Shell's Vagabonding

Paul Theroux

Because apparently I am completely hyperactive and need to try and do a gazillion things at once, I am also trying to learn Dutch (the company I'm working for is from the Netherlands so I'm getting plenty of help with that from my co-workers and the chalet guests). The thing that is currently occupying most of my free time is in fact study for Busabout! I will be working as a tour guide with them next summer, that is if I make it through the gruelling training of course. I need to learn all about the entire history of Europe in very short order! In fact, I have my first assignment due in 2 days time, subjects are Prague and Spain. I have only just completed the Prague section today... and I have not even started Spain. Keeping in mind that it took me over 2 weeks to complete Prague, the chances of me getting the Spain section finished in time look pretty impossible at the moment. I suppose I should stop blogging and start studying... adios amigos!

Quick update since I haven't posted since the start of the year (sawry!)... I'm in Gent (Belgium) learning Dutch and having fun! I'm doing a workaway here for my bed and board, painting a staircase and doing some occasional babysitting. The family are lovely, although the 2 yr old can be really tiring, he's in a very whiny sulky stage... On top of that, I've started giving tours of Gent on weekends! Loads of fun! Not much free time between all that work and learning Dutch but I'm loving it here!

I’m currently sitting in a tiny, smoke filled bar in a quiet residential street in Amsterdam watching the football (aka soccer). It’s the type of bar where the publican knows all his clientele by name, and Holland’s no-smoking rules are quietly and persistently unobserved! This is exactly the type of bar where a stranger may enter on a whim, and exit rather quickly under the curious stares of all the regular clients! This is not a place for tourists. This is real Amsterdam! Today I am barracking for England!

Whilst planning my route from Rotterdam back to Amsterdam I finally realised how small Holland is (and how huge Sydney is!). The distance between Rotterdam and Amsterdam is only 6 km's greater than the distance from Penrith to Bondi beach! How absolutely ridiculous! I took the train back to Amsterdam as it was raining, and saw beautiful countryside and small villages between the two cities. I couldn't stop thinking of the endless sprawl of suburbia that I would pass if travelling the same distance through Sydney! I prefer the small, compact cities in Europe!

I have a bike, and his name is Fitz...

The lack of chocolate powder on my cappuccino... (Really, then what is the point of a capp?)

Check out this bridge! I crossed about five of these today on a long ride through the beautiful Dutch countryside! Thankfully neither my bike nor myself got wet on the crossings!

Today I soaked up the warm afternoon sun at this gorgeous bar in Noorderpark, Amsterdam. The bar has been made using only recycled materials purchased from Marketplaatz, a Dutch website for selling second hand goods. Just goes to show, you don't need much to create an awesome bar!

The view from my room on the boat...

Today I'm on my way to Amsterdam where I will be house sitting a house boat until next weekend. I've then been offered to stay in Alkmaar, house sitting again for two weeks there. Yesterday I was asked if I would be able to house sit in Normandy in september, and this morning I was offered a job in Bruges... Life is sweet! Looks like my diary is full up for the next few months!

In Bruges.

Coffee in Bruges, €3 when you order a black coffee, then they bring it out and surprise you with all of these free extras! value!

Today I hitched a ride from Ulm to Cologne. Traffic was terrible and I was subjected to five hours of my driver's horrendous taste in music, think along the lines of Shania Twain and reggae remixes of Cat Stevens... Tonight I'm couch surfing in Cologne and tomorrow I will be hitching another ride to Bruges where I have no accommodation because the hostels are all full and I never pre-book... (Hi Mum, I love you!)

My last day in La Pichotière, sadly. I had previously mentioned to Sarah that I would love to go fishing for my last day with them, so we all trundled off to a nearby trout lake owned by one of Richard's clients. After 5 hours of fishing, our efforts had rewarded us only with 4 trees on Sarah's line (losing several floats and hooks in the process!) and one net for me, and although Richard managed to hook 3 fish we lost them all due to lines snapping. Finally at the very end of the day when we were about to give up and the fish were not biting our fish paté bait, we got some live bait to try. The fish were suddenly interested again and Richard managed to catch one and bring it in without any mishaps. His client turned up at that point with four other trout to give us as a gift, and also said we could stay longer so that I had a chance of catching something. After getting some advice on my technique, I finally managed to catch a nice trout! Sarah taught me how to gut and clean the fish, and I we ate three of them for dinner, absolutely delicious!

Sunrise at La Pichotiere