http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Europe , Netherlands en-us Wed, 14 May 2008 01:44:10 BST Wed, 14 May 2008 01:44:10 BST Major highprofile cities have a tendency to attract odd people. People of supernormal or unconventional behavior roam the streets of these cities adding to the charm or as a deterrent depending on whorsquos behind the camera. Amsterdam in the liberal Netherlands is no exception. The Dam square in the heart of the city is the ideal spot for peoplewatching. This spot is the gathering point fo http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Amsterdam/blog-275453.html When yoursquore traveling alone and check in for a flight you never know who yoursquore going to end up next to. Thatrsquos why I always check in early and choose the window seat. If nothing else you can look out the window admire the view. Sometimes you get lucky and end up to someone who can keep you nice company during the flight making the time goes faster. However the short one ho http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Amsterdam/blog-275450.html Happy Mother's Day Mom Today was so pretty outside I spent the whole day walking around and just taking in everything. Basically I just get to people watch Blair. It's a little past 8 here and I'm in the hostel. I am really excited to switch cities 4 days in one place may be a little too much but oh well. Today in the Dam Square the house of the queen is here but she only stays there wh http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Amsterdam/blog-274821.html Day 19 AmsterdamAmsterdam is a weird place which automatically makes it a wonderful one. Although I donrsquot think that I am perfectly suited to the lifestyle. For a start Amsterdam is a naturally beautiful city. Like many of the European cities that we have visited it is based upon a river and takes full advantage of this resource. One of the highlights of the city was the highly developed http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Amsterdam/blog-274784.html Today was supposed to be the day to go to Delft the little town with the famous blue handpainted pottery factory. We had skipped Zaanse Schans the day before due to lack of time so were faced with a decision. After realizing it was Sunday and looking up the Delft town website on Cees's trusty free internet terminal we decided that the shops in town might be closed and we didn't want to tak http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Zaandam/blog-274774.html Update...from Ireland up to the Netherlands...April 27 about 2 weeks ago I took a ferry from SE Ireland to Wales. I stayed in Wales for a few days in a town called Swansea where it was very restful and productive. I worked on music read wrote did laundry and ate well. It rained a bunch.On May 1 I trained to London met up with Anne's good friend Carla and later on with Elan and his honey D http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Den-Helder/blog-274741.html Ok. Las 10 hrs de avion no fueron nada interesantes. Me decepcione un poquito porque el avion no tenia pantallita en cada lugar... aaah... x eso me fui en KLM asi que recurri al plan B sleeping pills. Dormi y dormi y dormi... me desperte y estaban recogiendo la comida. AAAAAAA jajaja nada me salia bien asi que como entre dormida y despierta mente la madre y segui durmiendo. Llegue a Amsterdam http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Amsterdam/blog-274557.html Hello everyoneThings here are going really well. The weather is so nice it's much nicer than gville which was already getting too hot. Here it is skirt and teeshirt weather. at night it gets kinda cold but not too cold. i am staying here until sunday morning. sunday morning i am going to be taking the train to brussels but only spending the day here.all the travelers that i have talked to said http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Amsterdam/blog-274499.html HalloAmsterdam is really starting to grow on us. Rather than try to see all the tourist spots thouhg we've done a couple we're spending more of oour time here just relaxing. Late starts long lunches and dinners. Walks and canal cruises.The weather has been fantastic 20 Degrees plus for about a week now.Have been to the Van Gogh museum seen a lot of the Old Town for 'Canal Bus' and had an e http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Amsterdam/blog-274442.html Today we went to the Anne Frank House... the house where the 15 yearold Jewish girl and her family hid from the Nazis for two years until they were betrayed by one of their confidantes who exactly betrayed them remains unknown. They were arrested and sent to concentration extermination camps and only the father Otto survived. Anne died just a few weeks before the liberation. Her diary w http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Amsterdam/blog-274321.html HalloWe have now been to the Benelux nations or at least Peter has because he swung through Luxembourg.We left Cologne and took the train to Amsterdam. We couldn't stay in a hostel in town because it was a long weekend and everything was booked so we had to stay in Noordwijk near Leiden and 45 minutes away at a Beach Hostel. We chucked our bags at the station and started wandering down the http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Amsterdam/blog-273936.html I arrived all okay...just a quick note as people are waiting for the computer.amsterdam is crazy but i have yet to meet anyone.......i'll write more later http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/blog-273895.html So this is it... My last full day in Europe. Germany was amazing. We were in a small town that was very relaxing to be in. We're in Amsterdam now and tomorrow back to the US of A I'm sad to leave here but I'm really REALLY looking forward to seeing everyone. So far today we went to the Anne Frank museum. It was a surreal feeling being there. To see how they had to live in hiding was crazy. Later http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Amsterdam/blog-273791.html Today we took a train and then a bus to Keukenhof Gardens. The flower fields weren't looking too promising on the way there so we were worried that the long winter had delayed the blossoming of the tulips. The gardens weren't at full bloom but it was still awesome.As we walked through the park we discovered a grassy area that had these giant bean bag chairs strewn about for lounging apparent http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/South-Holland/Keukenhof/blog-273681.html My flight to Chicago was pretty uneventful though I was a little afraid that I would be late due to a late takeoff from Colorado. Mom was