Day Four: Amsterdam

Today we got up, ate chocolate sprinkle sandwiches for breakfast (yes that's right:  chocolate sprinkles sandwiched between two tasty, fresh pieces of bread), and then took the train to Amsterdam. When we arrived, we saw that there is a carnival set up in Dam Square -- a ten day long dance festival is going on in Amsterdam right now, so we assume the two are related. We took the tram to Museum Park where we posed in front of the iconic " I AMsterdam" sign before heading into Rijks Museum. 

I'm a sucker for art museums -- gallery after gallery of beautiful history displayed in intricate frames on decorative walls ... amazing. I'll let the artwork speak for itself: 

Golden Calf by van Leyden -- One of my favorites of the day. I love the colors and all the detail. It is a depiction of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments. 

Good Samaratin 

Again -- look at all the detail and colors! The religious artwork in this museum was gorgeous. 

Manjushri's Gesture -- the start of the Asian art collection. I love how tranquil the buddha's are. 

Buddha Amina, Buddha of Paradise ❤️

This one isn't so tranquil -- it is called Angry Spirits; they defend against ignorance (I think I might bring some of these with me everywhere I go ...) 

This library puts the beast's library (from Beauty and the Beast) to shame. And it smelled wonderful -- like old books. 

Why yes, that is a self portrait of Vincent Van Gogh. 

Night Watch by Rembrandt -- it seems small in this photo, but in real life it is huge. 

Rembrandt's self portrait. 

And last, but certainly not least: Waterloo. 

We took a break in the middle of art viewing to eat lunch and visit. I enjoy people watching -- so many varieties of people: children on school trips whose noisy laughter echoes through the main hall and galleries, tourists wandering aimlessly, listening to headsets and searching for text in their home language, natives who smile politely as they walk directly to their favorite pieces of artwork, old couples, young couples, siblings, friends, strangers -- kind of like watching pilgrims on the Camino. 

After we left the museum we went to Dam Square where I tried a oliebollen, which is a traditional Dutch pastry usually eaten on New Year's Eve ... except I won't be in the Netherlands on New Year's Eve, so I ate one today! We went in a few touristy shops (I'm on the search for an I AMsterdam poster -- though I don't think they exist) and then headed back to the train station to catch a ride back to Rotterdam. 

Back at Vera's apartment, we ordered (a personal favorite for both of us) sushi!! Now we are relaxing with full bellies ☺️ Here are a few more pics from today: 

Sprinkle breakfast sandwich!!! I know you're jealous ... 

Rijks Museum and I AMsterdam sign! 

Posing with the sign ... I'm a big fan. 

Mushroom ragout? Don't mind if I do! 

Oliebollen !!! mmmmmm 

Posing by the canal 😍😍😍

Train Station in Amsterdam

Our delicious sushi dinner. 

And now it is time for sleep. Buen Camino. 

Day Three: Den Haag and Rotterdam

Another wonderful day in the Netherlands!! We woke and had breakfast with Vera's mom before getting ready to head out -- which meant restuffing all my belongings back in the pack, including my gifts from Vera and the few items I picked up (be excited family -- these items are for you!). Thankfully Vera's dad came home before we left so that I could thank them both for opening their home to me and being such wonderful hosts. Here is a picture of the van Buuren family: 

Except Vera's brother, Jelle, isn't in the photo -- I should have taken one at dinner last night since he had school today. Oh well. Next trip ... 

A train ride followed by a bus ride landed us in Den Haag where we went to Madurodam, which is basically a scaled down version of the ENTIRE country! If you ever wanted to know what the Netherlands looked like if you were a giant, this is the place for you! It was really impressive. I enjoyed seeing smaller versions of some of the places we had already seen, like the airport, as well as places that we will see tomorrow when we are in Amsterdam. We ate lunch here, and I was introduced to the Spanish croqueta's Dutch brother, the kroket -- I'm just putting it out there: the United States really needs to up its culinary game and come up with a version of their own. Or just start importing them from the Netherlands or Spain. Seriously. 

