Day 9: Amsterdam!!! And the sweetest little surprise!

Today started like most of our other days. The alarm woke earlier than we wanted and my wake-up call was probably also too early! The Ibis Brussels had a nice breakfast set up which allowed for folks to make their own mini-waffles. I am not the biggest fan of waffles, but when in Brussels, right?

If you look closely, you'll see it says "Ibis" on the waffle.

NATO Headquarters

Our bus departed for the city center and our chocolate making experience. Not far from the hotel is the current headquarters for NATO. It was interesting to see and made me reflect back on my first time to the city in August of 2001. I was participating in a trip much like this one, but as a student. The trip was World War One themed and we traveled between France and Belgium investigating the Great War. Sadly, it did not end all wars and even sadder still is the role Belgium played in both conflicts. Having NATO in your home country is a blessing and curse in some sense. 

European Architecture is breathtaking. 

Maria showing us the friend of Manneken Pis, Jeanneke-Pis

Zinneke Pis is Manneken's other friend. 

Our walking tour of the friends of Manneken-Pis was a nice way to orient us to Brussels again, but it was actually just a smoke screen for the morning's attraction. Today, we learned to make Chocolate treats! Again, I didn't get photos because I was working on making a video, but I am hoping my labor paid off.

It should be the TikTok video I made of the event. Hoping it uploads correctly!

The chocolate making experience was really fun. I didn't actually make any, but had a blast watching everyone else work and have fun. They started by adding milk chocolate chips to already warmed dark chocolate. The process included stirring and blending the two chocolates until they reached a temperature of 32' c. Once the correct temperature was achieved, the students designed their own treats on wax paper. They each had at least three sheets of waxed paper to design and create. Toppings, such as nuts, sprinkles, and crackers, were provided to make the treats even sweeter. Once a sheet was done, one of the attendants collected it for cooling. When all of the sheets disappeared, the kids (of all ages) could lick the spoons and taste the sweet leftovers. As the chocolate chilled off, the attendants explained a little bit about Belgian Chocolate and other treats too. They also made fresh hot chocolate too.  #Eurotrip24 will go down as one of the chillier trips we've taken, but this warm drink made up for the lower than expected temperatures!

We departed for the Grand Palace. This was our rendezvous point after souvenir shopping and lunch. My phone's cell signal dropped terribly and I spent most of the time trying to figure it out. I did, however, have some Frites!

Art like this is painted on quite a few buildings throughout the city.

Walking to the Grand Palace

My Frites! They were amazing!

Finishing off a Belgian Waffle with Chocolate and Strawberries (it might have been Nutella)

Our group before departing Brussels.

When we met with Joris, it was bittersweet. Brussels is amazing, but our visit was so short. I wish we had more time in this city, but the road was calling. Joris and Maria planned a little side trip to one of Belgium's other attractions!

Built for the 1958 World's Fair, this Atomium is way bigger than I expected. We didn't enter, but it is on my bucket list for next time!

Maria explained that people like to have fun with taking pictures of it. 

Maria taking a bit of the Atomium

The bus ride to the Netherlands was mostly uneventful. My phone hopped in and out of service and we passed an ever changing landscape. Eventually, the roads flattened out and we approached Holland. The plan for the evening was a quick walk through Amsterdam before dinner.

The problem, however, is that the Netherlands just passed a law restricting coach buses ad guided tours in the city. Hefty fines can be doled out to bus drivers, tour guides, and tour companies if the law is violated. Of course, Joris drove us right into the city and we quickly disembarked. Maria, of course, led us through the streets as ever, but without an ID badge or a narration. 

The city is narrow and tourism overly congests it. Dutch people ride more bikes than you can remember and our job is to keep looking out for each other as we walk. Maria took us through some interesting parts of the city too. One area is probably known to older readers of this blog, but less so to the younger audience. We skirted the red light district for a brief moment. The idea was to show students how different the world can be. It can be awkward for all of us, but it also leads to great discussions about freedom and liberty and the unintended consequences too. Photos are off limits in that part of the city to maintain privacy and because we warned them that their parents wouldn't want to see it anyways!

One of the many canals of Amsterdam

Maria risked the fine for a group photo

Our plan was to do a quick walk and see some of the city because the sun was out. Maria wanted us to see the city without getting rained upon and with the sun in our faces. It was in the bright sunlight of Amsterdam that the sweetest little surprise emerged in the horizon!

I had no idea Dunkin was in the Netherlands

I evoked Group Leader privileges and got myself a cold brew.

I also saw New York Pizza which looks very similar to the New York Pizza in Boston near where I used to work!

Our walk was to finish at one of the many tram stops in Amsterdam. We were going to take one line to the location of our hotel and dinner spot. It was the first time on public transportation on this trip. In all previous trips to London and Paris, we took the Tube or the Metro. I wished we had done so with this trip, but it is hectic and gives some of the kids a little anxiety, so I was cool with skipping them. I, however, was a little anxious with taking the Dutch tram tonight.

Earlier, on the ride to the Netherlands, when my phone started working again, I went through my Facebook memories. It was filled Eurotrips of the past and long ago, on April 22, 2012 (Fourteen years ago), I was with another group of Sachems and our Tram out of Amsterdam was canceled! Our tour director at the time, Thierry, was not an Amsterdammer and it took us a while to figure out what to do.

Tonight, however, the trams ran on time and we made our way through the outskirts of the city.

Riding the Tram

A short walk after the tram and we were to dinner. The area looked like it was part of a college campus, but it might just be a young part of the city. The restaurant, whose name escapes me, was really fun. There were some pool tables and loud music. Before we ate, the host explained that we would be building our own burgers for dinner. 

It was shortly after we started to eat that the sweetest little surprise of the evening showed up in the form of Leo. 

Maria and Leo

Maria is a single mom and when we learned about Leo, we insisted that she be able to see her son when we returned to Amsterdam. Her friend and babysitter, Natasha brought him to meet us for dinner. This little guy was an instant hit and acclimated to our group without hesitation. It was so nice to witness this quick reunion, but it was also a reminder of the sacrifices that Maria is making to ensure that our trip is as amazing as possible. It reminds me to thank the Alumni Association, Karyn, and the dozens of others who worked to make this trip happen. The sweatshirts, backpack items, and free excursions really did make it extra special.

As I began this entry, I saw Maria and Natasha saying goodbye as Leo rested in his carriage. It isn't lost on me that our trip is almost over and your 'babies' will soon be headed home. We have one more full day in Amsterdam ahead of us. It will be one of our busiest days of travel yet. We will start early in the morning and head to Anne Frank's house. After some time in the city, we will be visiting a cheese and clog farm and a tulip farm. I believe will head back into the city for dinner and some souvenir shopping too. 

It has been a great trip so far, but there is a little part of me, tonight, thinking about home. My pup is in good hands, but I miss him. I'm sure my mom misses her baby too, lol...and with that, I will say goodnight!

Mr. Lavoie, sitting in the Ibis lobby for the 7th night in a row, but using his own hotspot because the wifi isn't strong enough for his blogging styles!