I departed for Belgium at 6pm Saturday and arrived the next day at 9:30am. Luckily I slept most of the flight and had the extra energy from arriving in a new place to get myself going. I haven't seen my friend Sarah in over three years, but she is one of those people in your life where you pick right back up where you left off. Sarah found herself traveling to Europe 2 years ago after being chosen to be part of a Russian Linguistics program awarded to students. She is one of those people that can pick up a language so naturally and is currently learning Dutch with a bit of French mixed in. She continues to impress me and I was so happy to be welcomed into her home. She shares a wonderful apartment in Leuven just outside of Brussels with her boyfriend Karl & a sweet dog named Meika . The location could not be better. Taking a few steps out her front door led us to a hiking trail. It was incredibly green with panoramic views of the city. One of my favorite past times with Sarah has always been our hikes thru Griffith park when we were both living in LA. It was great to find ourselves in another country, not missing a beat. The timing of my trip allowed me to spend a day with her parents whom were also visiting, which made the first day of my trip feel right at home. After our hike we met up with Karl's family for a night of bowling and my first taste of a Belgium beer. Duvel was so smooth I almost sipped it too fast before being warned that with the alcohol content being 8.5%, it is something to be enjoyed slowly. I should have known by the look of Sarah's sly eye when she suggested the beer that it probably had a bit of a kick to it. Unfortunately my bowling skills are just as terrible overseas as they are here in the states. I did manage to get two strikes in a row though! It was hard to tell what the time was judging by the sun. At 10:30pm the sun began to set, leaving for extra long days which i didn't mind a bit.
In the morning after a night of bowling, Sarah pointed me toward the direction of the train to Amsterdam and off I went.
Being a bit jet lagged, I feel asleep on most of my train ride there. After departing, I arrived in Amsterdam about 2 1/2 hours later. Now the weather in these countries was just what I needed to have a break from the heat on the East Coast. It was around 70 degrees with a few rain showers thrown in the mix. I made my way thru the slim streets, being aware to keep out of the way of trams, cyclist, pedestrians, cars and Vespas. It was basically like making my way thru the streets in NY, although this could be compared to an advanced level of frogger since the streets are so narrow. I checked in at my hostel, locked away my things and started my day wandering the streets aimlessly. It is such a tourist friendly place, pretty simple to navigate and so much to take in. Since it was a short trip, I spent most of my time taking in the city and the people.
With technology being what it is today, thru Facebook I was connected with my friend Matt from LA that was also visiting Amsterdam at the same time. Talk about perfect timing! That night he was going to be attending the Black Crowes last show with his girl Whitney. We all met up, I grabbed a ticket from someone outside and we maneuvered our way up to the front of the stage. I was not only experiencing life in another country, but also enjoying one of my favorite things to do with an amazing band I have seen live before in NY and LA. I couldn't keep still, I danced throughout the show and had the most amazing time. So far the trip seemed so familiar. I was so far from home, but there I was catching up with old friends and I didn't seem so far away. I guess that is why I loved Amsterdam so much, it just felt like it was where I needed to be.
The next day I wandered into this great cafe and tasted a beer that had been brewed since 1040. Weihenstephaner Kristall Weissbier contains 5.4% alcohol is brewed in Germany and was a golden color with taste that was very fruity with hints of apple, banana, clove lemon and wheat. It was very smooth and the cafe was a great atmosphere. Old music fro the 1930s played and rotated thru some songs of the 50's as well. The light poured into this place and it seemed to be filled with locals who frequent it often. It was an experience to walk thru the streets at night while women sat displayed in a window with the glow of red lights behind them. During the day I realized all the windows in the neighboring buildings of my hostel had red curtains. Luckily I never felt unsafe being in any part of the city.
After spending a few days in Amsterdam, I took a train back to Leuven Belgium to spend the last couple nights hanging out with Sarah. I had a bit of a detour on the way back with a few transfers on the train that didn't flow so smoothly. Eventually I found Sarah and we grabbed a drink in front of this gorgeous structure that in the past was used as the city hall. The next day we took to a bike path and explored a gorgeous trail that led us past fields of corn, wild flowers and a ride along canals. It was a great way to round out the trip. I was longing to hop on a bike in Amsterdam, so this was definitely the icing on the cake. That last night there I collected some new music from Sarah and was also introduced to the music from the band her boyfriend is the lead singer of, Citizen Genes.
Travel, music, nature, trains, bikes, chocolate, beer, meeting new faces and catching up with old friends...there isn't much else I could have asked for on this trip. I look forward to my next adventure wherever it takes me....
