Day 25 of 364 - Sun 8/28: Hot Tub Time Machine

Word of the day:     Pool and Hot tub   (Zwembad en hot tub)

Another GRAY day :( but we decided to head to the pool at Healthclub in our complex. Both the pool and hot tub are inside, so I thought the pool was a little cold though I am sure it was close to 80*, so I got right out! too cold for me without 80*+ weather outside! Then went into the hot tub, which was nice but probably only about 95*, so could have been just a tad bit warmer.

The rest of the afternoon just involved regular lazy Sunday activities... lounging, computer time, laundry, etc.

And just as I was starting to prepare dinner, and then just after the thought of "when I win the lottery one of the first things I am getting is a personal chef! Forget the cleaning lady... I WANT a personal chef!" went thru my head there was a knock at the door.  Guess who?!?!

It was Jamie, and he came to invite us for impromptu FAJITAS!  (Most of you probably know how much Steve and I enjoy fajitas, so we were not about to turn this opportunity down! And this is for sure on the agenda as a meal next time we are in the states.... love fajita and margarita night at my mom's with all my sisters!) We headed on over to their place and enjoyed a nice ending to good weekend!  (thanks Kim and Jamie!)


Till next time...
Sarah

Day 24 of 364 - Sat 8/27: Rain, Rain Go Away...SERIOUSLY!

Word of the day:    Paraplu   (Umbrella)

I think we are going to have to leave every weekend and have a trip planned bc it is RAINING AGAIN!!! Ugh!!!

So we laid low most of the day... just ran a stock-up grocery trip. (Not sure where all the food I buy during the week goes, bc I swear I am at that store almost daily!?!?!?)

We then went to a local Indonesian Restaurant, which we will be sure to go to again. We did a sate rice menu for 2. So tasty! Then we walked home in another torrential downpour, but again brought our trusty umbrellas :)

Till next time...
Sarah

Day 23 of 364 - Fri 8/26: Party like a Dutch Star

Word of the day:     Straat Fest   (Street Fest)

This weekend we are staying in Maastricht, and heading to the town's street fest taking place at the Vrijthof.

Lucky for us the weather somewhat cleared up after a somewhat miserable day of rain, so we headed over to the fest around 7pm. The plans included meeting up with a few of Steve's co-workers, all who were really nice. The fest is just as you... similar to DG's Heritage Fest or any other small scale street fest of Chicago. It hosts local restaurants and live entertainment. No rides.   Here the people actually dress up for the fest!! So I felt a tiny bit under-dressed, but could have been worse :)

They also surprisingly served all the wine and beer in glassware, not plastic like in the states. I think I only heard one sound of glass shattering later in the evening. Could you imagine that in the states?!?! ... hardly! ... we don't know how to behave. hummmph??? They even had waiters coming around taking order and taking back empties!

Toward the end of the night, I believe it was supposed to be one of the best well-known artists from Maastricht performing on the main stage. I couldn't tell you his name or make out myself what he was singing since it was in Dutch, so I asked one of Steve's co-workers what the song was about.  The first one was about finding a lost vespa (scooter) and the second was about wanting to go outside. Interesting huh? Here is a picture of the act. Sorry that it is a little hard to make-out, but I thought he looked like he was from the 80s with a mullet!

The night was then capped off with a walk home in the rain. Again, I now carry my umbrella with me everywhere, so we were all good!

Till next time...
Sarah

       

      

Day 22 of 364 - Thur 8/25: "Valerie Valera Valer ahahahahaha"

Word of the day:     Zwervend    (Wandering)

Today, Kim and I just wandered around the town... everywhere. It was decent out, but we are sure to carry our umbrellas bc they seem to call for rain almost every afternoon!! We walked around somewhat aimlessly, but at the same time we were on the hunt for the yoga place we were going to try tomorrow, shops we can frequent, a dry cleaner, nail salon and just taking in any of the other new places we have yet to discover.

We even did as the Dutch do during their afternoon and took a seat at a local cafe to relax, people watch, grab a quick bite and wash it down with a glass of wine! And... I think we found a spot to frequent!! It is in this cute little square, great for people watching, and the snack we split was amazing! We ordered what we were think would be similar to a cheese platter you would order in states, but it came as a sandwich. Nonetheless, it was soooo incredibly good that I plan to buy the components during my next grocery trip so I can make at home!

