people in society that has become homeless for one reason or the other. Many have been addicts or has a mental disorder etc. This is something I find nice, a community that takes care of each other.

On a sunny Saturday you can stroll down the old brick streets you find in the very centre of Haarlem amongst other things they surround the wonderfully breathtaking Sint Bavo church from the 15th century. This church has little houses attached to the side of it which used to be markets and trade shops as well as a library which you will find on the south side. It actually used to be a catholic cathedral in the early 15hundreds before the protestants kicked them out and took over. The catholics rather built another St. Bavo Cathedral. This "new" cathedral looks amazing and can be found in the south-east of Haarlem or to be more precise you can find it on this address: Leidsevaart 146, 2014 HE Haarlem!

I still have to go see it, I only saw it from the train as I was going to Leiden and when I was sipping my cup of cappuccino in the centre with my lovely man. The towers reminds me of Notre Dame and in the sun the shadows of the gothic structures dance on them as if they have a story to tell. The green roof has a peace and wonder to it and it creates and admiration in me for the people who actually constructed the darn thing! It is huge and beautiful (said the architecture geek!)

But I guess pictures speak louder than words so here you are!

x Viking