I traveled with a friend and our flight took us through Dublin to Amsterdam. Our first weekend would be spent in Leiden, a college town outside of Amsterdam. We hopped off the plane, caught a train to Leiden, and dropped our bags off at our apartment, ready to explore Leiden. But of course, first things first, food! We biked to the grocery store (side note: biking is absolutely amazing and terrifying at the same time) and prepared to make dinner. After dinner, we headed into downtown Leiden to meet our friends at a local bar. After a few drinks, some nice conversation, and another bike ride, it was the end to our first night in Europe!
The next morning, after some Hagelslag (traditional Dutch breakfast, basically sprinkles on bread) for breakfast, we headed into Leiden to explore the market. The market consisted of tons of little booths lined up along the canals, selling everything from bike locks to strawberries to fresh flowers. This made me feel like I was truly part of the town, because we got to wander the streets, try different foods, and become completely lost in the culture.
Our main goal for the market was to pick up some snacks to take with us to the beach, so after some browsing, we decided on fresh Dutch strawberries, a tomato spread, some bread, and some incredibly salty taffy. We also picked up some gummy sharks from the candy stall, because they're my absolute favorite and I couldn't resist!
My favorite part of the market had to be the fresh Stroopwafel we tried. These are super thin waffles with a layer of caramel syrup in between, and they are an absolute addiction. They also come in pre-packaged bags, and the two bags I brought home as souvenirs barely made it a week past me being home.
Finished with our shopping, we met up with some friends of our host and began the five mile bike ride to the beach. The ride was beautiful, cycling through the Dutch countryside past farms and fields of flowers. Having the opportunity to bike was amazing, because it's such an integral part of Dutch life that it helped us feel like we were part of the lifestyle. For the rest of the day, we played frisbee, walked along the shore, and relaxed in the sun, munching on our snacks from the market and chatting about our expectations for the trip. Since the sun sets so late in the Netherlands, we ended up staying at Katwijk until around 9 pm, and got to watch the sun set over the North Sea. The view was incredible, and it was a great end to a great day!
After our five-mile ride back to Leiden, we grabbed a quick shower before getting ready to visit The Hague for a drink. We took the train, and walked around the Hague before finding a table to relax at after our long day. After a bit, we headed back to Leiden to get some much needed rest. Leiden was one of my favorite cities we visited throughout my month abroad. I loved the pace of the city, from the lifestyle to the food and everything in between, it was the perfect place to start our trip!
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