Brie, Walnut and Honey Sandwich.
So incredibly Yummy!!!

Can't wait to sit here in boots and sweaters during the Fall!

Man my feet hurt from all this walking!

Till next time...
Sarah

Day 21 of 364 - Wed 8/24: A little bit of MN

Word of the day:     Appel      (Apple)

Today I made a salad that I had never made, but have had on a few different occasions at Cafe Lurcat in Minneapolis. Fingers crossed that it would turn out similar!!   Steve gave it two-thumbs up and said, "Add it to the menu."  Woo Hoo... Winner!  Yum!

Give it a try and let me know what you think...

Apple, Cheese and Chive Salad

Ingredients:

5 oz. Manchego Cheese, cut in matchsticks (or chunks if you don't have the patience or time.)
5 large apples (any red should be fine, but made mine with Gala apples), skin on, cut in matchsticks (or chunks if you don't have the patience or time.)

3 Tbsp. chives, chopped

6 Tbsp. olive oil
1/3 cup minced shallots
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
2 tsp. grated lemon zest  (i left out bc i didn't have any)

salt & pepper to taste

(or eyeball all measurements as I did.) 

Directions:

Mix manchego, apples and chives in bowl.


For dressing put all ingredients in food processor and blend (or mix on your own, like I did.)

Pour dressing over ingredients in bowl and gently toss. This is best if you allow the salad to sit in fridge for a while to let the flavors set. 

Enjoy!

Till next time...
Sarah

Day 20 of 364 - Tues 8/23: Neighbors

Word of the day:     Bloemen   (Flowers)

Today, the doorbell rang and to my surprise it was our neighbor and her 1 1/2yr old son. She had stopped over with a welcome gift. So incredibly Sweet!

Till next time...
Sarah

Day 19 of 364 - Mon 8/22: Dog Days Over

Word of the day:     Hond      (Dog)

The Dog Days are Over...  Yes that is right, here too in the Netherlands Summer is coming to an end :(  All the kids are headed back to school, including all the University students who are back in town. As I walked around the city center today, I noticed many of the co-eds wearing matching shirts. It looks like here fraternities and sororities are mixed here. (At least that is what I got from the different groups I saw wearing the same t-shirts.) There was lots of loud music, bar hopping during the day, and student fairs going on.
And here is a blurb I saw describing student life here...

"Despite the fact that Maastricht does not have a very long history as a university town, it does have a very vibrant student life. Many students join student-associations, fraternities and sororities. They meet up at least once a week at their regular pub to have a beer and talk about the deeper meaning of life, whatever that may be. Two fraternities even run their own pub, which they conveniently named the Uni (short for university), so that their parents would not get worried if they tell them that they spend so much time there. Student life in Maastricht also stands for: lots of parties, going out on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night (or whatever night you want), spending lots of money in the beginning of each month (when Dutch students get their studiefinanciering or study grant) and considerably less in the end. It also stands for going out for a meal in one of the many student-cafés and sitting on the Vrijthof enjoying the sun(in the Netherlands you have to enjoy the sun while you can)."

... Ha, love it! Sounds just like those college days I was lucky enough to experience twice... Once in my early 20s and again just 2yrs ago! What was the difference between those two experiences you ask??  ...Well, the first time around I was a broke, but the second time had a little bit more to live off of :) and was legal to drink the whole time. Which I am convinced is why they only allow full-time MBA programs to be 2yrs. :)

Till next time...
Sarah

Day 18 of 364 - Sun 8/21: Trip #1 - Amsterdam

Word of the day:     Ontbijt    (Breakfast)
and  
Phrase of the day:     Het was heel lekker! (hut wahs hale LEK-ur!)    (It was delicious!)

OMG... I never thought I would enjoy breakfast as much as I did today!! (**2nd to my Mom's Easter Brunch... yum blintzes!!!    btw... <3 you and miss you! xoxo)

I had found a place recommended on trip advisor, Gartine. Reservations were recommended but we chanced it, and chanced it we did!

