So it’s been almost a year since Danyka and I took our trip around Europe and this post is the last chapter of our journey!
After the breathtaking few days we spent in Switzerland our last stop before parting ways was in Amsterdam.
Getting to Amsterdam was an interesting experience. We flew out of a small airport outside of Interlocken, Switzerland and into Amsterdam. Apparently this route is not very popular because we had a 10 seat-er plane (and that includes the pilot and flight attendants!)
After a somewhat relaxing flight we arrived in Amsterdam and took the metro to the central station to meet up with an old friend, Freddy, whose family is from Holland.
Freddy managed to get us to our hostel so we could drop our bags off before taking us out to see the city.
By this point we were so hungry that my only request was food. We wandered some of the streets of Amsterdam, saw the beautiful canals, Freddy showed us a secret garden that he had found (more like stumbled into after one too many) one night and then we finally found an Italian restaurant to grab a bite in.
Catching up with old friends is always fun. Yet always dangerous when wine is involved. We proceeded to drink a couple too many glasses at the restaurant and the night got a little away from us…
The next day I’m sure you can guess was a little painful. We really struggled to get out of bed but forced ourselves because we hadn’t seen much of the city and it was our last day. This was the day of eating. Between every activity we stopped for food… Breakfast at the Hard Rock – Museum – Snack at a Pancake house – Museum – Break for some lunch – Red Light District… Finally we were just so tired we went back to the hostel, grabbed a bunch of snacks and watched a movie. Real cool… We know!
The Red Light District was a really interesting place. I’m not sure what I was entirely expecting but I don’t think I anticipated it being such a big large area. I felt uncomfortable walking down the narrow streets with the lights above the door windows – Not because I have any judgement on what these girls are doing but because I felt like it was their job and here we were as tourists walking through like it was a museum or something. We actually went into a museum that showcased what it was like for the girls in those windows and it made me think twice about walking down those roads again.
On another note, one of the highlights of Amsterdam was our stop at the Anne Frank House Museum. I’m pretty sure every kid in North America has read Anne Frank’s Diary growing up in school. I know I was saddened and fascinated by her story. So seeing the place her family hid in before they were taken was quite a weary experience. The door hidden as a bookshelf, the small rooms they stayed in all day and night… It was quite haunting. I would highly recommend this to anyone visiting!
So that was Amsterdam. A short and sweet trip but I would definitely love to go back some day and see more of the city. Next time, I will try to not drink as much wine (no promises though!)
With Love,
CW
With Love, CW 