Life Begins at 30

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away!

The second quarter of 2009 is probably one of the craziest time for me.  As it was approaching summer, I had the opportunity to actually enjoy more sunshine in the Netherlands than usual.   I am not a sun worshipper, but living under grey skies for a good three months, made me miss all the sunshine I used to have living in the tropics.  Sunshine is a commodity here in Europe and from what I learned in the few months that I’ve lived here,  it is a must to enjoy it while it lasts

My second quarter experience will take you through my escapades in the sunnier part of Europe.  Take note that sunny doesn’t always mean warm here, but it could pretty much mean good weather nonetheless.

APRIL: Spring Awakening

While March ended with a quick getaway to Italy’s most romantic city,  April started with a quiet weekend in the The Hague. After spending a few weekends away from home,  it actually felt good be back.  The fact that I can stay in my bed longer than usual just does it for me.   Not to lose out on the beautiful day ahead, I found myself having a leisurely stroll along the Herenstraat,  enjoying the Saturday open market.  I picked up my usual stash of fresh Holland Tulips from the bloemenmarkt,  fresh meat from the butcher and a bunch of fruits and vegetables .  Visiting the market is one of my favorite pasttimes in Holland so I make it a point to go there whenever I can (which is not very often!).

As  the sun continues to gleam brighthly upon us, we decided to go for a quick drive to Scheveningen to bask in the  sun, and simply chill by the beach with a bottle of wine.  I am a self-confessed beach bum and I wouldn’t pass up any chance to enjoy the sun, sea and sand.  Having sand on my feet brings back very fond childhood memories. To this day, it makes me smile each time I dip my toes into it like a little kid.

Chillin' out in Scheveningen

Easter weekend was a little bit hectic. On Thursday, a good friend of mine had his surgery and I spent the day at the hospital with him and Dennis.  While waiting,  Dennis and I bonded over Chinese food at a nearby winkelcentrum.  It was really nice how I managed  to see a deeper side of him during the few hours that we sat in the restaurant,  just chatting about life in general and about past experiences.

We went back into the recovery room and waited another couple of hours until Chris finally rolled back into the room, half asleep and half drifting into space with the morphine shots he took for the surgery.  It wasn’t my  first time to deal with hospitals in Holland, but I still can’t help but shake my head in disbelief with how they expect patients to get up and go home few hours after being cut up.

Keukenhof Garden, Lisse, Netherlands

A couple of friends flew in to visit Chris and also to explore the lowlands.  For the rest of Easter, I spent time with them going shopping at the outlet in Roermond and went for a very quick trip to Keukenhof to enjoy the most beautiful spring garden in the world. Indeed, Keukenhof is one place you wouldn’t want to miss when visiting the Netherlands during spring time.  Later that evening, I boarded my flight to my dream destination — Greece!

The Famous Santorini at Ouia

I spent a good 9 days of pure bliss in the beautiful, sunny islands of  Greece, hopping between Rhodes, Santorini and Athens.  In the future,  I will chronicle my great Greek adventure in a separate blog, but suffice it to say that Greece is indeed one hell of a place to explore and experience, from cuisine down to architecture, it’s history, culture and simply the way of life on each of the islands.  It is so diverse, yet so much alike in so many ways.

Blessed with another one of those long weekends, we decided to skip the crowd in Holland and  pack our bags for  a spontaneous trip to the Champagne Region in France.  There wasn’t a lot to see in the region, but it was nevertheless a good trip. This trip was highlighted by the fact that we managed to see the caves of  Pommery and Moet & Chandon. Both have their own charm, but I prefer the Pommery one because of the contemporary artwork inside the caves.

Moet & Chandon in Epernay

MAY: Basking in the Sun

May was probably  the best time for any sort of vacation. The weather was just fantastic. There was enough sunshine to last throughout the day,  enough warmth to be able to wear light clothes without freezing, yet enough cool breeze to balance it.  I would say the weather in May was just perfect.

Working for a generous company has its advantages.  During one of the long weekends of May, our company sponsored a 4-day trip to the Ardennes for everyone, including our families, in celebration of the company’s 7th year anniversary.  In my whole life working for different employers, I have never been to such an elaborate family gathering.  For 4 days in a row, we had the opportunity to try out different activities both for the adventurous and the faint-hearted.  There were loads of activities organized in separate venues from mountain biking, kayaking, rock climbing, rapelling, tennis and swimming… or for those who simply want to chill and unwind, having spa treatments or enjoying free flowing drinks and a game of pool at the hotel lobby proved to be an equally relaxing option.

Rock Climbing and Rapelling at the Ardennes Spa, Belgium

As the temperature continued to rise up,  I found myself packing for  yet another spontaneous trip to Germany to enjoy a tour around the Rhein River.  This trip is truly one for the books.  It was such an amazing experience to be able to go around Koln and Bonn, both for sightseeing and also to party.  But what stuck in my mind the most is the part where I shared a huge villa with 3 guys who scared me to death nonstop with ghost stories, to a point where I found myself having a shower with the lights suddenly turning off! It was very tiring trip indeed, but really enjoyed that moment when the spirit of brandy kicked into one of our friends! Oh boy, was it sooo hilarious!!! (Hindi ko sasabihin kung sino, pero pag pinilit ako…hmmm… hulaan niyo!)

after The Climb!!!

Upon the suggestion of our friends, we took an afternoon drive to Konigswinter to the Drachenfels. No expectations whatsoever, not even an idea of what to see there, we put the address on the TomTom and off we go.  Little did we know that what was supposed to be a leisurely 2 kilometer hike around the park, turned out to be a challenging uphill climb that took us an hour to reach what seemed to be a restaurant/beer garden.  Surprised to see some strollers and little kids in the restaurant, we tried to figure out some mode of transportation from the top.  And then it hit us…  we were actually trekking the mountain-bike/hiking trail and not exactly using the facility for tourists with the funicular going up and down from the other side of the mountain!!! Too late, we were already at the top! And the funny part is, tired and lazy, we decided to descend the mountain with the funicular going down… and ended up on the other foot of the mountain, with our car parked somewhere on the opposite side. How we found the car is a story in itself, but we managed to find it with the help of the ever dependable iphone!

JUNE: Prelude to Summer

The weather continued to improve but sometime around June, it suddenly rained so hard.  It happened on that same day that we decided to go for a drive to the highest point in the Netherlands, which consequently is also known as the Drielandenpunt, a Dutch term for three land point.  It is that one place where the Dutch, German and Belgian border intersects.

Drielandenpunt

Like any other spontaneous trip,  I decided to pick London as my next destination to meet up with my good friend Kaye, who was planning to move to Australia.   I invited one friend to come with me… then it became two… then three… and later on, it became a team excursion and I found myself on a trip to London with 10 people, driving in 2 cars from Holland, and 2 guys flying out from Switzerland.  I have to say this was one of my best trips to London.  It was surprisingly strange to see London again, yet the familiarity gave me a sense of home.   It has been awhile, but when I saw the Underground and the Buckingham, all the silly memories and adventures came rushing back to me as if it was only yesterday.  Indeed, no matter where I go, London will always have a special space in my heart.

London, the closest thing to home

Looking back, I realized how much carbon I must have burned over the 3 month period that I spent traversing the different parts of Europe… and revisiting one that is closest to my heart.  Until the next installment… Summer is up next!