Update

Due to the fact that I am way behind schedule in my blogging, many of the future posts will consist of main highlights. I will still do my best to relay the story and show pictures, but I am going to have to cut down on the details.

I found out that I will for sure be moving back to America at the end of June. I will be working in US Operations, which is similar to my time in Colorado. I still do not yet know for sure where I will be going but the options on the table are: Louisiana; Rifle, Colorado; Odessa, Texas; North Dakota; California (possibly). I am waiting to talk to managers to find out where the greatest need is and then I'll be headed that way after a short visit home. At least I'll be in one location for awhile and can plan a bit!

Stockholm

After jumping on the train in Malmö and traveling through the beautiful Swedish country side that alternated between evergreen trees, lakes, and cute cabin/houses I arrived in Stockholm. My 2nd cousin Melanie met me took me to one of her favorite restaurants for a late dinner. Since I had family in the area, I figured I better take advantage of them while and I could and her and her husband were nice enough to let me stay with them. They have a wonderful place out on an island outside of the city. The island has about 20,000 people total so it is quaint, but large enough. Melanie’s husband also plays in a semi professional soccer league and they had a big game on Saturday with their local rivals. Melanie and I went first to Drottningholm Palace where the royal family lives and took a tour of the beautiful estate. Since they still live there, only a small portion of the palace is open for tours but you may wonder the grounds at will. We got lucky and had great weather so there were people laying out all over with feet in the fountains and boats on the water. There was a yacht pulled up to the dock by the palace so I would guess it belongs to the royal family, but I didn’t stop to ask anyone.

After the palace tour we went to the soccer game where her husband’s team ended up winning. Everyone was in a great mood after that which always makes things more enjoyable. Saturday evening we headed into the city for a walk around Stockholm then eventually dinner at an American favorite, TGIF. On our way though, we...well, more I, saw a beautiful sight. It was a tall, muscular Swedish man lifting heavy building materials at a construction site. He had longish blond hair and was wearing a tank top with perfect jeans and boots. He had the look down. Luckily we got seated outdoors in eye shot of this beautiful creature working. Melanie and her husband had a great laugh over my entertainment with, what we call, “the sexy Swedish Viking man.” After dinner we went out and experienced a bit of the Stockholm night life and had a lot of fun. Those Swedes know how to get down and sing those 80’s songs!

My flight left late Sunday evening so Melanie and I took an enjoyable and slow Sunday. We had some great discussions about politics, history, family, and business. It was also neat because Melanie gave me a run down on the other side (my dad’s side) of my family that I don’t know as much about. We headed into town to do a bit more sightseeing but all we ended up doing was hanging out at the train station drinking wine and having a muffin. The conversation was just too good to pass up and it is always very enjoyable to have an intelligent conversation with friends.

I fly quite a bit, especially with the way my life has been going. I never get lucky. On the flight home I got seated in the exit row AND next to a tall, cute, Dutch banker who was 32. I had more intellectual conversation over politics, history, and books. I felt like I hit the male jackpot over the weekend.

In the city. Stockholm is basically made up of a bunch of small natural and man made islands connected by bridges. Don't fall in!

Melanie and her husband

The view from Melanie's porch. Since we had such great weather, we ate breakfast out here. When they moved in, they had a view clear out to the water. Those pesky neighbors!

Stockholm and the wonderful weather we had

The Royal palace in Stockholm

Malmö

Friday morning I enjoyed sleeping in, again, and didn’t get a very early start. Due to this late start I wasn’t able to go and see any more sights in Copenhagen. There were a few things that I would have liked to have seen but I guess I’ll have to see them next time. When I got to the train station, I had to stand in a line that did not move for my train ticket. I watch all the other lines around me moving quickly and by the time I got the courage to switch lines, that line would have gotten a new influx of other impatient travelers. Usually, whenever I switch lines it seems that one gets stuck for some reason and then my old line moves rapidly. I decided to be patient as I wasn’t technically in a hurry. I bought my train ticket to Malmö from Copenhagen which goes over the Øresund bridge which is the first non water (ferry) connection between Sweden and Denmark. The bridge started construction in 1995 and was finished in 1999 3 months ahead of schedule even though they ran into a few setbacks (finding unexploded WWII bombs on the sea floor and a skewed tunnel segment). You can check out more information on the bridge and see aerial photos of it HERE.

