30-Day Solo Travel in Europe | Day 4: The Gentle Art of Doing Nothing - A Day in Giethoorn

(Previous chapter of my journey: 30-Day Solo Travel in Europe | Day 3: The 'Van Gogh Sanctuary' Hidden in Forest)

If I had to sum up my fourth day in the Netherlands in one word, it would be this: 'relaxing'. That special kind of ease that comes from simply following your heart. Maybe that's why I didn't take many photos today.

When I had my breakfast at the hostel, I shared a table with a middle-aged woman from Paris who reminded me a bit of Phoebe from Friends. She told me that she's a teacher, coming here with a group of student from Paris for exchange programme. And today was their last day.

I told her Paris would be my next stop and she kindly recommended some affordable restaurants. With a lovely French accent, she suggested a few places, then took my phone and typed 'Place Monge' into Google Maps, enthusiastically pointing out several local spots near the metro station. I asked if strikes in Paris might affect my travels. She laughed: 'Oh, Paris people like to protest a lot!' But she assured me strikes usually avoid tourist areas and shouldn't disrupt my plans too much.

Later, I joined a day trip to Giethoorn. The coach from the city centre took about an hour and a half to two hours. We arrived around noon, and our guide arranged a one-hour boat tour through the village. The architecture here preserves traditional Dutch charm, where most roofs are thatched with reed, though a few modern houses use tiles instead.

A few ducklings occasionally swam beside our boat, utterly charming! After the boat ride, I wandered along the village paths for a while. And I came to the realisation that the best way to experience this place was simply to sit down and feel its slow-paced life and peaceful rhythm.

The warm sunlight felt just right – not too bright, not too hot. Since our coach wasn't leaving until 4:45pm and I didn't feel like more exploring, I decided to treat myself to a long, leisurely lunch. I ordered fish and chips, a mojito, and apple strudel. Each dish was perfectly delicious, and the strudel was honestly the best I've ever had! I spent the time just sitting there, daydreaming and watching the world go by.

In moments like these reminding me 'how life should be', there's always a quiet voice in my head reminding me: if I want more days like this, I'll need to work hard and save up when I'm back in Hong Kong. Some sacrifices are worth making for the life you want.

And so I spent my day doing... well, not much at all. Is that a luxury? To most Hong Kong people, it probably seems incredibly self-indulgent. But for those who live here in Giethoorn, it's just their ordinary life.

Sometimes life's like that – we look at others and imagine grass is always greener on the other side. But we always have the freedom and choice to decide our pace in life, and what kind of life truly feels like our own.

My journey continues: 30-Day Solo Travel in Europe | Day 5: In Search of 'The Girl with a Pearl Earring'