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Our trip to Holland ends today, with one of the most magical cities in all of Northern Europe: Utrecht, a hidden treasure. A Berber/Amazigh friend will also keep us company, ready to amaze us with incredible places.
30 minutes by train to heaven
After wandering the streets of Amsterdam, it’s time to explore the rest of the country as well. Given its small area, in fact, it would be a crime not to even make a stop in the nearby towns, all incredibly close. Together with my host we choose to opt for the last day, so that we can meet my cousin in the red light district and take the first train to Utrecht, a legendary city for every football lover. Despite being both die-hard AC Milan fans, however, the goal was chosen for another reason. In fact, a girl I know lives in Holland but about 2 hours from Amsterdam, the city of Van Basten then seems to us a perfect meeting point, thanks also to its historic center, one of the most beautiful in the land of Orange.
Just 30 minutes by train and we make our entrance into the station, certainly one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen (and unfortunately not photographed) with buildings that continually merge with the lights of the sky, providing truly incredible images for shapes and colors. We immediately enter the historic center, very similar to that of the capital but more “protected”. In fact, the city’s architecture seems to have remained from the 1400s, allowing a real leap in time, held back only by the modern structures of the suburbs, creating contrasts that allow it to be appreciated to the fullest.
The best coffee shop in Holland
Objectively, you could not stay in Holland without experiencing a proper coffee shop, our friend will be able to remedy this, taking us to what, without fear of denial, is the most beautiful in the country: Hi / Lo Smoking Club. Once we have finished our journey in the historical part, we then head towards the structure, apparently almost invisible compared to the other bars and shops that populate the area. We buy 4 “cigarettes” and are made to sit in a white room that recalls, in style, some structures of “The Chocolate Factory” by Tim Burton. Our escort, however, also notices an underground floor, once we arrive we discover a sort of small paradise.
The room is just like the one I would have dreamed of: long Moroccan-like sofas without armrests, lots of silence and the possibility of turning on the music you want, a simple, cheap and wonderful dream. Let’s spend a few hours smoking and talking about Tunisia, Turkey, Sufism and lives, in a place where we feel deeply connected and connected. We almost have to rape each other to get out but it’s worth the effort, the surprises aren’t over yet.
MAgic houses
We burn our purchases on a bench near a canal and shortly afterwards we enter one of the most enchanting residential areas I have ever seen. Each house has its own particularity, its touch of genius and a green space to meditate and breathe the magical nature around. We pass from houses similar to those of working-class London to others that fully recall the aforementioned historic center; each of them seems to follow its own natural rhythm made of calm and conviviality, a sort of buen retiro within the city. Many of the houses, then, overlook the canals, making the moored boats an integral part of the landscape and the tranquility that penetrates the eyes of those who observe them.
Just continuing along the road we return to the area near the station, an incredible detachment that stands out for the proximity of the two different structures. In fact, only a road divides the old world from the new, appearing as an invisible wall through which time changes speed. I assure you that the sunset at Utrecht station cannot leave you indifferent, also given the various plays of light built ad hoc and which show different colors and images based on your position. Unfortunately it is already time to say goodbye, let our friend take the train and head to one of the many nice kebabs in the station, still bewitched by the many suggestions of the city. If you go to Holland you can’t miss it, it is literally magical.
In these days we will continue to tell you about Holland and our trip.
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