My guide book told me (again) to start with a canal tour and since this one left right across from the train station, that is exactly what I did after stashing my bag in a locker. I am getting pretty good at that now but I did have a few mishaps and lost about $5 due to the machine being mean. I headed over and bought my ticket for the boat but I had about a 20 min wait since I just missed the last one. I walked into the city square and took some pictures and grabbed a warm chi tea because it was FREEZING out. I then headed back to the boat dock and started bundling up and wrapping my scarf for maximum warmth since I knew it was only going to get colder being on the water. The water cruise was a bit over an hour long and like Copenhagen; their harbor area is becoming quite inhabited and new modern housing buildings are being built left and right. Malmö also has a few luxurious gardens, one of which is the King’s Garden that I strolled through. It was a quick few hours there but very enjoyable.

A fountain and pretty flowers in the King's Garden

Cute little houses

These ducks almost attacked me. I reas ready to start kicking but luckily they flew off before things got dirty.

They put cats and fountains on the stairs so that people feel less lonely sitting on them enjoying the river

I had to include a Swedish viking ship

Copenhagen

Well, last Wednesday evening I flew out of Schipol direction Copenhagen for my first trip alone. I have travelled alone but I have always had somebody waiting for me on the other end. This time, I was all on my own. I didn’t arrive in Copenhagen till around 11 pm and I caught the train ticket agent just before they closed. I got situated and hopped on the right train and headed into town. Thinking back, I’m surprised how easy it was. I guess once you figure out these European systems, the rest goes pretty smoothly. I forgot my papers with the map to my hotel but I have a visual of it in my head and I start walking off in the direction I see hordes of drunken teenagers walking. I figured that would be a good sign of the direction of city center, or at least a bar. Thursday, May 13th, was Ascension Day which is a pretty big holiday across Europe I guess everyone was making the most of their day off. My hotel was super easy to find, right on the main square in downtown Copenhagen. I was going to go for a hostel, but I chickened out and after seeing how everyone was partying, I am sort of glad I was able to seclude myself from the masses.

I had big plans for Thursday but really nothing planned. I just wanted to go out and see the city. Well, my plans got delayed a bit by my love for sleep so I took advantage of the free time and slept in. I then enjoyed a not-cheap breakfast and headed out into the city. The book said to take the canal tour first to get situated with the city but I decided to stop by the royal area first. The 3rd major palace is located in the area as well as a few royal museums. Since it was a holiday, most things were closed. I didn’t think about that one. However, in the palace you can go down into the cellar/basement area and see the foundation remains from the 2 previous palaces that were built in the exact same spot. It seems that history repeats itself, though, because they both burnt down due to stove pipes not being cleaned properly and catching on fire.

My guide book recommended a few cafés to take a break at while following their recommended walking tour. I figured, if the book says so, it must be good. It was. I took a break at Cap Horn one of Copenhagen’s first organic restaurants. It is located by the old harbor, Nyhavn, with outdoor seating over looking the water and boats. One of the Danish staples is Smørrebrød and they had a wide variety of them. It means bread and butter which it is usually a piece or dense rye bread with butter and topped with fish or meats. I went for pickled herring, salmon, and roast beef. I had to eat herring once while I was in the area and it was quite delicious. They all were in fact. Since I enjoyed my lunch for 2 hours I ended up taking a late boat tour that was only supposed to last an hour but ended up going for about 1.5 hours. This isn’t usually a big deal but it made me late enough that I wasn’t able to go into anything else because everything was closed. I enjoyed the tour, though, and learned a lot about the city and its history. In the evening, I made my way back to the hotel slowly enjoying the city and an ice cream on the way. For dinner my book recommended visiting Tivoli gardens and a restaurant located in there.