I knew it opened at 10am so I suggested we get there a little before 10 so we could possibly get right in or put our name in. After one wrong turn on the small no-name, windy streets we arrived at the doorstep at 9:45. They were still setting up and to our surprise there were only about 10 tables in the place at most. When the owner finally came out he asked if we had resrvations, which we didn't. He said he needed to check if he could fit us in.  Seriously, we arrived before any other customer had, so we were baffled?!?  ... Lucky for us though, he was able to get us in. (No one else arrived until at least 10:30/45, but we heard him turn away another couple want-to-be diners.)

We all ordered the

Groot ontbijt:
Croissant met roomboter, zuurdesemtoast, wentelteefje, huisgemaakte jam, diverse hartig beleg, gebakken ei, koffie of thee, jus d’orange

translated to...

Big breakfast:
Croissant with butter, sourdough toast, French toast, homemade jam, a variety of savory fillings, fried egg, coffee or tea, orange juice        € 11.95

Um yeah, we ALL ordered one and here are the awesome pictures! This only tells about 1% of how DELICIOUS this meal truly was!! Soooo fresh and just mouthwatering, melt in your mouth good!

   

(Not to mention, how cute the place was!!!)

We then went to the Van Gough museum before heading back to Maastricht.

           

Best part of the trip.... Breakfast at Gartine! HIGHLY recommended you go, and be sure to make reservations so you don't miss out! Followed by the bike tour.

All in all trip #1 = Success. ... Can't wait for trip #2!

Till next time...
Sarah

Day 17 of 364 - Sat 8/20: Trip #1 - Amsterdam

Phrase of the day:     platteland tour    (Countryside Tour)

Amsterdam!!  We left the house at 7am with Kim and Jamie and drove up to Amsterdam (~2hrs north) in time to make our 11am bike tour.

We chose the coutry tour thru Mike's Bike Tours. You get to see so much... both city and countryside wise, with lots of history and stories told. You also visit a cheese and wooden shoe shop where everything is made right on premise. We highly recommend doing the bike tour if you are here! The 14mile, 4hr tour is well worth your time and money! Even though the ride in total is 14miles, it doesn't feel like it since there are stops and the land is flat. (Your butt may think different though the next day)

   

We then had a couple drinks in one of the town squares. People watching is just soooo much fun and better with a glass of wine or beer in-hand :)  After, we had an early dinner at a fish restaurant, Bark. Very tasty!
But then we were pooped and called it an early night at 10p.


Top 2 questions everyone is wondering answered here...
1. Sorry to disappoint, but we did not make it to the Red Light District this trip.
2. No, we did not smoke anything.

Till next time...
Sarah

Day 16 of 364 - Fri 8/19: Playing Travel Agent

Word of the day:     Paspoort    (Passport)

Tomorrow we will head up to Amsterdam, so I needed to finalize booking a hotel, figure out some touristy stuff to do and meal options. Yay, trip #1 !!!! So excited!!!


Let me just start by saying, I have already been perusing many of the travel sites and there are soooo many!! It is honestly completely overwhelming, but over the past few years Steve has found tripadvisor.com to be greatly helpful and reliable for reviews, suggestions and some booking deals. (I definitely will be relying on it for ideas.)  We have also taken a liking to Rick Steve's stuff.


I was also determined to find these so called super cheap deals that people always mention for European travel! I have heard so many people say, "I found a flight for $12," but have never actually seen such for myself! One site I did come across is skyscanner.com. Not sure if any of you have used this site before, but it is similar to expedia, orbitz, etc.  The site can even be used for flights from the US!


Otherwise, Friday was an uneventful day so could head to Amsterdam early and be full of energy for all the site seeing on the itinerary.

Till next time...
Sarah
Publish Post

Day 15 of 364 - Thur 8/18: We Have Friends!

Phrase of the day:     Vriend    (Friend)

... Well they are friends we already knew from and met in Minneapolis. They too are on assignment here for the next year!

So, I wanted to introduce Jamie and Kim since I am sure will make numerous blog entries, pictures and will most likely be our travel partners on a few different occasions over the year.  Jamie will be working in a different division and on a different project than Steve, but at the same office. And Kim, just like I, will be filling the active housewife, travel agent and explorer role!


