I amsterdam

Once again we had to get on four trains to get to our destination. We even had some tight connections (like 2 minutes), but we made it to Amsterdam! 

Our hostel was right next to Museumplein (I Amsterdam sign) so after we checked into the hostel we chilled for a bit there. It was surprisingly hot so we dipped our feet into the fountain and just people watched for a while. They tell you not to touch the statues, but clearly no one bothered to read the signs. And then we walked. We were just wandering so I am not sure where all we went but it was nice. We even discovered this amazing store and had to make a few purchases. So many people were on bikes and I am surprised we made it out without getting hit by one. 

We knew it was supposed to rain later in the week so we decided to make the next day our outdoors day, and it started off with a bang. After a "free" breakfast we decided to rent bike for 3 hours. Clearly one of our best ideas. I've never ridden a bikes a city, let alone one with a ton of other tourists and bikers. It was a bit nerve racking so we decided to warm up in Vondlepark. And then we tried our luck on the streets. Just so you know, I'm not a huge fan of crossing the street on a bike. It probably didn't help that it was super windy and I was wearing a relatively short dress. At least 1/2 of Amsterdam saw my underwear, maybe more.

After about an hour and a half of biking, Ally and I got separated. Don't worry, neither of us had a freak out. We both just kept biking and I biked back to the hostel to change. I even had a person ask me for directions. We did finally meet back up and then we went on a Sandeman's Free Walking Tour. It took us through the Red Light District, into the Jewish Quarter, to Rembrandt's house, to Anne Frank's house, and to Chinatown. Our tour guide, Julian, was excellent and the tour saved us from trying to find all those places on our own. 

It was an incredibly full day so we decided to stop by a coffee shop that we saw on the tour and have a local treat. An hour or so later and we were both done for the night.

The next day we started to check off the museums. We had already gotten our tickets to Van Gogh so we skipped the queue and waltzed right in. The museum was a lot larger than I had expected and worth every penny. I am a bit biased 'cause I love Van Gogh, but I definitely recommend it. The museum was perfectly set up so that you could see how is work progressed through his life, and it even had some works by different artists who inspired him. When I walked in I kind of expected to see Bill Nighy there, but no such luck. Also "Sunflowers" was still on loan for the British Gallery so I got to see it again. It was right next to his copy of the original so it allowed for a nice comparison. Good thing it was there too 'cause its Ally's favorite. Then we parted ways: Ally to the Heineken Brewery and me to wander about. I had already been to Guinness and  since I cant drink beer I didn't really have much desire to check it out. Unfortunately it rained to I just found a place to get a bite to eat. It did clear up after a while and I went back to the I Amsterdam sign to meet Ally. She ended up not making it to the meeting point, but I got to people watch and eat a free potato crisp twirly thing on a stick. Yep that's what I'm calling it.

The next day was cold and rainy. We waited in a relatively long queue to get in the Anne Frank House, but thankfully the museum gave us an umbrella to use while we waited. Still we were a bit soaked and cold. However the museum was really moving and made me want to reread her diary. I don't think I've read it since middle school so it's been a while. What really got me was the interview with one of Anne's friends whom she was reunited with in the concentration camp and the interview with her father. There was also a heartbreaking image of him returning to the annex after he survived the camp. It just broke my heart 'cause they lived I hiding in that annex and then they were discovered. I can't even imagine what that must have been like. And then it said that he would go to the station everyday for a couple of weeks to see if his daughters would show up before he learned of their fates. A horribly beautiful museum.

After that...we went to the pipe museum but we ended up not paying to go I because the store was interesting enough. There were so many different types of pipes and some were truly ornate. It made me want to find one of my grandfather's pipes. 

When we got out it was still cold and rainy so we decided to call it a day and chill in the hostel. I managed to finish Peter Pan and start on The Importance of Being Ernest. Not a bad day.

I think we covered Amsterdam pretty well, but I definitely want to go back.