#106 the fourth annual reunion with the best Uni friends

We were 4 friends who met at the Uni and shared the flats in the dorms. I think, we can pretty much say, we know each other inside out. After graduation not only each of us chose different career paths, but all of us also ended up living in 4 different countries. Few years ago we realized that unless we proactively organize ourselves and meet this friendship will vanish.

So, we just had our fourth annual reunion. In the Netherlands. in Utrecht. Awesome. we talk a lot until we fall asleep, and eat and drink when we dont talk or dont sleep. 🙂 And like this year, we also did some cycling.

We have created some rules with respect to these reunions:

• there is this one major annual meeting, usually in May or June (if we meet more frequently all or some of us, it’s great too);
• every time it has to be a different country (so far we got Sweden, Denmark, Lithuania and Netherlands);
• no husbands or boyfriends (children allowed under special circumstances).

Price: travel, accommodation and commitment;

Duration: usually a long weekend;

Amazingness: friendship continues to live. it’s awesome.

May 6, 2014

 

#105 Amsterdam – Utrecht – Amsterdam = 98km

What can you do with two good friends and a weekend in Holland?

Of course, you can rent bikes (12 EUR for 2 days only, by the way) and cycle from Amsterdam to Utrecht and back. Only 98km in 2 days!

It’s easy, fun and great exercise! 😉

well, the story was..

We pre-ordered our bikes at Mike Bike Tour before arriving in Amsterdam, and following a tourist guide book on cycling routes in the Netherlands we just got on our bikes on the Saturday morning and hoped it will all work out well. And it did, despite the fact that the last time i was cycling was about 2 years ago. Not only Amsterdam but all country is a paradise for cyclists. Cyclist roads, road signs are so easy to follow that we rarely lost our way. And, it’s easy to cycle as the country is pretty flat, but, with a nice lovely, somewhat romantic at times, countryside scenery, it is a really enjoyable journey. You can cycle along the highways, but we chose the little roads through little villages passing farms and going through parks and forests. We did 46km on the first day and felt so great (excluding few painful knees and bums).

The next morning one of us did not want to cycle again (!!), but the other two did not want to give up so easily therefore democracy won and the compromise was reached: we will cycle only to the little town not so far from Utrecht where we can have a coffee and then take a train to Amsterdam. We got there much sooner than we thought and the cycling through the parks/ semi-forests freshened up us that eventually we all three agreed that we can continue further. Not all the way to Amsterdam, but to the next bigger town, from where we can take the train to Amsterdam. We got there so fast and it was already a half way to Amsterdam, when we realized that actually we can do it and cycle all the way back to Amsterdam. And we did it.

It was actually hard at times and sometimes you ask why you are doing this. But, once you complete it, it feels so great! 98km sounds a lot, but it’s not an impossible distance. Limits are in our heads only.

A friend from Italy just told me that there is a nice cycling route from Naples to Bari. Only 323km. I am thinking about this… 🙂

Price: 12 EUR for renting the bikes + accommodation in Utrecht;

Duration: 2 days but actual cycling was maybe 5 hours a day, not more. We were taking quite few coffee and photo breaks. 🙂

Amazingness: feeling proud of what you can achieve and complete, testing our limits – that’s amazing!

May 6, 2014

 

#104 when you lose check if loser doesnt get a prize

So i was sitting at the cafe in central Amsterdam (De Laatste Kruimel– a lunch place with a character) waiting for my order – polenta with ricotta and tomatoes. When i had almost finished my fresh peppermint tea, finally the waitress came BUT with the wrong dish which i did not order. It was a busy hour with lots of customers, so she probably mixed up orders. She apologized and asked to wait (again!) for my polenta. Sigh. Well, i am patient and understand, but i was a bit angry. Friend of mine had already finished her meal whilst i am still waiting. grrr

But then, when the order came, it came with a bonus – a lovely apple cinnamon muffin. 🙂 My face changed immediately.

