Best Western Palace Hotel Zandvoort

Today we leave Amsterdam for Brussels. I feel like we have really been able to explore a lot of the Netherlands and get a good feel for the city and the country. Yesterday we walked around a lot, visited the outdoor flower market and an outdoor flea market. The tulips are just starting to bloom, everything was beautiful. Each canal is a bit different, we have really enjoyed exploring the city streets and ...

... we dont. Recycling. Definitely seems to be a more normal, way of life thing here. My lips. Good gravy, my lips are in bad shape. I resemble a poorly made up clown more with each passing day. No amount of Burts Bees lip stuff is curing my chapped lips and I have cold sore brewing to boot. Its been the most annoying part of the travels ...

... Monet, Manet, Rembrandt, Picasso, Mondrian, and Gaughin (just to name a few) paintings in person. Took a canal tour which was beautiful. Also went to the Sex museum with my Mom, a little awkward, couldn't bring myself to get a picture with the giant penis. Damn it all! I really liked Amsterdam, it is a beautiful city and quite easy to navigate.

... a monarchy. The most succesful countries in Europe have socialist governments, and they seem to be, presently, the most powerful: Italy, Germany, Russia... In May, 1940, The Nazi war machine invaded their neighbors to the west: the Netherlands. The Dutch had been experiencing all those above-mentioned problems for quite some time. They, as a military and as common people, defended themselves the best they could. First, the German airforce bombed Rotterdam ...

... close, so we gave it a shot. Madonna! Zandvoort resembles northern Germany's little port villages a lot, except for one thing: its beautiful sandy beach. We saw it, our jaws dropped, we stripped all the way down to our underwear, dropped on the sand and couldn't leave anymore. Absolutely beautiful!

... ended up that she was just on the next boat over. She came over and checked us in to our tiny cabins aboard the vessel. It was really a neat experience but I would not have wanted to stay there more than one night due to the cramped conditions. Day 1 Luckily we changed lodging the next day to a place that was more in the heart of the city. I had originally booked a private double bed in this new hostel but ...

I can't say hello in Dutch, i found this language too hard to learn in the short time we had here. I did like Holland though, we had the opp to stop and see a cheese and clog making factory and was very impressed with the cheese, sooo yummy. Unfortunately everyone but the aussies and kiwis could buy some to take home, damn customs, not fair! Amsterdam was cool, temp wise. I ...

... for Rotterdam and Den Haag either. I can imagine myself travelling around the world in 20 years. The museums are flooded with people. Guess they don't have anywhere to go since it's raining. They can't outside in the rain, can they? Didn't go out much as it's raining.Only went out to eat. Tried to get wifi but the buildings are blocking the reception.

... after all. Finally, we ended our five-month voyage the way we began it back in Dublin. We went to a brewery. The Heineken Experience was filled with interactive gadgets and displays, but let's face it, everyone goes for the beer. We had our three complementary glasses, and then headed to a great De Pijp coffee shop, where we sat underneath a picture of Woody Harrelson and smoked our last joint over a few more glasses of beer and some great conversational wrap up of the entire trip ...

... so European, then walked alot and enjoyed every minute of it. Went to see an American movie (of course) "ALIVE" w/subtitles. The cinema was just awesome and I talked to this 65yr old lady for 'bout 15 min before the film. Was very interesting. Tom didn't wanna watch the whole thing tho cause it was about plane crashes and all. No prob. Just having chips + bananas now. Gotta send 25 postcards. Chris 8:56pm