Eindoven

Traveling across the world is exhausting! It is 4:45pm local time in Eindoven, Netherlands. I just woke up from a 4 hour "nap"/full night rest. My plane from Minneapolis was delayed due to high winds in Boston. I thought I'd totally miss my flight from Boston to Amsterdam - luckily I wasn't the only one transferring and as soon as we landed they rushed the 11 of us to the front of the plane and we RAN through the Logan Airport to catch the flight - our luggage wasn't as lucky! I couldn't sleep on the plane so I watched Corpse Bride a few times. When I landed in Amsterdam I had to wait two hours for my luggage (along with the other unlucky Minnesotans). Oh well, at least it came!

My advice to you: don't be cheap! For example, I was cheap and bought the cheapest flight to Istanbul. However, I had to leave from Eindoven. Do you know where Eindoven is? I didn't! I hopped a train from Amsterdam at 8:45am and two hours later I arrived in the center of Eindoven - the centrum. The train ride was interesting because it went through mostly poor and industrial areas outside Amsterdam and the countryside where there are LOTS of sheep, green grass, and old, brick rowhouses! It seems that everyone knits and everyone wears hand knit-looking things but I'm yet to find a yarn store. I randomly sat by a nice lady on the train that was from Mpls - her son goes to Mpls Southwest - small world. So far she is the only person I've talked to because I can't understand anyone else. I found a cheap bed and breakfast and I crashed! Tomorrow I'm taking th 6:30am bus to the airport and I'm off to Istanbul. My stomach is growling - probably because I haven't had anything to eat in the last day except a pizza, clementine, and an apple. That's my next mission.

Anyway, Eindoven is crazy! There are bikes EVERYWHERE! Thousands of them parked in bike racks lining the centrum. There are fully functional bike paths/lanes on many roads -more people bike than drive. In addition, there are pedestrian only streets and thousands of shops - Cara you'd be in heaven (and they have and H&M)! In the center are a skating rink and a carousel and tons of little Dutch kids. Take care, thanks for reading

Katie