Day 8: Amsterdam

Flower Bulbs for Sale

Amsterdam Day 8:

Woke up this morning made sure that I had a room for tomorrow night had breakfast and started to get lost. I was told that it would take twenty minutes to get to the Anne frank house and well almost two hours later I found it. I was definitely getting annoyed at how long it was taking. By the time I found it the line was already humongous. But this is the life and I need to wait in order to do the things I want. I'm planning on only spending one more day here in amsterdam so I need to do everything I can. I want to do a cheese tasting beer tasting and visit the Amsterdam sign. All in a day. Let's just not keep getting lost. 

Q/A session at the Anne Frank House

I'm a Beer!

Just came from the Anne frank house. It was very interesting to be in the famed house that I've read about and seen through plays. The house was bigger than I expected. Several rooms and no privacy yet a little room. Some of the people in front of me didn't know anything about her the family or the war and it just completely surprises me. How can someone in this day not know about the holocaust?  I understand that were not all very educated nor Jews but still. I guess this is just a touchy subject to me. The end presented many cases of what would you do and what is the right thing involving modern issues of freedom of religion speech and such. People would vote on their opinions and then the general consensus would be shown as well as the days total answer. Most of the time they were very similar but every once in a while the answers would just be completely different. Nice to know that people do have opinions.  I had been told about this part and that it was thought-provoking because it makes people actually make a decision as to what is right or wrong.  It covered many different issues such as internet bullying, freedom of speech/religion, and veiling.

Heineken Bottles

I just bought my ticket for the heineken experience beer and now I'm sitting down to lunch. The weather is kinda crappy today but I found a little French-ish cafe and am now eating a salmon and avocado sandwich. I usually go until I can’t go anymore and then I find a lunch place and decided that it’s time to eat.  It was a little place and was empty, expect for the few locals that would come in and buy a fruit drink before leaving.  I went to the heineken tour and it was actually really cool. Definitely an experience that is better shared with friends rather then by myself, but I’m glad that I did it none the less. There was a simulation of ‘brew you’ (you become one with the beer) and the tour of the brewery. That was something I wanted out of this Europe trip. I've had two beers which is great but now I'm ready to not drink more. That's my limit for now. I haven't been able to drink a lot for the last few weeks. So that’s disappointing. But what are you going to do. When I'm done with this I'm going to try to see if I can find the cheese tasting place. This has been a pretty spectator day so far. 

I eventually found the I Amsterdam sculpture and along the way bought and ate an Amanda crescent (I think that’s what it is called). Really good and powder sugary. The inside was moist not like a normal crescent but as if there was something else special baked inside it. The sculpture is very touristy and I’ve seen other friends photos with it, that's why I knew about it. I don't think my trip was exponentially improved by seeing this but it was something in a different location and gave a new perspective. When I was ordering my crescent, the lady asked me what I wanted in Dutch. Everyone else there was a local except me. I had finally gone past the tourist side of town and into the regular side where normal people live and work. I'm now waiting to take some boat shuttle from the beer brewery to it's store so I can get a free gift and ride. My legs are tired so I figured that sitting for half an hour would be nice. I'm not sure If I'll make it to the cheese place in time I mean there's no way I will make it In time. 

So I missed the shuttle because I was waiting on the wrong side. Apparently the banner does not mark the correct location of the boat’s meeting point. So I had to walk home without a gift. And I decide to stop off at the central station to check up on the times for tomorrow. My feet were and are still killing me. I'll need to figure out something for tomorrow or else my feet might revolt. I am planning on being on trains for hours and hours so maybe that will make them feel better. And I'll have more tine to blog too. After a shower and having to remain quiet while one of my random roommates sleeps I'm realizing that while I love traveling and all of the experiences it brings, it is tough. Some aspects of me wish I were a secret millionaire and could stay in nice places and not have to worry about money issues. Ok maybe a lot of me but I know that I am blessed with what I have and the people in my life. (Yea didn't want to sound too douchy.) 

My British Meat Pie

My Amanda Crescent 

Anyways.  I went looking for a British pie shop that I found earlier and was starting to get really frustrated because I couldn't find it. All of this anger was coming out. And magically I turned the corner and I saw the pie shop. I'm not sure what specifically drew me to this place. Maybe I was remembered of the Sweeny Todd days when mom first introduced me to this possible human meat meat pie or maybe that the parents and family is in England now and maybe I'm missing them more than I am willing to acknowledge but in either way this meal is dedicated to the fam and the parents specifically.

This is My Type of Beer Label

I just tried to start up a conversation with these Americans sitting next to me and after polite introductions no more. Thats the difference between traveling by oneself and traveling in a group. When you already have friend you don't care about that lone traveler. But when the roles are reversed then you notice the difference. I definitely never tried talking to others but I also don't when I'm by myself often too (update: this last part has greatly changed). I have been more social this trip in the last few days talking to other lone travelers and I ever met a kid named Adam who will be a freshman at tulane the upcoming semester. I might have accidentally awed when he said freshman but I generally think all younger or shorter people are cute. But that probably didn't bode well for the first interaction. Whoops.