AMSTERDAM!!! (delayed post...)

I know this is super late, but I've been so busy with school! So this will be brief, but I know (Mom and Dad) you want to see what I was up to last weekend in Amsterdam!

Sooo we did something a little unconventional, and took a boat to Amsterdam! It was probably the best decision ever. It was SO NICE. There was a teen room, a wine bar, a movie theatre, a shopping mall, a sun deck (no sun though...), a truckers restaurant (which I thought was a joke, but it actually was a segregated restaurant for truck drivers -- weird), a restaurant for everyone else, a disco club, etc. The rooms were so nice and the beds were soooooooo comfortable. This is a pic of the room. Check out our window! We got on the boat at like 10 pm, fell asleep just after we set sail, and woke up in Amsterdam. It was the easiest way to travel. I loved it. After this experience, I would like to always travel by boat.

our bathroom. it was sooo nice, all brand new tile

the hallway. there were soo many rooms!

LOVE the STENA LINE

our boat! (well the model of it)

We docked somewhere in holland, and then took the train into Amsterdam. It was such a pretty place! The red light district was interesting...like an alternate universe. But the architecture overall and the canals were so picturesque. During our two days, we went to the Van Gogh museum, Anne Frank's house, and the Rijksmusem, took a canal tour of the city, and explored on our own. The art was amazing and the city so so pretty!  

Me inside of a clog. I don't know....it's an Amsterdam thing?

So pretty

EVERYONE rides bikes around Amsterdam. Basically, this city was made for me.

This is so weird -- these are urinals just randomly all around the city on sidewalks! Gross!

Sara and me on one of the thousands of bridges in Amsterdam

These fries were soo good! So much better than the chips in London

What a healthy lunch. The. Best. Pancakes. Ever. 

Yep, those are mine, with ice cream and chocolate sauce. "When in Amsterdam"

THE SUN CAME OUT!

This is the Catholic Church in Amsterdam.
And then the sun set. 

The red light district at night. Look at the swans and ducks in the water! So pretty

Suzanne and me at dinner. Great chinese food. 

We really enjoyed all the different cultures in Amsterdam.

This was the inside of our hostel. It was a Christian hostel. Interesting experience. Enjoyed the group morning prayer session and inspirational slideshow with breakfast.

DAY TWO

These are from our canal tour of the city. It was so nice outside! I just have such an appreciation for the sun after living in London for what, 7 weeks now? (YIKES time flies by!)

The I Amsterdam sign

GET IT!?!?! MY NAME STARTS WITH AN "E" (so clever, I KNOW)

Suzanne, Sara, and Me in front of the M

MAD MEN FANS LOOK!!!! We passed this cigar shop and it said lucky strike! I got almost as excited as when I saw "the potato eaters" in the Van Gogh museum...what's wrong with that statement?

It was Sunday, and you know how I love donuts.... Just a casual fact, Amsterdam has THE. BEST. DONUTS. IN. THE. ENTIRE. WORLD. This is me enjoying that experience.

We went to this open market (one of my favorite things about Europe). Tulips were EVERYWHERE in Amsterdam. At the market there were rows and rows of bulbs and flowers.

There was this really cool hammock store across from the market. We went in and it was like a garden of hammocks, all hanging from the ceiling in different colors and patterns and sizes. There were baby hammocks and lounging ones and upright ones. I'd never seen anything like it!

Who needs postcards?

Overall, we had a great weekend exploring, yet another, amazing European city!