Final day in Amsterdam

We woke up on our last day in Amsterdam to gloomy and wet weather. Miss Delia woke up with a horrible sore throat so we decided to do some indoor activities and set off for the Van Gogh museum. 

I really enjoyed reading about Van Gogh's artwork but the museum made me feel sad. This amazing man did some captivating work. However, no one appreciated his talent until he died. And the way he died. He was so close to his brother, Theo, and he too died a few months after Vincent. It was Theo's wife who pushed for Vincent's artwork to be displayed. It's because of her that there's a museum in his honor. 

Our Little Superheroes take a photo at the Van Gogh museum. 

Miss Delia poses with the life size Van Gogh self portrait. 

After the museum we went to lunch and enjoyed some delicious Dutch soup. Then we went to the grocery store to buy food to eat at the airport on our way to Berlin. While Miss Delia was checking out, the cashier saw her pull out her credit card and said sternly "No card!" So Miss Delia pulled out her cash and the lady says "No cash!" We were a little confused because we didn't know of any other options. It turns out that the line she's in only accepts Dutch debit card. So she had to cancel her items, go to another lane and try again. All part of the adventure of traveling abroad. 

Amsterdam fun facts: 

Amsterdam is known for their street urinals. Guys can literally pee in the middle of the sidewalk. 

Josef demonstrates how their used. 

We had a few hours before we had to leave for the airport. We took a rest at the hostel before check out. Then we loaded our backpacks on our backs and set off through Vondelpark one last time. 

The guys with their bags. 

The girls with their gear. 

Our next stop was Berlin. However, this is where we would split from some of our group. Jose and Chris were headed to Prague. Maria was going to meet a friend in Ireland and Adele was going back to England to stay in Bristol. We were sad to see our friends go, but we're excited to hear about their adventures. 

Boarding our easyjet flight. 

Easyjet is a budget airline in Europe and most of our flights were around $50

The flight to Berlin was uneventful and when we landed we went straight to our hotel. We found Berlin to look much difference than the Germany we experienced a few years ago. It's a big city so we didn't see too many trees and wildlife. 

After checking into our hotel, some of us went to find a place to get a drink but it was hard because most places were closed. We ended up taking the U-bahn (subway) a few stops away. However, when we tried to come back it was closed. So we had to walk. It was a little eerie walking around the city and not seeing anyone else. Thankfully, we made it safely back to hotel. 

We all slept well in out hotel rooms and were up early to go exploring the next day. 

11 people in one small elevator with all our luggage. 

Day trip to the Windmills in the Country

Yesterday we took a day trip to a little town called Zaanse Schans to escape from the city, enjoy a slower pace and tour the windmills! The town is only a 20 minute train ride from Amsterdam and short walk to the town. You walk over a bridge before getting to the town. Super Nel was walking way behind me taking photos and not paying any attention to his surroundings. The drawbridge bell started to go off and he didn't realize it. Luckily, a nearby local shouted at him to move on the other side of the barrier. He made it just in time. Apparently a tourist fell into the water a few weeks ago. 

Here comes the boat. 

The town of Zaanse Schans is extremely quaint and quiet but they have plenty to explore. When you arrive to the town you are greeted by some green Dutch houses. I loved this art peice in the garden:

I have a friend who has started learning how to make tile mosaics. This design reminded me of her.

Shane and Pedro (the twinsies) are ready for a day of fun in their matching outfits. 

Miss Delia and I standing on one of the towns many mini bridges. 

One of the mini museums was an old barrel makers house. It was interesting to see how this was done. It was obviously an important job. Where else would you store the liquor?

Barrel stacks

Next I went into the working clog museum/factory. 

There was so much to learn about the history of the clog shoe. And there were real clog makers hard at work. I think the nursing Dansko shoe came from the original clogs because they had some similar inside. 

Just like my Danskos

So many different styles and each one with a specific purpose. There were clogs with long horns on top used by fisherman. They used the horn to anchor the nets. The ones with spikes were for people who lived in the snow. The decorative clogs were made for Sunday's. 

These are bridal clogs. Very intricate carvings were done by gentleman hoping to win the hand of a special lady. They used this clog to propose marriage and the lady wore it after engagement. 

The diamond clog-for those big ballers. 

Clog maker hard at work. I loved this museum and the best part is it's free. 

After this museum, Super Nel and I sat down to eat our picnic. We get free breakfast at our hostel so we stocked up on food for lunch-hard boiled eggs, bread, sandwhich meat and cheeses and fruit. They have the sweetest pears here. 

