I AMsterdam

I have my first weekend trip to report on! Where else to begin my European travels than Amsterdam?

My roommate, Jenna, and I have been spending most of our free time with a group from the University of Florida. We organized a weekend, transportation (train) and a hostel reservation in the land of tulips and canals. It turned out to be quite the ideal trip, at least for me. Actually, Amsterdam appeared to be the ideal location for me.

Let me break it down:
-The 'dam has a huge bike culture. There's a bike lane right alongside the automobile/tram ones everywhere and just as much traffic, if not more.
-The fashion was inspirational. I swear the people of Amsterdam breed model, well-dressed babies. I was astounded by the chic ensembles I saw in all situations: biking, casual walks, sightseeing, museum hopping, etc. I couldn't help feeling like a bum in my leggings and cardigan, which would be considered more dressy in the U.S. Sorry, you know me. This observation was probably the first and most often one I noticed.
-So many museums, but so little time. We went to the Van Gogh museum, the archaeological museum, the Anne Frank House and the tulip museum. I left plenty of museums to go to when I return, hehe. Van Gogh was my favorite destination by far. I spent hours in there just standing in front of his pieces, captivated by the vivid imagery I saw before me. I realized art has this certain presence you can only experience in person. I loved feeling that intensity and the specific art of Van Gogh.
-The pancakes are magical. I did some research before hitting up the 'dam and read that its specialty was pancakes- sweet and savory. The girls went to a sweet little pancake shop by the Anne Frank museum on the last day. Oooh, and did we save the best meal for last. I opted for savory and got a pancake cooked and topped with spinach, brie, olive oil and pine nuts (my mouth is watering as I write).


There's just a summary of my weekend. I made the most of it. Now, I have another week of classes and will be planning another excursion for next weekend. I think Paris is in the works...