Friday, June 8, 2012

I'mmmmm Back!

Have you missed me?

The past few days have been spent vacationing in Amsterdam. This place has been a lot of fun. We really have just been bumming around and enjoying our spacious, impeccably clean, and super comfy hotel room. This hotel room actually battles it out with Rome's hotel.

We landed in Amsterdam Wednesday afternoon and had very little trouble getting to our hotel since it is right next to a sprinter train station. We settled in and took showers to head out in the town. Our hotel is one statin away from the central station which puts us close enough to make it in and out easily yet far enough away from the craziness.

We experienced a full load of craziness as soon as we headed to the center of town. I will admit that I didn't know what to expect from Amsterdam. This place has it's unique charm for sure. You can really get any kind of food here which is awesome. The entire town is decorated for the Holland national soccer team who play Portugal tomorrow evening in the first round of the European Cup. This place is packed with more college kids visiting than anything.

We did take a stroll down the red light district... It is just one of those things that is you can't believe it until you see it. I will have to say one walk down about two blocks of the red light district was enough for me! We met up with some of the other guys who stayed in a hostel downtown called The Bulldog and hung out there the majority of the time. Poor Professor Tatum (who is my GTA professor next year) got drug along with us the entire vacation. Naturally, he just chuckled the entire time and made the best of following stupid kids around! He is definitely a good sport!

Today, we ventured to the Heineken Brewery. This place was really cool. We took the full tour and got to even drink a few beers a long the way. The entire tour is really interactive with a lot of different things to see and try out. Here are a few pictures:


This was my favorite old add of theirs. Dad, if I could have fit a tin replica of it in my bag, I would have gotten you this one.



"Be the Beer":


My favorite picture of the day:



Amsterdam is one of those places that I am super glad I came and got the full experience but, I will probably never come again. We had a lot of fun but you can only do so much here; it is a very small town. We have taken full advantage of sleeping in and not being on a time schedule these past few days. Here are a couple more pics of Amsterdam:

So weird how much Amsterdam are so alike yet so different:


Bikes are everywhere. EVERYWHERE.


Dad, when did you start a business in Amsterdam?


Amsterdam, you were fun. Thank you ma'am for your kind hospitality.

Tomorrow, we have an eight hour train ride to Munich. Another one of those towns that we have renamed to our liking; it is actually Munchen. I have to read some of the other folks blogs and make comments in between now and then. Also, I am supposed to send Dr. Burt some of my favorite photos; don't these fools know I have taken 2000 pictures? I can't just pick one....

12 more days and two more stops til I jump back across the pond. Can y'all make it?

Take it easy....

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