Blown away by Barcelona!

Two days in Amsterdam then off to Barcelona for the weekend!  That's right, that's how this crazy adventure of mine started.  My Amsterdam work department takes a group trip each year, and this year's trip just so happened to be two days after I landed in Amsterdam and before I even set foot in the office.  A very thoughtful, generous partner reached out to me on Monday before the weekend trip to ask if I wanted to go, and it took about 5 seconds for me to say yes please!  I'm so grateful that I was included in the trip, because I absolutely loved Barcelona!  Here are the highlights (and lowlights) from my weekend on the coast of Spain :) 

Let me tell you, if you ever move internationally, the small things will make you SO proud.  Getting myself to the airport via two trains on time and with everything in Dutch (and of course an overpacked suitcase) was almost as good as getting a raise!  That's right, that good.

Having made it to the airport, I was extremely anxious about meeting all of my new coworkers.  I was headed on this trip with approximately 70 strangers.  Thankfully, there is an expat from NYC in the Amsterdam office now and she took me under her wing and made sure I got introduced to everyone and had someone to explore Barcelona with.  While it was wonderful to meet so many of my coworkers in an informal setting and get to know them outside of work right off the bat, truth be told it was quite overwhelming.  Keeping names straight is so hard!  Especially when I can't spell or pronouce most names...  Luckily the office has a photo directory of people, so I'm playing catch up on the name game :)  Also, I keep getting asked if Spruill is a Dutch name... maybe if I changed my wardrobe and got an accent I could pull this off!  Wishful thinking I'm sure...

First on the agenda for Barcelona was pretty much not to have one at all.  It is such a great city to wander the streets in.  Barcelona is full of narrow alleys filled with excellent shopping at the street level and apartments above with lights and laundry hanging from the balconies.  There are tons of outdoor cafes to sit in and people watch and the larger streets are filled with trees.




                                     

                                                     Looks like scooters are to the Spanish

                                                    what bikes are to the Dutch.



I'm a sucker for rainbows :)



 

                             

                                Typical street at night



Palm tree in the Placa Reial square -
site of the first tapas meal - yummm



We also checked out Gaudi's Sagrada Familia cathedral on Friday.  The Sagrada Familia is a huge church designed by Gaudi in 1883 and it is still under construction!  The estimated completetion date is 2026 - this church is 143 years in the making and is definitely something to see in Barcelona.  I found the older side of the church to be much more intricate and beautiful than the newer construction (It has also been more recently cleaned I think so that explains some of the difference.).


                                           

                                                                Older side and front of the Sagrada Familia church     



                                                  

                                                                The picture doesn't do it justice.      



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                                                                         I was there!

 

                                              

                                                            Newer side of the church
                                                                                                                                                           


Dinner the first night was at an excellent tapas place.. lonia de tapas - delicious!  I had tapas and sangria for 3 means in two days and don't regret it one bit!

Saturday was filled with gorgeous sunny weather and more sight seeing.  We spent a lot of time wandering around Barcelona's water front.  I was extemely impressed with the port area - it includes a multipiece dock that slides back and forth to let boats in and out during the day and the whole area was very clean and pedestrian friendly.

  
<>                                Just beautiful! <> 

Christopher Columbus statue - I'm
very glad you sailed the ocean blue in 1492.



I was here too! With hair in face per usual.



Would love to get my hands on one
of these to sail around the Mediterranean!

After wandering around the waterfront we checked out the Church of Santa Maria del Mar.  It's beauty is on par with any other church/cathedral I've ever been in.  The stain glass and molding on the ceiling is spectacular.  I always wonder how people build such massive, detailed structures, especially back in the 1300s, like this church!  Any engineers out there?  You amaze me.

Up next came the most stressful part of the weekend (not getting to the airport, not worrying if people will like me, not protecting my purse from pickpockets, but this) - a two hour bike tour of the city.  It is truly a miracle that I did not fall off!  In theory the bike tour was really cool - we rode all around the city and saw all the major sights, but when you're unsteady on the bike, going through crowds of people in narrow streets pretty much just leads to lots of "eeeeek!"  Several guys in the group stayed back to make sure I didn't get left behind and a partner literally felt the need to explain how to brake to me.  So very nice of everyone but so embarassing!  The good news is that I was getting better by the end and Amsterdam is the most bike friendly city in the world I think it's safe to say so I should have much fewer obstacles here and greater chance for success!  I'm buying a bike this week :)

I know it's hard to see, but I'm the second person from the front on the bike.  One day I hope to be happy enough on a bike that I'm giving a thumbs up like the guy in front of me!  For now, I hold on with two hands and pray :)

Saturday ended with a work organized dinner at Xup Xup restaurant.  The restaurant was right on the beach and would have been absolutely beautiful if the wind hadn't been blowing so hard!  We all froze sitting by the water and resorted to using tablecloths as blankets :(   Dinner was still a good time though and we continued the evening at a couple clubs.  I headed home from a club called Opium Mar at 5:30am with several of our group still there!  The Spanish culture of dinner at 10pm and partying all night is great for vacation but I don't know how they do it all the time... siestas are a definite must!