Tivoli gardens are basically a large, classy theme park. They have rides, roller coasters, performing theaters, games, and a wide variety of food establishments ranging from vendor carts to gourmet restaurants. The nice part about going North is that spring is just now arriving and their tulips are just starting to bloom. I loved being surrounded by flowers…again so I had to take plenty of pictures. I decided not to go with the guide book and go with the happening resteraunt which is usually a good sign according to “Restaurant Roulette” and this time it didn’t disappoint. I read my book while having a peaceful dinner glancing up at families with running, screaming kids and thankful I didn’t have to worry about those yet. After dinner I walked through the park and even treated myself to a small Candy Floss (cotton candy) because I hadn’t had any in YEARS and I figured I was in the right place for it. I also remember why I probably won’t have any again for another several years. The sticky fingers just aren’t worth it! I have included more than enough pictures and I hope they aren’t boring. Tomorrow, my trip to Sweden!!

This is the town hall with a world clock inside that has 14,000 moving parts displayed between a double sided glass case. It was closed though, so I didn't witness it.

The 3rd of the Copenghagen palaces, of which the ruins from the first 2 are located underneath it

The royal library

Nyhavn

Nyhavn

This is the only picture I have of me in Copenhagen (the downside to travelling alone) so I thought I would include it as proof. I feel like it makes me look old and displays my future crows feet. I need to invest in some of that anti wrinkle cream!

The old harbor was historically industrial and the city is trying to make it into the new, hip area. Many modern buildings are being built, including this one, the new theater.

This used to be the largest ship building factory in Denmark. Now, it is modern apartments

These used to be cannon boat houses. Since the slope towards the water, the cannons could easily be rolled out onto boats and ships quickly if needed. Now, they are offices, meeting rooms and apartments.

Amalienborg, the queen's residence. I think the name correlation means something

The inside area of palace area

A building in Tivoli park. During my visit there, I got to watch a pantomime performance about arranged marriages and giving your first born child to the devil. Quite interesting

Couldn't skip the flowers

The roller coaster and chinese house in Tivoli. Also, bumper boats. They didn't look like much fun since one could probably row faster than they moved.

More pretty flowers :)

The main characters from the most famous Danish author, Hans Christian Anderson. I even bought one of his books there containing his 14 most famous stories including the Little Mermaid, the Ugly Duckling, and The Emporer's New Clothes. I didn't get to see the little mermaid sitting on the habor shores because she was in China at the Danish World Expo exhibit. I am still a bit dissapointed

Joe & The Juice have the right idea. I don't know if you can read, but some of the juices have interesting names. One way to sell your product!

I definitely couldn't miss taking a picture of a pink tulip!!

Is It a Sign?

So, last weekend was the big wedding weekend. Doris’ cousin Heidi married a wonderful man from Guatemala, Mexico. If there are two cultures who know how to throw a great party it is the Mexicans and the Germans. We weren’t disappointed. Well, maybe when the band stopped playing at 1:30. His close family was able to attend but that was all. His mother was so pretty and done up. She wore a gorgeous pink dress and cute little peep toe silver pumps. Very proper but very festive.

They had a catholic ceremony in a small town near Munich. I saw next to Doris’ cousin, Uwe, and he is a ton of fun. We all had a great time at the wedding, making small jokes, and listening to the mariachi band play. They were so wonderful and they sounded so great in the church. It was just the perfect touch to the wedding to have them. Here is a picture of Doris and I with the band. The day was a bit windy…..

The reception started with an abundance of cake. It is tradition that all of the cousins and aunts bring a cake. Let’s say there are 21 cousins plus aunts to go with them so there is always a TON of amazing food. The cake time leads into coffee and then the dancing began. Oh, and the drinking. There was great beer, homemade schnapps, and tequila. The Mexican heritage had to be represented also!! The party got started right by Miguel’s parents dancing to a traditional Mexican song played by the mariachi band.

