Leeuwarden, Friesland

***I'm hoping to review new places, both within and outside the Netherlands, that I happen to visit. Prefacing with the fact that these reviews, will of course, be subjective to what I experience. Some people may agree or disagree, but for the purpose of my blog, I will write from my POV. 

First up: 

Leeuwarden, Friesland

Hidden alleyways that make up Leeuwarden. 

No, it's not the land of fries...

...although fries and mayo are a staple, here in the Netherlands. And the mayo, may I add, is 1000% better than American mayo. 

Fries served like this, with mayo and other garnishes, is a common staple street food in the ND

The trip to Leeuwarden (Lou-varden) was a sponsored trip by VU. It was part of the Introduction Week the coordinators of Semester In Amsterdam hosted for first-years and international students. Leeuwarden is located north of Amsterdam in the province of...well...Friesland. 

It is a small, compact, quant little town with narrow cobblestone streets snaking their way between century-old buildings that hold secrets of the past. The entire city center in its entirety can be walked in about 1 hour, give or take. 

Each street is lined with local businesses and bakeries. Older couples stroll through the quiet alleyways, saying hello to shop owners as the day begins. Everyone knows each other. Even the stray cats seemed to recognize everyone that walked past it while weaving in and out of stores. 

Detour: I've noticed that in the Netherlands, there is an understood etiquette when it comes to animals. It feels more welcoming and sympathetic. For example, while we were in Leeuwarden, a stray cat jumped up on the table of two women eating lunch. I warned them that the animal was about to jump, but they welcomed and pet it. In the States, I feel like people are disgusted by such an event and shoo any animal off the table. 

Two different ginger tabby cats making the most of this beautiful town

Though the town housed so much history, ironically enough, the main town square offered stores like H&M, Subway, McDonalds, a cosmetic store and other modern essentials. Nevertheless, the town still retained its character. 

A section of the town square where you can see the 'M' of H&M

During this two day trip, we were free to wander around the town. We had one free group dinner with everyone in the Semester In Amsterdam program inside of an old prison, Blokhuispoort. I believe the food that we ate was considered "traditional" Dutch street food. We quickly discovered that everything in the hot plates were vegetables, which is great, but there was no meat in sight. However, there was beyond meat - on a stick. Let's just say we ate the food because we didn't want to waste a free meal. 

**I thought I took a picture of our dinner that night, but unfortunately, I forgot. 

Overall, I had a really good time in Leeuwarden. It was a beautiful town that was not only visually appealing, but offered activities to enjoy during the day with friends (shopping - we did a lot of damage). 

The drive back was just as enjoyable. We drove through coastal scenery and saw the Atlantic Ocean. The Netherlands, at least, have towering wind turbines scattered in the countryside, and in this case, in the middle of the ocean. It's terrifyingly incredible to see rows of these colossal objects poking up through the ocean. 

If you look closely, you can see the rows of wind turbines guarding the sea. 

Anyways, I'm excited to see where else I travel/visit while I'm studying abroad!