Friday, June 5, 2009

After long last...






Well here we are safe and sound backinBelgium. Now in Leuven with our Aunt Annemie and Uncle Marco, we are enjoying the "cozy isolation" of their beautiful home in the country. It is not really in the country, but it feels like it with the river next to it and the cows grazing next door. This is such a beautiful, green country with somany new things to see.

Well, now more about Amsterdam!

The first day we arrived and very very easily met up with Lauren's friend, and ourroommateforthe week, Collin. We hopped on the tram through allthe hustle bustle with our GIGANTIC suitcase and made our way to the hostel. Of course Lauren likes topack like an LA chic girl, sowe were lugging around this full duffle bag for only a couple days of travel. Yes, people were staring. So we made it to the hostel, named The Flying Pig in uptown, right next to Vandel Park which we saw from our bedroom window and very near the museums. We were planning on moving to the downtown hostel, but after such a great night in ourroom we decided to stay. Turns out, we had to get switched rooms since we did not have a reservation, and we ended up with a dugeon upstairs with a window that didn't open, a drippy gross common toilet with a flooded floor, and a roommate that snored as if he were dying. Good thing we only slept there.
But why worry about the romm, we are in AMSTERDAM! The next day we went to the Van Gogh Museum and it was truely spectacular. I mentioned to Dad that it was a really wonderful geeling getting to see each of the real brushstrokes he once made. It made me very excited for the rest of the museums on our trip. We spent the whole night walking all through the cityand viewing the canals. I could not get enough of them. We spent such a great deal of time just walking and soaking in the city. The way I really wanted to experience it. One day we went into the grocery store and bought cheese, wine, chocolate, salamie, and from a bakery a fresh baguette and we went and spent several hours in Vandel Park. So relaxing, so serene, and so perfect. One thing that was really funny was the bikes, they really do have the righ of way there because seriously they are crazy! I wanted really badly to rent one and have a go at it myself but Lauren and Collin were to afraid so it did not happen. Next time :) Collin was also a great travel buddy being an Amsterdam traveler already. He was a good help for us on our first trip out and lots of fun to be with!

Overall I had an overwhelmingly AWESOME experience. I hope to go back again one day soon!

So tommorow we are off to Brugges with Annemie and Marco and it is something I have been excited about for a while! After we will go to visit our Aunt Hilde for two nights and then soon on Wednesday OFF TO PARIS!!!! 4 days and 3 nights, and quickly followed a couple days later by 4 days and 3 nights in LONDON! We are both excited, anxious, relaxed, and ready for more adventure.

Always with much love,
Emlyn

ps: there is so much more, maybe I will let Lauren fill in the gaps after she is done lounging and watching Across the Universe...it's what she does.

1 comment:

  1. THANK YOU very much for the update and the photos. We love traveling vacariously through you!

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