Gosh, I am so behind on blogging. To kick-off our summer of visitors, our fun-loving and adventurous friend, Clare Lundy, came to visit at the end of June.

It was clear through all of our conversations pre-trip, Clare thrives in Europe. And this trip was no exception. Clare made her way to Amsterdam after a couple of days in London — probably becoming the queen’s best friend!

Bryan and I needed to work while she was here, so we utilized our time through dinners and the weekend days.

A highlight of our time together was the day trip we took to a little town called Haarlem on Sunday. Fun Fact: Harlem, NYC is named after this quaint village located 30 minutes outside of Amsterdam. With its similar canals, curving cobblestone streets, and lovely shopping and restaurants, Haarlem is the perfect day trip.

It was drizzling when we arrived, so we headed to the Jopenkerk brewery and sat and chatted for a while. If wandering and eating are accomplishments, than we accomplished a ton. It was a “no-itinerary” kind of day and I think we all enjoyed it immensely.

We headed back Sunday evening and took clare to our favorite hotdog restaurant for hot dogs and shakes, called bulls and dogs.

I love when dear friends visit because it is like a slice of home. We loved having Clare!

Until next time,

Hila