Venice of Holland

We had a few rare, sunny days here in the Netherlands last week. I'd specify which city I'm talking about, but the country is so small I'm pretty sure the weather is the same throughout. I was in classes on these sunny days last week, sadly, but it sure looked nice out the window! Seriously though, it was a good change of pace from the typical rainy, cloudy, and cold Dutch weather. But now it's back, as am I, after a weekend trip to Giethoorn, a.k.a. the "Venice of Holland." This name seems silly considering almost every place in the Netherlands has a network of canals as it is largely under sea level. The nickname is used, I guess, because many of the homes in Giethoorn are reachable only by boat or bicycle, so the people who live there rely on the canals- like in Venice!

The introduction weekend was organized by the international organization at Leiden University, ISN. There were about 35 students on the trip, and it was a lot of fun! We were split up into teams, and throughout the weekend played games and competed against each other. The ISN board (made up of students in Leiden) worked really hard the whole time and organized everything. We took a boat ride around the town of Giethoorn, had a scavenger hunt, and themed parties both nights.

It was a very fun weekend and a great way to meet a lot of new people. Now I'm back, though, and have to get motivated to do some school work soon. Next weekend is Leids ontzet, or the Relief of Leiden, on October 3rd. It is apparently a very big deal, with the festivities lasting all weekend. Until then, I'm going to try and buckle down on the school work so I don't miss out.. They are keeping me pretty busy, which is really interfering with my study abroad experience!

Where we stayed in Giethoorn- not as nice as it looks

Team Blue

Someone with a clog obsession lives here