After another somewhat depressing trip to a kringloop or thrift store to look for decoration ideas – one of my concessions to embracing sustainability – I needed something to liven up my spirits a bit and found that we weren’t too far away from a decent waterside restaurant and just in time for lunch. Not four minutes after leaving with a locally-made, old fashioned barometer-slash-thermometer along with a really cheap-looking globe, and leaving behind sad thoughts of people’s discarded and unwanted belongings, we were front and center of Naarden Harbor enjoying a sunny view of the calm water and endless rows of yachts and sailing ships. The number of private boats here is staggering for such a small country.

Teko ordered his usual go-to burger and I opted for the American pancakes, surprised at the fact that it was even on the menu. While the combo of bacon, maple syrup, and banana slices were delicious, the pancakes I ordered certainly weren’t even close to American-size, barely enough to fill a saucer-sized plate with plenty of room to spare. Given it was my first meal of the day it was gone in no time, nearly as quickly as the time it took for Teko to wolf down his medium-sized burger. Luckily for me he didn’t finish off all of his fries, which ended up not going to waste at all, and I had a big chunk of his burger and thought it slightly better than the last one I had in De Vischmarkt.

Sad to say despite the beauty of the surroundings Teko said he felt ill at-ease being there, something to do with the people. Aside from a serious-looking waitress who seemed like she’d rather be doing something else, I couldn’t really agree with that sentiment and tried my best to make the most of the situation. I felt pressure to hurry up and leave which was a shame since we were supposed to relax and feel fancy-free on this our time off. Being part of a relationship is surely about compromises and given its mutually beneficial nature, it’s safe to say The Porterhouse won’t be seeing us back anytime soon. At least not together.