GRONINGEN
I spend two night in Groningen. This is not the first time that I come here : this summer, I was woofing near Buitenpost. It was an amazing experience and my hosts bring me once in Groningen on a market day, and an other day, they bring me to Leeuwarden. I really likes those both cities atmosphere so I decided to come back to spend time here and really feel how is the life there ! I had not enought time to see both cities, the choice has been made with the couchsurfing that I’ve found. Wijnand is from Sneek, but he lives in Groningen, he wanted to suprised his girlfriend Klaske with a weekend in Paris from the 19th to the 23th : by chance it was the exact moment that I had planned to go back home in Paris ! More than that, Wijnand and I are in the same professional field : communication, media, copy righting and ideas conceptions ! We were both agrees that it was the best solution for everyone to make this hosting exchange. The university is the heart of Groningen and my hosts has confirm that : Wijnand and Divano are both studying... in Leeuwarden ! The student life is very strong in Groningen, more than in Leeuwarden so they decided to have a kinf of « fun garantee » for their life. And I had a beautiful view of that spirit : we had nice talk, drinks and ideas exchange... I even get lost with Wijnand, on my 3rd hour in Groningen, in his own supermarket wich is a quite nice experience for a first contact ! Beside that, I have to recognize that our generation have a strong culture in common wich is makes the things easier : we have watched a southpark episode in one of his friend’s house, we listened dutch music (on my demand, because I have to familiarizing me with the language)... With Wijnand, we also had talks about our work : communication and media, and how too manage our knowledge to make good and noble concepts. It was a very nice experience to see how each of us are working beside our dutch and french culture. We also talk about the Paris attacks. And Wijnand, Divano and I where agreed on the fact that everybody talks to much about it.
During the day, I had a very nice walk in Groningen. I came back on the university street, seen the people biking (wich is even more dangerous there than in Amsterdam). I have noticed also that there is red light cabines here too, few coffeshops and nice bars (especially an amazing soup bar !). I get out from this experience with new songs on my "NETHERLANDS TRIP" playlist, good memories, two nice fellows that I have to hosted in Paris, including one which I can work and have news points of view with (and that is a great step for an eventual life here in Holland)!
They both now know how to savour cheese and wine together wich is a beautiful victory for France.