English by https://padlet.com/ghireandaria/English Made with an aura of mystery en-us 2020-12-16 05:57:26 UTC 2023-09-25 21:33:27 UTC hello@padlet.com About my journey to The Netherlands ghireandaria https://padlet.com/ghireandaria/English/wish/2388225129 It was my second time visiting the Netherlands, this time with my parents, my brother and his girlfriend. We spend there three days, a weekend to be more exact. 
My parents and I took the plane from the Cluj-Napoca airport Friday morning and flew to Eindhoven to meet my brother there. In the airplane, my seat was next to a dutch businessman's who was very talkative. We started talking about his stay in Romania and what are both of us going to do in Holland. We exchanged culture shocks, recommendations, and funny memories from our trips to each other's countries. He was very polite and I appreciated his food and tourist attraction suggestions. Although I have read about it, I didn't believe it, this businessman confirmed that dutch people, especially children, enjoy and consume quite frequently something called "Hagelslag", warm buttery toast with chocolate sprinkles on top. It was an interesting interaction and I learnt more about dutch culture.
We wandered through the cold streets of Eindhoven for some time that morning and served breakfast at a café. It was sunny but almost frosty, and the city was quiet, only after we ate, people opened all the shops and you could see people starting their day.
We visited the center of the city and some landmarks, then we went to check in at our hotel. We spent the evening together, grocery shopping and catching up with each other. 
Our Saturday morning started with maturated cheese, buttered croissants and coffee with Chocomel. I found it very interesting how everything was significantly superior in quality there compared to Romania, but it is costly too. I think you can find out many things by looking at what products you find on one nation's shelves. As I was slouching through all kinds of boxes and bags, I noticed that many foods are portion-sized and individually packed and precooked or semi-processed. Also, I did not see showcases, in the grocery stores that I visited, where you could buy meat or cheese in bulk, where store employees can cut slices of ham for you from a bigger piece. Although, you can find those services all over town when it's a market day or at mobile caravans that sell meat, cheese or fish.
After we finished our breakfast, we started our trip through the Netherlands. My brother drove us in a rented car 
and our first stop was in Kinderdijk, a UNESCO world heritage site, full of old dutch windmills. What's special about them is that these were not moved from their places and some of them can be visited as museums and without them, the region would have been flooded. It was very sunny and it was very beautiful to be walking there along the water. The village was also very interesting to see, the houses were so superb that I even tripped looking at them. 
Kinderdijk is close to Rotterdam, so after that, we made our way through the huge port city.  It was Saturday, so there was a huge market from where we bought old cheese, fruits and we ate fish and some patat (fries with sauce). We visited the cube houses, the Markthal and the canals. It is a super modern city, a versatile one, with interesting architecture. We had to rush to the Hague to catch the sunset and we drove to the beach to see the sunset and end the day. There we walked on the beach and ate our dinner there. The sunset was incredible and I was so surprised to see a big Ferris wheel and a bungee jumping tower in the sea, it looked very american. I liked visiting these cities, it seemed a bit rushed, but it somehow made sense to be that way, like in a movie. Our Saturday night movie had to end with a two hours ride back home.

This story is continued in the "About my short trip to Belgium"]]> 2022-11-17 13:00:59 UTC https://padlet.com/ghireandaria/English/wish/2388225129 About my short trip to Belgium ghireandaria https://padlet.com/ghireandaria/English/wish/2422422512 The next day we packed for going to Belgium, to be more exact Anvers (Antwerp), and that was my first time visiting Belgium. I had big expectations, I was looking for the same kind of cleanliness and aesthetic, similar to the Netherlands, but I was surprised to see that it was much more different. It was very crowded, the streets were narrow and you could not see much sunlight because of the high buildings. The architecture was interesting, but the newer buildings lacked character and seemed cold, without actual people living in them. Maybe this was because you could not see many decorations or plants in the windows or outside of the houses, there were just meters and meters of curtains. It felt cold and unattractive, unlike in Holland where curtains are not as common as you would think and people decorate their houses, yards and windows. 
The city center of Anvers was how I imagined a typical belgian city from postcards and movies, with the small traditional houses. I was quite surprised that not all old buildings were restored and looked good, unlike in the Netherlands. I enjoyed walking through the city, we visited the city center, the promenade, the main boulevards and the main squares, then we ate at a turkish restaurant. Surprisingly, I was impressed by the central train station, it has stunning architecture and beautifully made details in every corner. When you enter the train station you feel like you are in a Harry Potter movie, it was very exciting to be there, even though it is just a train station constructed in 1905. After discovering it by mistake, I googled it and it is supposed to be the most beautiful train station in the world and a rave festival will also be held there.
Another thing that we discovered by mistake was a funky thrift shop, that sells clothes by the kilogram. It was so different from the kinds of shops that are here in Romania. All the clothes were in a good shape and they were all so interesting and unique. I ended up buying a funky hat and a short wool cape good for autumn and spring weather at a reasonable price. I think that these articles match a part of the atmosphere of the city. Now I feel like I can wear and show the world my memories from that time I spend in Antwerp.
]]> 2022-12-15 23:26:27 UTC https://padlet.com/ghireandaria/English/wish/2422422512 Top things to do in The Netherlands ghireandaria https://padlet.com/ghireandaria/English/wish/2444338310 In this padlet post, I would like to share my favourite spots and activities from The Netherlands. I can't say I have traveled too much in this country, but I can share something useful from my experience.
1. Boat ride in Giethoorn
Giethoorn is a very interesting place to visit in this country and I fully recommend going in the months where it is still good weather outside and the flowers are in bloom. It is a very beautiful village, with many traditional houses, eye-catching gardens, interesting decor and splendid landscapes. I suggest renting a boat (canoe, kayak or small automatic boat) so you can enjoy the canals, the lake and the small island, only accessible this way.  You will be surrounded by ducks, flowers and many tourists, although people live in those houses.
3. Summer in Amsterdam
The perfect time to visit Amsterdam is when it is still warm and sunny outside, so you can enjoy late evenings along the canals and relaxing mornings in the park.
4. Bike riding in Hoge Veluwe National Park
5. Zaanse Schans 
6. Sunset in The Hague
7. Rainy days are perfect for museums

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