March 2022 – Something weird happens: the sky is grey as I land in Nantes, France, for a few days, while the Netherlands are pre-summering and having the time of their lives. As the sky turns yellow due to a sandstorm in the Sahara, nature and I slowly start to awaken.
- Can pancakes be savory and good? Yes, they can!;
- I join my first acting class at Theaterschool Utrecht, convinced that I can comply with the social-distancing-Corona-rules, but that assumption lasts for around one minute (I’ve missed hugging people so much!);
- I come across an awful lot of superheroes, and Colin O’Donoughe (with eye-liner), at Heroes Dutch Comic Con, which takes place – guess what – in Utrecht!
- I’m back to dating, which is sometimes (often?) awkward but also allows me to explore new places in the city, and meet new faces.
APRIL 2022 – « Something has changed within me, something is not the same… ». I feel fitter, and the acting classes are helping me reconnect with my inner child. It had been a while!
- I go for drinks with my theater peeps at the famous Grand café Lebowski, on the Dom square, and I find out that I look like 26 or 27 (so, let’s pretend I am that young);
- I feel like I will never be able to visit the karaoke bar Duke Of Tokyo in Utrecht, when I find out the place is fully booked three weeks in advance;
- Ten of my colleagues come from The Hague and Amsterdam for a brunch at Teds All day Brunch Utrecht;
- With Utrecht’s vrijmarkt on the 27th, I discover an aspect of Koningsdag that I like better than « trying to not suffocate in the middle of an orange crowd, on the beer-sticky streets of A’dam ».
MAY 2022 – Not only do I celebrate my 6th anniversary in the Netherlands, but this month, babies are born, some of my best friends are visiting me, and I even manage to convince one of them to become my next-door neighbor!
- If you’re looking for a change of scenery, Slot Zuylen is a beautiful castle that is worth the visit, and so is the cycling path that leads you there (as it turns out, I would soon bike the same route more often in the future – and not for the castle anymore…);
- Like many other Dutch cities, Utrecht offers a picturesque route by boat along the canals, and you can even steer them yourself;
- The city also offers free guided tours, just try to not lose the guide because you are fascinated by the architecture of the public library (hum);
- There are skeletons under the Dom square.
Claire fait des histoires 