Reflecting On: Holland and France

It's time for my second installment of my "Reflecting On" series.  I've decided to answer some of the questions in two parts - one for each country.  Here we go!

What did I love the most about Holland?  France?

Holland:  Mike and I were constantly mistaken for locals, which was super flattering!  Being tall and fair was probably part of it, but it was nice to know that we didn't stick out like sore thumbs.

France: Probably seeing all my friends, but also being able to speak French without people immediately switching into English.  Last time I was there, I had a heavy accent (thank you, Russia) and anytime I began to speak in French, store clerks would switch into English.  I felt like my language skills had greatly improved and it made me more confident.

What did I not love?

There were three things that I did not love so much.  First was the Euro exchange rate ($1 = 1€30).  It made my wallet (and me) want to cry.  The worst part about the Euro, in my opinion, is that you walk into a cafe and see that a cafe noisette (my new favorite thing) is 5€.  That's not bad in my head because I drop to Euro sign and put a dollar sign in its place.  Oh - $5 for coffee?  Not horrible in Paris.  So I order it and enjoy my little slice of caffeinated heaven. Then I do the conversion in my head and realize that I just spent roughly $7 on a cup of joe!  Gets me every. single. time.  The joys of the two currencies being just off enough to kind of screw you when you think something doesn't cost all that much. 

Speaking of the Euro, holy moly are cabs expensive.  We had to take a cab to the airport in Lyon because we needed to be there before the tram opened, and our 25 minute ride was about 75€!  Not cool.    

The third, and final, thing that I wasn't crazy about were the bikes in Amsterdam.  I know, I know - they're such an iconic part of the city but I didn't like them.  Mainly because they are terrifying due to the fact that they are silent and fast.  Between that and me being extremely jet lagged and therefore not totally aware of my surroundings, Mike had to pull me out of the street a few times because I almost became bike road kill.  Of course, I finally got used to them on our last full day there.  And I'm sure I'd adapt to them being around if I was in Amsterdam for an extended period of time, but good grief.

If I had to change one thing about the trip, what would I have changed?

Holland: Getting more out of our days.  I mentioned a few times that we slept in because of the jet lag, which meant that we didn't have as much time to go exploring.  While I'm happy with what I saw, I wish we could have gotten to see some other sites, like the Heineken brewery.

France: I would have really liked to have spent an extra day in Paris, but given the timing of everything, I don't think it would have worked.  Leaving on Easter was great because everything in France (and the majority of Europe for that matter) is closed that Sunday, and in France, they have Monday off as well.

Would I ever go back?

Holland: Yes.  I would very much like to go back and see some of the bigger attractions that we missed.

France: Duh.

Final Thoughts

We had a really great time, but it felt as though it was go, go, go.  I would liked to have had a day of rest, but like I said above, I don't think it would have worked out because of the timing of everything.

During this trip, we used Airbnb for our stays in Amsterdam and Paris.  I'm glad we decided to give it a try in another country.  Mike was nervous about doing that, especially in Holland since neither one of us speaks Dutch, but we didn't have any issues.  And even though we didn't have phones, it worked out really well and I'm sure we will be doing it again.  

My final (and most random) thought from this trip was that no one knocks on the bathroom doors in Europe!  I found it kind of rude, but that's just a cultural difference I guess.

Adding a pin to the map

For those of you who have been over to our apartment, you have probably seen the large map we have hanging over our bench (or in DC, hanging over Mike's computer) that has pins in that signify where we have been.  Purple pins are for me, green is for Mike, and yellow is for places that we both have been, either together or separately.  We put this together ourselves, and if you are interested in creating one of your own, contact me and I'll be happy to show you the resources that we used.  

After every trip, we update our map with new pins.  So without further ado, adding new pins to the map:

Until next time!

Reflecting on: South Africa

One morning after we got home, I woke up at 4 o'clock due to jet lag and while trying to fall back asleep, I came up with an idea for a new series of posts: Reflecting On.  I decided that I would publish these posts about a week after I return from a trip.  In my opinion, a week is enough time for me to reflect on my latest adventure and to put my thoughts down into words.  So here we are on my first installment.

What did I love the most about South Africa?
I loved so many things and could talk about each aspect for days, but if I had to pick one I'd go with the people.  Just about everyone we met was incredibly friendly and nice.  Of course, there are going to be some jerks (I'm looking at you slightly racist woman on the plane to Jo-burg) but I just ignore them.  Can't judge everyone based on one bad apple, right?  South Africans love to laugh and tell jokes, which immediately makes you feel as though you've been friends for years.  For me, it was a very welcoming environment.

What did I not love?
The threat of malaria.  Before you start to jump down my throat by saying things like "Well, duh! You went to Africa," I did realize this is something we were going to have to be aware of while in Kruger and KwaZulu Natal.  But we really wanted to go to these places, so taking some malaria medication didn't seem like that big of a deal.  I know that doing your best to stay healthy while exploring new places is part of traveling, and I'm fine with that.  But at the same time, it doesn't make remembering to take our pills and worry about flu like symptoms for the next year any less annoying.

If I had to change one thing about the trip, what would I have changed?
Hands down it would have been spending more time in Cape Town.  Our first "day" we arrived late at night, our second day we went shark diving which ate up a lot of our time, so we really only had day three to explore before we left.  While we did see all the major sites, I would have liked to walk around the city to get a better feel for it.

Would I ever go back?
Absolutely.  Mike and I are already talking about going back in three or four years.  The plan is still incredibly rough, but it would include spending an extended period of time in Cape Town.

Final thoughts
You know it's a good trip when a week later, the thought of spending 24 hours on a plane doesn't bother you.  This was, hands down, the best trip I have ever been on.  When I said that I didn't want to leave, I really wasn't kidding.  I can easily see myself living there, becoming a local, and really enjoying life.  I know I'm painting a super rosy picture and am quite sure that if I stayed there long enough, I would find things that annoy me.  But I have come away from this trip feeling completely euphoric, and that is a feeling I would not trade for anything.

Until my next adventure!