On Island Time. Week 3.

This week started off with baggy eyes and more cups of coffee than one person probably needs due to the one hour of sleep we got before having to be at the airport to fly back from Dublin. After class on Monday the evening was spent unpacking from the weekend and trying to figure out how to pack a weeks worth of clothes into a small backpack and carry on suitcase. When we arrived in Norderney on Tuesday I was a little shocked at how cool it was there. The cool crisp air was a nice break from the warm weather in Bonn.

The first night in Norderney we rode our bikes to the beach to try and find a nice place to sit and relax, but instead we found ourselves huddling in the beach chairs to shield ourselves from the freezing rain. Trying to ride a bike in the cold, pouring rain with inadequate clothing was quite the challenge. The next day, though, was quite possibly one of the most relaxing days of my life. The Badehaus exceeded all expectations I had. I have never really been that comfortable with spas as they make me feel a little vulnerable. However, every stress and worry I have ever had melted away when I was falling asleep in the dark saltwater pool. I tried to experience everything in the Badehaus and I was not disappointed with any of it. I left feeling like an incredibly exfoliated new person. Afterwards, we just wandered around Norderney and picked up some gifts for friends and family. The evening barbecue was so much fun. Eating some traditional German foods, making s’mores, and starting a spontaneous dance party is a memory I will never forget. The bike tour the next day was definitely a test of my physical abilities, especially when we hit the head winds. It was a great way to see the island though, and a great workout to work off all of the bread and cheese I have been eating. The walk on the mud flats was incredibly cool. It felt a bit odd though to have 3 layers of jackets on, but also shorts so that I could walk around in cold mud and water. But I have never seen anything like that before, and it was shocking at how fast the tide rolled in at the end.

For the weekend we went to Amsterdam. It was a very interesting city. The architecture was so modern and there was artwork everywhere. On Saturday we went to the Anne Frank museum and the Van Gogh museum. For lunch, we found a placed called the Foodhallen. It was a giant building full of different little restaurants with every type of food imaginable. They also had bleachers set up so people could watch the soccer game.  I really wish we had one in college station. Then in the evening we took a canal tour around Amsterdam and had pizza, ice cream and wine. It was so much fun and a fantastic way to see the city. That night we decided to walk through the red light district, and it was definitely a sight to see. Overall, Amsterdam was a very new experience because pretty much everything is legal there. It was so odd to walk down the street and see restaurants prohibiting cigarette smoking but allowing weed smoking. But it was a beautiful city nonetheless, and I would love to visit more of the Netherlands and explore Amsterdam further! Another amazing week down!