Day Five: Rotterdam

What a beautiful day with a beautiful friend. With no definite plans or agenda, we progressed through our day, visiting the market, doing a little shopping, walking around Vera's neighborhood, and dining in while engaging in wonderful conversation. 

Yesterday's theme was art. Today's theme was food! We returned to the market near Vera's home to eat our way from vender to vender; we were disappointed in our inability to eat more (our eyes were definitely bigger than our bellies) but everything we tasted was delicious! 

We started out with tapas, a traditional Spanish favorite of ours; plus: they bring back Camino memories. Of course we ordered croquetas and patatas bravas -- Camino staples for us! We then turned to something sweet: donuts! A Berliner for me, a pink sprinkled donut for Vera. And, alas, though we had intentions to consume much more that the market had to offer, we found ourselves stuffed. So we ventured out in search of a scarf (for me) and some sweaters (for Vera). We were successful on both searches. We stopped by a church to see if we could go in ... and we could, but there was a long line and they were charging a fee; so we passed. We returned to the market with returned appetites: gelato was on the menu next! Coconut for Vera, black cherry for me. Yum! Now we were really stuffed, so we decided to get the makings for dinner and head back to Vera's place. 

Once we were back, we took a nap. (Full bellies, lots of walking, carrying bags -- a nap was a good decision.) Then we went out for a walk around Vera's neighborhood. The waterway with all the homes and boats and sidewalks is so pretty. I could definitely live there. After our walk we had falafel for dinner with lemon cheese cake for desert. Dinner conversation was wonderful (per our usual). We both carry with us such a "experience life as it comes" attitude, a belief that no matter what we plan, it's not really in our hands, so it's best to embrace whatever we are handed. When we arrived at Cruce de Ferro on the Camino and deposited our rocks on the pile, I inscripted mine with "It might not always be the path you thought you would take, but it is always the path you were meant to be on." Who would have thought a year ago that the two of us would be sitting in Rotterdam eating falafel, preparing to board a plane to Poland together? I am having so much fun traveling my path, not only here in the Netherlands, but at home as well. 

Here are some pictures from our day! (warning: these photos may make you hungry!) 

Beautiful. And delicious!! 

Tapas!!! 

croquetas y patatas bravas 

Vera's desert ... 

my desert !!! 

gelato <3 

The ceiling at the market -- all those windows are apartments. I think if I lived at the market, I'd be on a first name basis with the croqueta maker ... 

Falafel in pita. Yummy!! 

lemon cheese cake

It is a little overcast, but here is a bit of the view. 

There's the whole view!!! 

And, of course, our daily selfie! (And my new (warm) scarf.) 

And now Vera and I are finishing up packing so that we can catch an early train to the airport -- Poland bound in the morning!!! Jarek and Gosia: we're ready to add you to the reunion!!! 

Buen Camino. <3