The Erasmus diary of Rosalinda n°2

My First Week 

Hello, my name is Rosalinda and I come from Serbia. I come as an internist in marketing and I received an excellent offer from The Orange Academy through the Erasmus+ program. Here is my honest account of my first days in the Netherlands.

My first week has ended. Upon my arrival, I realized how many differences there are and that I am in a completely new place. As a girl from a big city, moving to a smaller and quieter town has been quite a change for me.

The first thing I noticed is the change in the weather, but as the Dutch told me, this year is quite different. However, I can't complain because it's almost the same as in my country, only better. Sometimes it's sunny, windy, rainy, and then sunny again, but that's the charm of the Netherlands. It rains for about 1-2 hours at most, but the most important thing is that it's not cold – on average 18-19°C.

Secondly, how peaceful the town is throughout the day. The streets are not crowded, most cafes and restaurants start preparing around 11 AM. You can see mostly runners and people on bicycles, but without noise and rush. Shops are open until 6 PM, which surprised me even more, as well as on weekends, with the exception of Thursdays when they are open until 9 PM.

When you think of the Netherlands, you immediately think of a high standard of living and how it's possible to survive for just one month. But it's not that different if you shop smart. Of course, if you go to small supermarkets, the choice will be smaller and the prices higher. But in the city of Maastricht, the best days to shop are Wednesdays and Fridays at the square where there is a large open market with numerous stands of fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, ready meals, and even clothes (only on Fridays when the Big Market is held) at very affordable prices! The first time I went, it was rainy, but that doesn't stop people from making excellent purchases, and I can tell you that you don't even notice the rain because of so many people from different parts of the world, the lively atmosphere, and workers who cheer people up with their singing.

There are so many shops, restaurants, and cafes to try, interesting stores. For us girls, there's a great shop called La Rivage where for only 12 euros you can buy the most famous perfumes like Chanel, Tom Ford, Givenchy, and many others. Speaking of food, the first thing I had to try were the famous Dutch pies. So, I stopped by the most famous place, Bisschopsmolen Bakery, which has a garden with watermills that use their own power instead of electricity.

The place is busy all day long, which only shows how great the pies are, and they cost around 3 euros, which I think is not much for excellent quality. When we talk about food, why not mention beer as the most common drink – Kasteel Rouge will surely delight you, even if you're not a fan of beer (like me).

Now, a bit about the landmarks. Although it's a small city, it is full of history and churches. The first one I visited was the Basilica of Our Lady, which is surely the oldest in all of the Netherlands and fascinates with its beauty and architecture. I happened to visit it on a Sunday when a mass is held from 7 AM to 2 PM. I joined in and was left speechless by how completely different the feeling and experience were. After the mass ended, I took a tour and saw girls practicing singing, and then I reached a huge garden filled with white flowers. For book lovers and even those who are not, it's worth visiting the Dominicanen Bookstore – a former church turned into a bookstore with three floors, filled with books in various languages, magazines, newspapers, and records, as well as a café at the bottom of the bookstore, where you can take a rest and enjoy a coffee and a book.Upon exiting the bookstore, I was immediately greeted by the sight of an orchestra dressed in orange (the typical color of the Netherlands) entertaining people in a crowded café.

The city offers numerous free concerts and festivals. Just at the end of the week, my colleague and I accidently come across Sint Janskerk (St. John's Church) and saw a poster for a classical music concert. It caught our attention, and we immediately went in to check. It turned out they often host concerts that are free and open to everyone. It's a great opportunity to experience and enjoy two hours of wonderful music for the soul.

This was just the first week, and I am even more excited for next week because of the beautiful sunny weather.