"Mid term break - why not fl ..." a Amsterdam Travel Page by westrella

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Canal houses

Amsterdam

I stayed with a friend so I can't tell you anything about accommodation, and, as I replied to everyone who asked when I got back, I didn't smoke pot or eat cookies, I only walked through the red light district once and I didn't take a canal boat trip.

That aside, I visited an awful lot of museums, including the trip to museumplein which 3 of the 'must see' museums are on (Van Gogh one is there). I did a lot of walking (which is very pleasant to do, and it doesn't really take a lot of effort to get anywhere) and ate a lot of great food. kaas = cheese. There is a lot of kaas in Holland. I even had a real fondue.

Catching trams is fun. I avoided Mme Tussauds like the plague. The markets can be a lot of fun too. I had to laugh because:

1. At the bloemmarkt (flower market) they had cuttings of bouganvillea selling quite dearly. Bouganvillea is a vine that has 1 inch thorns (when fully grown) and bright pink or purple flowers. Over here they're considered a pest, even though many people grow them in the yard. Once they take root in a garden, they pretty much end up taking over, climbing up anything they can, including other trees.

2. There was an Australian Icecream shop. Since when was Australia known for its amazing ice cream? Surely you can get better italian or belgian stuff, and its closer.

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Valkof

Nijmegen

Spent a couple of days at my friend's hometown. The drawcard there is the Valkof, an ancient castle (which is no longer there) however the two chapels still exist. One of them is fully standing and is used for modern weddings.

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Impressions

After HK, it was such a change to be in a city where there's no highrises. Everything is cute, compact, ornate. The only thing unfair is the public urinals for men.. Now why isn't it as quick and easy for women to go??