While eating all these ducks came over to get a snack. 

Josef loves to feed the ducks. 

There was a variety of animals just wandering around-ducks

I liked that white feathered bird. 

I loved the goat. But I only fed him gass because too much bread will kill him (just like humans!)

This locals bike had Pipi Longstocking strapped to the front. 

There was a cheese farm/museum. They had some tasty samples!

Mmmm....cheese

The walk along the water to the windmills was very scenic and relaxing. People would ride their bikes and others were walking their dogs. 

There's a saw mill and oil mill and a few others. These are actual working saw mills! 

Some have their own dock. 

Josef was freezing from standing on the tiny pier but I promised him the photo would be worth it. Don't you agree?

Pedro volunteered to take a shot of Super Nel and I if we got the perfect shot of him with the windmills in the background. 

Super Nel and I tried to do something special for this photo as a thank you to everyone who contributed to our honeymoon fund but it was so windy. Arnel kept yelling "This isn't gonna work!" And I replied "Not with that attitude." We ended up laughing about it and decided to try our special photo another time. We took the shot above instead. 

Our little superheroes pose for a photo with the windmills. The scenery is so crisp and clear it almost looks fake-like a mini golf course. 

As our group was starting to leave we ran into Jose, Chris and Maria who had just arrived to explore the town. 

When we arrived back in Amsterdam some of us went to the Beir Fabriek (Beer  Factory). This is a local brewery that has beer taps at every table. You get to pour your own beer and they charge you by the liter. This could be dangerous! 

Each table has taps, mugs and peanuts and you throw the shells on the floor!

Miss Delia pours her first pint. 

A little too much foam...

The little superheroes loved this place. 

We had a plate of chicken that was so full of flavor and just fell off the bone. We commented that their rotisserie chickens are smaller than the ones we see in America-probably because they aren't pumped full of steroids and drugs to plump them up. 

Getting a refill of peanuts. 

By the time we returned to the hostel I was exhausted. I had fallen down the day before (walking on flat land) and had hurt my ankle. I was ready to rest my foot. Some of the guys went out to the I Am Amsterdam sign. 

Tomorrow we depart for Berlin...

Amsterdam, Day 2

We woke up early on our second day in Amsterdam with the intention of renting bikes and riding around like a local while exploring the city.

Miss Delia gets ready for her first bike ride in Amsterdam.

 Josef and Super Nel are bundled up and ready for a bike ride.

Most of the bikes in Amsterdam have this seat in the front so you can carry a passanger or place your bag/packages on it. 

Ala almost falls off her bike but catches herself just in time. 

Everyone rides in a line-sometimes we'd almost crash into each other if someone hit the brakes suddenly but no one sustained any injuries. 

Riding on a bike in this country gives you a feeling like no other. You're excited, happy and a little scared all at the same time. This might be my favorite activity of the city. The hardest part is trying to find a place to lock your bike because the bike racks are usually taken! There are more bikes than people in this town. Also, another thing I like is that bicycles have a dedicated bike lane with their own stop and go lights. 

We visited the Anne Frank House and Museum in the morning. This was one of my "must see" items on the list. The history and the story of the hidden family that lived above the wharehouse while trying to avoid the Nazi's made this day emotional. You can't help but feel something inside when you watch the video of Anne's Father saying that when he first read his daughters diary he felt that even though he was close to Anne he felt like he never truly knew her. I found it sad to know that Anne Frank had a dream of becoming a famous writer one day. She edited her diary and rewrote the entries hoping to have it published after the war. Her diary is now one of the most read literary works in the world. I just wish she had lived to see her dream come true. 

Rianna, Mel, Ala, Freddy and Darius outside the Anne Frank House. 




 
The line was around the corner and down the block! The average wait time was 3 hours just to buy a ticket! We purchased our tickets online and for a $1 online fee you can walk right into the museum. 

Hard to imagine that a family of 8 lived in this space while hiding for so long. 

There's so much history here. I can't get enough of it. 

Standing on the canal. 


 
It is our honeymoon....

In the afternoon we boarded a boat to take a canal cruise around Amsterdam. However, we ended up falling asleep on board during the tour. We thought maybe it was because we were tired, but when I spoke to Jose later that evening he said they fell asleep onboard too. Maybe it was the rocking motion of the boat that made us pass out. 


On board the canal cruise before we fall asleep. 
 
Maybe it was the warm sun coming through the windows that made us sleepy.