Part of their traditional weddings (and it is more of the Romanian/German heritage than current day German traditions) involve many games. One of which is kidnapping the bride and the groom must go and find her. At the last wedding I went to during my exchange year we went a bar and he had to try to figure out which one we were at. Every time he went to the wrong location, he had to do something, like put his shoes on the wrong feet, roll up his pant legs, or wear a wig. This time, since it was such a small town, we went out to the patio where they had sangria waiting for us. Miguel eventually showed up wearing a dress, wig, and breasts. It was quite the site! They made him do certain tasks to get her back, such as saying 5 words to describe the bride with a mouth full of wine, or finding a ring in a bowl of flower. He eventually got her back then everyone else got to play in the games as well. I got called up for a game where you have to take either a tennis ball or a ping pong ball and fish it up one pant leg of a unsuspecting guy and down the other. I lost, horrible. I also lost my ball. Everyone was laughing at me. I have no idea who this guy was since he was wearing a Rastafarian wig. Did I mention how great a comforter sangria makes when 10 tables of people are laughing at you?

After the games ended and we headed inside it was time for dinner. They had a great spread of food. I have no idea what all they served but everyone’s plate had something different. It was amazing! There was also more cake and even later, they brought out plates of ice cream with crepes. The ice cream was so delicious! They were big slabs of all different flavors. Caramel, hazelnut, chocolate, vanilla. I couldn’t pass on a taste test of those either. After dinner we all changed into clothes a bit more comfortable for dancing. Here I am with Rosi (Doris’ cousin) and Doris after the costume change.

The dancing was great. The band played great songs, but their sets weren’t very long and they had really long breaks. At the beginning this was ok because the mariachi band in between, but after they left it let the mood die down. We weren’t very happy with that. All of the younger cousins had planned a game for everyone. The audience participation wasn’t very good but that probably had something to do with alcohol consumption and the noise. But the King and Queen were on a chariot lead by a driver and 2 horses. There was a story that went a long with it and every time someone’s “position” was said, such as “the driver” he had to run around his chair. Everyone had a roll and it was a lot of fun. I really like how they all play games and have so much interaction. As it got later, it was time to throw the bouquet of flowers. There were plenty of single ladies there so the competition was tough but I’m not one to back down from a challenge. I’m not exactly in a rush to get married, but I really don’t like to lose so the result….

I caught the flowers. Woo Hoo! I also caught them at the last wedding I was at and that I’m still nowhere near close to being married. Doris said since these are German flowers it now leaves me the opportunity for a German man.

On Sunday we all woke up decently early and had breakfast down in the parents kitchen. It was fun seeing everyone the next morning and some people were definitely in better shape than others! Shortly thereafter we said our good byes and headed home. My flight left at 3:30 so we had to get back. Doris’ mom made an amazing lunch then Doris and I headed off to the airport. I go to check in only to learn my flight has been cancelled. I am supposed to go through Munich which was apparently close shortly before we arrived due to this annoying ash cloud. I got lucky and caught the KLM direct flight back to Amsterdam. I only arrived an hour later than scheduled and got to spend a few extra hours with Doris’ family and see her brother and future sister in law. I am still recovering and due to all of the partying I have come down with a cold.

I will not let this cold stop me though, because tomorrow I fly out to Copenhagen for my first solo trip ever. I will then travel to Stockholm and meet up with my cousin, then fly back to Amsterdam on Sunday. Therefore, I will not be able to blog the rest of the week but expect some great stories and pictures next week. I will also try to get a few more pictures of the wedding from Doris. Have a great week and pray the winds keep the ash cloud away!!

Bevrijdingspop

At the concert in Haarlem they had quite the lineup. It started on May 4th evening with an orchestra concert after 2 minutes of silence observed at 8 pm. On May 5th, the party really started. Live bands started on 2 stages at noon and continued until midnight. Between the two stages, set up at the local park, there were tents of food, drinks, games, clubs and everything else in between. They even had a little tent playing house (techno) music. I didn’t stop there, or at any of the other tents besides the drink tent. Nobody from work prepared me that you had to buy token/tickets to get drinks and food with so as I was almost to the front of the drink line I noticed everyone had these white things in their hands so I figured I better ask. I had to leave the line and go to the change machine to get them. It was a bit odd too, because 1 ticket was 2.30 Euro. You would think they could have made it an even number but they didn’t. All of the lines were long, but at least the ticket thing was efficient and nobody had to mess with change so they went fast. You did have to pay for the bathrooms though. 50 cents a turn or 2 Euro for an “all access” pass. I sprung for the pass to avoid the hassle each time. I also made sure to go at least 4 times so I got my monies worth. They were only porta potties but they were cleaned several times which made them a lot easier to manage.

