Spring Break at a Dutch Beach

Hello everyone, I just came back from a run in Vondelpark and I thought I should tell you a little bit about my Spring Break. It has been a lot of relaxation, going to the gym, and walking around Amsterdam so nothing really special (well, being in Amsterdam is special enough but you know what I mean), except for my getaway day with my housemate to a Dutch beach very close to her hometown and to our apartment in Amsterdam. We went to Vooges, a beach restaurant in Zandvoort. It is a cute and nicely decorated spot with excellent food, friendly staff and a good view of the beach.My housemate, as I already told you in previous blog posts, is a Dutch friend I met in Boston, and although we live together, we do not hangout as often as we would like to because of our busy schedules so it was really nice to be able to catch up and have a lovely evening in front of a cozy fireplace with some tea, flammkuchen, sushi, Turkish bread with guacamole, and a delicious lemon cheesecake with forest fruits to share. We talked for hours and we had such an amazing time!

With my housemate, Maaike

Maybe I did not do many exciting things during my Spring Break but this day made it up for me. I am looking forward to go back to this lovely restaurant as the weather is getting better and warmer every day.

I hope you are enjoying your weekend as I am certainly enjoying mine (binge watching tv shows). Sadly, the routine will start again on Monday but I have great expectations because this will be the last term of my international foundation year in business and management, with new subjects that promise to be very interesting. Another reason to go back to school: I want to get the results of my final exams.

Okay, a tv show awaits. I will continue binge watching and enjoying my last days of freedom.

Until next time,

M. Victoria Barroeta.

Life is always better at the beach.

Amsterdam Coffee Festival

Coffee is much more than just a drink, and this weekend was a proof of that. Thousands of coffee lovers, including me, attended the Amsterdam Coffee Festival for a unique and delightful experience that brought together both international and local coffee brewers, different coffee chains, and the Dutch Barista Championship.

Many may wonder what I was doing in a coffee festival when my final exams start this upcoming week, but I studied nonstop the last couple of days just so I could attend this event that I had been looking forward to for months.

I am currently experiencing a caffeine overdose after a day at the Amsterdam Coffee Festival. I am not kidding when I say that I cannot remember how many cups of coffee I drunk today. From Colombian, Salvadorian, Ethiopian, and Kenyan strong espressos to coconut, soy, oat, and organic almond cappuccinos. I also tried milder versions of coffee like green tea and skinny blend chai lattes.

Coconut Cappuccino

Swedish Oat Cappuccino, my favorite of the day

Organic Almond Cappuccino

Chai Latte Flavors

Every coffee stand that was part of the festival had its own barista who served fantastic coffee with beautiful designs. No wonder why it is called latte “art”. I even got the privilege to be served by the 2015 Dutch Barista Champion, Nick Vink.

Latte Art

By the Dutch Barista Champion

With the Dutch Latte Art Champion, Nick Vink

I do not know why you would need a break from coffee, but just in case that you did, you could also try different types of tea from all over the world, fresh juices, and cocktails while you submerged yourself in the lively atmosphere, full of art, music, and contagious good vibes.

Chocolate, pastries, cookies, and bars were also offered to accompany the protagonist of the day: coffee. Lately, I have been really into organic things, which is why I loved that most of the products had no artificial additives and were more to the healthy side.

Besides promoting the coffee industry, The Amsterdam Coffee Festival is also raising money to support Project Waterfall. 50% of every ticket will help this organization to bring clean drinking water to coffee growing and producing communities, which I personally consider a great cause.

I have to thank my Vietnamese friend who joined me this weekend and shared my passion for coffee. I am sure that after all that we have learned today, we will continue searching for good cafés, and enjoy quality coffee even more than we did before.

There was a wall at the Amsterdam Coffee Festival where you could write what you would do without coffee so I thought of asking you the same question. I would not survive my exams without it, which reminds me that I need to go back to study. Wish me luck and let me know what you would do without coffee, I am curious.

Souvenirs from the Amsterdam Coffee Festival

Until next time,

M. Victoria Barroeta.

“Coffee is a language in itself.”

Jackie Chan.

Day Trip to Groningen

Since I arrived in The Netherlands I have been looking forward to explore different cities of the country and today was Groningen’s turn.

