AMSTERDAM

Wow, I'm terrible. But hey - at least it's only a week late, right?
I've just been SO BUSY doing some seriously awesome things this week (read: studying, reading, writing, and procrastinating).
I hope you like it & enjoy my eighty billion pictures of canals.. what? They're just really pretty, okay!?

12.8.2012

Woke up at 5:30 (yes, in the morning).. and so begins my very last on-my-own, European expedition! It was supposed to be a group of three of us, but due to some unfortunate issues booking tickets, it ended up just being Dana and I - girly trip!

I was dreadfully nervous that we were going to be late and miss our bus and everything was going to be awful.. but we made it to Brussels with plenty of time to spare! Caught our 8:31 bus and were on our way! Note: this was the first time that I've traveled by bus here.. worked out pretty well, I think. Just picture a four hour bus ride.. and me sleeping, the entire way. PERFECT. 

We realized on Friday night that our hostel was about an hour's walk from the station where our bus was to drop us off.. excellent. The hostel gave us some instructions on how to traverse the city by tram, so that was our plan. But I'm not really one for public transportation.. I get confused kind of easily. It's always been fine since I've been here because Claire really has a knack for it. Except she wasn't with us in Amsterdam. But could you believe it.. we figured it out! Got off the tram at the correct stop and everything! I couldn't help but be a little bit proud of Dana & myself.

And then.. Amsterdam! Real life! Our first look...

And this wasn't even the best of canals. I was just so excited to be off that darned bus and walking around in a new, beautiful city! Also, a sidenote.. I was the idiot that decided to forget their camera at home. UGH. So frustrating. Luckily, I had my trust iPhone with me which provided my photos for the weekend! 

We checked-in to our hostel & had a quick lunch before heading out to explore the city! Let me tell you, we were blessed with an absolutely gorgeous day in Amsterdam. Wow. We were expecting rain all weekend, but that Saturday was sunny and bright and blue-skied - it was fantastic. Yes, it was biting cold.. but with the sun high in the sky, who could complain?

See that dark blob? In the left corner?
That's me. Mr. Sun got a little too bright for a quick second...

The Westerker, just steps from our hostel

One of very few semi-decent photos of the two of us!

One of my favorite shots from the weekend.
Amsterdam, much like Leuven, is a HUGE biking culture!! Bikers everywhere...
it made me miss my Leuven home a little bit. 

Decorated for Christmas!

I give you the Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier.
I know I say it all the time, but this REALLY was one of the most beautiful
churches I've ever been inside. I really mean it this time. 

My obsession with churches ever continues...

A Dana-sized Christmas tree!

Loved all the different country flags!

I've done one of these nifty little boat rides in all of the cities I've been to with an excess of canals.. it's a really great & inexpensive way to see a city. Boat ride #3!! 

SUNSET. One of my favorite times.

The sky was LITERALLY this pink. Holy cats.

You're lucky that I only added these two pictures of the pink sky..
I have about twelve more. 

PIRATE SHIP.

Sunset + Harbor

FUN FACT ALERT:

On our tour we learned two things about the homes in Amsterdam that I thought were pretty neat. See, the canals are all lined with houses very much like the ones in the photo above - very old & very narrow & quite pleasing to the eye. 

Apparently, back in the day, the homes in Amsterdam didn't have house numbers. Instead, they were distinguished by a distinctly designed window above the door that was specific to the house - there would be no other one like it in Amsterdam. Then, when people had to send a letter, they would just draw a picture of the recipient's window for the address. 

Also, because the homes are narrow the doorways & staircases are also narrow. In order to be able to move furniture in and out of the houses, there are hooks at the very top of each house that hang over a large window. Furniture would be lifted up by these hooks & through the windows when families were in the process of moving or getting new furniture. 

ISN'T THAT NEAT!? Look, Mom! I learned something new!

And now you have, too. 

So the boat ride ended and we went to find a local market that's apparently the place to go for the best deals. Well, we got there and everything was being torn down.. but we did get to see these...

Giant lampshades? And they were all over this huge square.. it was so weird. 

Let's just call it a cultural difference. 

FOR MY BIG!!
Maggie, I hope you see this. Biggest assortment of Hello Kitty things
that I've seen in a while. 

And so began our stroll through the Red Light District.. Yes, you heard me correctly. 

I WAS IN THE RED LIGHT DISTRICT. 

It's every stereotype you've ever heard and more.. Dana and I figured that we had to walk through it at the very least, right? Just another thing to check off the bucket list, I suppose.  

So I only took this picture because I liked the elephant...

See the red lights, eh? I see where it gets the name from...

And finally, to end the evening, a Heineken! In it's hometown!
How nice. 

12.9.2012

The next morning, Dana and I woke up to our complimentary HOT breakfast. Yes, it was the best hostel ever. After breakfast we were on the hunt for a church for Mass, but unintentionally ended up back at the Cathedral we went to yesterday - St. Francis Xavier. The prettiest church in all of existence. And it was Latin Mass, so it was eighteen thousand times more beautiful. AND they had a choir made up of some monks.. yeah, it doesn't really get much better. Great way to start the day!

Then wandering.. of course. Our only set plan for the day was our pre-purchased tickets to tour the Anne Frank House - exciting! - so we had loose plans to wander, find this really big park, eat, find the I AMsterdam sign, and perhaps take in a museum? A tall order for a quick afternoon, but we did our best!

Cheesy, touristy canal shot without the sun blinding the camera

Side street.
Also, it looks like fall.. but it's December?

We got caught in a MASSIVE rainstorm for ten minutes or so, but then we got to see this. 

Sunshine & a beautiful green park!
Oh, and that's Dana over there. 

Just being a little bit artsy.. oops?

WE NEED THESE IN AMERICA.
Better than Panera. Better than Einstein.
Hands down.

The sun was playing peek-a-boo.. and it was stunning!
Such lovely weather we had, really.

Do you see us? We're in the M!

And then just me..

I wish it had been a little brighter.. but it was cool to see this infamous piece of Amsterdam!

The Rijksmuseum.. which we unfortunately didn't get to tour.
Decided it wasn't worth the 17.50 euro entrance.. prices were insane here. 

Canals! Wheeee

The ONLY shot that proves that I really did visit the Anne Frank House.. still kicking myself for not taking more pictures. It was such a cool experience - probably one of my favorite parts of the weekend. 

But after seeing Anne Frank's house.. we had to get back to the station to catch our bus! Sad to leave Amsterdam, but happy to be back in Leuven too! After a slightly tumultuous bus ride, we made it back safe and sound to our Belgian homes. HOOORAY for a successful weekend! It went really quickly, but it was truly wonderful. 

And I loved Amsterdam! It was a lot different than I expected.. but then again, I don't really know exactly what it was that I expected. I sure didn't expect it to be as big as it was! But it guess that kind of comes with the territory of being the capitol of a country.. right. But it wasn't big in the overwhelming, New York City kind of way. It was just... nice. A lovely last excursion. 

And now... study, study, study! 

FAMILY IS HERE IN ONE WEEK! I LITERALLY CANNOT CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT!!

Now I've just got SIX exams standing in my way... I can do it.