In celebration of their arrival we went for Thai food! Yes again, but to a different restaurant -- Pet Thai.
Of course to add interest on our walk to the restaurant we got caught in torrential downpour, but luckily had brought umbrellas with us. Welcome to (rainy) Maastricht!!
_______________

Netherlands Weather and Climate

Mild, maritime climate. Summers are generally warm with changeable periods, but excessively hot weather is rare. Pack a light jacket or sweater even in mid-summer. Winters can be fairly cold with the possibility of some snow. Rainfall is ever a possibility, and rainwear is advisable year-round.

Till next time...

Sarah

Day 14 of 364 - Wed 8/17: The Lunchroom

Phrase of the day:     Het was heel lekker. (hut wahs hale LEK-ur)    (It was delicious.)

I am talking about Steve's cafeteria at work...

If you think your office cafe isn't that great, well then you need to speak with Steve! Following a full week of eating lunch in his cafeteria here in the Netherlands, he is yet to find something he likes!

He has been eating with his new team, and has been open to trying new things. Day #1 it was suggested that he try the Croquets. ...A kroket (croquet or rissole) is a deep fried snack roll stuffed with some sort of stew that, according to the manufacturers, contains meat. (hmm.. suspicious sounding!) It is available in all snack-bars (fast food vendors) and in most company canteens. The are particularly nice when they're spiced up with some mustard. (yeah to kill whatever the original taste was with all the vinegar!!)
After he tried this one co-worker stated, "you tried one?!?" I believe this person also stated they don't even eat this type of food.  Gross, right?!?

He has also tried build your own sandwich (twice now), stir-fry (had too much oil and soy/terryaki sauce), and finally settled on soup and yogurt today.   Looks like packed lunches will be the way to go!

Till next time...
Sarah

Day 13 of 364 - Tues 8/16: Who's calling?!?

Phrase of the day:     Dit is mijn telefoonnummer.   (This is my telephone number.)

Answer: no one! We are having technical difficulties getting our phone set up.. Urgh!

We decided to go with Vonage for our international calls. Once we get it up and running I will be able to start on my call list! And yes, there are many of you on it.

Also, in a separate email I will share our phone number. It will be a 630 #, so all of you in the states can call the number just as you would anyone else! Cell phones and all... Woo hoo!

Sounds easy, right?!

Till next time...
Sarah

Day 12 of 364 - Mon 8/15: Guided Tour

Word of the day:     fiets   (Bicycle)

Today we met with a local who was going to take us around and familiarize us with the city of Maastricht, take us to register as citizens of the town, and open a checking account here at the local bank so we could finally use a debit card here. She was quite helpful and it turned out to be a nice day weather wise.

Though we were both quite ASTONISHED when we went to the second-hand bike shop located at the train station. Prices of bikes are CRAZY high!!!... Yes, the same bicycles ppl ride recreationally back in the states. No wonder ppl steal them here!!! AND I am not even talking "crème de la crème". These are your everyday bikes. Kids bikes are even more than €150 (€= euro) which comes out to $210 (xchg rate of $1.40 = €1)

Commuter parking at the train station

Then we heard about the system. I guess drug addicts, especially in Amsterdam, steal bikes and then sell them back at MUCH cheaper prices. Supposedly as little as €20, just enough to get their next fix.

The woman we were with told us one of her kids had gotten 3 or 4 bikes stolen in the last yr while in Amsterdam. She told them not to purchase from these thieves, but they said they couldn't afford totally brand new bikes. .. Makes sense at $700+ per bike!

So it looks like Steve and I will continue hoofing it or will help keep the "system" alive!

Till next time...
Sarah

Day 11 of 364 - Sun 8/14: Lazy Sunday

Word of the day:     bioscoop   (movie theater)

We decided today was going to be a lazy day!! (Good thing bc it is again gray and drizzling, and honestly my feet hurt from all the walking.) I can't believe that it is already 3pm here and neither of us have taken a shower or moved from "our" couches since we got back from getting take-away coffee at noon. Wow time flys!

Besides spending time on our IPads and laptops we plan to venture out and try their McDonald's and then head to the movies and catch Horrible Bosses.  Note: Most movies here are in English, and seems only children's movies are in Dutch. I am guessing bc kids still haven't fully learned English.

Hope you too have a nice and relaxing Sunday!

Till next time...