So, the lesson is – when you lose, before getting sad and angry, make sure and check if the loser does not get a prize. 😉

Price: polenta about 4-5EUR; muffin was obviously for free + my time of waiting;

Duration: long and at the end lovely lunch break.

Amazingness: food was perfect and customer service eventually too (ability to admit the mistake/ problem and then readiness to correct it is the key).

May 6. 2014

 

#103 night in a boat hotel

Amsterdam is not only paradise of pancakes and paradise for cyclists. Because of its hundreds of canals, it’s also a paradise of boats. In fact, boats are used not only to move around but some are used as houses, some as museums, some as hotels. Yes, hotels. So, to have one more adventure in Amsterdam, we spent one night at a boat-hotel.

In all honesty, everything was like in a normal hotel: we got our room, great continental breakfast with a bit of Dutch touch, wi-fi and great customer service. Yet, it was all so different and cool. The room obviously was a cabin, where you need to coordinate the moves with the other person, because of the size of the cabin. Our evening chill-out place was not a normal hotel’s lobby or restaurant, but the deck of the boat with stars above our head, sounds of water and sea birds flying around. At night i would wake up to check through the tiny, round window if we are still above the water or somewhere else.. (water levels remained at acceptable levels at all times).

A beautiful experience.

Price: about 60 EUR for double room (Vita Nova boat hotel);

Duration: 1 night;

Amazingness: certainly a not your regular hotel experience. worth a try.

May 6, 2014

 

 

#102 welcome to paradise of pancakes: Amsterdam

According to my observations, there are people who cant be bothered about pancakes, and there are people who totally love them. I am part of the latter. Pancakes were my childhood food. Pancakes were probably one of the first dish i learnt to cook. I like sweet and sour pancakes. I like thin and thick pancakes. I like simple and sophisticated pancakes.

I heard the rumors before that Dutch people are into pancakes as well. Now i can tell these are not rumors. That’s a fact. And, they are not only loving pancakes. They are very serious about them. Never ever before i have seen a menu at a pancakes’ place with close to 100 options!!!!! Being vegetarian was very helpful in decision making process as it reduced the number of options by half.

So, if you are in Amsterdam, you should check out two places: Pancakes! Amsterdam and Pancake Bakery. These 2 places will be mentioned in various tourist guides, but contrary to my worries about them being overly touristic and hence not so authentic, you will not be disappointed.

At the Pancake Bakery i followed waiter’s advise and chose Greenlander’s pancake: spinach, Indian nuts and Camembert cheese. At the Pancakes! Amsterdam my pancake looked like vegetarian pizza and tasted perfectly.

Amsterdam has its international vibe and therefore also its restaurants’ menus are inspired by various cuisines, however, try to go Dutch there and eat their pancakes. Amsterdam (or Holland) is probably the best place on the earth where to do it.

Price: about 10 EUR for a portion of pancakes but may depend on your choice;

Duration: sometimes it may be not a huge meal at all, but richness of pancakes will keep hunger away for many hours.

Amazingness: total deliciousness.

May 6, 2014

 

#101 cycling around Amsterdam

For someone coming from London cycling means not only being brave, but being even reckless. On my first day i automatically bought a day travel card to get around the city (they have trams and metro there); however, i soon realized that renting a bike is not only cheaper, but it is also really safe. Cyclists here are treated as integral part of the city’s traffic system with their own cycling lanes, traffic lights and street signs. What can go wrong here with such a cycling-friendly infrastructure?

 

We used Mike’s Bike Tours company (look for this monkey in the picture on your left to find the entrance into their ‘office’) which seemed like never would run out of bikes. Very good prices and friendly service.

Price: 6 EUR a day;

Duration: cycle as much as you can and want and go as far as you want and can;

Amazingness: apart form walking, probably the best way to explore Amsterdam;

May 4, 2014.

 

#100 Amsterdam’s rooftops

The best way to explore the city is to walk, with or without following map, getting lost. But it also always very fascinating to see the city from the top. So, i checked out 3 places: The Blue cafe, then Nemo science center and the Amsterdam public library.

