It may seem strange, but today, for the first time, I’m flying from Maastricht Airport, the airport closest to home. It’s one of the few airports around here (read: Eindhoven, Düsseldorf, Brussels…) with a direct flight to Bari in Puglia, and that’s exactly where I’m going this August. But before I leave and my blog and Instagram channel will be flooded with all kinds of Italian adventures again, I want to use this week’s blogpost to look back at last week. It was actually an ordinary week in the middle of summer. When the week started on Monday, I hardly had any plans. And that was perfect, because it gave me the chance to say yes to almost all spontaneous invitations and plans.
Back in the day, in high school and during our student days in Amsterdam, we saw each other more often than not in an average week
On Tuesday afternoon, I went to the lake with my friend T. where we talked about the events of the past two weeks, the time I had not seen her. We talked about the beautiful and the sad moments, which unfortunately were also there. That evening, I assisted my father with some work in the countryside and we were treated to a beautiful sunset over the yellow-gold fields. On Wednesday – temperatures rose to thirty-three degrees – I sat down outside under the parasol doing some work on my laptop and at night, I had dinner at my sister’s place. On Thursday, I took an early train to Rotterdam for a whole day of quality time with one of my best friends and lots of cuddling with her nine-month-old baby. Back in the day, in high school and during our student days in Amsterdam, we saw each other more often than not in an average week. We were up to date of every single detail of each other’s lives at all times. Now, that’s a little different of course, so the days we get to spend together are too precious and too rare not to use them from early morning to late at night. We started the day with coffee at home, went for a picnic in the park in the summer sun, had another coffee – this time at a trendy bar – and took pizza home for dinner.
Friday morning I went to that other city on the same river, but about two hundred kilometres to the south: Maastricht, my absolute favourite city in the Netherlands
And although my dear friends live in Rotterdam which makes it a fantastic reason to travel to the city at the river the Maas every now and then, on Friday morning I went to that other city on the same river, but about two hundred kilometres to the south: Maastricht, my absolute favourite city in the Netherlands. Here too, the day started with coffee. The rest of the day consisted of shopping, because you might know the feeling that before you go on holiday you always want to have a few new things, no matter how full your wardrobe already is. I took two black summer dresses and a short white jumpsuit home with me, which went straight into my suitcase for my trip to Puglia, so no doubt you will get to see them in photos. And then it was already weekend. I went to see my friends’ new house, got a spontaneous photography lesson and visited other friends to celebrate a wonderful news that they got this past week.
On to more dear friends, and ordinary but super special moments in the middle of summer. The more spontaneous, the better
So, an ordinary week. But with some very special moments. We laughed, cried (luckily only briefly), swam, celebrated, shopped, cooked, hugged and toasted. And now another new week has begun, and that means I’m off to the airport, and off to Puglia! On to more dear friends, and ordinary but super special moments in the middle of summer. The more spontaneous, the better. Have a wonderful (holiday) week!