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Reports

During my travels, I received free accommodation for a night in exchange for writing a daily travel diary. This diary documented how I reached my next destination, the hosts who welcomed me, the food I was offered, and other experiences along the way. Below, you will find the archives of these extensive reports. Please note that English is not my native language, and most entries were written quickly, often around midnight. Enjoy!
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Saturday, 5 May 2001
--> Rotterdam (NL)

On my 5th day of this so-called world trip I got moved from Jasper's place in The Hague City to the fine port of the Netherlands: the city of Rotterdam, staying with Patricia! This old friend of mine took me out to the Rotterdam style of celebrating Liberation day, met another old friend Marieke and went to the city fair all together.

Waking up at Jasper's place wasn't exactly easy. We had spent too much time online before bed (and the drinking might have played a part) before we finally managed to doze off...

When Suzanne and Jasper woke me up, they were already up and about. Jasper had planned to make breakfast at the beach restaurant where he also had to work later that afternoon. I quickly took a refreshing shower (and shaved after a few days of sandpaper-like skin) and had some coffee at their 'bar'.

After a tram ride, we arrived back at the beach, and Jasper disappeared into the kitchen as soon as we got there. Suzanne and I sat by the warm fireplace, chatting about various topics while we awaited our delicious breakfast: Jasper's special toasted filled sandwiches!

At around 11 o'clock, my next hostess, Patricia, arrived to pick me up. She thought it was too much trouble to let me hitchhike the short distance to Rotterdam. After enjoying another cappuccino with her, I said goodbye to Jasper and Suzanne and loaded Patricia's car.

I've known Patricia for a long time. We go way back to high school, and when I failed my last year, she took a gap year to work and travel through Australia and New Zealand. We both started journalism school in Zwolle the following year, even in the same class. While Patricia specialized in Communications, I focused on Printed Press Journalism.

After her graduation in Communications and my various activities alongside my studies, we kind of lost touch. This project gave us the opportunity to reconnect after a long time.

Upon arriving at Patricia's 14th-floor apartment in Northeast Rotterdam, we took the metro/tram to Rotterdam Central Station, where we met Marieke.

I also know Marieke from journalism school; she was a year below me, and we had our share of good and challenging times as classmates. During her studies, she found her partner in Australia and stayed there for a while. She also does a lot of TV work in the Netherlands. It had been quite some time since we last met.

From the Central Station, we walked to the center of Rotterdam, passing my summer job spot from 1995 where I worked at the Snackcar of John Schipper & Zoon. The lady who was my boss back then still works there once a week and vaguely remembered me. When I mentioned my name, she recalled that I had to quit working because I went to study journalism in Zwolle, about 70 miles away. Of course, we had to try their old-fashioned French fries... Delicious!

From there, we went to the square where live bands were performing for Dutch Liberation Day. However, the bands were relatively unknown and didn't quite match our taste. On the same square, there was a small high-culture market selling various unfamiliar foods and useful souvenirs.

A bit disappointed (we all knew that the celebration in Zwolle was bigger than this small event in Rotterdam), we decided to relax at the terrace of the theater café Plan C by the old harbor of Rotterdam.

After waiting almost 30 minutes to be served by the waitress, we ordered fresh drinks and reminisced about old memories. We talked about old classmates (some of whom are already married!) and quirky situations from high school and our journalism faculty. It was really nice!

Later, we walked to the site of the annual Queensday (April 30) Cityfair. When we arrived, Patricia was eager to go on this big ride called The Sound Machine, which spins you around, up and down, and sometimes upside down at high speed.
I wisely declined the invitation to join, while Marieke and Patricia bought tickets and went inside.

A few minutes later, I couldn’t help but laugh as I saw them step out of the ride. Marieke was smiling broadly, while Patricia looked almost purple and disheveled... That’s why I didn’t want to go on it. I knew it could have a devastating effect on my breakfast, haha!

Afterward, Patricia needed some time to recover, so we wandered around the fair. Since it was the last day and not very busy, we saw everything quickly and didn't do much else.

Returning to Patricia's place via the metro/tram, we did some shopping for dinner and then relaxed on the couch at home.

Patricia lives with her older sister Alexandra while searching for a new job in marketing. Alexandra prepared a delicious spaghetti dinner, and we enjoyed it with some white wine. And yes, I helped with the dishes afterward!

With nothing on TV, we decided to watch the movie I Love Trouble, featuring Julia Roberts and the old Nick Nolte as competitive journalists. For me, the romantic subplots dragged on a bit too long, making it hard to stay awake...

The Gift
Since Patricia picked me up from Jasper's restaurant, they personally handed over the gift. Patricia looked quite surprised at the Frisian Flag she received and wasn't sure what to pass on to my next host. However, after hearing what I had already mentioned about him, she came up with the perfect idea!

The wrapping of the gift began after I had a good sleep in her bedroom, while Patricia slept with her sister in the same bed. How nice!

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