Partying with the NYC expat at Opium Mar

I would highly recommend visiting Barcelona if you can!  The city definitely charmed me and I WILL be making it back there.  One word of caution - do watch out for pick pockets - 4 people in my group (all men) had phones/wallets stolen... so just be safe, smart, and enjoy!!!





Bikes, Canals, and 34 letter words...

Hello friends and family!  I'm happy to report that I made it to Amsterdam last Wednesday to start my year and a half adventure in Europe.  I arrived without luggage or a phone but luckily things have improved since then!  I've settled in to a nice temporary apartment on the East side of Amsterdam in an area called Oost.  I've explored my current neighborhood, started searching for a permanent place, and taken care of some major details like a work visa and bank account.

I knew I'd have to adjust to living in a foreign country here, but the adjustment to living in a city (versus suburbia) has proved almost as difficult.  Public transportation is the norm here (there are 6 year wait lists for parking permits in the city center!), personal space is almost non-existent, and everything is expensive!  Gone are my days of lean cuisines for dinner... I actually cooked a meal tonight (chicken stir fry) in my attempt to be more economical and save my money for traveling :)  Those who've ever lived with me know this is almost as significant as moving here!  Thus far the biggest challenge in adjusting to life in Amsterdam has been the language barrier.  While most people (and everyone at work) speak excellent English, they speak Dutch first and almost all writing is in Dutch.  Small things like learning how to use my washer/dryer have become big successes in my book.  I am going to try my best to learn Dutch but I know the chances of mastering it in a year and a half are minor with 34 letter words like projectontwikkelingsmaatcschappijen (property development companies).

Speaking of traveling, I actually spent my first weekend in Europe away from Amsterdam.  Last minute I was able to join my work department's trip to Barcelona, Spain!  See future posts for details on the tapas, streets, and clubs of Barcelona... I would LOVE to go back there and it was a great way to start this adventure!

While this post is already getting long, I do want to share a few quick things I've noticed here that I find interesting and hope you all will as well.

Some things you might not have known about the Dutch...

• They love milk! In the cafeteria at work today milk was free and the only drink I saw. In trying to fit in I channeled my 10 year old self and drank a glass.  I can't say I loved it, but hey, it does a body good right? :)
• Personal liability insurance is required.  Expactica.com says 9 out of 10 Dutch people have this insurance that covers them if they cause damage to another person or property.  At 3 Euros a month, my klutziness is now insured as well!  Having this kind of insurance significantly reduces the number of civil suits here compared to the States.
• Street signs are tiny and even with my new glasses I can barely read them!  Rather than being on posts on an intersection, street signs are attached to buildings.  No doubt I will be getting lost and trying to memorize the map.

My current street.  I promise to have good stories from the day I start driving and have to look for these teeny street signs.

Some things you might have known that I can now whole heartedly verify...

• Biking is HUGE in Amsterdam!  Riding a bike is clearly the easiest way to get around the city, and bikers always have the right away above both cars and pedestrians.  Let's just say it only took one dirty look from a cyclist for me to learn where the bike paths start and the sidewalk ends!
• Water is everywhere. - Canals are quintessential Amsterdam and they're truly beautiful.  While I don't think I could actually live on them in a houseboat like some people do, they are definitely my favorite part of the city thus far.

The Amstel Canal

I made it to A'dam!  This is the Singelgracht canal near my temporary apartment. 
Check out the background - modern apartment buildings next to a windmill!

Houseboats on the Singelgracht

• The weather is dreary :(  - It has been cold, windy, and somewhat rainy every day thus far.  The forecast says sunshine starting Thursday though and I can't wait!  I've also come to the understanding that no, I will not melt in the rain, and while my hair will get frizzy, I can handle a walk to the train station in it.  I'm throwing girliness out the window!

While I'm really enjoying Amsterdam so far and continue to be amazed by the beauty and way of life here, I am starting to miss some things from the states...

• Friends and family of course!  Thanks to everyone for the emails and messages - you all have helped my home sickness tremendously!
• Diet Mt. Dew - We all know I have a caffeine addiction and Coca Cola light is just not cutting it!
• Being able to get in my car and drive anywhere I want to - The city has buses/trams/trains that I use to get around and while convenient absolutely nothing beats having your car out front and going directly to where you want on your own schedule.
• Good smelling laundry detergent - it smells a little funky to me here... who knew?!

Thanks for reading!

Met vriendelijke groet/ Kind regards,

Katherine