HERE COME THE TOURISTS
Before our trip began, we all decieded it would be best if we chose to fly across the Atlantic Ocean and arrive one full day in advance of the start of the tour to adjust from any jet lag and acclimate to the new time zone - which is 9 hours ahead of our time zone in the Pacific Northwest. We figured this extra day would also allow us to familiarize ourselves with our new surroundings and relax a bit before meeting up with our group and embarking upon our tour.
Our hotel was located in the heart of Haarlem, right behind the Grote Market.
On this free day before our Rick Steves 21 day tour commenced, we attended a Dutch Mass in the morning, and rented bicycles in the afternoon to enjoy the beautiful city just like the locals.
ARCHITECTURE
The first thing on the list for our first day in Haarlem consisted searching for the historical Saint Bavo Cathedral.
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After attending an all Dutch Mass at La Catedral de St Bavo, we took a stroll in search of some local cuisine to fill our bellies. We came across a little cafe that served us a delicious smoked salmon sandwich, coconut yogurt with fruit and granola, and a breakfast bowl lined with spinach leaves, white beans and cheese all topped with an egg. As we enjoyed our breakfast we watched the town come to life.
BEACH TRIP ON TWO WHEELS
On our pre-tour day in Haarlem we were left up to whatever and wherever our hearts desired.
We walked around the beautiful city of Haarlem and saw that a majority of the locals were pedaling on bicycles throughout the warm sunny streets. It was so amazing to see all of these people on bicycles of many sizes and shapes, it had me excited more than ever for the start of the tour.
We decided to do what the locals were doing, so we rented some bicycles of our own. It was suggested we follow the bike trails to the the beach, so that's exactly what we did. What a ride!
COFFEE IN HAARLEM
On our morning stroll through town, we all thought a warm cup of coffee would give us a little boost to start our day. After a little searching, we found a coffee shop with that much to our surprise, had a turn style entrance, required photo identification, and had a rule of serving only those 18 years of age and older.
Upon further examination of this fine coffee establishment, we came to the realization that this coffee shop serves "infused" coffees. Thankfully we were notified at the front door, otherwise we would have experienced quite a different day in Haarlem!
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