Monday, March 31, 2014

The Grand Finale of Interlaken :)

We decided to finish up our time in Interlaken with a bang... yep - we went hang gliding! This was top-secret information until we had already done it so we could report back in one piece :) 

I didn't think about it too much beforehand, so I wasn't nervous until the moment before jumping. I think the fact that I didn't think about it too much helped me not to be nervous.

Airsport in Interlaken is a common phenomenon. All day, wherever you are, it's quite common to see people dropping out of the sky - mostly paragliders. This beautiful place is something that you've got to experience from all angles.
Once I got going with Bernie, I realized that there was nothing to be nervous about at all! You literally just glide along like a bird. If you're a rush-seeker, this probably isn't for you because it isn't much more frightening than riding in an airplane (which was fine with me). The view, however, is incredible from up there. We saw the lakes and the mountains from an entirely new angle and it was amazing.
Hang gliding makes me happy!
Money well-spent on this activity. What a weekend of firsts for me!

We headed back right afterwards - a long journey but we were home by 8PM, and it was still light out! Europe has sprung forward so we're back to 6 hours ahead of the States. I think spring is finally starting to emerge over here!

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Interlaken: Round 2!


Today was one of those days where it's difficult to believe that what I was experiencing was my life. There's a lot of those days here in Europe, but this was a particularly profound one! I kept thinking how lucky I was all day. The Swiss Alps are a beautiful, beautiful thing to see and the weather was just gorgeous for being up there. A little warm for skiing, yes, but since I was just learning, it didn't really matter to me!

We left at about 7:30AM, but by the time we suited up and actually got up to the top of the mountain, it was 10AM! There, we met our instructor. Alex had more plans to ski on his own today (he's a veteran skier). I was going to be skiing with our two friends who are also beginners. While I waited for them to get ready I had to opt for a photo:
I look tiny in this picture! We have tall friends.
Due to unseasonal temperatures and melting, our full-day ski lesson was cancelled and instead we got a deal: a private lesson in a different part of the mountain, which would last for the morning. To be honest, when this was all being arranged I had been indifferent because this wasn't my ski trip and I was just going to be happy to be in Switzerland! In the end I thought it was good it was only a half-day, but would've been happy to try some harder things with an instructor.

We started out on a baby hill (after learning how to turn and break on our skis). After the first go or two, I got the feel for it and was able to turn and stop sharply and by the end of the lesson I felt quite comfortable! Going too fast was still scary to me because I don't have a lot of control yet but I felt like I could control my speed for the most part. One of the last thing our instructor had us do was go under a short, very narrow "bridge" built from 3 ski poles. I ended up tearing through it (and may or may not have had a mini wipe-out after making it through). My instructor got very excited - I didn't know why. At the bottom, another instructor came over to me and said "WOW. This is your first day? That was great! You have talent." I'm not sure that I've got "talent," and I'm not exactly sure what they were excited about but I was very flattered (I fell 2 more times that morning - don't worry).

After the lesson we had lunch, and then we did some more skiing on our own for about an hour. After that, our little hill was getting a little bit too populated and we were a bit worn out. I really wanted to try another hill besides the baby one, which was getting boring, but I didn't know where to go and we weren't all up to it! In the end, I realized that I was ready to take those heavy ski boots off!

Conclusion: I really enjoy(ed?) skiing. I would definitely do it again, if the opportunity ever arises! I like the feeling and the motion - and the speed. I think having learned how to waterski last summer really helped me be prepared for what the feeling would be like :)

Looking through my pictures, I couldn't believe that I'd been the one to take these.
Have I mentioned how grateful/lucky I am?
We dropped off our rental gear before returning to the hotel to wait for Alex. At the rental shop, we were asking one of the guides where to go to dinner, and got into a conversation with him. We found out that he was originally from Australia and just works here. On his days off, he snowboards and mountain bikes. Being outside and exercising and enjoying nature is a huge part of the life and culture here. I could totally get used to it. I really feel "at home" here, and like I could stay. I really enjoy all of our trips, but so far the only places that I've felt I could make a home in Europe have been Scotland/England and here in Interlaken. I just get good vibes from it here. I like the culture - or what I know from it so far! This is a definite "would come back to."

For dinner, everyone thought it would be good to embrace the local cuisine and try fondue. Normally, I couldn't have been more on board with that notion, but Swiss fondue consists of the two foods that don't go well for me...cheese and bread. So I had a spring herb soup and salad - classic Katie food.  Alex actually ended up having a white fish; I guess he doesn't like cheese! The others seemed to like the fondue though.

