Reflecting back on Dutch moments…
Upon arrival in Amsterdam, I truly fell in love with the city. The first thing that stood out to me was that everyone really did ride bikes; since I grew up in Europe, this was something I had heard of before, but I didn’t believe it – I had not seen it anywhere. Observing people as they smiled and listened to music whilst meandering through the city, on their bikes, inspired me to try it out. I decided to go on a surprisingly energizing 4-hour bike ride. I loved this experience; I did not use google maps, and just let myself explore the places my intuition guided me towards.
How my journey went…
Bridge near Centraal Station → Ferry to the other side of the river → Exploring a lake (lots of people sunbathing/ swimming here) → Neighborhoods and cute Dutch houses → River and trees in the middle of nowhere (was clearly on the outskirts of Amsterdam at this point) → Watch sunset at a different river area and call mum → More bridges and back in the city → Ride around city centre then return bike
I cannot emphasise enough the joy and fulfilment this bike ride brought me. I am adventurous, love working out, and also admire nature. With this bike ride, I combined these characteristics into one, memorable experience. I have noticed bikes around Paris available to rent out, and I look forward to renting one this Sunday. There are not as many bikers as in Amsterdam, but the bike paths seem good!
Parisian thoughts…
My train ride from Amsterdam to Paris was actually an eventful one. From the whole iSEED group, I arrived at the station first, and this was probably my first time ever arriving first out of a group – I am usually late. As the rest of the group arrived, I was distracted and unfortunately left a whole bag at the station, and surprisingly (but also unsurprisingly because I am so clumsy and always do things like this) I didn’t realize until we got off the train in Paris (4 hours later…). I must admit this isn’t as bad as the time I left my passport on a plane, so I just tried to stay positive and move on from the situation – I was excited to arrive in Paris. The overall train ride was a great experience – I enjoyed the first class experience and traveling through Belgium.
While in Amsterdam, I had one of the best times of my life. So much nature, so many new people and a wonderful city vibe. I would even consider moving to the Netherlands permanently, so I hope to experience this kind of feeling in Paris too. An interesting fact is that when I was a child, I used to love this cartoon called ‘Madeline’ (set in Paris), so I think I will also grow to love Paris. As an adult, I relate to many things I watched/ experienced in my childhood. Some things I look forward to here are:
- Meeting locals
- Observing and understanding the architecture & its historical origin
- Climbing the Eiffel Tower
- Sitting in one of the picturesque, flowery restaurants
- Eating snails
- Exploring the Arrondissements
- Trying pastries and desserts
- Checking out the fashion and thrift stores
French expectations…
I typically explore a new city using just my intuition. I think I will use a combination of this with online research in Paris, since it is a bigger city than Amsterdam. A happy memory I want to make here in Paris is my bike ride and also a nice experience at the Eiffel Tower.
France so far…
Yum?
Love the hostel – it feels like living in a museum
My favourite place so far
Hostel morning views – wow!
