Okay okay. I have done what I said I wouldn't do. I've fallen behind on my blog posts. Dun Dun Dun. Bad news is I need to find time to do 5 posts. The good news is I get to look back on all my trips from the past month.
So this was a big trip for me. I know everything is relatively close by in Europe, but we need to remember that relatively word. What I'm getting at is that I spent over 45 hours on buses during this trip. It hurt my soul, but it protected my bank account.
I started my trip (solo travel again for this trip) in Amsterdam. Let me tell ya, that city is so underrated. Endless beautiful canals, art, progressive behavior, and dutch culture.
I wouldn't call Amsterdam the ideal city to travel alone. I would however describe it as a great city to make friends. When I arrived at my hostel, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and ask another solo traveler if she wanted to see the city together. I couldn't be happier with the way our day turned out. We explored the city by day and cruised the canals by night. It was a successful day for a couple of strong independent women.
Day 2 in the Netherlands: My real reason for coming on this trip. How could I visit Europe in the Spring and not see the tulips? I couldn't.
I took a day trip to Keukenhof Gardens and it did not disappoint. So many colors. I loved every minute.
So other than a really delicious meal and a late night walk along the canals waiting for my bus, that was the end of my time in the Netherlands.
Oh wait. Just remembered. So Flixbus does not drop you in the city center of Amsterdam, it drops you quite a bit outside of the city. This station is certainly not the nicest in Europe. I was waiting there for over an hour after midnight, feeling a bit alone, but not terribly scared. Suddenly I turned a corner and there was a rather large, puddle of blood. I'm sorry, what? No thanks. I said goodbye to the station at that point and stood in the cold at the bus stop for the rest of my wait.
Now, onto Bruges.
I visited Bruges for only 30 hours. It was enough time to see everything, but more time could have been nice. I biked through the empty streets in the early morning. Explored the churches in the afternoon. I bought Belgian chocolates for my mom for Mother's Day and for my self because I felt I deserved it. It was calm, charming, very Belgian.
Yet another bus then brought me to Brussels. Brussels was a quite a surprise. It had a really cool, progressive vibe partnered with classic European architecture and history.
Most notable aspects of my time in Brussels:
The general feel of the city. It was a fun, happy feeling walking the streets in this city. Every corner you turned had a different atmosphere.
The Parade. It was some sort of holiday when I was in Belgium. So to celebrate there was going to be a parade. This was not a parade like I was used to. In fact, it was probably one of the most disturbing thing I have ever seen.
Lastly, the waffles. Wow. Game Changer. Waffle House, who??
It was a great trip.
How I am (was) feeling: TIRED wow way too many nights sleeping on buses. Happy. I returned home from another solo trip. Feels good.
What's Next: I got to sleep in my bed for one day and then I was off to Croatia!