Day 4: Haarlem, Netherlands

Oh sleep why can't you just stay a bit longer?  I woke at 2:30am and finally turned on the TV at 3:00am.  I sort of forgot about the crazy things you could see on regular TV in Europe in the middle of the night.

Today I am spending the day in Haarlem, Netherlands.  My main reason is to visit the Corrie ten Boom House.  In order to get to Haarlem, I will take bus 300 from the airport which is only about a 45 minute journey.  The process was easy and traffic was not an issue since Bus 300 has its own dedicated lane for the majority of the trip.  I don't do buses.  Nothing personal it just seems a bit more complicated and confusing than other modes of travel.  So today I am stepping out of my comfort zone . . . I must admit it was super easy and only cost 5€ (about $6).  I arrived in Haarlem much earlier than I planned so had to figure out some things to do before my tour at 11:30am.  As I arrived it really is like I am in a fairy tale and just a delight!

It is so easy to just wander the cobblestone streets and admire the beautiful buildings.

I stopped by the tourist market to pick up a map and get orientated.  The man was so kind and helpful.  It was still early so asked for a place to grab a snack.  I went to Bij Babette's for a slice of cake and tea.

It started to rain so stayed a little longer than planned studying the map but finally took off to visit The Grote Kerk:  St. Bavokerk which dates back to the 14th century.

It is massive and dominates the Grote Market area.  The inside is just as amazing; the organ, the ceiling, even a cannon ball in the wall . . .

I wandered around the Grote Market and stopped into a few fun local stores before heading to the Corrie ten Boom House.  I remember reading about her as a child and when I realized I was close by had to plan a day to visit.  During World War II, the ten Boom family provided a hiding place for Jewish people and members of the resistance in there home.  The family was betrayed, imprisoned and deported to concentration camps--only Corrie survived the ordeal.  She went on to travel the world and share her story.  She died and was buried in California.  The hiding place is really small and just standing in the tiny room looking at the super small hiding place made you really think about how unjust our world was to certain people.

They would enter through the bottom of the shelf on the left and hide behind the wall.  It was a very small place and can't imagine how difficult it was to get in to place so quickly.  It was a great tour and limited to very few so glad I booked ahead of time.

It was a beautiful day so enjoyed being outside in the much cooler weather (60s).  It is a beautiful city!

I walked to the Molen De Adriaan for a tour of a working windmill . . .

I sat outside waiting for it to open . . . watching the boats pass by and wait for the bridge to open so they could pass.

While it was only mid afternoon, I headed back to catch Bus 300 to the airport and my hotel.  This bus thing was simple and maybe I will have to be more open to using them in the future.  I took a nap that was a bit too long and finally left the room to hang out in the executive lounge.  I know tonight my sleep will be awful, but I am excited because my solo trip becomes a trip for two in the morning!