Europe Week 1: Berlin & The Netherlands Part 1

I decided to use this week-by-week blogging format for my time in Europe because this backpacking experience is distinct from other segments of this trip, and I want a way to explain each place, and more importantly, the relationship I have to each person that showed me around.

Western Europe was added to my travel plans with the hope that I could visit friends all along the route. One week in, and this has been the most incredible experience - it feels so good to reconnect with old friends and experience the culture of a city from a local‘s perspective. Here is a look at what I did on the first seven days, which included Berlin, Amsterdam, Schermerhorn, and Haarlem.

Wednesday, February 20

After a quick flight from Düsseldorf to Berlin, I had finished my migration from Asia to Europe. Having my photo slyly taken on Bangkok trains one evening to being the only person in cheap fleece on a professional German business flight the next morning was a culture shock!

I arrived at my hostel at 1pm, and asked for an early check in because I was absolutely exhausted. After a nap, I woke up to meet two wonderful Ukrainian couples in my room. One woman, Tanya, spoke particularly excellent English, and invited me to join them on a trip to the grocery store. We discussed life in the Balkans, her experience leaving Ukraine for the first time, and travel budget strategies.

I cooked dinner with a man from Mexico and a woman from Argentina, using the hostel’s free pasta. It was refreshing to practice my Spanish. After dinner I slept for another ten hours - jet lag hit me hard!

Thursday, February 21

This morning I woke up at 6, and have accepted that this is probably my new sleep schedule. I was surprised to see the Ukrainian couples were awake, and heartbroken to hear they had been robbed in the night! They had slept by their bags and valuables instead of locking them, and over 70% of their trip funds had been in cash and stolen. I helped them connect with front desk to see if anything could be done - it was such a shame.

My bags also had not been locked, but I carry almost no cash and my wallet had not been stolen. I was lucky, but learned that people are not honest here like they were in Asia.

After a cup of coffee I me Pere from Barcelona and we decided to explore the city together. He was a body builder, political activist for Catalonia’s independence, and was studying to be a librarian - incredibly interesting man. Together we walked through Berlin, found tourist hot spots, and in the evening he walked me to my friend’s apartment across the city.

Zlatina and I met in Alaska, and she greeted me at the door of her apartment with sign that said “Welcome to Berlin!” and a bottle of wine. My heart was so full!

I cooked spaghetti and baked Brie and cheese, and we caught up over a bottle of wine.

Friday, February 22

Today Zlatina worked and I had big plans to walk the East Side Gallery thoroughly, but I woke up feeling sick. I slept almost all day, and imagine my body was struggling with the high speed transition from Asia to Europe.

That evening I was feeling better, and went to meet Zlatina and her coworkers at a local pub. Daniela (German), Izzy (English), and Zlatina (Bulgarian) worked at an office that produced documentaries, and it was absolutely fascinating to hear about their work - particularly because the office was all women and incredibly diverse! Izzy’s sister Rachel was also in town on holiday from her temporary job teaching English in France. What an amazing group of women.

Saturday, February 23

Today Zlatina had off work, so we enjoyed a slow morning that included a morning walk around the streets of Berlin with Izzy and Rachel. Then, our day took a turn, and we went to a daytime techno party - a new side of Berlin culture.

We arrived at 3:30pm, and had an absolute blast. It was so interesting to experience the alternative culture that Berlin is known for, particularly at a club that was for locals. This was not something I could have found on my own.

You can read more about this techno club experience in this blog post: https://deenawhitwam.wixsite.com/travelblog/blog/techno-takeaways-in-berlin-and-out-of-my-element

That evening my bus left for Amsterdam, but I wasn’t on it. I thought 21:00 meant 10pm - it does not. It means 9pm. Zlatina thankfully let me stay until the next bus left at midnight.

It was shame I lost the money for the first bus ticket, but luckily I didn’t loose too much time.

Sunday, February 24

My bus arrived at 11am at Amsterdam Sloterjik, a bus station out of down. I opted to walk the one hour into the city instead of taking the public transport, partly because of money and partly because the walk was along a garden. It was lovely.

When I arrived in the city I went directly to the Anne Frank house, because I had booked a ticket a month in advance. (Very unusual for me! But this museum was really important to me.) I was able to personally explore the annexe where the Frank family and friends hid for over two years during Nazi occupation. The tour allowed me to climb behind the hinged bookcase, view photographs and posters that Anne had pasted over her bedroom walls, pencil marks where Anne’s mother had recorded her daughters’ height, and see the original diary. Highly recommend!

Still recovering from my sickness, I bought oranges and stroopwaffels at a grocery store and went to bed early.

Monday, February 25

I woke up at sunrise to explore the city, and after a walk around the canals I sat in the hostel lobby to use the WiFi without waking my roommates.

Unfortunately, I forgot my wallet when I stood up, and experienced a minor crisis when I couldn’t find it. The wallet had been found by the front desk, but not before about $100 had been stolen. It felt like a punch in the gut after spending so much time cutting corners with money. Obviously a disappointing way to start the day, but I didn’t want it to ruin my day - at least it wasn’t more money, at least I still had my cards, and better me than the Ukrainians. I just needed to be more careful - people were not as honest here.

At noon I met my friend Maarten at Amsterdam Centraal. He and I had met in Brasov, Romania six months prior, and today was inviting me to stay in his family home. We took the public bus to his village of Schermerhorn, and used bikes to see a nearby windmill. Schermerhorn had historically been a lake and was located below sea level, but the windmills were used to drain the lake and create for farmland and neighborhoods.

By car Maarten then took me to Alkmaar and Egmond, two sweet Dutch towns nearby. They were very walkable, with traditionally styled buildings and excellent candy stores. (The chocolate was delicious, the traditional lollipop was NOT.)

Next we drove to the beach, where I touched the North Sea for the first time! I never thought to associate The Netherlands and the beach, so I was so surprised to see such a beautiful stretch of sand right along the sea.

That evening I met Maarten’s wonderful family, and his mother Daniela made Dutch meatballs for dinner. We talked about Dutch culture, world travel, and our careers.

That Maarten, his sister Naomi, and I played Wii Mario Kart. The perfect day.

Tuesday, February 26

Today I woke up more well rested than I had been in months - a REAL BED! What a treat. I ate a ham and cheese toastie with a bowl of sweet Dutch yogurt that tasted like vanilla pudding, chatting with Maarten’s parents and Naomi after he had left for school.

Soon after, Bruno drove me to the city of Hoorn, which was a village with a small harbor a short drive from Schermerhorn. He explained that Dutch buildings lean forward not on accident, but because taxes were based on the square feet of the ground they used. By leaning the building forward, you could accumulate tax-free space.

After saying goodbye to Bruno, I took a train to Haarlem. I was advised to visit here because I loved exploring the beautiful streets of Amsterdam, but didn’t need the party culture.

Haarlem turned out to be a sort of boutique town, with locals cruising in bicycles and enjoying brunch at cafes. There was a maze of cute streets to explore, which I loved, and large scenic canals in the center of the town. A wonderful recommendation!