Our first impressions of Amsterdam were that it was like Venice but bigger, and busier because of the roads and bikes. You could easily forget to look up at all the beautiful buildings with all the hustle and bustle, and you couldn't afford to take your eyes off the road to be honest because you'd probably be killed.
For our day in Amsterdam we decided to walk and avoid the tram system. We visited the 'I Amsterdam' giant letters, the Van Gogh gallery, the red light district, a fun windmill, and of course the Anne Frank house. We packed a lot in to the day considering we walked everywhere, but it was a smart choice in the end because we were able to get out of those busy parts and appreciate how pretty the place was.
We found ourselves walking through the Red Light district a few times due to its central location. To be honest it's what you expect, except more depressing. I had this idea that it might be a little glamorous, but it really is just depressing. It's for sure something you should witness at least once, but be prepared for the sad feeling you get when you look in the eyes of the poor girls sat in the windows, knowing that for them it's more than just a stop on your visit to Amsterdam. It was kind of a downer. And then we went to the Anne Frank house, so you can imagine what our afternoon was like.
The visit to the Anne Frank house was a perfect follow on to our visit to Berlin, and I think as a result we could understand it on a whole new level. Our WWII knowledge just continued expanding.
We stopped in a small cafe on the corner of a street and sat outside facing a canal. We had traditional Dutch beers which are tiny, and 'Bitterballen' which were like deep fried balls with mushy stuff in, again a traditional Dutch snack. It was a nice break and it made us feel less guilty about having kebabs for dinner later on.
We'd planned to do the smart thing a booked a hotel instead of a hostel for our stay, and so that night we watched 'Today at Wimbledon' in our hotel room. It felt like luxury after all those hostels!
- Evie
1) After getting off the train, it was immediately clear why we spent the extra money on a hotel.
2) I was surprised to find that Amsterdam not only welcomed 'alternative' lifestyles and behaviours, but encouraged them. It was assumed that every tourist was there for the same reason, which made me kind of sad, but I can't really blame Amsterdam because that's the same reason we went with the hotel. If everyone was there to be free and wild and crazy, I definitely did not want to be sharing a room with them.
3) The one time we had total control over a TV, in our own room that we could watch from bed, there were no World Cup games on.
4) Palm Springs could learn a thing or two about making good looking windmills. I finally understand why mini golf windmills look the way they do.
5) The Red Light District begins immediately at the train station. I learned that the hard way after I saw a store selling a very different sort of postcard.
6) Sometimes you have to get away from the city to really experience a place, and by doing so, you might stumble upon some pretty cool things- like a zoo.
7) I would have never guessed it would be "quiet" and "peaceful" I would look forward to the most (okay, I probably could have guessed that).
8) I'm pretty sure that Heineken just owns Amsterdam.
9) Anne Frank's house was surreal, as I am about halfway through reading her diary. How eight people lived in the annex for two years without any daylight is beyond me. It definitely makes you wonder about the four Aaron Franks and the six million people Anne represents, without museums.
10) Holland is definitely a place I could visit again, but I don't think Amsterdam needs to be on the list.
- Megs
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