They had a great line up of bands and I drifted from stage to stage. There were several that were really good and I had a ton of fun. The upside to hanging out by yourself, you can navigate crowds very easily and squeeze into openings and work your way forward. By the time one of the biggest acts was on, Ed Kowalczyk (of Live), I was front row. I had a great time and my arms were even sore from dancing and jumping around. I left early and checked out the other stage before returning to my apartment around 11. I was still pretty wound up so I rented a movie via Itunes and watched “Men Who Stare at Goats.” Now, if its on, I guess you can watch it but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it. What I did learn though, is that part of it was filmed at NMMI. I found that pretty entertaining.

I also forgot any picture taking devices on my concert excursions, so I apologize for not being able to show you what it was like. You can check the web site out HERE though and get a sense for it. It is all in Dutch, but you get the idea.

My Apologies

These next few weeks are going to be pretty hectic for me. I know my blog posting hasn't been very regular, or dependable, but I have a good excuse. I promise. I will continue to keep you all up to date as much as possible but in the mean time, I am developing great blogging material. I won't let you down!!

As a brief update on my work situation and where I'll be going afterwards....I still have no idea. I have a flight booked home on July 1 but I don't know any more than that. If I find anything out, I will be sure to let you know!!!

Bloemendagen

Limmen has their “Flower days” where a few of the locals make mosaics out of Hyacinths and display them in their front yard where locals from the neighboring town of Castricum come and judge them. It is definitely a thing that riding a bike would make more fun and enjoyable but considering I am bikeless I wasn’t going to let that stop me. They have an 8km route set up but I only went on a portion of it. Most of it is car accessible but I did get out and walk just for the sake of the experience. It is amazing what they make out of flower petals!! Limmen was also a cute little village. There is practically nothing to it in the sense of things going on but there were some gorgeous and very large houses. What surprised me most about some of these very large houses, they were quite American looking because they were sprawled out instead of built upwards. Maybe that is what made them look so magnificent. I also think it is neat how the whole city gets out and makes everything festive for this event. On many of the roads all of the houses had a similar theme. Like one of the roads had little plants displayed every so cleverly next to tulips inside a bottle of water tied to a wheel like display that was attached to a light post. I should have gotten a picture to make this clearer, but I wasn’t thinking. Another street all had Mary Poppins silhouettes painted in different colors with a variety of flowers attached to them displayed on all of the street lights.

A happy elephant

This one made me laugh. It's Iceland....and it says "bankrupt"

They mean serious business with their flowers!

So, as you can see, the people of Limmen are high skilled and bring a bit of creativity and festivity to their little village.

Liberation Day

Yesterday, May 5th, was Liberation day or, as the Dutch say, Bevrijdingspop. It is celebrated once every 5 years and I’m not totally sure why but I was told because they were in habited for 5 years by the Nazis. Wikipedia says they celebrate every year with a 2 minute silent memorial every year on May 4th for those who have died in war but I know they only get off work once every 5 years. I got lucky. So, it is a big deal and another reason for the Dutch to party so that’s what goes on. In Haarlem they have the biggest celebration in the whole country. It turns out; it all took place in the park across the street from my apartment.

I had a lot to do/see since we got the day of work and I had to go see the flowers again before they are out of season. I decided to start my Liberation day with flowers. As you can probably tell, this day will be stretched into multiple postings. First, you get happy flowers. I went to Keukenhof again. I just love that place! It closes May 18th and I’ve got a lot of plans between now and then so I wasn’t sure if I would be able to make it over there again or not. I had to see St. Basil’s cathedral in bloom since I had seen it at all of the other phases. It was beautiful and I’m glad I went. Maybe I’ll try to get there one more time before they close. I forgot my camera so I had to take pictures with my phone. Most of them turned out pretty well considering the circumstances, but some of the pinks look like purple. I’m not a fan of purple flowers, nor do I see them a lot. So picture them a vibrant pink and it is more accurate. Enjoy the happy flower pictures!!

