Blogs from Utrecht, Province of Utrecht, Netherlands, Europe - page 2

Back in Utrecht, then Frankfurt for 2 nights before flying to Perth. Departed Perth on 13 May 2013 - flying back into Perth on 13 November 2013. It is the 10th November 2013 and after 6 months, driving 28,750km in our motor home around 28 countries in Europe PLUS our 8 days bussing around Morocco, flying from Madrid to Casablanca, we are back in Utrecht in The Netherlands where we started. We have completed the most amazing experiences, seen incredible scenery, completed some exciting achievements, eaten many different foods, and tasted many different drinks from 28 countries that we visited. We will come home with 1000s of memories (not to mention 1000s of photos), 100s of stories to tell, and will look forward to chatting to anyone who want to swap stories, dreams and experiences, and ... read more

Utrecht, The Netherlands, 15 to 17 and to20 to 22 May 2013 On arriving at the busy Utrecht train station, we caught a taxi to the Apollo Hotel (took 5 minutes!!) which is right in the centre of the CBD. Utrecht, which was founded by the Romans in AD 47, is full of bike tracks and malls. There are more bicycles in the Netherlands than there are people. Everyone rides a bike, in sunshine and rain. We saw lots of bikes with 2 little seats and mini trailers attached for toddlers, saddle bags for purchases, ties for strollers to be carried on bikes and everything else you need to move. The Netherlands is very flat with lots of water: dykes to control waterways, multiple canals and rivers. It has been cold and sometimes wet. Everything is ... read more

Whoa! Introduction Week has come to an end, and I needed to sleep allll weekend in order to recover. Best. Week. Ever. So in Europe they have an organization called the Erasmus Student Network, and the whole goal of this organization is to make international students feel more at home. I feel like we could do something similar at U of L, but we don't have enough exchange students. And honestly, it's pretty similar to all the awesome things that Recruitment and Student Life arranges for new students, like Jump the Line and NSO and then Fresh Fest, organized by the ULSU. It's all those things. Together. Now you know how awesome this is, right? So you can buy an ESN card for 2 Euros and it's good for your whole stay. You get discounted food ... read more

So last Friday, I decided that I would try to find the Ikea. The bedding they're selling here was 52 Euros, and I figured I could find cheaper at Ikea, and then having my own sheets would make me feel a little more at home. I used Google maps to figure out how to take the bus down to Ikea, and it couldn't have been easier - get on bus 71 at the University, take it all the way to Stadscentrum, and Ikea is a little walk from there, but should be visible. I should mention that last Friday was a snowpocalypse in Utrecht. I would estimate that maybe 5cm of snow fell over the course of the entire day. In Canada, this is a normal amount of snow, and in February, we'd probably be thrilled ... read more

It has to be said - I am not a hostel person. Anyone who knows me knows that I do not sleep anywhere except my own bed, and a very select few other places, including my parents' house, my boyfriend's parents' house and that's really about it. It's actually one of the big reasons that I don't like drinking. I hate not being able to get home and being forced to sleep somewhere weird. And by weird, I just mean anywhere that is not the three places listed above. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for travelling. And if I was backpacking around Europe, then hostels would be amazing. I would know that I should expect this, and as such I would be mentally prepared. However, in Utrecht, I am paying very good money for my ... read more