I had to meet my friends and classmates at my hotel, the Victoria Hotel (okay, I recognize it was a bad joke but I had to make it), really early in the morning in order to start our university trip. While we were waiting for the buses to pick us up, I needed my daily dose of caffeine, so I went to Illy, a way too overpriced Italian coffee roasting company where I got my usual soy latte.

We headed to Groningen as soon as the buses arrived and it took us about two and a half hours to get there. Considering that I am Venezuelan and that my country is over 20 times bigger than The Netherlands, I think Groningen is quite close to Amsterdam but I find pretty funny that many Dutch people almost place Groningen in a different country due to its distance.

A nice and tranquil bus ride later, we got to Groningen, a small and lively city in the north of Holland. There are so many cute cafés and restaurants throughout the city center, as well as charming shopping streets, historical buildings and canals that make it a unique and interesting destination. I love the fact that Groningen is a student city (more than 50 thousand students out of a population of 200 thousand inhabitants), and I actually found out that it is the city with the youngest population in the country. Wherever you walk, you only see young people (on bikes, of course, because it would not be The Netherlands otherwise).

Walking around the city center

A highlight of our trip was our visit to one of the city’s icons: Groningen University. Besides being well positioned in respectable international rankings, the university’s architecture is definitely something to admire. Once we finished our guided tour of the campus, we went to The Grote Markt, which is the starting and finishing point to wander through various lovely streets of the city center. I have to add that I found a Venezuelan food truck in the middle of this square, which truly amazed me and got me very excited, as it is the first time I see something related to my country here in The Netherlands.

Main building of Groningen University

At Grote Markt

After a lovely day and a karaoke session with my friends in our fun ride back to Amsterdam, it is time to say goodbye but before I do so: I would for sure recommend Groningen as a place to visit because it is such a nice city; perfect for those of you who want to see something new and beautiful without all the tourist-craziness you might find in cities like Amsterdam.

Until next time,

M. Victoria Barroeta.

“I travel, therefore I am blessed.”

Louise Williams.

A Saturday in Amsterdam

My best friend finally came to visit me for the weekend after two months without seeing each other (I know it is not so long but it seemed like forever). Although we talk every day, there was a lot of catching up to do and a very nice Saturday ahead of us.

• MoJo Japanese Kitchen

Our day started with what my best friend and I like to call “brunchiner” because it is so much food that counts as breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We went to MoJo, an all-you-can-eat restaurant where you get access for two and a half hours to all the sushi and Japanese dishes that your body can manage to take in. To be honest, the sushi is not outstanding but the experience certainly is. It is a very fancy-looking restaurant and you get a tablet from which you can order (how cool is that?). I am still full from all the great food and especially from the insane amount of dumplings and springrolls I ate. This will not be my last time at MoJo because it is hard to find good restaurants near the city center that are not overpriced or packed with tourists all the time, and this is one of the exceptions. A quick tip: I highly recommend you to go during lunchtime, as the entrance fee is cheaper.

Our first round

• Winkel 43

Before trying the apple pies

There is always room for dessert so after leaving MoJo we decided to walk along the Jordaan, one of the nicest and most famous neighborhoods in the city, while looking for Winkel 43, a small restaurant in the corner of Noordermarkt. I have to say that there is a reason why this spot holds the title for “best apple pie in Amsterdam”. Soft apples on the inside with a crust baked to perfection on the outside are served with whipped cream to deliver a beautiful tart that will leave you wanting more, and to make it even better, you should order some fresh peppermint tea with honey to accompany the pie. Oh, and one more thing: if you go on a weekend day, you should be patient because this place will be definitely full of both locals and tourists who are anxiously waiting to get their apple pies (I can assure you they are worth waiting for!). I am looking forward to go back to Winkel 43 and treat myself to another slice of this delicious pie.

Best apple pie in Amsterdam

The Jordaan and one of its many canals

• Boyce Avenue Concert

A food coma and two happy stomachs later, we went to Melkweg in Leidseplein, which is a popular club and concert hall. The venue is quite small so we got to see Boyce Avenue really close and my best friend was even able to catch one of the guitar plectrums they threw to the crowd. This was a particularly special concert because it was a Christmas present from her and it was our second time watching them live together, first in Boston and now in Amsterdam. I could not have asked for a better way to end a lovely day!

After another awesome but unfairly short weekend with my blondie, it is time to start studying for my finals that are getting closer every day. I cannot believe the second trimester of my foundation year is almost over.

Until next time,

M. Victoria Barroeta.

“A day spent with friends is always a day well spent.”