St. Basil's Cathedral in bloom...finally!

Småland

Today was a rough day. Nothing major happened, it was just long. The fact that it’s been raining the past 2 days probably doesn’t help much either. I guess that’s why everything is green and pretty, but I still don’t like the grey drizzle. I went to yoga again tonight. It was pretty intense. I really enjoy it though. It is fun going to an actual studio because she has all these “contraptions” that help. Like a little stand that mostly balances you to do a head stand. That was fun; I hadn’t done one in years!

I walked into the warehouse the other day and there is a page from a magazine torn out and put up on the magnet board. I didn’t notice it until my boss brought it up. He kept saying “Amalia wil graag worden opgehaald uit Småland.” Now, I have no idea what that means, and my one possible Swedish reader would understand “Småland.” That doesn’t leave much hope for the rest of us. Well, after a confusion round of “Whats” and repeats, I figured out “Småland” is basically IKEA’s day care area and Amalia wants picked up from there. I had to admit, after I figured out what it meant, it is kind of funny. So now, every time I’m in the warehouse they ask me how I’m liking Småland and if I’m sure I want to leave. They do spell the name differently, but it seems to be that most languages pronounce my name that way. I’ve gotten used to it.

I apologize this is a short one, but it is late and the morning will come too fast. I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!

Long Live the Queen!!

I consider my first Queen’s day a success. I survived Queen’s night and had a blast. It was my first time to ever be going out alone and it wasn’t that bad. I don’t know if I’ll make a habit of it, but it proves that I can do it and I won’t die. I ended up staying out till about 4 am and I wore heels. I haven’t worn heels in months so it was a bit of a shock on my feet. My poor feet are still recovering and they are tender to walk on. I remember why I stopped wearing heels and found most reasons not to wear them. I also made a friend and she offered to take me out to the tulip fields for pictures. She is a photographer so we will have to see how this develops!

On Friday, Queen’s day, I was supposed to meet some friends in Amsterdam at Museumplein and listen to their great line up of live music. Well, due to my late night on Thursday I wasn’t exactly up bright and early. By the time I did get going, around 3 in the afternoon, the celebration was in full swing. I made my way to the train station taking in all the crazyness around me. I bought my ticket and only after I spent the 7 Euros I figure out that the Amsterdam train station is closed because people are walking on the tracks. The only bright side of this situation is that I got stranded on the side where I live. I find out later that my friends/coworkers who made it to Amsterdam had to walk 1.5 hrs before they found an a way to get back home. So after the train station was a bust (it was also surrounded by police which made me slightly nervous) I decided to wonder my way back to the Grote Markt. There were people everywhere!! It was wild! On every street, around every corner was a DJ set up and people dancing. Some areas were a little more “Dutch” than others…as in living up to Dutch stereotypes…and others were more laid back. There was a live 80’s cover band playing outside of one of the local bars here and that was a fun. They were very lively and had several costume changes. The downside, it was also terribly popular and one could hardly walk through the crowd. I’m not a big fan of huge crowds so it was almost claustrophobic.

I alternated between a few areas, doing laps and checking out the crowds and people watching. Everyone is decked out in orange. It alternated between full entire orange outfits or orange accessories. I saw several people with cute little orange crowns and I wanted to find myself one, but never did. I guess I will just have to come back! I also decided that Tabatha, Karla, and I might have to come a back one year and call it our birthday/after tax season trip. I think it would be a perfect occasion to celebrate with the queen. We’ll also have to be sure to get to Amsterdam before everything closes up!

I ventured out into the town on Saturday and it looked like nothing had happened. I was amazed. On Friday the streets were trashed!! Everyone served beer in plastic cups so they were blowing around all over. The streets were also lined with people selling all of their old junk for cheap prices. I didn’t go shopping but I’m sure you could find some great things if you were looking. On Saturday, though, it looked amazing and clean. They must have some amazing street cleaners. I will admire that about Europe, their streets are clean.

So that is a recap of my first Queen’s day ever. I survived, and plan on doing it at least one more time in my life! It was too fun to not take advantage of it again.