These times they are a changin'

Just takin' some time out to put down a few observations of late.
This blog comes slightly out of order, in that I’ve just got back from 2 weeks holidays with the lovely Brett (which I will blog about soon I promise but its looming as a massive undertaking for another day) but I’ve noticed a few things which I wanted to share.


Spring has finally sprung in Maastricht. I’ve been waiting for it for so long because I got here in time to see the trees change from green to autumn colours to deathly black sticks and I’ve been so looking forward to seeing all the leaves and flowers come back. Now don’t get too excited, the signs are only small at the moment – but the promise they hold is making everyone here noticeably more happy. Little daisies are starting to sprout in the green lawns now that they’re no longer suffocated by snow, and rows of yellow or purple flowers are popping up in random clumps in large patches of grass (for example there’s a rectangular sort of section of flowers out the front of our guesthouse building in the middle of a whole field of grass). Japanese blossom trees are flowering and there are daffodils in people’s front gardens. (All of this bodes very well for our planned trip to the Netherland’s largest display of tulips and other flowers up north in about a month’s time).

     

(a taste of the Keukenhof flower gardens - maastricht doesn't quite look like this yet!)

The weather also has pulled its finger out – it got to a whopping 16C yesterday! (although the average has been more like 13C during the day and about 4C at night.) Still, there’s sun, oh glorious sun. It was actually warm in the sunlight, like ‘break a small sweat if you were mildly physically active in said sun’ warm. My new roomie even hauled a chair out on to her balcony (which I don’t think anyone else has used since I’ve been here) to read a book in the sun. And it won't be long before Nakita gets out those shorts she's been longing to wear (and so whinging about) for months! When we first got here all the Aussie gave these Euro wimps crap for ripping off their tops and dining alfresco as soon as the weather tipped above 10C but after months of sunlight deprivation and night falling as early as 4.30pm we know understand. When Brett and I left here 2 and a bit weeks ago it was about 5C, gloves, scarves and hats were necessary. On my return I find I need only wear 2 layers now and I can even get away with cycling without gloves. I don’t even need the 5 pairs of woollen socks I’ve accumulated. Over the last few days I too, like some deprived European sunflower, have begun turning my head to the sun every chance I get (although I argue it is still a bit too chilly to sit outside to eat).

I am most pleased though at the extended daylight hours – it’s now light until at least 6.30pm which means less riding home in the dark. AND its lighter earlier in the mornings which, yep, you guessed it, means less riding TO uni in the dark. All in all the weather over the past few days has reminded me a bit of home, those days between summer and autumn where its no longer beach weather but its perfect for a drive with the window down or a walk on the beach (but not a swim).


However, I am weary not to get ahead of myself. We have had bursts of nice weather before (say a week of 8C days in between weeks of frost and fog) and even during one day the weather can turn – you leave the house without a scarfe, hat or gloves because you think it won’t be necessary and end up coming home an ice cube. So I refused to be suckered in completely. But it is officially spring here and the signs are good for a gradually move back to that elusive European summer I experience for just a few weeks at the start of my trip.



And on another note, I know I've been a bit slack with your Dutch lessons (although I've still been going to mine) so here's some Dutch I've learned:
"Helas pindakaas!" = "that's crap!"
spijkerbroek is the Dutch word for jeans (go firgure)
and a cute one... krumeltjes = crumbs! :)

Day 217 - Cologne in a nutshell (and in a day)

Day 217 - Weeeee got a ticket to riiiiiide :D

After my Turkish room-mate (who only stayed about 2 weeks in the end) disappeared to Cologne for the weekend on a spontaneous trip I decided it might not be a bad idea. However, we only went for the day but still, going to another country for the equivalent of a ‘Sunday drive’ sounded pretty spontaneous to me! So Nakita (Sydney), Andra (Canada) and I hopped on the bus/train and less than 2 hours later we were in Cologne, Germany.

the intrepid daytrippers

Not knowing a lot about the place and having done minimal research (that wouldn’t be very spontaneous would it!?) we decided the easiest thing to do would be to jump on one of those oh so cool tourist buses (double decker of course) with the nifty headsets that tell you about the place in a bajillion different languages. Good thing there was no walking tour option (which we would have taken) because the city is actually quite spread out, over two sides of a river, and it was unusually cold that day both in Cologne and Maastricht, cold enough to get tiny tiny little flecks of snow at times. So we sat on the bus for about an hour and a half (along with a guy who, no joke, burped loudly about 5 times during the trip!!! with not a hint of bashfulness) as we were driven past the place that actually first made cologne cologne (you know, the smelly stuff of the same name - but to be honest the stuff stinks!), the zoo and botanic gardens (which would NOT have been a pleasant stop on such a cold day), a chocolate factory on the river bank and most memorably a brewery on a big square where we promptly marched back to for lunch after the bus tour!



the cologne-ery
 Our waiter was hilarious, taking every opportunity to put another glass of the beer brewed right on premises down in front of us. It was nice, refreshing beer with a windmill as its logo. The place was small and cozy, like a slightly dwarfed version of a normal german beer hall, and the food was great – schnitzel just how we like it (tender and pan fried pork) with whatever kind of potatoes you can think of to ask for. Of course we had to indulge in some streudel for dessert … and a couple more beers (which we really HAD to indulge in, the guy wouldn’t say no, even Nakita had more than one!! ;P)


After a stroll back through the shopping district (a network of pedestrian malls which are pretty well advertised in Maastricht etc as a good place to spend a day melting the plastic) we arrived at the real attraction in town – the Koln Dom, or Cologne Cathedral. Now this thing is just awesome – literally. A textbook example of a gothic cathedral, all grey and black and imposing. It’s so tall (can't fit it all in any of our camera lenses), and so detailed and SO old (like 600 years old) and so big inside. EVERY window is filled with detailed leadlight and the most vibrant colours (even on an overcast day) that I wonder how they actually produced such colours back then. Unfortunately we had intended to climb to the top of it for the view but the bloody stairs closed at 4pm! (remember I said we didn't do any research) so we admired from the ground.

cathedral

some of the beautiful leadlight

Given the frosty weather, the only things left to do were a pit stop at the souvenier shop and a bakery (to grab a berliner donut for the trip home) and a quick squiz down at the waterfront (as the train station was near the river) and then it was back on the train/bus to Maastricht. Home by about 7pm – not a bad way to fill a day :)