Notions Of Change

Haarlem

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My uncle came once again to pick me up, but this time we traveled together to the city of Haarlem. There was a fine mist or haze permeating the Dutch landscape, which gave the distant windmills an almost mystical appearance.

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Uncle Jean wanted to show me the heart of old Haarlem, which is apparently considered a miniature version of Amsterdam. We made our way on foot from his apartment to the historic areas. I really feel the best way to get to know a city is by walking around as much as possible, and Haarlem confirmed that yet again. Continue Reading

Leiden

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My uncle and one of my sisters welcomed me to the Netherlands when I flew in from Iceland. It was great to see familiar, friendly faces! Together we went to a beachside café and had an excellent meal while gazing at the North Sea. Just the sight of waves (these ones not as icy) was calming and refreshing after a relatively short flight.

Afterwards my uncle dropped me off at my cousin’s place in Oegstgeest, a residential area filled with charming homes, some of which used to be farmhouses. Apparently, the builders of this area modeled the layout after a tree trunk and branches, and you certainly notice this when traveling along the meandering streets that seem to flow into each other and away without a clear pattern.

I started working remotely again the day after I arrived and spent a good number of hours just catching up. Afterwards, with excellent instructions from my lovely cousin’s husband, I took the bus to nearby Leiden to visit the old section of the city. (Dutch transportation is great, but you pay for distance rather than for a ride, so you use a transit card to “check in” and “check out.” And you don’t want to forget to scan your card when you get off!)

Leiden
Leiden

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Iceland, Day 3

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Woke up this morning to dark gray skies, which made the now familiar landscape look new again. Jón made an amazing breakfast for all of the B&Bers, mostly with either ingredients he and his wife grew/raised or from other local farmers. Homemade bread, smoked lamb (delicious…and I don’t even like lamb) and other meats, scrambled eggs, smoked fish, jams, vegetables, fruit, coffee, yogurt, and skyr (Icelandic dairy product). It was so good! We all sat at the table and tried to fuel up on caffeine so that we would feel somewhat conscious and be able to continue sightseeing. It was a contented tired after a late night gazing at aurora borealis and talking.

Jón and I discussed the weather report and it became more and more clear that it was NOT a wise choice to continue traveling east to the glacial lagoon with a big storm coming, especially because my flight is tomorrow in the early morning. It was definitely disappointing but experiencing two of three (aurora borealis, black sand beaches, Jökulsárlón) must-sees is pretty good in a country that the weather changes moment to moment.Continue Reading

Iceland, Day 2

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No Hallgrimskirkja interior this morning. I suspected there might be mass and…there was. Ah well.

Today looked like the weather would not cooperate with the travel plans, but it did! Here are some impressions of the experience of driving southeast on the 1:

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Iceland, Day 1

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The flight to Iceland was awesome. Iceland Air gives their clients all the little touches that put them miles ahead of other competing airlines: free wifi, movies, music, travel documentaries, several complimentary non-alcoholic drinks, blankets and pillows, footrests, extra legroom, and aurora borealis led panels gently lighting the plane’s interior. Their airport is equally well thought out. The car rental process was relatively painless. All good. Now what to do at 6AM?

Sunrise in Iceland
Sunrise in Iceland

Even though most of the passengers, including myself, hadn’t slept much during the flight, I thought it would be great to soak away the pains of too long a time in one position. Off to the Blue Lagoon it was! Driving in a unfamiliar country can be a little intimidating at first, especially as you learn what the different traffic signs mean and acclimate to kilometers per hour versus miles per hour. Even with studded tires, four wheel drive, and cautious driving, I nearly slid off the road at one point. Black ice—definitely not fun stuff.Continue Reading

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