Exploring Amsterdam

Our last 2 days in Amsterdam we tried to have more of a scheduled plan for the day, but not surprisingly it didn't really turn out that way. The next morning we woke up relatively early to go the Anne Frank House but by the time we got there 9:20 the line was already over an hour long. So instead we decided to grab some breakfast and do some more wandering. We ended up renting bikes and navigating our way around the city. We headed to the Van Gogh museum but once again we hit a 2 hour long line and decided to save that experience for later. Next we decided to be real tourists and headed for the Heineken Experience/museum. It was super touristy but we had a good time messing around. Afterwards we tried to go back to the Van Gogh museum but the line was still super long so instead of riding the bus back to the boat we decided to try and do it on our bikes. Lets just say I learned that I've definitely been in better shape before. On our way back we stumbled across what we think was a honey bee festival in the residential area near the boat. It was packed with families with small children tasting all different kinds of honey and little kids getting their face painted. It was a great find. Afterwards we stopped and the local grocery store and bought some super stinky cheese and crackers and some delicious orange juice. There is a small restaurant near the boat that we've passed a few times but never really paid attention to. This time we decided to stop for dinner. It was a really really tiny building with only a few tables and one old man working there who we assumed was the owner. It was such a cute little building with white lights and tree branches covering the ceiling and a full wall or windows looking out of the canal. We were the only people in the restaurant. At the owner took our order and went to go cook our food he also changed into a chef shirt. We had a delicious Mel and left with full stomachs and happy hearts. 

We learned our lesson about long lines, so the next morning we woke up super early and rode our bikes to the Anne Frank house. We were the 3rd group of people in line and waiting for about 40 mins in the cold. Walking through the house and attic where Anne Frank and her family and friends hid during WWII was both an eerie  and inspiring experience. We've all learned about Anne Frank since we were little and I've studied so much about theHolocaust in many of my human rights classes at SMU but being there was an indescribable experience. Seeing and learning about the struggles amd obstacles they encountered while in hiding, while reading about the hope and faith in a better world that Anne Frank expressed in her diary was heartbreaking and inspiring. Just like my travels in Rwanda, it's an eye opening experience to see and touch things that you have learned so much about in a classroom. After the Anne Frank house we sat down for breakfast on the opposite side of the canal. We talked about what we saw while eating giant think pancakes. Afterwards we decided to return the bikes. My legs had bikes all they could handle. After our luck getting into the Anne Frank house we decided to try out luck one last time at the Van Gogh museum. Don't know what kinda mojo we had going that day but there was barely a line at all. The Van Gogh museum was huge! There were so many different paintings and drawings from every stage of his life. I would have to say my favorite part was seeing his sunflower paintings. He apparently did dozens of them trying to getting just rights before the sunflowers wilted and died. 

I trying to keep this as brief as possible so I can have time to write about everything. But basically those are the highlights of our trip in Amsterdam! Amsterdam was such a cool city. The buildings were neat looking and the winding canals were easy to get lost in. I would love to go back there when it isn't so cold and rainy but all I all I had an amazing time! 

"To build a future you have to know the past" -Otto Frank

Amsterdam Day 2

Sorry I haven't been posting my blog entries at the same time that I write them. I've just been having to wait until I get Internet. But here's what I wrote after our 2nd day in the great city of Amsterdam...  When we woke up this morning it was once again freeeeeeezing cold inside the houseboat and outside. Apparently our hot water and our heat were both broken so it was around 53 degrees in the boat! This along with the jet lag make it nearly impossible for me to get out of my war bedmate finally around 11:30 I became a semi functioning human being and was able to crawl out of bed. And by 12 we set out to wander around the city. We read about a cafe called Poco Loco that was supposed to be good so we looked up the address and set off to find it. We weren't in any rush so we just casually wandered around the area near the central station until we found it. We had an awesome brunch and even got mimosas. No one in the restaurant had any idea what they were and laughed when we tried to explain it. After a hardy meal we wandered around the center of Amsterdam pretty much all day and I took wayyyyyy too many pictures. It was such a relaxing/exhausting/fun/exciting afternoon. We eventually stumble across the "I Amsterdam" letters and took some classic touristy photos. After wandering around some more we found the flower market which was right along one of the canals. Dad would have loved all the different roots and seeds and wide variety of plants. I know he would be asking what each and every seed or root was. After wandering around the market some more and confusingly examining the "grow your own cannabis starter kits" that were casually sold at every flower stand, we stopped in a small cafe to rest and dry off from the rain. We sat in the window eating our apple pie and sipping on hot coffee while watching the people walk by. 1 apple pie and 4 cappachinos later we decided to to head back to the houseboat. It's kinda a long trip from the center of town to where we are staying but I like being further away. It's not too too far and we get to see a lot by taking the buses and trams in and out of town. While riding the tram home, in true William and Sydney style we decided to find somewhere else to eat. We found a diner like place right next to the windmill where we are staying. I got a delicious falafel wrap and a local beer from the brewer/windmill next door. Because this is such a residential area no one at the diner or brewery were tourists. Most people were stopping by on their bikes after a long day at work. It's was a really cool atmosphere. Now we are back t the houseboat, the heat is working again and all I can say is I need a shower some kinda bad! It's also already 9:30 and the sun is STILL hasn't started to set yet!