already waiting at the airport and Angie arrived just a few minutes after me.While we waited for the plane to board Angie decided she wanted to go get her shoes shined... in Detroit. An hour later when the plane started boarding Mom and I sat there wonde http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Amsterdam/blog-273664.html Don't worry I'm still here. Just haven't gotten around to updating even though I've had access to the internet. I'll give you a quick update of what I've done since my last post.London26th I wandered around London with the Canadian... saw Tate Britain museum Houses of Parliment Big Ben part of Parliment building Westminster Abbey across the street saw the London Eye but didn't go on http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/Province-of-Utrecht/Utrecht/blog-273617.html Here I go made myself a travelblog cos its a shame all the experiences done will fade away and all thats left are pictures which are also nice. Gonna try to Blog my trip to Finland where i've been a year ago.I live near Alkmaar in a very nice not too big village. What I love about this place are the views of the landscape cows flowers fields the dunes. Love to get home after a day at work. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Alkmaar/blog-273449.html After arriving at the Frankfurt Hahn airport dropping off the car checking in going through security having a coffee then going to the gate we discover that our Ryan Air flight is over 6 hours delayed. This meant the connecting flight in London Stansted to Amsterdam would be missed. Hot on the laptops to find alternatives and getting our bags returned we managed to get into Frankfurt centra http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/Province-of-Utrecht/Utrecht/blog-273126.html For me Amsterdam has an air about it that feels somewhat amiss but also completely natural.I packed quite a lot in to my days nights in Amsterdam from which I learned invalueble lessons some of which I will now share with my dear readers.Well firstly this is something that I have already shared but I feelfor safety measures it needs to be expressed again The Dutch drive on the right Say http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Amsterdam/blog-273124.html Well ive missed a few days but here we go. i bolted out of ireland. it was to expensive. im in amsterdam at the moment typing on a keyboard were the only letters that are visible are gfyqpzxj. i suck at typing to begin with so ill keep this one short. i havent been able to upload pics yet but ill try again today and try to type some more. cheers http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Amsterdam/blog-273060.html People in Amsterdam are internationally recognized for their ability to party but I think they take partying to a new level on the Queenrsquos birthday. We arrived in Amsterdam on Thursday the day after the Queenrsquos birthday. Once we received our book of scavenges we sought out a food challenge a habit we often did and headed out for lunch. On our walk to the Pancake house we coul http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Amsterdam/blog-272738.html ...the land of steep stairs and rectangle spectacles. I arrived in Amsterdam on Thursday morning after a stressful last few days in Ghana. I spent my last three days in Accra...enjoying the city. However I also enjoyed a sketchy cheeseburger on Monday night and ended up with food poisoning It was not a pretty picture. I was sick all day Tuesday and Wednesday. With my flight leaving Wednesday ni http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/South-Holland/Rotterdam/blog-272521.html On our second and last full day in Paris we went to the Louvre in the morning. We got the about an hour before it opened and were within the first 100 people in line so that was great. It was raining when we were waiting outside so that sucked but it was totally worth it Once we got in we decided to head straight for the Mona Lisa to see it before the rest of the crowd. It was an adventure. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/Province-of-Utrecht/Utrecht/blog-272281.html Hello EveryoneWe arrived in Amsterdam yesterday. We Took a train and then the tram to Corine's place. Corine the girl we are couchsurfing with was meeting us at 4 oo and we were at her place by about 1 00 we killed some time by walking around the rea with our packs.. this proved to be somewhat tiring as our packs aren't exactly light.. it then started t rain.. refreshing but cold Corine's plac http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/blog-272266.html December 16 we flew from London into Amsterdam. Stayed in another St. Christopher's Inn Hostel which was attached to another Belushi's Bar. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Amsterdam/blog-272210.html Amsterdam What to say what to say.... I think the photos desribe it best. My past couple of days have contained less orange people tram gopings with a lot more bike riding of course eating. There is such a strong cafe scene here its so beautiful whenever there is nice weather 20 degrees today Heat wave everyone packs the sidewalk cafes watchs life ride by. I will confess that lea http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Amsterdam/blog-271939.html Hey EveryoneI am happy to say that we arrived in Amsterdam safe and sound but very exhausted yesterday afternoon. The trip here went really smoothly as far as flights and everything. I estimated that I hadn't slept for approximately 55 hours or so minus a 20 min. nap or two. Somehow the exitement kept me going. So we just checked into our hostel lastnight and went for a calzone and beer. Beer http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/blog-271884.html Today was another holiday not sure which one though. We overheard someone say it was a religious holiday There were not nearly as many people walking around and much less craziness in general except for the carnival in the middle of the streets. Karen went to the Anne Frank house while Angel wandered the streets outside a very sobering experience. The rest of the day was spent exploring http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Amsterdam/blog-271876.html Another day of uneventful travel We made it to Amsterdam without a hitch. It turns out that April 30 is Queen's Day in Amsterdam which is technically a birthday party for the Queen. But in reality it is a HUGE party. Everyone wears orange we don't know why sorry TN folks but there was way more orange here than at any UT game. There were over a million people here in a few streets with t http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Amsterdam/blog-271875.html