It’s a well-known fact: all people who study abroad in the U.S.A. gain twenty pounds and those who go to Europe lose about twenty pounds. It’s proven, trust me. Google it.
Anyways, so I thought I would magically come to Europe and lose some weight. I have to walk everywhere, they don’t have fast food, and their food in general is way healthier. HAHA.
Turns out, my boyfriend is a wonderful cook, and he is accustomed to cooking for his ravished, manly roommates: huge portions of really heavy food. They also do have fast food here, and it’s just as unhealthy as ours. They have come up with some clever things to deep fry, like beef stew and mini grilled cheeses. I also never drink sugary drinks at home. It’s usually water or unsweetened coffee or tea. Here, I have adopted the habit of adding sugar to my coffee and tea and drinking more juice than I ever have in my life. We have, however walked a lot, checking out the sights in various towns. I also wear high-heels almost all the time, which tones my legs more…right? But I don’t know if our leisurely strolls can cancel out all of this food:
Stampot rauwe andijvie. Mashed potatoes with andives and sausage and gravy. Yes, I ate that whole plate.
Breakfast--cheese and butter are pretty lo-cal right?
Dutch fries with mayo and peanut sauce. I mean, they were made from fresh potatoes. That makes them healthier.
This salad was actually pretty healthy, except for the large steak that is well disguised. Oh also: the three glasses of wine and half a loaf of ciabatta I added.
Eating Dutch pea soup in Amsterdam.
Stroop is the Dutch version of carmel and these cookies are to die for. They are especially good when coated in Nutella.
I also have drunk probably at least 6 bottles of cheap wine since I’ve been here. And eaten countless stroopkoeken & stroopwafels. We’ll see what Mediterranean food has to offer me once I get to Turkey, but I’m thinking I’m not going to get skinny abroad unless I walk 20 kilometers a day. The food is way too good.
This past week, we visited Dirk’s mom and sister, went to Amsterdam and had a party with Dirk’s friends. Photos below!
We went out to the city one night and saw some horse cops! Perfect photo-op for a foreigner.
Amsterdam was beautiful, especially at night.
Heineken's home!
Typical Amsterdam view.
Okay, Dirk just offered to make me some real American breakfast (eggs, bacon, fried potatoes) so I’m going to go eat. More.
Eet smakelijk!