The Travel Peoples

  The Rembrandt Square in Amsterdam gleams at night. Christmas shopping at the outlets in Bataviastad, Lelystad. It may be quieter and more festive than in the Philippines. "Solemn" is the word to describe Christmas Eve here. I wonder if it's the rainy and windy weather. The snow lasted only for two days in early December. But it has been quiet and chill, literally and figuratively. It may also be the culture in my neck of the woods. I live in a suburb.  Although I liked the days preceding Christmas Eve. People were jolly and in high spirits. Even the bus and train employees at the Centraal Station sang carols to the delight of the passengers and passersby.  Christmas markets were a feast to the eyes, too. I uploaded a video on my  travel channel  for more visuals and market information.   I'm still trying to get used to this Christmas set-up. But honestly, I like Christmas in Asia or in the US. It's because of the lengthy period we celebrate it there....

Traveling is like a conquest.  I don't know about you, but I get a different "high" when I am in a new place. Starting from planning a trip to landing at the destination, the experience gives a different sense of accomplishment that no awards or recognition can offer. Funny that Google Maps is taking note of my journey, whether near or far. It detected that in 2022 alone, I visited nine countries, 40 cities, and 318 places. Whoah! I never even thought of tracing that.  This is primarily because my family is fond of traveling. Our most recent one was in Germany. We spent our Christmas in Berlin then we returned to Warsaw for New Year. Someone said that Berlin, the capital, is not a clean city. On the contrary, we found it otherwise. It was not bad. To be fair. In Europe, it is common to see writings on the walls. I've seen more vandalism in Warsaw.  Enough of the dirt. What's more interesting is that one evening, we saw a fox hiding between the scooters in the park...