Haarlem (of the Dutch Variety) and Spanish Weekend

So instead of going to Berlin, I spent a day in Haarlem, which is a town/city right outside of Amsterdam. It's a worthy destination! Quaint and charming, bustling with markets and bicycles (as anywhere in the Netherlands), Haarlem is a far cry from its NYC counterpart. I was walking through one of the outdoor markets when I sat down on an antique bench to soak up some sun. Just then I turned, realizing the stream of Dutch I heard was being directed at me. The man from whom the words came had bulbous nose, a hearing aid, and clutched his cane even when sitting. When he realized I didn't speak Dutch, he switched to English and regaled me on the state of various American social policies (i.e. "40 million Americans have no insurance!") and his family. Apparently his wife very much liked her visit to NY and his daughter lives in Melbourne. His last words to me were, "If you get married, you can stay here," as he thrust his body onto his cane to lifted himself off the bench. His wife passed by, she seemed somewhat younger and more spritely, but I'm sure he was a charmer back in the day.

The rest of the weekend I spent with the Spanish (you can check Facebook for identification, the names give it away). We went to Pata Negra, a "Spanish, Spanish restaurant" my friends informed me when they realized that everyone who worked there was actually a native of their homeland, much to their surprise. We had a pitcher of Sangria (somewhat different and more expensive than at Pio Pio's, but I still relished it) and a couple of typical Spanish dishes (the Spanish put their seal of approval on the meal-->worthwhile!). Later that night we went to Melkweg ("Milky Way") where we spent most of our time in the reggaeton section. There was a Dutch boy from the South who caught my eye (also on Facebook) and the only reason I mention him (if you couldn't tell, I've been avoiduing those topics in most of my posts) is b/c he reminded me of home, lol. He was putting on the whole arrogant, laidback attitude and I have to say I was into it, delivering my bitch routine to his jackass act.
At one point I said, "You're a real asshole, you know that?"

To which he responded, "Yeah, but I'm sweet after sex,"

"Hmmm," I said, "well I want someone sweet before and after."
It was pretty entertaining and a memorable soundbite. (Nothing happened, he asked to go home with me, I told him to go home to the South).

In short, great weekend!