At the Blue cafe, you can just sip wine and enjoy fantastic view over the Amsterdam through floor-to-ceiling glass walls.

You must visit Nemo if you have children. I think, you may actually get stuck there for the whole day. But, even if you go there without children, it’s worth a visit because of its rooftop view over the city and a very flowery roof.

 

Amsterdam’s public library has a nice cafe/cafeteria on its 7th floor with a large balcony with amazing panorama.

Price: entry for free in all places;

Duration: depends if you order a food/ drink there or just take a moment to enjoy the view;

Amazingness: definitely worth a visit.

May 3, 2014

 

#99 Am. Dam. Amsterdam.

I guess, every serious traveler has some sort of a ‘list’ in his/her head with cities and places to be visited. Some kind of a ‘must-see’ list of places which determines our next travel plans. I have such a list, which is constantly growing, but one city has been on this list for way too long. Well, until May 2, when i finally got there.

AMSTERDAM!

I dont know if it is because of the long time i was thinking/ planning to visit Amsterdam, but I just loved it from the first hour. Canals, cyclists, free spirits, special character and vibe, architecture, people. I kept asking myself why i did not come here earlier. Why it took me so long. The good thing is that it is well connected and can be easily reached, so, now i have a new city on my other list – “my favorite cities in the world”, which means – i will always want to revisit them.

 

Price: from London with Easyjet you can get return tickets for about 70-80GBP (depends, of course, how long in advance you buy a ticket).

Duration: long/ extended weekend;

Amazingness: it is now on my ‘favorite cities in the world’ list. That says it all.

May 2, 2014

 

#98 do you want to eat a cake in a style? get a cake in a jar!

I was planning to meet some of  my friends who i dont see that often and i wanted to give them some small, but special presents. As they live in continental Europe (this is how the UK is distinguishing itself from the rest of the Europe), i wanted something British/English, simple and stylish. Something they unlikely would be able to get in their countries.

After some little research, I found out about Cake in a Jar. Home-made, high quality cakes in a jar. Quality, deliciousness, originality and that all in one little jar! My friends loved it. Our favorite probably was Red velvet cake. mmm. 🙂

Price: from 3.45GBP for a jar + delivery costs.

Duration: Company offers next day/ speedy delivery. They say, cakes stay fresh for about 10 days if kept in the fridge, but not sure who can leave such a cake for that long in the fridge.

Amazingness: making nice surprises to friends is amazing, isnt it?

May 1, 2014

 

#97 beetroot chocolate brownies

Beetroot brownies. hm, what? Beetroot brownies?? Beetroot chocolate brownies?! Yes, beetroot chocolate brownies!!

I saw a recipe of beetroot chocolate brownies in the Metro, London’s morning newspaper this week, which was presented as a total guilt free and healthy food. Hm, but beetroots in a cake? So, i just could not resist that temptation to try baking this strange cake.

But, believe it or not, experiment worked out and cake is delicious. I like its softness. And it tastes both like beetroot and brownie. 🙂

Ingredients:

• 600g precooked beetroot;
• 50g chopped hazelnuts;
• 120g gluten and wheat free flour;
• 3tsp baking powder;
• 100g pure cacao powder;
• 2 spoons of honey and about 100ml agave nectar (in original recipe it was suggested to add 400g honey, which, i think, was wayyy toooo much, so i significantly reduced and i think, cake was still sweet enough, but you may want to add more, if you want to);
• a bit of salt;
• 5 eggs.

Baking: first, chop beetroot in small pieces and then blend; second, place in the bowl chopped hazelnuts, flour, baking powder and cacao powder and mix it; third, add the beetroots but do not mix in yet; fourth, place the honey and agave nectar, salt and eggs in a bowl and blend for 2 min; fifth, add eggs to the rest of the ingredients and gently with a wooden spoon stir keeping in the air in the mixture. then cook for about 35-40minutes.

Experiment, give a try to new tastes!!

Price: about 8GBP;

Amazingness: it’s amazing how totally different and incompatible things can actually work so well together;

Duration: about 1 hour including baking time;

April 27, 2014