Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder | Our Lord in the Attic

Hey there, stranger. 

How are you coping with all the coronavirus situation these days? By the time you read this, the Dutch government would have made new announcements let's see what they say this time... 

But while we wait on that, let me take you with me to one of the most fascinating places I've visited so far here in The Netherlands.


I wanted to write about Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder for a long time now since is my favourite museum in Amsterdam and a must if you come by and want to see something different. 

Friday, March 27, 2020

Discovering Egmond aan Zee

Hey there, stranger. 

I think since we have quite some time, we could catch up little by little, don't you think? Maybe this way I can seduce you to visit The Netherlands and discover little places around the country. I'm still on it, of course, but seeing the photos from our past adventures makes me want more! This one belongs to 2018 but is still worth it.



Thursday, March 26, 2020

The 'Dutch Kremlin' and Museum 'de Turfschuur'



Hey there, stranger.

When I moved to The Netherlands I never thought I could visit the Kremlin. Of course, it's not the Russian one (although I hope to see that one in the future) but the one located in the little village of Winkel. 
The Dutch Kremlin only open its doors four times per year (June 7, July 12, August 16 and September 13 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm), but if you're around, it's worth visiting.




Monday, March 23, 2020

Anxiety check




Hey there, stranger. 

How are you doing? For some of you, this would have been the first week at home quarantine. For some other, maybe less, maybe more. And I can imagine how hard it is, being stuck in a place while you could be enjoying outside. We don't value things until we lose them, I think that this freedom that we usually have will be much appreciated it once this has passed, right? I hope so. 

I'm not gonna give you a list of things to do while being at home. I believe everyone should do what thinks it's best, and not force themselves to do anything productive if they don't feel like it. But I wanna know how are you handling the anxiety that may be generated these days in which you cannot escape from home, and offer you help. 



You see, I've written about anxiety before here, here, here and here (in Spanish, but you can use the translate button on the sidebar, no worries!), and as I said before, we should totally talk about this more often, because believe me, you're not alone, and the voices of others who may have passed the same situation in which you're at the moment may help. 

People always say that you must confront the source of your anxiety and they're right, but in a situation like the one we are living nowadays it can be very complicated, so please, don't feel guilty if you don't do this immediately. The most important thing is to stay calm and as healthier as possible (physically and mentally), if that means that you should avoid whatever disruptive thoughts that may lead to a panic attack, do it, and don't feel guilty about it. There will come other times in which you can confront it (and get over it, of course!), but don't force yourself into this road since we know is not a nice one.



I'm at home with my boyfriend, and although sharing the same space all the time might be a tricky situation, we're doing quite well. I don't mind to be at home at all, when we moved to the Netherlands I spent quite a lot of time by myself here, since he was working and I wasn't, but I enjoyed my time by myself quite a lot. I had (and still have) my routine for when he's not around; having a routine in situations like this is quite important, so you won't lose track of time and think you've done nothing (even if you just need to catch up with that tv show, do it within a routine!). Now with the two of us here at home, I try to keep that routine every day too: waking up at a decent time, shower, dress, have breakfast, tidy the house, etc. It may be sunny outside, but we stay home

Sometimes I get anxious due to how the situation is developing in Spain. You see, my granny is quite old, and I worry about her. "Call her", you may say; and I do, of course, but still I cannot help to worry a lot about it. In those moments that I feel I cannot stop my thoughts, I breathe, as deeply as I can, and listen to music that won't let me think (like Kvelektar, for example). And hey, it takes a while but it fades while I focus myself in some other tasks to do. I may bite my nails still, but at least I can control the panic attacks most of the time like this. Exercise, plan meals, read a book, clean your wardrobe, craft, make a TikTok post... I know, I said I was not giving you a list of things to do, and you don't need to do any of these things but the ones that work for you to stay safe. 

Because in the end, that is the important thing. Stay healthy, stay safe. After this has ended, there will be more battles to fight. 

But I will talk about those battles some other day. And about my anxiety to talk on the phone, which I have may discover the origins just recently. Life still amazes me sometimes.

Friday, March 20, 2020

Visiting the Schuttersgalerij at Kalverstraat


Hey there, stranger; 

How are you doing? I hope you're safe at home, taking care of yourself and the ones you love. Seems that we are gonna be stuck together for a while, and although I don't wanna spend my days in front of the laptop, I'm gonna try to update this a little bit more frequently with nice places I've been discovering around The Netherlands, so you have something to read and look forward when all the quarantines end.

A couple of weeks ago, before all the madness started in Europe, I met my beloved Cassie for a treat to ourselves having some delicious brunch and a nice walk around Amsterdam. 


Tuesday, March 03, 2020

A quite Monday




 Hey there, stranger. 

Yesterday was a nice and relax Monday for me, and I wish all Mondays could be like this. We woke up around half-past eight, had coffee, bacon and eggs on the bed and chill for a while before we started tidying up the house and running a couple of laundries. While Thijs went to the supermarket, I finished organizing the house and then we went for a little walk under the rain and a nice coffee.

Monday, March 02, 2020

A trip back in time (part II)

Hey there, stranger.

I owed you this entry for some weeks now, just to show you how this trip ended, right? Where was I? Oh, yes, on a boat! Follow me to continue this adventure...


So our boat trip took us to our next stop in the city of Enkhuizen: the Zuiderzeemuseum! I didn't know what to expect here, but I must say I was really pleased with what I found there.

Enkhuizen, located up north from Alkmaar, was one of the harbour-towns of the Dutch East India Company, from where overseas trade with the East Indies was conducted. There you can find the Zuiderzeemuseum, located on Wierdijk in the historic centre of Enkhuizen, and devoted to preserving the cultural heritage and maritime history from the old Zuiderzee region. The museum has two parts: an indoor building and an outdoor village that was opened back in the 70s. Here is where we started our visit!