Sarah

Day 10 of 364 - Sat 8/13: Unplanned Day at the Zoo

Word of the day:     dierenpark   (zoo)
So today we took another stroll to continue our exploration of Maastricht, and stumbled upon some sort of outside zoo, or what used to be?.?. It was honestly quite strange.   While walking I all of a sudden heard a "bah", and noticed what I thought was a cage across the street and down the block a bit. Curious we walked over and sure enough there was a fenced in area that housed about 10- 12 deer, 5 goats, 2 peacocks and some larger ducks. There was also a large bird cage. Wierd!  Not kidding bc this was in the middle of what I thought was a somewhat quiet subdivision. In the next fenced in area were 4 black sheep and 1 white one. .. "Bah bah Black sheep have you any wool," exactly what I said to Steve as we walked by.
Then we came upon one of the wierdest things I have seen. (At least here so far.) See picture below! I wasn't the only one according to this link... http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigbrotherbackpacking/4965542972/
Can you spot the difference?!?! 
                           And that was it! We didn't see anything else that resembled a zoo.
Btw the answer to above... my picture taken today, the woman is now clothed. Again, strange!!! but to each their own :)
Till next time...Sarah

Day 9 of 364 - Fri 8/12: Time for some Italian... we are hungry!

Phrase of the day:     Een tafel voor een/twee alstublieft.  (A table for one person/two people, please.)
Steve received a recommendation from a co-work for an Italian restaurant here in town, Il Giardino della Mamma, so we decided to try it for our Friday night date night. (But let's not kid ourselves, who else was I going to go out to eat with here in this foreign land?!? ha ha, j/k Steve... You are always the best dinner date!)  In our short time here in the Netherlands we have learned a few helpful tips when it comes to eating out. 1. be ready to be at a restaurant for a loooong time. The Dutch do not eat fast, and I think this holds true in many European countries.  2. They do not serve water, without you asking. And in many cases, you will have to pay for it.  3. It may be best to make reservations, or you will wait in many cases.
In our case, we did not have reservations so we got a drink down the way while we waited. Once in, again we were not disappointed. We probably ordered too much, but it was all good! Oh and... 4. We have heard and read that "doggy-bags" are not often used here, so we need to get better at not over ordering :)

Till next time...Sarah

Day 8 of 364 - Thur 8/11: Google Translate is my Friend

Phrase of the day:     Hoe heet je? (hoo HAYT yuh?)  (What is your name?)

Mijn naam is _ . (meyn NAHM is _.)   (

My name is _.)

Just like in Jr High/ HS Spanish... everyone knows how to ask the other persons name and respond back with theirs, so why not know the same in Dutch?!?I am getting a little better with the Dutch language. Actually, better with word recognition... not so much in tongue. Some words make total sense while others not so much.   I guess I do have a year to get this down!! 2 Quick lessons...
Days of the week:Mon = Maandag  (MAHN-dahg)Tues = Dinsdag  (DINSS-dahg)Wed = Woensdag  (WOONS-dahg)Thur = Donderdag  (DON-duhr-dahg)Fri = Vrijdag  (VRAY-dahg)Sat = Zaterdag  (ZAH-tuhr-dahg)Sun = Zondag  (ZON-dahg)   Counting to 10:1 = een (AIN)2 = twee (TWAY)3 = drie (DREE)4 = vier (VEER)5 = vijf (VAYF)6 = zes (ZEHS)7 = zeven (ZAY-vuhn)8 = acht (AHGT)9 = negen (NAY-guhn)10 = tien (TEEN)
Till next time...Sarah

Day 7 of 364 - Wed 8/10: Back to Reality- 1st day on the job in the real Dutch world

Word of the day:     goedemorgen  (Good morning)

Steve started his job today, so that means I am all on my own. Scary!!!
First things up... Alarm went off at 9:30. Wow, spoiled, slacker... I know that is what you are thinking! But it really doesn't make sense for me to get up any earlier.   Hmm, you now say?!?... Well, the cafes here don't open till 10am, so NO coffee till then.   Now you are saying, Wtf, right?!?... Well, I guess the Dutch like to meet for coffee at 10:30. Not sure what they do before then?? (Note to self: find out!)
Also the gym in our complex doesn't open till 3pm on Wednesdays. Again not sure why, but the gym here has odd hours. They are closed during the "off-hours", but that is pretty much when I was hoping to go! Not with everyone else super early (before work hours), or after work hours. (Again note to self: find out if there are other options. Otherwise I may have to find more work during the work day here. ...absolutely not a goal of mine this year ;) )

