When we just moved to the Netherlands, I was pretty sure that I would post regular blogs about our new life.

And my enthusiasm lasted for almost a year, which is quite impressive! But then, reality and work interfered, and I stopped posting. Not that I didn’t have anything to share, but I didn’t have any emotional or physical capacity to spend time on that alongside all other things I had to do (work, you know).

I’m sure it will be pretty similar this time. At the same moment, these first days are full of fresh and new impressions that I cherish quite a lot and want to keep. And if someone finds them entertaining, all the better 😊

What you’ll find below are definitely all different sorts of first-world problems. But during the early days after the move, there are so many micro stresses. And they tend to gather together and bring your power down. So, I guess this text will be a bit of a rant 😊

During our years in the Netherlands, we found shops and foods that we like. We had our daily and weekly routines. Many of these things are now broken and have to be rebuilt from scratch in these new conditions.

Yesterday we checked the surrounding streets and found some grocery stores, two butcher’s shops, and shops that sell fruit and vegetables. I guess it’s because there’s a butcher’s shop nearby, there are almost no meat products in the minimarkets. I guess there’s no good bread in minimarkets because you should go to a boulangerie for that.

I don’t know! We have to explore that! And I’m sure all this is absolutely logical to locals, but we are new here and have to learn the routines.

But then, we wanted to have some nice brown bread and weren’t yet able to find a good substitute to what was called ‘Bourgondisch donker’ in a nearby Hoogvliet supermarket in Leiden.

If you know a good place to buy brown bread in central Paris, we’d be glad to hear your recommendations!

Butcher’s shop was quite amazing. They were very helpful there and even switched to English without any prompts from me. Almost like in the Netherlands. But I’m continuing to try to remember what we need in French. For example: boeuf haché. Now I need to learn how to say ‘500’ in French!

Tried to find Philadelphia Light cream cheese. But in every supermarket we go to, there’s only standard Philadelphia. I guess we need to search for some sort of ‘fromage blanc’ that will meet our expectations. Or not? Is there Philadelphia Light in France at all? Any advice?

Today we went to Carrefour hypermarché in Aubervilliers. What a strange feeling. We haven’t been to hypermarkets for a very long time. I guess the only occasions we went to grocery stores of that size were during our visits to Russia or Romania. And the fact that you don’t really understand people around you only amplifies the strange effect. Or maybe it’s just the fact that I don’t really like large stores, and after a year in covid isolation, I don’t like them even more.

My wife and I have joked a lot that all these hypermarkets are readymade sets for filming zombie apocalypse movies. Especially now, when shelves are half-empty as many people prepare for the Easter and bought out many things =)

No Philadelphia Light there either, by the way.

Oh, and we are absolutely not ready to compare prices at the local food stores and hypermarkets yet. I guess meat from a butcher should be more expensive than from Carrefour? Or not?

I can write about driving in Paris, but that probably deserves a separate post. And, yes, our daily routines: walking in parks and other things. That also deserves a word or two. So, until next time! 😊