Wanderlusting Expats - In Search of a Life Less Ordinary

We're still getting used to the break schedule at our new school, but February is apparently the new March. ;)  We don't typically go away for March break as we prefer to travel when there are fewer crowds to deal with, so we've always enjoyed a "staycation" during March break in Canada. And since we have plans to go away in April and May of this year, we used the time to do some fun things in The Hague. 1. Madurodam  is pretty iconic and a must-see!  It's essentially a mini-Holland and highlights the main attractions throughout the Netherlands. They also have a few interactive historical exhibits that we all learned from! And Maren and Beckett LOVED the playground. 2. Operation Exit Excape Room.  Friedel gave the kids gift certificates to an escape room for Christmas and this was the perfect time to use them.  They had been itching to try one for ages and this one did not disappoint. Very well done, and it's in English! :)...

One of the most significant lifestyle changes we've had since moving to the Netherlands has been living without a car.  We actually hadn't planned to go this long without a car, but we haven't really missed not having one either. Ironically, we're likely getting a car in the near future but I doubt it will overshadow our bikes anytime soon. Our new Dutch driveway The Dutch are well known for their love of bikes and all things cycling. Having visited Friedel in 2018, I'd gotten a taste of how prominent the bike culture is here. Now that we've been using bikes as our primary mode of transport though, I have a much greater appreciation for them. We move a LOT more. I've google mapped our routes and we easily cover 20-25 km over the course of a week just doing the day to day stuff. And that doesn't count the bike trips we take most weekends, which would add another 10 km. But this city is built for bikes. Most roads have bike lanes, it's no...

I was first introduced to De Haagse Markt last year when I was visiting my sister. I loved everything about it - the sense of community my sister has with her favourite vendors, the selection of food, and most of all, the prices! It reminded me of our market in Dartmouth, and I was keen to visit now that we're living here. Maren and I headed out to meet Friedel mid-morning while the others enjoyed a quiet morning in our apartment. As you can see, Maren was as excited as I was. ;) Heading to the tram at Den Haag HS Finding her beloved mangoes - 4 for 1 Euro! All of this (some organic) for less than 10 euros, about $14.50 dollars. Each of those bags of tomatoes would be $5 at home, and the mangoes at least $2 each. There are two 1/2 pints of organic blueberries we got for about $2. Not pictured: Friedel (not sure now that happened, LOL), coffee, compliments of her "coffee guy", cheese, and delicious sesame bagel type things from the bakery aroun...