It has been almost 2 months since I arrived at my home for the semester – Utrecht, so I thought for my first blog post, I would discuss some of the key parts of my time here so far, specifically the city, biking, weather and food!
Utrecht
The city is stunning! I absolutely love wandering around, taking little alleyways and discovering gorgeous canals to sit by. There is a mix of historic and modern architecture with hidden gems around every corner. This city is also filled with amazing parks which are packed with people as soon as there is any hint of sun. Although I have been here for nearly 2 months, I keep discovering new parts of the city every day, which I love!
Biking
Biking in the Netherlands is terrifying! But it is also amazing! On my second day here I happened to find myself near the central train station, which is also where the largest bicycle parking in the world is located, around 5 pm – rush hour. Watching hoards of people on their bikes just casually cycle past as if it wasn’t one of the scariest things ever was overwhelming, to say the least. Despite this, within a week, I had ordered and picked up my own bike. I decided to rent a bike with Swapfiets as it is the best option for exchange students and allows you to get a new one if yours breaks (already happened to me) or is stolen (a shockingly common occurrence in the Netherlands). The first bike ride from Swapfiets back to my flat was the scariest and most overwhelming bike ride I’ve ever taken. In Utrecht, Swapfiets is located next to the central station, so it is a reasonably busy area (luckily, my appointment wasn’t during rush hour); it had been a while since I rode a bike, and I had no idea where I was going. It turns out I wasn’t good at all at sharp corners, starting quickly, or not getting freaked out when someone passed closely by me. I eventually made it back to my flat and stored my bike. I hated it so much that I was convinced I would still be taking the bus for a bit while I got used to the bike. The next day, however, I rode it to a friend’s flat for her birthday and then to bowling and into the city to go to a bar. The day after into the city for the flower market. Each day got better, and I am so grateful to my flatmate who, even though exponentially better than me, would, whenever we rode together, check on me and stay with me if I got caught up. I worked out my routes, and now it’s one of my favourite things about my exchange. It’s so convenient and one of the nicest ways to travel, especially when it’s sunny and with the spring flowers starting to come out.
Weather – a Dutchie’s favourite topic of conversation (many have 3 weather apps)
The weather here is sunny and dry, albeit cold – is what we were led to believe during our first week here. The first week I was in Utrecht, I got to experience the winter sun in the Netherlands (revolutionary! – I’m not kidding, the Dutch had 11 straight days without sun right before I arrived). I was so lucky to have this week as it gave me the best introduction to the city of Utrecht and allowed me to explore and start biking without also having to consider the weather. That did not last, though…by week 2, we not only had wind and rain but snow! It was the first time I had ever been snowed on (and it happened while I was biking – amazing!); however, it was brief and didn’t settle. What we did get a lot of was rain, although not bad at all compared to the wind, which was strong and sharp. The weather could be 2ºC and be reported as feeling like -6ºC just because of the wind. With spring starting, though, we’ve had some of the most gorgeous weather with sunny, clear skies. Although the temperature can’t make up its mind, going from a high of 18ºC one day to a high of 8ºC the next. The weeks we get of the sun are making everyone excited for spring and summer, and classes are noticeably emptier during those weeks.
Food
The Dutch aren’t generally known for their cuisine, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have some traditional food, and so far, I’ve been able to try Kibbeling, Stroopwafels, Poffertjes, Bitterballen, Oliebollen, Boterkoek, Gevulde koek and a variety of cookie/cake things from a market. The majority of them are sweet; however, I have to give a special shoutout to Kibbling as one of the favourites. Kibbeling are chunks (best description) of white fish, battered and fried. They are then covered with a spice mixture and served with a type of tartar sauce. The best place to get kibbeling is at the fish mongers in the weekly markets, though it is an experience ordering – everyone is just yelling in Dutch hoping to be heard and served and then hanging around ready to shove their dish to the front to be filled when the next batch comes out of the fryer, it’s safe to say it took my flatmate and I over 20 minutes to order the first time, we are slowly getting better at it though. Another favourite is stroopwafels – probably the most famous Dutch treat. Nearly everyone I know has a packet of stroopwafels in their cupboard, and in our flat, we managed to have 4 different brands between us at once, which led to a stroopwafel taste test to determine the best. Without a doubt, though the best ones are the ones made fresh at the markets, warm and gooey with the caramel oozing out – you can’t beat it! In general there isn’t a huge difference that I’ve noticed between food at home in New Zealand and here, especially as I am cooking all my meals and can get similar ingredients in the supermarkets. There was a big adjustment when grocery shopping, though, with everything being in Dutch and none of the brands being recognisable, but you get there eventually.
My advice to current and future exchange students is to embrace being a beginner. Try new things. Be terrible at it and watch yourself improve. You are in a new environment experiencing everyday things for the first time – you’re going to be overwhelmed, and you’re going to suck at it. University is like being a 1st year all over again, and things like biking in the Netherlands mean you will be humbled by 10-year-olds going twice your pace with their hands in their pockets. Embrace the challenge because you will never get an environment better than exchange to try new things.