Hi there,
It has been a little while since my last blog-post. I have been lacking inspiration despite the heat and nice things around me I just couldn't get myself to write. Something has been lurking in the back of my mind since a few days ago. I feel too far away from my brother and sister and lovely aunt. To be abroad has so many nice sides to it but when someone gets married, gets a baby or dies it is horrible not to be able to just take off and hug them. I feel powerless and try to not let it get to me, because in the end of the day I am not a victim I choose to live abroad. As is normal though I wish I could be there with them right now.
The last few days although emotional and slightly confusing has been nice as well. Luckily I have a very nice flatmate who is easy to talk to and a boyfriend that is there for me as well. Although that does not take away the feeling of being powerless it does distract the mind which is a blessing at times. On Monday I went to Den Haag to pick up my new and even more ugly passport! The heat wave had already hit the Netherlands and the tram from the station to the embassy was boiling hot. Having had bad weather for sometime I was soaking up the sun like a lizard basking away in all the vitamin D I could take inn.
On the road again...
In the train I could enjoy the AirCo a bit and watch the landscape from the train rushing past me like time so often do. The great news was, the good weather stayed most of the week, and at work we even got Italian ice-cream! Then Thursday I got the bad news which shocked and stirred something uneasy deep down. The heat felt constricting all of the sudden and time stood still. I told myself it was the cycle of life happening but I would soon learn it might be less natural than I would have hoped for....
Friday my flatmate and I decided to bike away our sorrows. Off we went to Bloomendaal which is a village next to Haarlem not to far from the beach or as my sweet roommate says "the Bitch". We found a nice terrace and a glass of dry white wine and watched the sun diving down behind the ocean as it has done millions of years over and over again. We listened to the live music, a woman was playing her vocal cords along with the piano and out came the most beautiful soul and funk. It was perfect and just the kind of distraction I needed. Girls' evening on the beach.
Bloomendaal!
Yesterday I met with Erik to go to a birthday party. French food and wine and sweet people. It was very nice and we biked through Leiden to get there. Before that though we strolled through the city and had some frappuccinoes at #Starbucks. Later we decided to make home made cocktails which was lovely! There is nothing like fruit mixed with juice, rum and ice cubes in summer or an ice cold drink while you stroll through the cloud of heat and take in the summer.
Today we went to a place in Leiden called de Vlietlanden. A lot of green and several lakes and life just thrives here. Birds love it, kids love it and lets not forget the bikers. And as a real "Dutch-like" woman I hopped on the bike as well. If you ever go to the Netherlands FIETS means bike and you will need to use it! When we arrived at the lake both of us did not hesitate to get into the water. Which was good too because about 30min later the wind picked up and thunder clouds were coming our way. You see after a heat-wave over here it builds up to thunderstorms. After basking ourselves dry in the sun and having the wind stroking our backs we jumped back on the bikes again and headed home. Just in time as well because as we walked into the living-room the first droplets of rain hit the windows! So what else left to do then to make a home made soya frappuchino?!
de Vlietlanden
Vegan Frappuchino :)
Leiden in the storm
Leiden before the storm
See, so I can not complain. I had a good week despite everything and we did some serious biking during that time hehe! I am actually considering getting myself a racing bike at some point because it seems like fun to go for a holiday by bike at some point and it keeps me fit.
x Viking
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