My buddies of the day - they served me well.
Looking forward to a fun morning and then we'll be headed back to Luxembourg mid-afternoon!

Friday, March 28, 2014

Exploring Interlaken Day 1: Solo Mission.

Today was my first day exploring a foreign city on my own. I think the term "exploring" is a stretch, but it's the first day I've been left alone in a new city so far this semester. For months, I've known that Alex's only request for this semester is that he gets to go skiing. I did not plan to stand in his way, and considering as I don't ski, I expected to stay home whichever weekend he planned to do that - and that was fine with me! About a month ago, as he was was planning for his ski trip, he found that I could do a beginner ski class if I wanted. I hadn't considered this as an option, but everyone in our class who'd traveled to Interlaken thus far had loved it, and I decided to go for it! We convinced our couple friends (you know them from Amsterdam!) to join me for the learn-to-ski and it turned into quite the weekend!

Our friends aren't meeting us until late tonight (Friday) so that left me on my own all day while Alex hit the slopes. Leading up to this trip, I received much questioning from our friends on how I would spend my "free day." Would I hike? Go to a spa? Do a tour? Paraglide? When I answered "nothing," it was met with wide eyes, expressions of shock, and murmurs of "She's doing what?" and "...I don't get that." Here's how I see it:

I don't have a lot of extra money to spend. Interlaken is expensive. I'm already spending a lot on my beginner ski package. I'm also not sure I could navigate around the city to an activity on my own. Above all, unscheduled free time is the ultimate "vacation activity" for me right now. A lot of my peers have trouble understanding this, but my schedule is exhausting to me! Traveling at this pace wears me out and I'm not going to deny it! I guess I'm an old lady at heart. All of the traveling also makes me a little spazzy and I need some time to collect myself. Having unscheduled free time for a WHOLE DAY during which I can spend time in my nice hotel, take my time at breakfast, go to the grocery store, call my sister, catch up on homework and reading and other necessary things, and aimlessly explore the city is PERFECT. I rarely ever get free time here, during which I have hours to do what I want and that alone. I also don't get a lot of time by myself, which is important to me. While all of our trips have been amazing and I've loved each one of them, I don't mind not squeezing another activity in today, and I know that I won't have a single regret about how I spent my time here.

Our hotel is spectacular. It's small and family run, and very high quality (we're splitting the price of the room four ways which is why this is as affordable as a hostel). I hadn't seen anything outside when we checked in last night, because it was all dark. This is what I woke up to: 
I know. It doesn't look real!

I woke up early while Alex was getting ready for his long day of skiing. I'd had plans of sleeping in but had trouble falling back asleep, so I was up and going by about 7:30-7:45. I went right to breakfast, which was complimentary. In the breakfast room, I was waited on. I was surprised when a young woman came over and asked if I wanted coffee or tea. She brought me a pitcher of coffee and cream, and a cup and saucer and asked if I needed anything else! I spent about 45 minutes at breakfast; I nibbled on some granola and read for awhile, and kept getting distracted by the glorious view of the mountain out of the corner of my eye. When I was done I may or may not have swiped a hardboiled egg and some Nutella packets for later.

I really regret not bringing my running shoes. I deliberated over it, knowing I would have free time, but other than Edinburgh none of the places I've traveled have been conducive to me venturing out alone for a run (and I didn't even run on my own there, Alex was always with me!). I also had absolutely no room for running shoes (backpack and shoulder bag were both filled and very heavy) and eventually decided against it. Now I wish I'd found a way to squeeze them in...Interlaken is the closest to a small, American suburban neighborhood that we've been in so far, and there's a park with a loop around it that would've been perfect to run in!

Instead, I opted to do my hotel room workout and 2x8-minute abs and take a walk around the park later on. I took about 35-40 min total to do these. It's probably good that I spent my time doing this because I've done so little strength-training lately! Both of these were done on our balcony in the fresh Interlaken air. For much of my time here, it's been so fast-paced that I feel like I'm in a fog. This morning while doing dips, push-ups, and squats on the balcony while staring at that huge mountain, I felt very alive again. I also concluded that I need to do push-ups more often... my poor little arms are still shaking!

Our hotel room has stars on the ceiling!

Also...they put Toblerone on our pillows...

