Having visited the very busy centre of Amsterdam and my friends Priya and Rob in very quiet Amsterdam Noord I can only conclude that it is ideal not to live in the main city and only visit it when you want to, for cultural or personal reasons. You can have it all if you really want it.

Another province south of Amsterdam’s North-Holland is called, you guess it, South-Holland. That is the reason why people in the world know the Netherlands as “Holland” as the two provinces together have the harbors that are occupied with international trade. Dordrecht is the oldest city of South-Holland, its image and museums reflect this well.

In Heerlen, Petra, Hans and I go out for a hike in the enticing countryside of south-Limburg which is bordered by Belgium and Germany. Here is where we all grew up as a child and student. The countryside has not changed much over time as most of the youth leave for the lively cities.

During our reunion journey, Petra, Hans, Nathalie and I make a stop in Leiden for having dinner and before taking the next train home. Nathalie knows, from long ago, a pancake house in the city but is not sure if she will find it back. When we discover it, we order without hesitation an apple bacon pancake of 40 cm in diameter. It was absolutely delicious !

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