Today we finally checked out of the Bicycle Hotel and made our way to Delft, which is about an hour by train from Amsterdam. The train we had originally gotten on was supposed to take us all the way to the station in Delft, but we found out when we got to the airport that it was the last stop for the train and that we needed to transfer onto a different one. After finding the correct train that would take us the rest of the way to the hotel, it would be a very short train ride from there on out. It wasn’t an incredibly long walk from the hotel, but my arms definitely felt like they were going to fall off by the time we got our luggage upstairs and into the room. I was so relieved to see that the stairs in this hotel are what I would consider normal instead of steep and winding.
I have to say, I really like the Hotel de Emauspoort for several reasons. The first and most important is the fact that I can now make coffee in my room and enjoy it while I do my makeup for the day, which is something that I have missed since the program started. Second, the room comes with a small air conditioning unit which I am really enjoying while I sit here writing this blog. Lastly, there are only two of us in the room, which makes it seem giant compared to our quad at the Bicycle Hotel. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved living in that room, but I also like being able to walk through the room without tripping over anything. Lastly, the hotel is just overall very cute with a nice courtyard to enjoy when the sun is out. I suspect with longer site visits and more walking, we will probably be a little more tired in the evenings and spend more time at the hotel.
Delft is pretty much the picture that comes to mind when you think of the Dutch. The old buildings next to calm canals form a very picturesque scene. The roads are brick and there pedestrians and bicycles are on the same street rather than in separate lanes. Our hotel is right against a large square bordered by what I am gathering are the old and new churches. When we arrived, the square was bustling with people out eating at one of the restaurants with outdoor seating. The side streets are filled with small shops of all shapes and sizes. I am really excited to get out an explore this week since we didn’t have much time today after we arrived.
After we checked into the hotel and got unpacked, it was time to head for a local Irish Pub that some of the other students had scouted out. The pub had flat screen televisions that would be showing the U.S. play the Netherlands in the Women’s World Cup final. With almost everyone from the program in attendance, we took over half the pub, but the Dutch fans seemed to enjoy a little bit of competition with the American fans. We rooted on the U.S. to a 2 - 0 victory over the Netherlands. Never in a million years did I think I would get to be travelling in the Netherlands and see a world cup game between these two countries. Growing up playing soccer myself, it made for an extra special and very exciting end to the day.