Hotel Zuiderduin Egmond aan Zee

... expose. I still thought I had better warn you. Meanwhile, Rob entertained us by talking incessantly for the whole five hours. Fair play to him: he did survive complete immersion in a children's world (which many child-free adults can't do) as well as manfully wading his way through the photos on my camera. All too soon it was over and we had to take Rob home and say goodbye again. Time is always too short when you spend it with friends.

... but because I want someone to make it for me when I get home, so take notes!).  I did some more exploring on my bike on Sunday and then flew home at 9pm. I was glad to be back Sunday night. None of us showered all weekend because the bathrooms in the hostel, looked and smelt like the showers you find when you go camping; so it was nice to shower at home. Overall I liked Amsterdam (I wasn't really feeling the love from the Dutch natives, but whatever) it is a pretty ...

... individuals commissioning the art (as opposed to the church in Italy, for example) there are so many depictions of average families, everyday life, people's homes. It's really neat to get a look into how life was 400 years ago. The works were amazing. All of the notes are in Dutch and English, so it's very easy to enjoy it as an American. My favorite was the doll houses. I guess it was common for wealthy women to make ...

... 1) Got lost walking to the hostel so of course I come across a policeman...(yes ladies, another one...!) ask him for directions and the guy next to him tells me he will show me the way in person...(I'm thinking SWEET!) ... I think this only until I find out that he's actually a criminal and had just been busted by the policeman for possession of 250grams of hash... I ask why he's not in jail and he tells me that he has been "suspended ...

... vegetarian dinner at a place called Laitte just on the edge of the red light district and China town and then later, drinks at Rembrandtplein. I took another free tour on my first day in town and it was excellent. I saw the widest and the narrowest houses in Amsterdam and learned that the reason many of the homes are leaning forward is not a foundation issue. I learned about 'coffee shops'. I learned a bit about the Nazi occupation and ...

... even though we have first class tickets and didn't know it so we shacked up in the living room seats in coach - definately will be hitting up the first class on the way to Paris! We met a cute couple from Australia on the train, they are taking a 12 month holiday to travel the world and have only been gone for about 3 weeks, their Itinerary is very similar to ours - just extended. They are ending their trip in San Francisco so I ...

... We've never seen anything like it. There are canals everywhere. There was even one bridge you could stand on that you can see 15 other bridges that all go over canals! Trams where the other main mode of transport though we were staying right in the city so we could walk everywhere. The red light district was not what we expected. It was very unusual. You would walk across a few side streets on the way to the red light centre and it would slowly get seedier and seedier. All the ...

... the side of her felt. We think it would have made us sick. We had a couple hours to kill and since it was our first time in this airport, we just walked around and hung out in the silent lounge area. Pretty nifty spot to recline if you can find a seat and have time to waste before your next flight.

... you leave the outskirts of Amsterdam. From our apartment we can get to such areas within 5 minutes (on a bike!). Despite being among the most densely populated countries (23rd in the world, 7th in Europe), good urban planning has maintained much of the original landscape while allowing for an extensive network of transportation systems (highways, bike paths, railroads) between towns/villages.

... boring. :) Speaking of budget, we realized early that this city costs a fortune! Our dorm bed at the hostel costs 29 euros ($36), beer is 3 euros a glass for the cheap stuff and food is all over 10 euros if you want to sit down. Sometimes fries were all we could budget for. Sara did get a dutch pancake which was pricey but tasty, though the ones made by her friend Nicole's Dutch mother while growing up were better. After getting some high brow culture at the art ...