I'm Home, but with a Heavy Heart

Sorry for taking a few days off from blogging.  I'm home though from my trip, and it sure is nice to be back.  Toward the end of my trip last week, I got the news that a friend of ours was injured in a terrible bicycle wreck in Greenville.  He didn't make it.  The world lost a great man, and Clemson lost one of its biggest fans.  Today, with heavy hearts in a church filled with people wearing orange, we said goodbye.  And my heart is heavy today.

Goodnight Haarlem

Tonight, I'm saying goodnight to the charming city of Haarlem, Netherlands for the last time of the foreseeable future.  It's been a good trip.  This go-round, although it's not much warmer than it was in February, the sky stays light until well past 9PM.  Tonight, the three of us still here had dinner at a restaurant near the city center, just behind the cathedral.  Following dinner we strolled though the square, which was lively with a carnival.  It was filled with excited Dutch teenagers, and the weather all day today has been the best we've seen in two weeks.  Here is a photo I took tonight of the city center, alive and full.

I'll follow up soon with a post on my excursion to Amsterdam last weekend.  I'm saving that until I have pictures, which are on my camera (I left the cord at home,oops). 

I'm excited to go home tomorrow to Greenville, because it's true that there is no place like home.  No matter how adventurous my spirit might be, I am happiest when I am home with my loves.

Ciao!

Zandvoort

There are not many things in life that surpass the feeling of being at the coast.  I could sit and stare at the ocean for hours, breathing in the salt air and just being in the moment.  Tonight our group had dinner together at a restaurant called "Take 5" in Zandvoort, literally on the beach of the North Sea.  I never imagined I would dine at the North Sea, but I feel lucky and fortunate to have had this experience.  Delicious cuisine, a bottle of Argentine merlot, and a front-row seat to the sunset over the ocean horizon....

Sorry to run, but it's late here, and the alarm will rear its ugly head in just a few short hours. 

Ciao!

Road Warrior

I'm not gonna lie.  I've been on the road...a LOT...lately.  While at times it is exciting, and I'm reaching a PR in Delta SkyMiles, it's not all glamorous.  As an example...

1) No matter what they tell you, sitting next to an ex-convict, freshly released from "the slammer" on a flight from ATL-->BOS is NOT cool
2) Bedbugs are not a myth (but VERY fortunately a false alarm for me)
3) Montezuma's Revenge is also a real thing.  Not that I've ever experinced it or anything.  And not that it's not worth endless nachos and bottomless margaritas on the rocks with salt (and an umbrella).
4) If the TSA inspects your checked bags, you may or may not arrive with all of your belongings.  If anyone sees a TSA inspector with a black strapless bra, it's mine!!
5) Ordering room service can be very convicting.  Case in point, here is a photo of my someone else's plates from dinner tonight.  They must've been hungry since apparently they had two entrees...how embarrassing...

On the other hand, I'm feeling very cultured, especially through my latest adventure....in the Netherlands, you'll see lots of bikes:

And every once-in-a-while, a swan floating down the canal:

And then there is the occassional brothel (legal) and plenty of "coffee shops."  I have NOT visited these establishments, but have seen evidence that they do, in fact, exist.  Unbelievable.

More later!

Ciao!

I'm back!

Hi world!  I'm sure nobody is reading (and frankly, I don't blame you), but I'm living the European life bored in a hotel and thought I'd try my hand at launching another blog.  I definitely owe it to the blog world to make my own contribution, especially considering how many of your blogs I follow and love.  Currently, I'm writing from the town of Haarlem in the Netherlands.  I've been here for about a week and a half, and in a sleepy European town experiencing a cold front in late-April, there's not much to do on a work night after dinner.  So, here we have it, the birthday of my new blog!

I established the name of this new blog based on the fact that I was looking for a non-cheesy, non-stupid, blog name (although obviously I don't care if it's weird or random).  I've had plenty of time with me, myself, and I this week, and in this time I've pondered the wonder that is Dutch coffee.  Dutch coffee has been such a gem for me on this business trip that I thought I'd dedicate the name of my blog to it.  Between the jet lag and the long working hours, Dutch coffee is my newfound hero.  It's delicious, strong, and ever-present.  If you're ever in the Netherlands, try the coffee.  I can guarantee that you won't be disappointed (albeit jittery).

I'll share a few pictures from a lovely walk I took in Haarlem on Sunday.  Haarlem is storybook and picturesque.  The town is absolutely charming - a bit tamer than Amsterdam itself, but those stories and pictures are for another post on another day.  I'll leave you hanging by telling you that the red light district is not a hidden, off-the-beaten-path, far-off part of town.  This is real stuff folks, and you can very easily and innocently find yourself there in broad daylight.  Not that that happened to me or anything... 

Sunshine over the canal

Flower festival in the town square - lovely cathedral in the backdrop

Abundant flowers, even the famous tulips

Thanks for reading!  I promise to work on the general aesthetics of the blog soon, I just have no patience for that tonight.  More from Holland soon!

Ciao!