Since Easter, I have truly discovered the convenience of Europe and suddenly a bus ride to Port Elizabeth seems incomprehensible in comparison. Since Easter I have spent a week in Ireland with my mom and the rest of the McKinley Clan and Kincaid Brigade. I love travelling but there is always something special about seeing family again. I had the opportunity to see a bit of Ireland as well, including the Titanic Shipyard and museum. I thoroughly enjoyed my outing to the Bushmills Distillery and a quick look at Dunluce Castle. I think Ireland sparked a little fire in my heart and it is somewhere I will return to with any opportunity.
Unfortunately my luggage was left in Ireland, but that just gave my mom an excuse to come over to Holland the next weekend. Together we made our way to the southern most province of the Netherlands, Limburg, where we visited the town of Maastricht. Maastricht is an ancient town, with the picturesque cobble streets, towers and the remains of the old City Wall. Taking time in the weekend to walk down the beautifully preserved streets and enjoy the local cuisine made a weekend to remember. In good Dutch fashion we were treated to some interesting culture, our trip coincided with the Annual Maastricht Duck Race. A charity event where people bought little yellow rubber ducks and they were 'raced' down the river. We were also treated to an underground adventure where we could explore the network of abandoned limestone mines that go for kilometres deep underground. It was an incredible experience, as the mines were only declared a heritage site in 90's and were open before then, so the mines are filled with impressive artwork dating back decades.
In good Gap Year manner, I left no time to rest. The very next weekend I headed off to Guildford near London, where we had a little cousin reunion. The Kincaid Brigade reunited once again. It worked out so well, I was in Europe and so was my cousin from Canada, two cousins flew over from Ireland and another three found time off work or study and headed down from further north in England. We enjoyed a weekend of catching up, sharing stories with a little partying in between. That is a weekend that I will always remember and ranks with some of my best weekends ever.
After all those adventures I was not quite yet sick of public transport so when my mothers European experience was drawing to a close, we met up once again at Schipol, otherwise known as my third home at this point, and from there headed off by train to Belgium. We spent a day and a half in Bruge which must be one of the most incredible old towns in the world and a place that deserves a week instead of a night but still enjoyed every second. We visited the various cathedrals and saw Michelangelo's Madonna sculpture and visited the oldest brewery in the town. every street is a new adventure and your eyes are never allowed to rest in the preserved little bubble in the north of Belgium.
The next day we headed of to Ghent which has similar characteristics as Bruge but has moved on with the times. There is an university and more of modern feel. It has some of the beauty of Bruge but feels more real and lived in and that is why Ghent has probably left a bigger impression on me.
Ghent by night
The final chapter of my Belgium experience was Antwerp which is a major city and has all the parts of massive city but once in awhile you find a little gem between the buildings and in true European fashion there is a massive city hall gilded with gold in parts and there is the impressive cathedrals scattered across the city. Unfortunately I had to head home early to play a hockey match. But I saw some incredible things that weekend and all of it was a three hour train ride away.
The upcoming months were not quite as adventurous but no less entertaining, my exchange, Stefan, returned and it was so good to see him after all this time. I had the opportunity to go to the hockey world cup for two days and see some of the South Africans that were there as well. It is so good to hear South African accents again. The World Cup Football started and the Dutch definitely know how to support. I have watched four of the games at fan parks and every time I am amazed at the Dutch reaction to a goal. I hope the Robben and his boys can see the World Cup through, otherwise I think the country will go into a period of mourning.
I have seen a bit more of Holland, including the fishing town of Middelburg, the beautiful, quaint town of Delft and the beach of Bloemendaal. I am pretty sure I have experienced more of Holland than most of the Dutch.
Working during the week and being a tourist on the weekend has certainly taken its toll.
There has not been much time for rest and the last two weeks have taken their toll. I am so grateful for the timing of the Six week summer holiday that started yesterday. Even though it is holiday, I do not think I will get much rest...
I have just finished packing for my summer, and tonight I head off to Schiphol once again and I am heading back to Guildford where I am seeing my cousin. Hopefully I will be able to see a little bit of London as well. On Tuesday I start my month long Eurotrip through 12 countries, starting in Paris and ending in Amsterdam. I am truly excited and have not been able to sit still all day. My rucksack is packed and waiting at the door, all I have to do now is wait.
I will try post pictures or stories during my travels but I am not sure about how much internet access I will have, or spare time in fact.
Watch this space.
No comments:
Post a Comment