So on the to do list for the day...
- get coffee (10am) ... Check
- pick up groceries, so we at least have dinner tonight, and Steve requested Coke light and fruit ... Check      
(note to self: need to work on grocery shopping here, or it may be a loooong year ;) )
- sit on balcony to get sun, enjoy latte and blog ... Check!!!
- rearrange furniture so is more to our comfort level... Check!
still to do as of 3pm...
- add anything else to the missing from the apt list
- workout w/ Steve when he gets home (Note: I have not been good at all about the gym since getting back from Mexico, and that was the beginning of May --- yikes bc it is now Aug. Then again is pretty typical Summer Sarah!)

Btw... I have been to the grocery store (Albert Heijn) here MORE times in this first week than I was in the past 2 months back in the states. I really need to get to know the food here. Also, I guess work really does follow me everywhere. ha ha!  Can't wait for our shipped box to arrive! It has a few goodies in it that should help :) but probably have to wait another week :(

    

** removed the 3rd couch that was blocking door to patio, and moved dining table into room instead of by front door. i think there were some photos on day 1.

Day 6 of 364 - Tues 8/9: Jet Lag... can't get over it

Word of the day:     vermoeid  (tired)

This time difference of 7 hours ahead in comparison to Chicago is really throwing both Steve and I off. One minute we feel adjusted and the next totally not! Wonder how long this is going to take?
Today we didn't do a whole lot.... Tired! We slept till almost 1pm, and the weather didn't help matters since it was cold and rainy :(

Yes, our a$$es got kicked today! Nothing more to say.

Till next time...
Sarah

Day 5 of 364 - Mon 8/8: Feels like Fall! But wait.... It is toooooo early!!!

Word of the day:    broodjes  (Sandwich)

Let me start out by saying that is has been much cooler here vs. home. Though, it has been a pleasant surprise. Since being here it has been in the upper 60's. Of course on days when the sun is out it feels much warmer!  Fall purely makes me think of Pumpkins and Apples, and I want something w/ APPLE in it! The search is on... The only other thing I crave more all Fall long, is Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte! (**If you have never had one, I highly suggest you do this Fall, but don't tell me when you do bc I will just be super jealous since I am doubtful I will find a Starbucks here.)
Searching on the Internet, I came across a few reviews saying you won't find a Starbucks here, but a great alternative (if not better) is a place called Coffee Lovers. Lucky for me there is one only a few blocks away. It has become my place for coffee!

     

  
Today, we had to drive back almost to Amsterdam, about 2.5hrs in order to get a TEMPORARY Visa stamp allowing for work. This took all of about 30mins, so both of us aren't sure why we couldn't just have done this the day we arrived? I mean driving 2.5hrs for 30mins and a sticker just doesn't make sense!

Since we were up that way and finished w/ our appt by 1p we asked the Visa woman if she had any lunch recommendations. She suggested visiting the town of Delft, only 5mins away. She also suggested Stads-Koffyhuis. If you ask me there really wasn't much to the town, but I am not the biggest history buff out there! (maybe I will get better over the next year?!?)   I also don't think we understand Dutch cuisine since we both were not impressed with our broodjes. Hmm??.. (**Definitely not Jimmy Johns on a number of levels) But they did have a cute outside area to site on a docked barge.

  

After our couple hours in Delft, we then experienced Dutch traffic. We even had to make up our own detour since part of the highway we needed to drive was closed, and the navigation didn't know and we didn't understand the detour signs. That is if what we thought were detour signs really were?!?!

We also learned when parking signs limit parking to 2hrs (blue zones) you are to display a parking pass on your dashboard stating the time of arrival. 1. we didn't know and 2. our car actually didn't come with one. Luckily we did not get a ticket! (*Note to self: remember to pick one up at the grocery store this weekend!)

Till next time...

Sarah

Day 4 of 364 - Sun 8/7: Early Start

Up at 5am... Again! This time I only tried going back to sleep for 30mins. I have now been on my iPhone Internet (and yes fb too) for the last hr+ while Steve is sound asleep next to me. Urgh! Good thing we now sleep in twin beds pushed together... Ha ha! No disturbances here from me tossing and turning.

