And then I went to Amsterdam! Which is honestly my favorite city in the world (so far ha). You say ‘Amsterdam’ and a lot of people automatically have a bad connoation with it. But honestly, the city is beautiful. They really have things figured out. I felt safe at all hours in the Red District (which unless you want a prostitute, isn’t where the real party is at anyhow). EVERYone rides bikes. We even rented some for a few days! We were able to ride all over town, to museums and some of the most beautiful parks I’ve ever seen (I’m in love with Vondelpark, pictured). You wouldn’t believe they were in a big city. And it’s clean! There’s canals everywhere, in the way that Venice is on water, there’s canals all through Amsterdam, but there’s no complaints of smell or rats or anything like that. And the people are unbelievably friendly. I would love to go to grad school there *pipe dream* but in the very least I know I’ll go back.
Also, the weather is much more my style. Very Oregon-y. I had to buy pants and sweaters while I was there, I wasn’t prepared at all after a summer in southern Italy. It was so nice to be somewhere green again.
The Dutch can do cheese. But really. We went to this cheese museum more than once. They must have had more than 30 cheeses available to sample, and sample i did. Every single one of them. And only one was I not very fond of (it was a 4 year old Gouda, crunchy, blegh). We went as an ‘appetizer course’ and ended up ruining our appetites.
They’ve been trying to teach us about Anne Frank since elementary school. Honestly I couldn’t have told you that much about her until I visited ‘Anne Frank Huis’
(in Amsterdam, whaaat?)
Ask me anything now lol I feel like an expert
Also, Heineken is from Amsterdam. So it’s everywhere and cheap haha I could get a giant glass bigger than my head for 5 euro. This ‘boat’ would just cruise the canals, I think you could actually rent it.
They don’t actually make it there in the original factory anymore, it’s a museum you can go through called “The Heineken Experience”
And then I went to Amsterdam! Which is honestly my favorite city in the world (so far ha). You say ‘Amsterdam’ and a lot of people automatically have a bad connoation with it. But honestly, the city is beautiful. They really have things figured out. I felt safe at all hours in the Red District (which unless you want a prostitute, isn’t where the real party is at anyhow). EVERYone rides bikes. We even rented some for a few days! We were able to ride all over town, to museums and some of the most beautiful parks I’ve ever seen (I’m in love with Vondelpark, pictured). You wouldn’t believe they were in a big city. And it’s clean! There’s canals everywhere, in the way that Venice is on water, there’s canals all through Amsterdam, but there’s no complaints of smell or rats or anything like that. And the people are unbelievably friendly. I would love to go to grad school there *pipe dream* but in the very least I know I’ll go back.
Also, the weather is much more my style. Very Oregon-y. I had to buy pants and sweaters while I was there, I wasn’t prepared at all after a summer in southern Italy. It was so nice to be somewhere green again.
I’m going to miss southern Italy sunsets :/ The way the sun reflects off of the white Leccesse stone is beautiful.
Lecce is famous for their maluable white stone. A lot of buildings are partially built with it (it doesn’t hold up to the rain well). I was lucky enough to get to spend a couple hours a week this month in the studio of quite an impressive artist. You can see his current project behind us, and I carved myself this little elephant, nooowhere near as cool as anything he does, but I like my little guy. His name is Pietra (stone).
This is in a little town called Albero Bello. This is the old part of the town, these little “huts” are called Trulli. The markings on top are ancient magic symbols. Adorable. I feel like the second picture looks like somewhere Shrek and Fiona would live :)
We went to Otranto again yesterday. Spur of the moment idea, You Only Lecce Once!
checking that off the Europe bucket list
Little Venice, Mykonos, Greece