PS... Dad you were definitely right (as always)... I should have brought a rain coat! No worries though I bought a nice long, warm one. There's a huge storm over all of Europe right now so I'm pretty positive it's gonna get some good use this trip! 

Hello Amsterdam!

May 23-24 

Greetings from Amsterdam! Yesterday morning we arrived in Amsterdam bright and early. It felt so exciting to once again be in a foreign country where I had no idea where I was or what the people around me where saying (even though pretty much everyone here speaks English). It took some time but eventually we navigated our way to our HOUSEBOAT! On our way there we hit a small intersection and had no idea which way to go. Luckily the owner of the boat, Alex, happened to run into us while riding her bike to come meet us, saving us from getting ourselves hopelessly lost. The houseboat is so awesome! I has a kitchen, a washer/dryer ( which we prolly won't use), wifi and big comfy sofas.  Once we got here we unpacked a little and relaxed some before heading into town. The boat is kinds outside of the center of town, which has turned out to be pretty nice because we've been able to see a lot by taking the busses and trams everywhere. OH and did I mention that its freezing cold! And windy/rainy so that makes it even colder. On top of that neither of us brought the right clothes for this kind of weather. Nevertheless... Despite the rain and the cold we set off to find mikes bikes where we signed up for an afternoon bike tour. Our guide Pete gave us a condensed history of Amsterdam and the basics on how to ride a bike (which I hope everyone who signed up for a bike tour already knew how to do) then took off leading us around the city.  We literally went ALL over Amsterdam on that bike tour. Even though it was 3 hours long, freezing and raining the bike tour was definitely worth it and I'm so glad that we did it. The tour was able to help us figure out where all we wanted to go back to and what we wanted to skip. At the very end of the tour, soaking wet and numb from the cold, we stopped at a small local pub and shared a drink with Pete. Bythelateafternoon we were dead tired (we had been awake for around 30 hours and had been riding bikes around a bustling city all day) so we headed back to the house boat to all it a night. However it turned out the sun doesn't set until around 10:30ish so it felt so weird going to sleep when it was as bright as day outside. Regardless the sun didn't stop me one it from passing out the second my head hit the pillow! All in all it was a great first day and I went to sleep excited about the next few days we get to spend in Amsterdam!

Europe Summer 2013

May 22, Ready for take off...
I recently graduated this past may and was once again reminded of why I have some of the greatest parents in the world... I'm currently sitting on the plane in charleston waiting to take off on my way to Europe! (Of course this is only one of the many reasons why they are so great). Today our travels will take my boyfriend William and I from charleston to DC and then on to Amsterdam, the 1st stop in my month long Europe adventure. It's 2:30 in the afternoon in charleston right now, we are going to pop some melatonin and hopefully wake up at 7am in Amsterdam! I think we will sleep pretty well due to our recently purchased fuzzy neck pillows. There isn't much to say except that I think it's finally hitting me that I am actually going to Europe... And today! Our adventure starts in Amsterdam where William and I will travel through the Netherlands and then Switzerland before meeting up with our friends in Paris! Most of the group will only stay for 2 or 3 weeks, but after everyone leaves Jacey and I will keep on tracking until the end of July! For this 2 month journey I've brought one backpack and a purse, not to mention my stinky toms and my carry on size bottle of shampoo and conditioner. Needless to say you might want to keep your distance when I return in August! My weave/Afro/dreds will certainly be fierce when this is all finished. Well we are on the runway in charleston about to take off and William keeps looking over my shoulder to see what I'm writing. About 10 more hours and we will be in Amsterdam! PS did I mention we are staying on a house boat in the canals of Ameserdsm???!!!
3...2...1... TAKE OFF!