Operation Market Garden 65th Commemoration

The Queen (yes, Holland has a queen and she's right behind the pole under the white awning) was here in Nijmegen today, commemorating the 65th anniversary of Operation Market Garden. This was the largest airborne offensive ever to take place, and it was conducted by the British, American, Polish, Canadian and Dutch Resistance troops to try and gain control of key bridges in the Netherlands near the German border. It started off well but several mistakes meant that by the end a couple days later, the operation was unsuccessful.

I went to the site of one of those bridges where thousands of Dutch people had gathered to honor their veterans and the Allies who valiantly tried to win back their country. Many soldiers were there, dressed in their official uniforms. They also had several tanks and soldiers dressed as if they were from that era. The queen sat in a little tent and watched the commemoration. I didn't understand a lot of (or any, really) the Dutch that they spoke, but at one point they played the Star-Spangled Banner! That was really cool - I had chills.

In trying to fight to have a view of the action I also realized that Dutch people really do earn their distinction as the tallest people in the world. Gah!

Dinner at Mick's

I had my first Dutch dinner invitation! Ben and I were invited to our classmate's apartment on Friday. It was really good to chat with her (her name's Mick) and her boyfriend Mennno over scrumptuous zucchini soup and bread with blue cheese. The brownies I brought over for dessert didn't turn out very well (the mix in the Dutch grocery stores only has you add water; I didn't have very high expectations.) Good thing I had also bought these marshmallow-filled chocolate things. (See the box on the table?) Apparently (this is not a joke) these treats used to be called "Kisses from a Black Person." They've subsequently renamed them...

Their dog was really cute - she was very Americanized with her Smurf and Ernie dolls!

And I know what you're thinking...I will cut my bangs...they're out of control!

Mexican Food!!

Yvette (my roommate) and I made a Mexican dinner on Thursday night and it was delicious! I hadn't realized how much Mexican food reminds me of home. Unfortunately we did not have unlimited chips and salsa:(

Granada, Spain - Alhambra

9/12/09

Kate, Josh and I took the train (at 7 AM!) to Granada, Spain which is another province along the southern Mediterranean coast. Granada is a delightful town with the same type of narrow, winding cobblestone alleys.

This is where the famous Alhambra palace is. It was built by the Moors in the 14th century. Apparently it was a runner-up for the Seven New Wonders of the World. It's a sprawling campus of meticulous gardens, gorgeous fountains, and elegant palaces. You can wander around the grounds all day!

Seville, Spain

I guess I should explain that I flew to Spain for the weekend...I've managed to get all my law classes on just Tues and Wed.

I really love Spain...the weather is nice, people are friendly, and Seville is so picturesque. Josh and I explored the city yesterday, going to the Cathedral where Christopher Columbus was buried and the Real Alcazar (old fortress.) It was quite a different experience to actually be able to know some of the language spoken! I don't think I'll ever get used to the Spanish lisp, though - I prefer a Mexican accent myself.

I have a bicycle!!!

People in the Netherlands use bikes to go EVERYWHERE. You see professors leaving campus on them, parents taking kids to school on them, old women with groceries on them. It's impossible to live without one here, I think. So now I have one! Yvette had an extra so I just went to the bike shop and got new tires and was ready to go.

New apartment in Nijmegen, the Netherlands

I have such a cute apartment with the nicest roommate ever!! Her name is Yvette, she's a high school English teacher, and she loves to travel. She has been tremendously helpful to me in finding things around town, figuring out the train system, and even giving me the discount cards for the grocery stores. She is a lot of fun to talk to, and her English is perfect (except that she's prone to using British English, so she's already taught me a few English words!) Her apartment is fully stocked with books (she even has my same Ikea bookcase!) so I don't have to find reading material at the library.

The apartment is in Nijmegen Oost (aka East Nijmegen) and it's a working-class residential neighborhood. Very large, cobblestone streets with several parks and playgrounds crawling with kids - I like the area a lot. I had been worried that I'd be put in an undergrad-type student area, but this is perfect.

Antwerp, Belgium and Rotterdam, NL

I just got back from a lovely weekend with an old friend from Belgium. (Steven's a medical student I met while I was in Europe two years ago.) We met up in Antwerp where I stuffed myself with Belgian waffles. Ohmygod they are so delicious...they taste NOTHING like the so-called Belgian waffles in the US. These ones have sugar or honey or something on them, and they are heated up for you right when you order it. Yum...

We spent the majority of our time in Rotterdam, a city in west Netherlands that's European's largest port. It is really a unique city - in the decades after it was bombed in WWII the city council decided to rebuild in a more modern style rather than restoring the old flavor. The result is an eclectic place with real charm. For instance, the city library is a funky mixture of contemporary decor coupled with old men watching chess games. (I love going to see a city's library...I really think it can reveal a lot about the character of the place.)

Steven and I happened to be in Rotterdam during Harbor Days, which as far as I could tell meant that many old Dutch people dressed up in traditional clothing (including the wooden shoes!) and sang schlager songs.

I had a great time catching up with Steven and hearing about medical school life in Belgium. Not so different, as it turns out. As I've been eating tons of Belgian waffles every time I see him, I've been trying to convince him to come on a "culinary tour" of the US to sample my food...poor guy has had to hear me go on and on about BBQ, bacon egg and cheese biscuits, Waffle House, and sweet tea.

And of course I would forget my camera...I'm going to try and find some pictures of Rotterdam on the internet. (These pictures are ones I found online of Rotterdam - I didn't take them.)

Here's an old picture of me and Steven in Belgium...just fast-forward two years.

Petra, Jordan - Tea with the locals

8/29/09 (many days ago...)

On our last day in Jordan Lily and I were invited to tea by the locals we had met yesterday - it was sooooo cool! We hiked around a bit more in Petra and then we ended up in the desert near the town and had a little fire to boil the water. Bedouin tea involves a lot of sugar, so I like it a lot. The views were spectacular, and the conversation was fabulous!