IAMSTERDAM

It's been almost a week since I returned from Amsterdam and I still don't know where to begin in writing this entry about it. It was such an unreal place that I can't even begin to describe it but I mine as well try.

Amsterdam, from what I've seen, is a utopia. It is beautiful, well-functioning, and has such a strong sense of freedom with its government and the different lifestyles people live there. Europe has once again blown me away with their easy public transportation systems and Amsterdam was great in particular. The city is designed with a huge network of roads and canals that allowed for easy transportation by walking, biking, driving, and taking the various tram lines throughout the city. Amsterdam is one of the top cities in the world for bicycling and that was obvious because EVERYBODY was riding one. It was like a college campus but expanded into a vast urban area. Along with the canals the city had some of the most beautiful parks and open areas I have ever seen full of sprawling lawns, flowers, and of course more bike paths.

One of the other great things about being in the Netherlands compared to Southern Europe was that the language barrier is basically a non-issue because English is EVERYWHERE. It was like a miniature America, well I guess more like a mini UK. It was such a welcoming feeling being able to get around very easily and not feel rude for not speaking the local language. This only made me more excited for London and of course the U.S.A.

Now to move on to the story (or a much abridged version at least). It all started Thursday morning at 3:30 AM when Vince and I left our apartment to get to the airport to catch our 6 AM flight. Of course we got to the airport with plenty of time to wait around (literally about 2 hours), but we were too excited to complain. We landed at 9 AM to a wonderland known as the Amsterdam Schipol Airport. It was beautiful, very modern, and had some pretty abstract sculptures and art. Already we had a grand impression of the city, just from the airport alone. First things first, we stopped at the STARBUCKS that greeted us as we got into the main waiting area and treated ourselves to an Americano-style coffee. I must say, even though I like the dark, concentrated espresso shots of Italy, I still enjoy getting an actual "cup" of coffee that is more watered-down but is a lot smoother. It's funny how we nearly forgot there was another option to the strong shots offered here.

VENTI AMERICANO

From the airport we took a very high-tech train ride to the Amsterdam Centraal Station (Dutch spelling is really strange) and made the short walk to our hostel. It was a nice clear morning and our first sight of the canals was unbelievable.

Our hostel, despite its snarky staff and small, cramped room, was in a great location in the heart of the city. Just across the canal was probably our favorite street in Amsterdam in that it had bars, places to get food, a supermarket, and of course a wide selection of "coffeeshops." I won't go into too much detail about the last thing mentioned but rest assured Vince and I enjoyed our ability to take part in that very special part of Amsterdam's culture. From there we took a good walk and saw even more of our surrounding area:

Beautiful city.

After eating lunch at Wok to Go, a Panda Express-like place that reminded us of our American cuisine, we decided to rent bikes and take a self-guided bike tour to get more-acquainted with the city. From our experience, we quickly learned that biking in Amsterdam looks a lot easier than it actually is. Just to go from one place to the next (most of the time we didn't even know where we were going), we had to navigate along bike paths and through intersections dealing with other bikers, people, cars, and MULTIPLE sets of traffic lights. In one hilarious instance, Vince accidentally crashed into a Dutch guy on his bike (it was the other guy's fault at least) and was completely fine and had no problems with the rental bike. The other guy's bike, on the other hand, was completely tweaked and could no longer be ridden. We had no idea what to do other than leave the scene after Vince apologized multiple times and even offered to pay for the repairs. All we could do was laugh about it over the course of the entire weekend.

Along the bike ride we went through the Vondelpark, an immaculate urban park full of playgrounds, ponds, gardens and could easily be biked through.

After the bike ride we were glad to be alive but felt incredibly tired from the long day so we took a nap and ended up sleeping for 5+ hours. When we got up near 11 PM our main goal was getting food which we suddenly realized would become our version of a "Thanksgiving Dinner." We went to the gourmet and highly-exclusive Snack King where we feasted on french fries and BBQ chicken wings. Not quite turkey with the family but somehow it didn't feel THAT weird.

Easily the most unusual Thanksgiving EVER.

From our dinner we did some more walking at night and tried to find some bars to go to but it was pretty late and on a Thursday night so not many people were out. We ended up going to bed pretty early to rest up for another long day.

On Friday we devoted most of our time to seeing museums. We got up on the early side and went to the Anne Frank House. This was an amazing experience and it was unlike any museum or exhibit I have ever been to. Even though it is a reconstruction, we got to walk through the house where the Franks and many others had been in hiding for years before being caught near the end of the War. Along the way we got to read testimonies and diary entries of Anne, her other family members, and friends of the Franks' who have survived. The House was such a powerful and moving place, much like Dachau but on a more personal basis. The information presented and the experience of walking through all the rooms really gave us an understanding of what it was like to live in such a precarious situation. Even though I never read her diary (I want to now), I felt like I somehow knew this girl and her family and could even relate to her struggles. Of course I've never lived through such turmoil but at least her difficulties in growing up are relatable to my experiences.

