3 Great Things About Europe

Minal says ...

While we have only been to Amsterdam and Paris so far, there are some things that I really like about the Europe I have seen:

1. The fresh food: I was pleasantly surprised to find amazing fresh orange juice and great freshly baked bread in bakeries dotting the city in Amsterdam. The trend continues in Paris - the bakeries are everywhere, there is fresh fruit displayed outside stores on several streets, and even Starbucks has fresh orange juice. Most wonderfully, though, are the crepe stands that make fresh crepes in front of you. If only Boston could have these stands - they would make great places for snacks as I burn the midnight oil :)

2. The liveliness: Yesterday was a beautiful day in Paris. In celebration, people were socializing in sidewalk cafes, sitting in the parks that seem to be everywhere, picnicking on the banks of the Seine .... there was life all around! Tonight, as we returned from the Moulin Rouge (which is admittedly close to the Red Light District), we saw many people milling around on the streets. We saw a similar trend in Amsterdam by the central station and the main social square - even though it was quite cold there.

3. The "make-it-work" attitude: The driving in Paris is great - there are no lanes, and people get where they want to get - even if they want to turn left from the rightmost side of the street. Maybe the Parisians took driving lessons from the Indians. I'm sure this is a nightmare to drive in (hence the many tiny smart cars), but it is great to watch. Another example of this attitude is the restrooms. Several restrooms that you need to pay for accommodate both genders for the stalls rather than creating a whole separate row of stalls for the few guys who need them. And sometimes they let women use the unused men's stalls: today, at the Moulin Rouge, they were directing women to use the stalls in the men's restroom when the ladies line was too long - I was told "No Looking" as I walked in :)

Alright - it's time for bed - almost 2 a.m. While this 'sleep late, wake up late' schedule has been great since the sun sets only at 10, we are getting on an overnight train tomorrow - which leaves here at 8:30 and gets to Barcelona at 8:30 Saturday morning. I definitely don't want to sleep through the stop in Barcelona :)

Beware of Bicycles

Of all the things Amsterdam is known for, I didn't expect this to be one of the more memorable ones. Wandering around the city, one can't help but notice that the number of cyclists often outnumber motor vehicles (and sometimes even pedestrians). It's also fairly easy to be walking on what seems to be a sidewalk, then nearly trounced by a swarm of bikers, warned only by the friendly sounding bell equipped on most bikes. Luckily, we avoided becoming bicycle road kill, though we did see a near collission amongst a pair of riders. Perhaps they need traffic lights for them as well. It is refreshing to see so many different types of transportation being used effectively. However, it does make life interesting for a pedestrian crossing the street, having to look out for about 3 different speeds and sizes of traffic.

-Manish

Destination #4: Kirkland

Minal says ...

Both Manish and I quit our jobs around a month ago and are quite enjoying unemployment. In the past few weeks, we visited Philadelphia for my sister's graduation, then traveled to Hawaii - first for a family vacation in Kauai and then for a wedding in Oahu. Philadelphia was cold and rainy (hmm... seems like we took the Seattle weather there), but it was great seeing Hena receive her diploma. Kauai was fantastic - in between lazing by the pool and swimming in the sea, we kayaked a bit and zip-lined (is that the verb?) for the first time. In Oahu, we got to celebrate with Sandra and Wally at their wedding - and catch up with several friends. 

Fast-forward 2 weeks. We've been quite busy planning a move across the country to Boston - and today we hope everything will come together (the truck is being loaded with all our stuff as I type this). While our house is in a state of total chaos, we are staying at the Woodmark Hotel in Kirkland (which I highly recommend). As we live out of a suitcase, it almost seems as if we have started our European adventure right here in Seattle :) Tomorrow we leave for Amsterdam. More from across the Atlantic in the next few days!