Jun 2008

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was so not ready to leave Amsterdam but anyway quickly to finish writing about it,

-went to Anne Frank's house which was not that touching at first but then there was an interview with her best friend and also her dad. Tears were flowing...I am such a sap but nevermind

-went to world press photo exhibit in the Old Church (you know, the one in the red light district) which was also even more moving but I don't really think I can describe it. Photos of modern times is all I can say.

-found out where name Big Apple came from. There's a Dutch saying, if you didn't get much money for something you sold it for an egg and an apple. Well, when they traded NYC to Britain it didn't seem like it was a big deal but now...

-as if I didn't love Amsterdam enough, several things happened. first it was sunny and glourious, then I met my hostel's cat, then I found a Lush and had a wonderful time people watching -e.g. a woman knitting behind the apparantly intentionally phallic war monument, a guitarist being chased by someone in an m&m costume, etc... Anyway v.fun.

So...on to Cophenhagen. But wasn't ready to leave Amsterdam! So I think I'm going to try and go back! Anyway Copenhagen seems quite nice, my first taste of Scandinavia but no more time to blog so ttfn

page views 2138 people keep them coming! And write to me! Let me know what you think!

Amusingly when I put the title in the computer suggested "Amsterdam is Heaven" and it is people! It is! I would have written my last post big enough to fill a whole page if I could have! I've done so much here all ready but have had loads of fun just wandering around and I did this AMAZING free tour! When the pics are put up on their website I'll post them but I had a guide called Kevin who was completely hillarious and so so interesting. Saw the smallest house which if I remember correctly was only 2 metres wide, looked around the red light district, saw the coffee shop where Ocean's Twelve was filmed (as an extra interesting tidbit part of the national square was closed off on my first day here and the rumour is going around that it's filming for the next James Bond), the outside of Anne Frank's house -going to see it today and lots of other things besides. Plus he showed us where to go for the best chips in Amsterdam and I went back later and they were wonderful though I imagine they were probably deep fried 3 times but anyway! Plus such interesting stories about grafiti, holy pilgrimages to Amsterdam revolving around a fire-proof piece of bread, public toilets, prisons, and just all kinds of things! I was walking around with a German woman I met who's living in Amsterdam and afterwards we shared the hugest piece of unsweetened apple tart you have ever seen -it had at least 3 whole apples in it- and watched the boats go by. That's not even nearly everything even from that first day but Í only have so much time! Also been to Van Gogh museum - never before do I think it's been so clear to me the artist's mood but you can really tell and it was a very good museum, even worth 10 euros so it must have been good! Also went to a pretty famous (lots of people go to Saturday Night Live from it) comedy club last night called Boom Chicago which was very fun though undeniably very American humour and had a delicious pineapple passionfruit daquiri! Yummy! Anyway I'm starting to feel a little light headed from the smoke down here so moving on but I just feel I need to reiterate I LOVE AMSTERDAM. I'm promoting it to my favourite city ever. People are so friendly! Just on the tram to my first hostel -one woman gave me her seat because she said I needed it more than her and then when I failed to figure out how to open the doors :-( and missed my stop another woman got off at the next one with me and walked me back as she was so concerned I would get lost, even though you know I could just have followed the tram tracks! I mean wow! It doesn't get much nicer than that! And Amsterdam is so beautiful too! They said to me if you like Brussels go to Paris, if not go to Amsterdam and it's so true! I think I need to learn Dutch and move here! In case you didn't already get this I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I AM IN LOVE WITH AMSTERDAM

Just to say...I feel quit phillisophical today about how odd travelling is. I mean I have essentially spent today looking at a little boy -plus his girlfriend and dog- peeing. If you dont know what Im talking about look up Mannekin Pis. A little odd, isnt it? Says a lot about Belgians I feel! I have to say I havent really enjoyed Brussels. It just doesnt seem a very likeable city, though to be fair its probably not helped by the fact that my hostel is in a bit of a ghetto! Oh well, I enjoyed lookingat all Mannekin Pis costumes in the museum and people watching -listening to what people said by it. Also twas quite amusing as the British costume on show was -oh I forget his name_ but from My Fair Lady. So to see this little boy in bronze wearing tweed and peeing... Anyway on to Bruges tomorrow.

Interlude...

So I ran out of time before I could post that but really briefly...Bruges was nicer. Had the best cup of -white- hot chocolate I have ever had in a shop that sells 44 different varieties of hot chocolate wandered around some with a friend I made on a park bench no less and chatted to this somewhat crazy American girl. Had to go through the bar to have a shower which was less than great esp as all the locals frequented the bar as during happy hour it was a beer from €1.10. Ummm...saw some lace making and some sugar spinning and just generally FROZE MY ARSE OFF. Wearing all my clothes at once. But Bruges was pretty. And I got to freeze my arse off some more on my trains on from Bruges as Belgian trains are always late -seriously, they're so often late that the information desk was able to tell me which ones would be late and for how long so I was sat in Antwerp's huge station freezing to death for ages but never mind hey anyway, are you ready for this...