I AMsterdam.

Our hotel includes breakfast – and it is wonderful!! I had fresh strawberry orange juice, French style scrambled eggs, lots of fresh fruit, and some coffee! To get an overview of the city, we took a canal cruise of Amsterdam. We saw the Mayors house, Anne Frank’s annex, lots of bridges and building from the water. A nice teenage boy from Germany sat with us and talked with us for a while too. We then headed towards the Van Gogh museum. We walked past (literally past, as in without noticing) the Palace and through the “dam” which is just a small plaza with street performers. Then we came upon THE CUTEST café (the Luxemburg Café), where we stopped for lunch. We sat outside and watched Dutch people ride bikes past us, tourist stop for pictures, and all sorts of different activities. We then found the I AMsterdam sign and, of course, took pictures with it. Once we got to the Van Gogh museum, we took our time reading about each piece and his life in general. It was so interesting to see his talent progress in such a short amount of time. I found my new favorite painting by him that is of a beautiful coastline with sailboats…..Ali and I also found a very cute guy haha. We ventured to the Vondel Park (where we saw the cute guy again) and enjoyed the beautiful lakes and sidewalks. The park was FULL of life. People riding bikes, running, walking, having picnics, laying by the lake, ect everywhere! There were cutest kids on their parents’ bikes, enjoying the ride. We went back to our hotel before dinner to rest. After dinner we went to the red light district. Although it was a bit of a culture shock, it was so interesting to witness. It’s hard to imagine prostitution from a legal standpoint, and hard to explain my thoughts and feelings seeing it happen in front of me. I’m so glad I was able to see it though. After that we just headed back to our room. On the canal cruise they said that Amsterdam is not known from its monuments, but for its people, and i can definitly attest to that. The people here and the lifestyle are wonderful. So many people ride bikes, which makes the city seem so quaint and personal. The flowers, canals, and ally ways are gorgeous. It may be known for pot and prostition, but it is definitely much more than that. I will write more later, for now I'm off to bed!

Figuring out the Euro Rail: A Puzzel

Our last morning in London – we journeyed to the Tate Britain! It was interesting but not as cool as some other museums we’ve seen. It was definitely a mix of modern and classic art. We walked past the park on the side of Parliament, took more pictures (a nice way to leave since its also where we started our trip in London), said goodbye to our favorite concierges and headed to the station. Getting on the bullet train was easy. Getting off at Brussels – no problem. Trying to figure out where to go to get the Amsterdam train – a little more difficult. We got on the Euro Rail to Amsterdam and half way into the trip when the ticket people checked our tickets and informed us we were sitting in the wrong section and that we hadn’t gotten our tickets stamped properly. Finally we arrived in Amsterdam, found our hotel, and grabbed dinner. We were exhausted so we planned the next day and went to bed.

Side note to 725, dad, and Kathie: we drove past a café front that was advertising clotted cream. I burst out laughing and immediately thought of you! Miss you all so much!

God Save the Queen

This morning we woke up much more rested and energized than yesterday. We got ready for the chilly day and headed to town. We stopped at a local coffee shop that had great coffee and breakfast pastries. Then we figured out the bus system and took it to Victoria Station. The pub next to the station was roaring with excited and anxious Millwall F.C. fans that were already yelling chants, even though the football (aka soccer) game had yet to begin. We were a little turned around but a nice guy from NY that now lived in London, directed us towards Buckingham Palace. After we had walked for about a minute the guy came back and told us he had directed us the wrong way and didn't want us to get lost, so he pointed us in the right direction! I'm telling you something about London makes everyone nicer! We made it to Buckingham Palace but it was raining a little so the changing of the guards was delayed! We had a great spot right against the fence so we could see everything. We learned the the guards are practicing for the Queen's birthday that is coming up, thus the changing of the guards incorporated the practice for that parade as well! It was so cool to witness. You could tell where the Queen's carriage went, where she would be getting out to wave, ect. We made some friends from Oregon while waiting for the guards to start, too! Then we went to Westminster Abbey - coolest thing yet! It was stunningly beautiful, with so many historic tumbs. We saw the tombs of Kings, Queens, Charles Darwin, Jane Austin, Charles Dickens, ect. AMAZING! THe gold and wood work was also amazing. We listened to the audio guide and who knew that if you upset the Royal family you could be dug up from your grave, hangged, and beheaded. Very interesting tour!! We grabbed a quick lunch and headed to the Brittish Musuem that houses the Rosetta Stone, as well as pieces of the Parthanon and other ancient works. We headed back to the hotel (and never got lost!). More MFC fans with painted faces, celebrating the win! We took a break, went to a very packed Latin resturant and then headed home! Tomorrow we are off to Amsterdam!

Just touched down in London Town!

A LONG DAY FOR SURE! Flight out of Newark was delayed an hour and a half. We took the underground loop to a station near our hotel then a taxi. Ali almost got left behind at a station in the loop with the doors closing, but luckily she made it! We put our bags down and immediately started exploring...on foot. We walked past Big Ben, the Beckingham Palace, and through St.James' Park, where we stopped for coffee. We then walked past the end of the changing of the guards at the Palace. After we stopped into a little Brittish pub where I had my first Brittish meal - fish and chips with a pint of beer! Our waiter, David, was great at recommending things and chatting with us! Then we got lost (for the first time). We finally made it back to the hotel to shower, change, and get ready for the Globe..or so we thought. Once in the hotel we checked our email to realize that we had missed our showing of Macbeth at the Globe- a major disappointment. But we made up for it by going to Harrods (my new idea of heaven) where every perfect shoe and dress you can imagine exists! We walked through Piccadelli Circus and then got some good Indian food for dinner. We decided to call it a night since the jet lag was making it hard to stay awake. Then started the adventure of getting lost..part II. After walking 45 minutes in the wrong direction we realized we were NO WHERE near a hotel, hailed a taxi, and made it back safely. Thankfully we are about to go to bed and catch up on some much needed sleep. I now LOVE Brittish people. They are the nicest people I've ever meet. A random stranger carried my suitcase up flights of stairs when exitting the undergroud. The concierge, Filip, has become our new friend, too! So far I am loving the city, despite a few mishaps.