After staying the night in London at Palmer’s lodge (which was funny because that is Wm’s last name). I headed out to take a train/ferry combo to the Netherlands. After taking a fast train to Harwick (on the East Coast), I boarded a beautiful ‘ferry’ that was basically half of a cruise boat. I had a room all to myself for the 7 hour, overnight, ride to Hook Van Holland. 2 trains later, and I arrived near my hostel. (random note: the hat I am wearing I bought in Amsterdam. When we hiked in the cold I hated cold ears – this should do the trick).
The hostel I stayed at, was intentionally out of town, more in the country. It was recommended to me by another traveler and I am SO happy it was! It is a 20 min train ride and 15 min shuttle ride away from downtown Amsterdam. Lucky Lake, as they call themselves, was such a refreshing change from the typical hostel. It is more of a caravan. They have little trailers for rent, or some cabins. I stayed in shared cabin, female ‘dorm’, with 3 others. The property was scattered with fun creatures and cute Holland wood shoes. There was a lot of open green area with flowers, to hang out in, play games in, etc. The vibe there was just wonderful, everyone was very friendly! There were also several chickens, a mama duck, and her darling babies that kept me quite entertained. The common area was very comfortable and cute (a trailer they called the lucky lounge).
My last day, I had planned on exploring the area by bike, as I had heard there were windmills not too far away. Sadly for me, all of the bikes were rented when I got around to it. But it all worked out, as the hostel is located 5 minutes from a gorgeous, big, lake. The area in-between was the most charming channel based neighborhood. What a wonderful life this seemed like. It just felt very relaxed, everyone had gorgeous flowers and plants, and the canals are just so fun! I walked up and down them all, taking pictures and just soaking it all in. What a nice change from the big cities! The outdoor environment felt a lot like home.
Wm, if you are reading this aloud, close the kitties’ ears : ) On my walk I met the most precious and beautiful kitty. She was very soft, talkative, and loving (I had hair all over my black pants when she was done rubbing my ankles). Her markings were very pretty and she liked to pose for my camera.
It was fun to see how the Dutch live. Many of them have farm animals on their property and grow their own vegetables. The quality of life appeared to be very good here! At the beach I noticed a fun water toy built on the beach. The children’s toys here (like in jungle gym) are very fun (in Austria too). They tend to be built with wood and like to incorporate zip lines. Fun!
Overall, my stay in Netherlands, which is my last hostel was amazing. I definitely hope to make it back here one day. If I do, I just might go straight back to Lucky Lake, what a fun place!! Now, off to tackle London. I will be home in 4 days! I can’t wait to see my loved ones.
