Aankomst in Haarlem

So today was a very exciting day, as it was my first day at the Hello I'm local hostel in Haarlem! I meticulously planned my journey (ha!), and although it started out calm and I managed to read a little, I was so excited by the time I was nearing Amsterdam-Zuid that I had to stop.

fairly confident about not wandering off the designated roads

what is a reasonable amount to pack for a month away??

Amsterdam-Zuid station

A bus from Amsterdam to Haarlem already showed differences between here and Maastricht, with lots of trams, small weaving canals (with seemingly no protection from falling in...), wind turbines, and some of my favourite chains missing from my home city - Ikea and Bagels & Beans!

Sticking to my shoddily drawn map, I made it to the hostel a full 3 minutes early and was happy to meet all the other staff on their lunch break so could enjoy a cup of (Moroccan Mint) tea and Dutch sugar filled sweet bread before being presented with my list of tasks.

entrance of the hostel

In essence, my role is to form one half of the night watch (sharing alternate nights with my roomie) and to act as cleaning support staff. The introduction consisted of lots of technical advice on how to get in (and out) of areas of the building, how to deactivate alarms, what I can/cannot eat from the restaurant kitchen, and what to do in all sorts of unpredictable events - from noisy drunks to locked out families. Everything seems straight forward, and I was reassured that it'd be clear what to do at the time, and that I'd learn as I went along with the cleaning team tomorrow.

bunk bed buddies 

luxurious bathroom

I unpacked everything into my shared room, and armed with a map of the city, went to explore the town! Even with a proper map this time, I somehow managed to get lost (I'm blaming multiple canal mix-ups) but made it eventually.

small canal 1 minute from the hostel

main river at the entrance to the centre

Arguably the most prominent feature of the town is Grote Kerk on the buzzing central market square. The gothic 15th century church is breathtaking, and rid me of any fears that the excitement from the journey may have lead to an anticlimax when visiting the city centre! With lots of cute cafes and boutique style shops in the pedestrianised area in the shade of the trees, it would be a lovely place to relax and enjoy a local beer (brewed at another nearby church), so I plan to return in the coming week to do just that.

Big church

cafe terraces

boutique shops leading to the central shopping road 

After a few hours of exploration, discovering small parks and little winding roads, I picked up some groceries at the Albert Heijn and then took a beer with fries by the river with a pleasant view (of the water, as well as a family of ducklings!) for a relaxed dinner in the sun.

gardens of an art gallery, displaying some of their outdoor works

"What is the end of the world for a caterpillar, is only the beginning for a butterfly"

nutritious dinner

view from dinner

Feeling sluggish after dinner I took a walk back to the hostel via De Adriaan, an iconic windmill dating from 1779. Although pretty, there wasn't much by way of things to do at the windmill except a cafe, which after eating virtually my own body weight in fries I thought was best to save for another day.

Adriaan molen

Bikes at the bridge to Grote Kerk

I found my way back to the hostel much faster than I'd found my way into town, and managed to relax and get a bit of studying done before heading out for drinks on the Botormarkt with colleagues. The perfect way to end a sunny first day in Haarlem, before the hard work begins tomorrow...tot dan! (until then!)

will need to find a way to hire a boat one day...