Our vacations never really turn out to be overly relaxing.  I'll save that whole siting around or sleeping in thing for when I'm old and decrepit.  Usually we cram in as much as we are able, although our trip to the Azores was easygoing, this trip to Holland was no different from the norm.  As a result, we end up returning from our adventures in need of a few days for rest.  For me, this is a chance to reflect on our adventures.  Aside from what I've mentioned previously, the other places which really stuck out on this trip were the city of Rotterdam, Keukenhof garden and of course getting to train some Jiu-Jitsu.

Contrary to everything we've seen on this trip, the city of Rotterdam was modern, tall, and fast paced.  Most of the city was leveled after German bombing campaigns in WWII and this was the result of an ambitious rebuilding plan.  We took the Intercity train from Amsterdam Centraal, transferring at Utrecht, to Rotterdam Centraal, which took just over an hour total.  The station itself was pretty cool looking, reminding me of an upside-down check mark, with the tracks behind the entrance under a large silver roof.  Walking out of the train station we were immediately confronted by tall buildings with a sleek modern design.  Consisting of banks, apartments and offices, it was something you would expect to see in one of the largest business hubs in Europe.  We wandered around for a bit looking at the buildings, stopping at the maritime museum, before slowly making our way down toward the Erasmusbrug, or "Swan Bridge".  Here we hopped on a boat for a tour of the port, which at first I didn't want to do but once we got going it was worth it.  With Rotterdam being the largest port in Europe, you really get the opportunity to see some cool stuff.  It reminded me of a Discovery Channel program, with massive container ships being loaded and unloaded, tug boats moving barges, and water taxis zipping in and out like bees.  The whole thing was pretty impressive.

Keukenhof garden was equally as impressive.  I've been around flower gardens my whole life, both my aunt and mother have a knack for that sort of thing.  We would spend many a day going to historic sites when I was young to see both the site and their associated gardens so those two could get ideas.  Keukenhof was some next level stuff compared to anything I'd seen before though.  We hopped a bus from Schipol airport which brought us the 30 minute ride, through some tulip fields to the entrance of the garden.  Surprisingly, the queue moved pretty quickly considering the number of people visiting that day.  One of the things about Keukenhof is that it's only open for about 6-7 weeks a year, so most visitors plan their whole trip around their visit.  The garden itself was pretty large and had paths winding all through the different sections.  Each section had a different setup of flowers, from daffodils to lilies, to irises and hyacinths, but most of all were tulips...rows and bunkers of them...every color, flavor and style.  It really was something to see.  We spent roughly 3 hours here, walking about grabbing a bite to eat in one of the cafes before heading out.  If you get the chance, it's definitely something to see and worth the hassle of planing around mother natures whims.

The best part of the trip (for me at least) was being able to train some Jiu-Jitsu and not re-injuring my calf (strained it while running and tore it in the gym).  I contacted Professor Raoul, a Black Belt under Rickson Gracie, at Amsterdam BJJ, who said to feel free to stop in.  We hopped a tram (local within the city) and made our way over for an evening class.  After some introductions, we changed and made our way to the mat.  Class consisted of some jogging, stretching, and warm-up drills before moving on to the technique.  Our first technique was a throw, O Goshi I believe, which we drilled for 15 minutes of so.  After this we got into the ground work which was sweeps and attacks out of the closed guard when controlling a sleeve.  Both the throw and the ne waza I found to be very useful and things which can implement in my own game.  To close out the class we sparred for a few rounds.  I had the opportunity to spar some of the guys and with Professor Raoul who was quick with his movements and heavy with the pressure once he got into position, not unlike Brian.  Finally it was time to go, so I said my good byes and thanked everyone for the hospitality and made my way back to the tram stop, a bit sore, sweaty, but refreshed after some great training.