Amsterdam

I was on my last full week in Paris and I had to decide how to spend my last weekend. My choices were endless but had narrowed it down to two cities: Berlin and Amsterdam. The decision was based on a soccer game. The Netherlands won and they were in the World Cup final. 10 minutes after the game ended, I had bought a plane ticket, booked a hostel and was brushing up on my Dutch!

After a major speed bump with the airline company (they didn't book my ticket so on friday afternoon I didn't have a way to get there, they gave me 15 euro off my next flight, and i found a train for 20 euro cheaper so it all worked out).

Amsterdam was one of the most beautiful cities I have visited in the world. It was also the hardest to find my way around. I got lost more in two days than I have in two months in Paris. Every street looks the same, the canals are all the same, the houses look the same and there are not many major monuments etc to tell where you are. Although it seemed like I always found my way back to the Red Light District (my hostel was right in the heart so I had to).

Saturday I walked around for a couple of hours, went to the Heineken Experience. It was the original brewery and they have a tour and a tasting room. I then went on a pub crawl! It was my first ever organized pub crawl. I met some really cool guys and we had a blast. A free drink at every bar and the organizers carried bottles of vodka and gave it out very generously.

Sunday I woke up early to go on a bike tour. In Amsterdam, there are 2 bikes for every person! The government gets about 10 000 bikes out of the canals every year. The tour lasted 2.5 hours and we saw the entire city.

I met up with one the guys from the pub crawl the night (Matt) before and we set off to Mueseumpleine to watch the World Cup Final (Netherlands vs. Spain). Museuempleine is a giant park with a lot of museums surrounding it (Van Gogh etc.). Matt and I had both bought orange shirts so we could get drowned in the sea of orange! They estimated over 100,000 people were in the park, and over 350,000 had come to the city to watch the game. It was like the Olympics all over again but more intense!

Unfortunately the Netherlands lost 1-0 so the city was disappointed and not really up for a big party. Matt and I made our way back to our respective hostels (he was staying at the Marriott!). No partying for me Saturday.

I woke up Monday morning, had a big breakfast and trained back to Paris. A short stop in Brussels and a few hours of travel later and that was it, weekend over!

There were so many things to see in Amsterdam, museums, shops, restaurants, windmills, people, prostitutes etc. Of all the cities I have visited Amsterdam has the most culture and one of the most interesting. I already want to go back! It was nice to be able to speak English again, I was shocked at the fact that almost everyone spoke perfect English!

I didn't really know what to expect out of the city and I had hesitations about going but it definitely met all expectations. I was worried about my hostel being in the Red Light District but it was very safe and not at all what I expected. My first red light experience was during the day when the "less appealing" sights of the city are tapping on their windows. This worried me... I later found out that it is expensive to rent out the rooms so the not attractive prostitutes can't afford prime time rates at night so they use them during the day.

I only have two more days in Paris, today I have to stay with the kids all day, and tomorrow I am meeting a friend Tamara for Bastille Day in Paris. Very sad to be leaving this amazing city and I will miss it. Although I do miss Vancouver and all my friends and family!

I am going to try and write another post when I am home as a debrief, or possibly in the airport...

"The Manny"