Amsterdam is a fantastic city to live and work in but whilst I am in the Netherlands for the long term and as the Netherlands is a country that is easy to explore, I thought I would use leisure time to visit other locations. The cities I had in mind where Utrecht and Rotterdam. Utrecht has a good reputation for peaceful living and Rotterdam is famed for being another bustling city in the Netherlands whilst being very different to Amsterdam.
I began my exploration around the Netherlands with Utrecht as a key factor for a good visit to Utrecht is the weather and a sunny Saturday was around the corner. I had a great first impression of Utrecht as I stepped outside the station! I was greeted by an amazing art display in the form of a plastic whale to raise awareness of plastic pollution in our oceans that by 2050 we could have more plastic in our ocean than marine sea life if we are not careful.
As I journeyed further into the city centre I was greeted by its peaceful vibe and wonderful setting. The people of Utrecht were still very friendly and welcoming of tourists as they are proud of this fantastic city, and why shouldn't they be? Utrecht is probably the first city I have been too which has the calming sense of what you would get in a small town and the weather added the crucial extra quality to my visit.
For my trip to Rotterdam the weather didn't turn out to be too pleasant but unlike Utrecht, Rotterdam could still be fully enjoyed whatever the weather. I was greeted with a picturesque first impression of the city, seeing the Stadhuis after a short walk from the station. I explored more of the city to see the main attractions of Rotterdam and being an avid football fan myself, I had to see 'De Kuip' the stadium of Feyenoord Rotterdam; one of the biggest clubs in the Netherlands!
When the night came in Rotterdam, the city really came to life! The surroundings of the lighted buildings in this modern metropolis was quite the sight. A particular sight of Rotterdam at night I loved to see was the 'Erasmusburg'. It was particularly well lit making the bridge pillars stand out like a beacon. Whilst Amsterdam & Utrecht show off the beautiful-traditional side of the Netherlands, Rotterdam is brilliant in showing modern infrastructure.
The Netherlands is proving to be a nice country to live in for my internship. There are many different places which have their own uniqueness which makes these places worth exploring. As this country is easy to travel around, I feel it's important to familiarise myself with many of the surroundings of the country and not just stay in one place. I look forward to visiting more places in the future and even re-visiting the same places but with friends this time rather than solo travelling.