Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Amsterdam ::: Day 5 ::: Haarlem

Yesterday I took the train to Haarlem, just outside of Amsterdam. It's like a cross-between Amsterdam and Brugge. It's missing the throng of people and all the coffeeshops of Amsterdam. And it's smaller, like Brugge, but with a fraction of the charm.

Still, it was nice to get out of Amsterdam for the day. I walked around Haarlem. Found the windmill along the main canal, where I also saw an old pirate ship pass by. Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough on the draw with the camera on that one.

My lunch was incredibly good. I went to Bagel and More. I got a plain bagel, sliced in half, with a thick slice of warm goatcheese and honey in the middle, sprinkled with rosemary and pine nuts. I could probably eat that every day for the rest of my life and never get sick of it.

After that I did a bit of window shopping. I discovered that Chuck Taylors cost 65 euros or more. Considering that they go for $45 online, those would be the most expensive Chucks ever, once you factor in the exchange rate, if I were to buy them here.

Just as I was heading back to the train station, the sun finally came out, so I decided to follow-up my two espressos and bagel lunch with a Heineken out on a patio in Haarlem's main square.

Later, I went to the grocery store and discovered food for cheap. A can of Coke in Europe ranges from 1,50 to 3,00 euros! In the grocery store it costs 0,50 euros. So I pulled together a feast for cheap, and spent the evening watching old episodes of Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place in my room.



Dad, here's your Jaguar, with whitewall tires even, just how you like! Would have gotten a closer shot, but a bride and groom were about to get in.






Here is a very small fraction of the bikes parked outside the Haarlem train station. Seriously, everyone bikes here. There are hardly any cars.

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