After we finished exploring the entire tiny country, we headed to Rotterdam, the city where Vera lives while she is at university. We've only explored a tiny portion of the city (we are really exploring Rotterdam on Saturday), but I can already tell why she loves her city so much. Not to mention: the view from her room is gorgeous!! We dropped off our things, met her roommate Arlene, and warmed up with some hot tea (I've mentioned it's wet and cold, right?). Then we took the metro to the market. This market was AMAZING. I thought Soulard market was grand (and don't get me wrong, I love Soulard market) but this place had more varieties of food in one spot than I've ever seen ever: fruits and veggies and meat and cheeses and fish and nuts and sweets and breads and chocolates and wines and teas and herbs and coffees, plus prepared foods: Italian and Asian and Spanish, gelato stands and sausage stands and hot chocolate with churro stands and sushi stands ... it really was a sight to see. On Saturday we will go back and eat our way through it -- today we were in a mission to pick up the supplies to cook dinner for ourselves. After we grabbed what we needed we went back to Vera's flat to prepare dinner. The chilly weather and threat of snow must be influencing Vera's music choices, because we listened to Christmad music as she cooked. haha 

And now the dinner has been consumed, the sangria had been ingested, and it is time for sleep. We are planning to get an early start tomorrow so we can spend as much time as possible in Amsterdam ( although if you followed the blog back in the Camino days, you will remember it was always our intention to get up early and start our day on time; I have faith that tomorrow we will really do it). 

Some pictures from today: 

On the train! 

Here we are in the miniature Netherlands!! 

This is the (small) Royal Palace in Amsterdam -- we will go to the real one tomorrow! 

If everything here is to scale, then this fish are like whales 😳

My delicious kroket. 

My new BFF: the tulip gatherer. 

Chef Vera!! 

Yummy pasta with sangria -- reminiscing on all our Camino "pilgrim meals" and the people we shared them with. Also: I'm making this pasta when I get home. Yum! 

And the view from Vera's window. So beautiful. 

Time for sleep. Good night. Buen Camino. ❤️

Day Two: Adventures in Haarlem

I can't even remember the last time I slept in -- this morning was beautifully lazy: I slept in until almost 9:30 and then had breakfast (croissants, Nutella, and hot tea) before getting ready to go into Haarlem. After a short walk and two bus rides, we were at the beach. It is a little bit cold and windy, but that doesn't stop the beach from looking pretty. We ate some kibbeling for lunch on the boardwalk where we were harassed by some over zealous birds before heading down to the sand so I could put my toes in the North Sea. Usually when I visit the beach I'm looking for a nice cold drink, but we were more eager for hot chocolate, so we found a restaurant where we could sit inside and look out at the beach while enjoying a warm drink. 

After we finished at the beach we went back into the city center and visited St. Bavo's Church (the church we saw last night before going to the pub). I think I may have a strange obsession with ancient ceilings, because I again fell in love with the gorgeous rafters in this church! St. Bavo's church was originally built as a Catholic Church, but after its construction, it was taken over by the Protestants. Today it is still a religious building as well as an art and history museum of sorts. There is a giant pipe organ in the back of the church -- Mozart and Händel played on this organ, and there are beautiful stained glass windows throughout the space. I took a few minutes to light a few candles and pray a bit in one of the side chapels before we left -- my life is filled with so many blessings, it is good to give thanks. After we left the church we got some coffee (did I mention it is really cold here?) and then explored a little more -- coffee with milk in Dutch is koffie mit melk (pretty soon I'll be able to order coffee with milk in just about any country!!) We stopped by the store where Vera works (Lush) and sampled some of the lotions and smelled all of the beautiful soaps. Then we headed back to Vera's parents' home where we got ready to go out to dinner. We went to a traditional "pancake house" but the Dutch pancakes are nothing like the American pancakes. They are almost like a mix between a crepe and a pizza; they were delicious! Then we headed back home where we visited for a while -- and now it is time for sleep. Here are a few photos from today: 

This is the view from Vera's parents' family room overlooking the garden; their home is so beautiful! 

My newest friend: Sip the cat ☺️

There were sand sculptures at the beach. 

Grabbing lunch at the boardwalk fish truck ... 

Kippeling!! 

Beach selfie!!! You can't tell how cold it is, but my eyes are watering from the wind! 

<3 

mmmmmmmm

Amazing ceilings!! I think this ceiling will go well with the prior ceiling I picked out from the Gaudi palace ... 

This window was titled "peace and tolerance" -- the picture doesn't do it justice; it was really beautiful. 

All of the amazing products at Vera's store!! 