After the Anne Frank House we met up with our friend Jon from our program and had a good ol' American breakfast served at our hostel. From there we walked towards the Museumplein, where the Van Gogh Museum is located. This was a great area! It was basically one giant lawn and was probably the biggest open space we got to see in the city.

We made our way into the museum and it was quite remarkable. Right off the bat I was impressed with its modern architecture but of course the art was the main attraction. I was in shock with how prolific Van Gogh was in only his 10 years as a painter. I always thought he had been given too much attention in Art History but seeing so many works up close in person really proved me wrong. He was definitely a genius and ahead of his time. It was a very special exhibit that brought us really close to the paintings and we got to see the details in his brushwork that were so unique. Both the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museums were easily two of the best museums I have ever been to and that says a lot about Amsterdam not being just a party, Vegas-esq kind of city.

After Van Gogh, Vince and I walked home but stopped at an American classic, SUBWAY. Even though they have a few in Rome, I never had the urge to get it because it seemed weird to eat something so "Anglo" in Italy. In Amsterdam, of course it tasted amazing and my Subway club sandwich made me feel right at home. When we finally got back to our hostel we took another nap to rest up before the night. Again we woke up pretty late (like 10:30 PM) but wanted to at least try and go out and drink so we went to the bar across the canal and had a good amount of Jager-bombs and beers. It still didn't seem like a very busy night but at least we got to talk to the bartender and the people around us. It was once again another great, laid-back kind of night, much unlike the usual nights here in Rome.

Our Saturday was a blast and probably our favorite day in Amsterdam. We got up and went right to the HEINEKEN EXPERIENCE which was basically the Disneyland of breweries. With our admission we took a self-tour and learned about the company's founding, brewing process, and its current global marketing business as the #1 international beer. We even got to go on a "ride" and got to be brewed in a virtual reality simulator which was hilarious.

The best part of the "experience" was getting to taste the Heineken fresh from the tap.

From Heineken, we wanted to go to the Oosterpark, another urban park highly recommended to us. It was a nice long walk along one of Amsterdam's largest canals and we got to cross the Toronto Bridge, right over a huge body of water.

Once we got to Oosterpark we were amazed by how beautiful it was. From the entrance we saw a skatepark, garden, and part of the lake that constituted much of the park. Vince and I spent quite a bit of time walking around such a spectacular park, even though the weather was less than great.

When we got back to the hostel we rested and warmed up for a bit before heading out to grab some dinner. This time we got to know one of our hostel roommates, Matt, who had been traveling alone and was looking to meet people while in Amsterdam. He gave us the idea to go get all-you-can-eat Dim Sum in the Asian part of town and it was of course delicious. After dinner we ended up at the same bar as the night before because it had good drink deals and we liked the atmosphere.

For our last day (Sunday) we kept it pretty simple. We got up and ate breakfast in our hostel before heading out into the city. We planned on going to the Rijksmuseum, the National Museum of Art but unfortunately it was in the middle of a major reconstruction and only had a limited collection on display. Instead we went to the Rembrandt House which a great museum nonetheless. We got to take an audio tour through the house where Rembrandt lived, painted, and collected art. It was a really beautiful and extravagant house and it was such a shame that he went bankrupt during his lifetime and basically lost it all. Either way it became clear to me why he was considered a genius of his time through his paintings and innovative work with etchings. I had no idea how revolutionary he was with the technology in printmaking itself that contributed to his great abilities as an artist.

Seeing the Rembrandt House in person definitely affirmed my reasoning to consider him to be one of my favorite artists of all time.

After Rembrandt we did some more walking and perusing in the various shops along the way before getting dinner at this Argentinean restaurant (there seemed to be many in Amsterdam). This meal, though quite expensive, was hands down the best meal of the weekend. We all ordered steaks and a bunch of sides and it was unreal.

Excellent last supper.

The night came quickly and we soon faced our unfortunate departure time, early that morning (more like the middle of the night) It was depressing to leave, particularly getting out of bed at 3 AM and making our way out of such a magical place. By 9 AM that morning we were back in Rome and right back into the swing of things here.

What a weekend. Again I am blown away by the diversity of Europe. It really is a world of its own. Amsterdam was so unique and unlike anything else on this planet. Even though I am in love with this continent, I am equally if not more thrilled to go back to my own country. I have nearly three weeks to go which seems like not much time but there is a LOT to do: my last papers/assignments, VENICE, final exams, LONDON and finally I arrive in Chicago just in time for Christmas. It all seems a bit intimidating but I know I can do it. Here comes the beginning of the end.