So, it's been a while since my last post...

So, it's been a while since my last post. I admit it - I was so thrilled to return home to America in early July and tell everyone my hagelslag tales in person that I let my darling blog fall by the wayside. Well, I am no longer going to be like this:



falling flat on my backside when it comes to my blog. There are still more charms to share from Holland! (By the way, I took this picture on the train that took me from the station near Anne's house to Schiphol Airport. I felt sure that I would meet this awful fate when trying to run down the stairs to get off at my stop!)

So let's test my memory, shall we? Stay tuned to see what else I have to say about the final days of my adventure in Holland...

Filet Americain

As my readers may recall, the Dutch like to put spreads on their bread in order to make a “sandwich.” One such spread is called Filet Americain, and from what I can figure, it’s basically some sort of raw meat concoction that looks like ground beef so finely mushed up that it’s the consistency of mashed potatoes.

SICK, right!? That’s what I said. I tried a bite upon Anne’s request (well, basically she made me) and while I somehow was able to chew it and swallow it down, the whole time I was thinking, “It’s okay. You can make it through this.” My question is how in the heck can they call something I’ve never seen in my LIFE Filet Americain? I mean, they have given this spread the name American -- which would seem to me means they think it’s quintessential American. And it’s like, so totally not American AT ALL! Duh.

Would you ever eat this?

I wouldn’t recommend it!

Where is the hagelslag?

My “steepest” apologies, Jan Hendrik and Barbara

Okay, so I caught a little grief from Jan Hendrik and Barbara, whose staircase I outed in the early days of my Holland stay as being “STEEP.”

This blog is my attempt to assure Jan Hendrik and Barbara that they should not feel singled out! In fact, I encountered many more neck-breaking stair cases throughout my stay in Holland. And not everyone was as kind as Jan Hendrik, who carried my black beast of a suitcase up and down.

My conclusion? If stair-climbing should ever be named an Olympic event, I am positive a Dutchman will win.

A few potential courses: