College Town Hospitality

My apologies for not keeping up as I should...I have lots to tell! The longer I spent in Amsterdam the more I enjoyed it. I was there a week and I got lost a ton which really helped me to get to know the place. I met so many great people who made my days and nights so exciting. I really enjoyed Boom Chicago, Anne Frank, Huis Marselles photo gallery, the coffeeshops, the canals, the cat that lived in the library, even the dealers on every corner trying to sell coccaine or ectasy started to blend into the general flavor.

Me and London from St. Pauls

I didn't get a whole lot of sleep but I really dont think that I missed it much. I met lots of Calgarians in Amsterdam which I thought was kinda strange but really cool. It really only rained twice but while it was raining my stomach started turning due to flood anxiety. I can't tell you how many times I was just about ready to flee.

On ferry going from Holland to England

I really really enjoyed listening to Amsterdams church bells...they played beautiful melodies at the most perfect moments. And yes they were real, not just in my head (like some people who heard music in their head after visiting a coffeeshop...no, I just heard voices ;)) I got to visit Vondelpark which was basically an everyday woodstock environment back in the 60s/70s. Now it is still quite beautiful but I think you are not allowed to sleep overnight anymore.

But one cant stay in Amsterdam forever, so then I went to Utrecht to visit Amy who is studying law there. I stayed with her at her flat which was right accross the street from the Boat Coffeehouse. It was so nice to meet up with her again and it was a nice safe homey feeling visiting with an old (feels like we have known each other alot longer than just from Switzerland!) pal.

PIccadilly Circus

We visited the Dom Tower which is part of a church which was ripped in half by a tornado right around the time that it was turned from a Catholic church to a Protestant church. It was over 100 meters tall and yes, I walked up close to 500 stairs...most of them spiral. We met Nathan and his family there and had a nice chat.

The next day we went to Gouda. The cheese was soooo good and I couldnt resist a slice of cheesecake, which was to die for. We met some of the nicest people in Gouda. Even the Gouda museum staff were unbelieveably kind and generous to us, even offering us personal tours.

We were enjoying the breathtaking church garden when we met Godwin from Nigera who immigrated to the Netherlands 12 years ago. He was all smiles and I was sorry we had to turn down his dinner invitation. I had such a great time visiting Amy and I hope to see her again in Oz when she is finished her studies.

The famous Tube (mind the gap)