Less than 2 weeks left in Europe. This last month has flown by! With several weekend trips after spring break, 2 international business trips, trips around Holland with family, friends, and school, and a week with little sleep (while I caught up on a semesters worth of homework - reflections, final papers, and presentations). With all my homework completed I can enjoy my final trip to Barcelona, and a final week in Zwolle. I’ve been terrible and blogging during the last month, so I’ll try to fill in the gaps here. Last post I talked about some the excursions around Holland I’ve gone on with school. The past week I also traveled to keukenhof, Ameland Island, and went to the PEC Zwolle vs AJAX (amsterdam) national soccer final. Keukenhof was gorgeous!! I love flowers, gardens, canals and streams...which sums up Keukenhof. Tulips of every color and type along with several other flowers were arranged around keukenhof with scenic paths going through them. Cafes, souvenir shops, and rooms with floral displays were nestled throughout the gardens. We spent a whole afternoon walking through the gardens, taking an excessive amount of pictures, and exploring the several souvenir shops and floral displays.
Picture with my favorite tree!
With my awesome touring buddies!!
Dream job!
Just so happy :)
Dancing in the Tulip Gardens!
The next morning, bright and early, I left with my family to Ameland, an Island north west of Friesland. We took a ferry, rented bikes, and spent the day biking around the Island. We followed a scenic path through grass dunes, along the beach, and through the forest. I shared a tandem bike with my host mom and then my host sister; these two person bikes are much more difficult to balance at the beginning, but once I got used to that, they were so fun! Plus they allowed for you to talk to each other much easier than when you’re on two separate bikes. We stopped a couple times to walk through the small villages, have coffee time at an outdoor cafe, and play on the beach. It was beautiful, sunny weather besides the occasional wind gusts. After a full day of biking we ate at a beach restaurant. My family must know me well, because I couldn’t have picked a better day! I didn’t even tell them, but I wanted to go to Friesland where my ancestors were from and I love being outside and doing active things...it really was the perfect day. It also was a good mix of bonding time with my little sisters while we played on the beach and talking to my host parents throughout the day! After this weekend at Keukenhof and Friesland, I know firsthand the meaning of gezelig.
On Sunday afternoon, I attended the PEC Zwolle national championship match! I cant count the times I was told “You know, you’re witnessing history here.” The fan base was crazy, they chanted and cheered the entire game. Right at the beginning the, the AJAX fans threw out several fireworks onto the field so PEC wouldn’t score, minutes later they repeated this. The refs and teams were so angry, they had to pause the game for a half hour. I thought it was very entertaining, but was thankful that after a firm warning and threatening of fines and jail time, no more fireworks were thrown onto the field. The game was so exciting! Zwolle was predicted to have no chance to win this game, but went on to win 5-1!! The fans went crazy!! It was so exhilarating. I’ve never been in such a vivacious crowd, you can’t help but join it on the cheering and chanting! While I didn’t stay out all night celebrating with the fans, I heard it was quite the celebratory party and reflects what a big deal this match was.
Hanging out on the beach with my host sisters
Tandem biking!
On Sunday afternoon, I attended the PEC Zwolle national championship match! I cant count the times I was told “You know, you’re witnessing history here.” The fan base was crazy, they chanted and cheered the entire game. Right at the beginning the, the AJAX fans threw out several fireworks onto the field so PEC wouldn’t score, minutes later they repeated this. The refs and teams were so angry, they had to pause the game for a half hour. I thought it was very entertaining, but was thankful that after a firm warning and threatening of fines and jail time, no more fireworks were thrown onto the field. The game was so exciting! Zwolle was predicted to have no chance to win this game, but went on to win 5-1!! The fans went crazy!! It was so exhilarating. I’ve never been in such a vivacious crowd, you can’t help but join it on the cheering and chanting! While I didn’t stay out all night celebrating with the fans, I heard it was quite the celebratory party and reflects what a big deal this match was.
Stadium before the game
Crazy Crowd
After they won!!!
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