If you couldn't tell from the pic, the beds are able to be adjusted to sitting positions, or to elevate your legs. And YES, move independently of each other! Maybe the Dutch know something we Americans don't???

Alright 7:15a, gonna try to go back to sleep for another couple hours. I need to get on track w/ this new time zone!  Not to mention, all of you in the states are just about to hit the hay. Crazy how time is soooo different!




Word of the day:   boottocht   (boat ride)

Up again. For real this time!  We walked back to the downtown area of Maastricht (our new hang out). Then we decided to do the touristy thing and took a boat ride to see some of the sites along the Maas River which runs right thru the town, and is only a couple blocks from our home. Lucky for us some of the guided tour commentary was in English.

Till next time...
Sarah

Day 3 of 364 - Sat 8/6: On the Hunt for Ikea

Word of the day:    Alstublieft   (Please)

Made it to IKEA today... Exactly the same as in the states! Good/Bad??... You be the judge.
Even saw the stuffed animal my mom recently bought my nephew Aiden, which they fittingly named, Kea! (shh... I thought about buying one for steve for home sick purposes.. Ha ha!)
We even ate lunch there, something we hadn't done previously. Not too bad, but not the best either.

We also did a quick practice drive to Steve's office since it is just past the Ikea.

Which means Steve also drove today. Let me tell you it was a lot of fun bc we had to fully rely on the navigation system, and hope we understood the road signs. Some are a bit different than at home in the states. Not to mention, I haven't seen a single Stop Sign! (We need to figure that one out) But if I do say myself, Steve did great... NO injury or accident, though there was one close call in a round-about. You know the circles you worry about getting out of and so easily get stuck in the very inner lane :)

We also visited another grocery store Jumbo. Definitely did not come out of there having done a pantry-stocking trip! We probably only picked up about 10 things. Croissants, bottled H2O, sparkling H2O, pasta, sauce, cheese, crackers, beer and wine. Hmmm... We may be a bit hungry still!

Otherwise an uneventful day due to the rain, and us just being a bit tired. Sorry to be such a bore.

Till next time...
Sarah

Day 2 of 364 - Fri 8/5: Home Sick Already??

Word/phrase of the day:     Mag ik een menu  (may I see a menu)

Already sick of Dutch food! j/k. At least for now.  But we did hear from others who have been here before that their Indonesian food was pretty good, so we gave it a whirl. We were not disappointed, just like home :)  We choose Thai - Beef w/curry sauce and Pad Thai w/ prawns.
Needless to say, we will be returning and even doing "take-away" as their business card says!

**For those unaware, the Dutch are not overly celebrated for their cuisine.

Till next time...
Sarah

Day 1 of 364 - Thurs 8/4: Hallo Maastricht!

    

Word of the day:     Hallo en welkom   (Hello and welcome)

Amsterdam at 6:15am on Thursday and the FUN has begun!! It has been a loooonnnggg day or 2!?! I have already lost track of time with the change in time zones. 15hrs of travel time, but with the time difference a full 24hrs from the minute we got to O'Hare till the minute we stepped foot into our new apt.

We flew from Chicago to Minneapolis (damn tax purposes), had a 5hr layover, flew to Amsterdam (there for 15mins), and took a 2.5hr train to Maastricht where we were greeted by a car service for our less than 1/4mi drive to our apt. Though I am not complaining since we had 4 suitcases and a few other carry-on bags and would have had to tackle cobblestone sidewalks.

Hallo Maastricht! 

Once at our apt, we found out it wasn't quite ready bc there was a slight mix-up as to the order to prepare the apts for new tenants, so the painters were still painting our stairs. We got in a few hours later after taking a nap and shower at the "ready" apt which turns out to be the other couple's we know coming here in a week.

                      

Later in the day we did walk around the town and then even enjoyed our first beer (Steve) and a glass of wine (me) while sitting outside on the patio of a restaurant located in the Vrijthof Markt.



On another note... You may also be wondering why 364 in the blog title??? Well, it corresponds with the number of days we will be here. I guess staying 365 or more puts us into a different tax bracket when you are an ex-pat so we must return to the states by then. And no, no extra travel on our own is allowed in Europe. We must be back in the states.

Till next time...
Sarah