Our journey continued in Amsterdam and began with an overnight bus.  When we were booking our travels, we found that the cheapest and easiest way to get there was by bus, and we thought we would grant ourselves maximum time and save the most money by booking an overnight one.  We figured that it would be more comfortable and easier to sleep on, but we were wrong.  I wasn't able to sleep for more than twenty minutes straight.  I don't regret doing it, because it saved money and gave us two full days in Paris and Amsterdam, but I will never do it again.  We arrived an hour earlier than expected, and it was raining.  We couldn't find a map and the train station wasn't working, so we had to try and figure out where our hostel was on our own.  It took us about a half an hour, even though it was only five minutes from the station.  We finally got to our hostel and weren't allowed to check in for another couple of hours, but luckily they let us sleep on the couches in the common room.  So far, our time in Amsterdam wasn't off to a very good start.

I normally can't sleep in many places other than a bed, but I passed out as soon as I put my head down (using my purse as a cushion) and slept until we were allowed to check-in.  They let us have breakfast, put our things in our room, and freshen up before we headed out.  Luckily, the little time we spent on the couches made a world of difference and we were ready to conquer the day.  Because we had such a wonderful experience with the New Europe tours in Paris, we decided to go on the one they offered in Amsterdam as well.  None of us really knew much about Amsterdam, so we thought it would be perfect; it was.  We learned all about the history of Amsterdam (very interesting, especially since I've never really studied Dutch history before) and about the role marijuana and the red light district has played (and still plays) in their society (it is SUCH an interesting culture, and VASTLY different from anything in the US), saw the Jewish quarter, were taken to a cheese shop to try some local cheeses (the best I have EVER had), and then we continued with our guide to a restaurant to eat some local food.


After dinner, we went to the Anne Frank house/museum, which was #1 on my list of things to do.  I've read her diary a few times, and it was such a moving experience to be standing in the same building that this little girl once hid in.  The museum brings you on a "tour" of the entire building- the office, all the bedrooms, the attic, etc.  There are also excerpts from her actual diary and interviews with her surviving family and friends.  By the end of the visit, I was in tears.  Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed, so I don't have any to show, but I guess that just means you're going to have to see it for yourself!  If you haven't read the diary yet, I also recommend you do so.  It is truly an incredibly touching thing to read.


The rest of the night we wandered around Amsterdam, seeing other different touristy things, and headed back to the hostel early to hang around in the common room.  We stayed in a place called the Flying Pig Downtown; if and WHEN I go back to Amsterdam, I will absolutely stay here again.  The atmosphere here was so great- there was a bar, pool table, lounge, etc. and allowed you to socialize, meet new people, and have a great time without having to actually go out.  We relaxed there for a while, then headed to bed very early to catch up on sleep.

The next day we really didn't have a plan.  We saw all the "touristy" things we wanted to see the day before, so we decided just to wander around, explore the city, and do some window shopping.  At one point in the day, we headed to the Van Gogh museum and the "I Amsterdam" sign, which are right next to each other.  We took your obligatory pictures (I sat inside the D for DeLeo, since there isn't an L), and walked over to the museum.  The way the museum was set up was so that you could see the evolution of Van Gogh's work, from the start of his career to the end.  There were sketches from his schooling alongside some of his most famous works- very cool to see.  I don't know much about art, but I love the style and the colors he uses.  Unfortunately, "Starry Night" is in the MOMA in NYC, not this museum like we thought, so we didn't get to see that, but I loved visiting the museum nonetheless.


After leaving the museum, we started making our way back to the hostel and stumbled upon a little park.  We walked around there for a while, saw an (interesting?) underground art exhibit, and just relaxed.  At dusk, we started walking back, and got to see the city light up.  Amsterdam is a very beautiful city, and the light at dusk, paired with the street lights, gave it an incredible look.  On our way back, we bought more bread, cheese, and tomatoes and ate in the bar of the hostel.  While we were hanging out there, we met this group of guys who were staying as well.  Two were from Canada, one was from France, another was from the US but lives in Rotterdam, one was from Michigan, and the other was from Colorado.  We all had the same plan of going out to explore the Red Light District that night, so we decided to go together. When we got back, we ended up hanging out with them for the rest of the night.  The thing I love most about traveling and staying in hostels is the people you meet; this group of guys were all SO interesting and friendly,  and I truly enjoyed the time we spent with them.


It was up early the next morning to continue our travel to Dublin.  Going to Amsterdam, I didn't know what to expect.  I was very pleasantly surprised.  The people there were all so friendly, the food was amazing, the city was beautiful, and there was so much history and culture that I really didn't know about.  It was definitely an experience I am so happy I did not miss out on, and I would love to travel back there again some day.

Ciao!  Abbracci e baci!  xoxo

1 Comment

1. Tom on April 4, 2012 at 5:28 AM

   Hi all,
   
   We have just finished a post about the National Monument in Dam Square Amsterdam.
   
   If you enjoyed our post, "Like" us on Facebook Today!
   
   Tom,
   2bearbear.com