My dinner: a bacon, mushroom, cheese pancake. 

And of course my wonderful host / tour guide / Camino partner / friend ❤️

More adventures tomorrow!! Buen Camino. 

Day One: Reunited in Amsterdam

After nine hours on a plane (seven and a half flying, one and a half waiting for a repairman to fix the airplane window so we could take off) I landed in the Netherlands --- I am so excited to be here!! But I'm REALLY excited that I have been reunited with Vera. 

Here we are on the train leaving the airport and headed towards her parents home. (You'll have to excuse the crazy plane hair ...) Isn't it amazing how over a year can pass between the last time we saw each other, yet it feels like only yesterday we were out on the path together? We grabbed a quick bite to eat and then took a train, a bus, and a short walk and arrived at Vera's parents' house where we were greeted by her mom and two cats. We exchanged a few gifts: she traditional Dutch cookies, candy, and a keychain ... and me a Cardinals shirt, St. Louis shot glass depicting the Arch, and a skyline mug. We then had a cup of tea, caught up on what's been happening since we last saw each other, and watched a movie / rested -- traveling all day and night is exhausting!! We both thought it was strange to be together and not walking ... 

After a short nap Vera's mom made us dinner -- a traditional dish with potatoes, kale, ham, and sausage. Delicious. And flan for desert. (Vera's dad and brother were at dinner, too.) Then Vera and I headed into Haarlem to visit two churches: the first a large, beautifully lit cathedral that we will return to in the morning to view the interior, and the other a small church that has been turned into a pub where we enjoyed some ale and visited. It turns out, the Dutch think Donald Trump running for president is ridiculous, too. haha A few photos ... 

My gift from Vera!! 

Drinking my tea from Vera's Camino cup --- just like I drink all my tea and coffee from my Camino cup at home! 

Mmmmmmm -- dinner ☺️

Church number one ... 

And church number two. 

Our drinks -- "divine beer" from the church brewery. 

And my bed for the night. 

It has been such a wonderful day, but I am exhausted. I can't wait to get some sleep and wake up well rested, ready to explore tomorrow!! 

Buen Camino ❤️

At it Again!! The Camino Continues ...

It's been almost seventeen months since I walked the final kilometers into Santiago, "completing" my Camino. Seventeen months since the days of mountains and albergues and blisters and pilgrims, of late night laughter over Spanish sangria and insightful prayer inside ancient churches. They say that Santiago is not the end, but rather the beginning of your Camino; I know this is true of my journey. I would have never dreamed while sitting in the Cathedral of St. James that my life would have taken the turns it has: some heartbreaking and others that fill me with emense joy and purpose; but with each mountain my path encounters and each beautiful poppy field I skip through, I bring with me the courage, strength, stamina, and faith I acquired on my Camino. And in less than seventeen hours, I shall be reunited with the pilgrims that stayed by my side through rainy forests and windy mountains, through dirt road cow parades and chicken church funerals, every step from the start -- and my heart couldn't be more happy. 

Ladies and gentlemen, I am off to the Netherlands to find Vera!! And then we will head to Kraków to find Jarek and Gosia. It shall be a Camino reunion!!! I can't wait for all the reminiscing, life sharing, and adventures that are sure to come over the next couple weeks. 

Here we are in Santiago -- reunion pictures coming soon! 

Ready to get my travel on! I worked nights all weekend, left work at five am on Monday, went home to shower and grab my things, and then headed to the airport -- which reminds me ... 

Thanks to this amazing guy ⬆️⬆️⬆️ for delivering me safely to the airport -- and for being so wonderful and supportive of my wanderlust tendencies. ❤️

After a quick breakfast and coffee in St. Louis I flew to Toronto, Canada where I took a much needed nap. Of course there are no beds in the terminals and I wasn't about to spend money on a lounge bed for five hours, so I curled up in a quiet, out of the way corner next to a huge window where I watched the planes take off until I fell into a peaceful and non-disturbed sleep. Now I'm all rested and ready to go!!

I searched for a t shirt / magnet that said "I Came All the Way to Canada and All I Took Was a Nap" but surprisingly they didn't have such a souvenir ... so I had to settle for this one ...

And now I'm settled in my seat, ready for flight!! 

Get ready, Vera!! I'll be to you in a little less than eight hours!!! 

Buen Camino ❤️