At first I was nervous/hesitant/procrastinating heading out on my own to poke around the town. I soon realized there was no need - Switzerland is a very friendly city! Probably the friendliest thus far. First stop for me was a grocery store; I need a salad for lunch and some dried fruits and nuts for tomorrow. I picked up the essentials and also some mango slices to go with my lunch! I eventually wandered around the corner to sit down and eat and ....




If you thought "Oh my word!" when you saw these photos, then we are on the same page! Now that I'm writing about it I still can't believe the beauty of the Swiss Alps. I am so lucky.

I sat on a bench right there ^ eating my mango and reading a book (The book was for school. Unbeknownst to some, I actually do have to do schoolwork during this amazing semester. The school is sure to emphasize that this is a study abroad and they don't let us forget it!). 

Every 20 minutes or so, paragliders would drop out of the sky like dandelion seeds and flutter onto the field pictured above. Sometimes a "WOOHOO! WOO WOO HOOOOO!" would precede them and I would look up and there they were! I stayed there for about 2.5 hours, bought some postcards, and headed back to the hotel! When I returned, more Toblerone had been replaced on my pillow...and someone had refolded the toilet paper and written "Have a nice day!" on it. My goodness, royal treatment!

Notes on Interlaken, Switzerland:
  • Very, very friendly 
  • Lots of rollerbladers 
  • No runners (so far)
  • Many Asian tourists. So far, I've heard a lot of Chinese. The 3 shops I went in looking for post cards had Asian salespeople in addition to Swiss salespeople. Same in the pharmacy! Do a lot of people from Asia immigrate here? Does anyone know? Found it interesting.
  • Lots of recreational cycling
  • They don't mess around with their fondue!
Right now, I'm just going to work on some homework on the terrace while I wait for Alex to come back. Only one room key, so I need to be here to let him in. I hate to pick favorites in Europe, because everything is so different that it's hard to compare (it would be like picking a favorite sibling or a favorite child), but today has been one of my favorite days here so far. I would be happy to spend several more days like this!

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Family time in Luxembourg!

As if it wasn't spectacular enough to meet my parents in Paris over the weekend, I got an encore of excitement on Tuesday evening, when they came in to Luxembourg City. They stayed in a hotel right at my daily bus stop by the train station - I've looked up at their hotel since my very first day in Europe! I also sneak the hotel's wifi during long waits for the bus, so I guess it's been good karma for them since they got my family's business!

Having my parents come to my "home city" in Europe was an amazing treat. I was thrilled to get to show them around and share my favorite Luxembourg experiences with them. We started out their short visit on Tuesday night with some créole food for dinner, and then headed to bed early - we were all still tired from the busy weekend! I started my day early on Wednesday and got a run in per usual, and began packing for a 3-day weekend in Interlaken! Starting this week, I do not have Wednesday or Friday classes any more. This worked out perfectly because I was able to spend ALL of Wednesday with my parents! 

First stop was the American Cemetery, which I'd visited during my first few days here as well. It's well-with the visit, and going back meant we weren't rushed through it so quickly. Just like the first time, the upkeep was spotless, with well-manicured grass, perfectly white marble headstones, and a most distinct air of dignity. 

Next we went into the city to go down into the Gründe. I showed them the awesome view from above the old part of the city and then we walked down and enjoyed the gardens for a few minutes. 


Next, we wandered over to do some shopping around and CHOCOLATE HOUSE. This is only my 3rd time to Chocolate House and it's been awhile since the last visit. I was excited to see that they had put out some springy/Eastery decorations, very cute!

My dad ordered a small quiche for lunch and my mom and I ordered some coffee. The three of us shared a delicious piece of cake, which was nice and dense with slivered dates on the inside, caramel between the layers, and a hard chocolate outside. Perfection.
Our cake :)

Carrot cake is in season! Theirs is prettier than mine was...


We walked around some more and went to an organic grocery store near my house that I've been wanting to go to for awhile, and then we all went and rested in their hotel for about an hour before dinner! We'd exhausted Luxembourg City, and ourselves! If we'd allotted more time/energy, it wouldn't have been terribly hard to take them the castle I'd gone to in the first few days here or some other interesting sites. I just hadn't planned to journey around the country and since they were only here for a day I wanted to do my favorite city-things with them! Definitely a good decision :)

Another plus of them coming is that they were able to bring these:

Birthday cake M&Ms from Alex's mom! 

This morning they headed off bright and early to Amsterdam, where they will spend a couple of days before heading back home! I can't believe that their trip has already come and gone...it felt sort of like Thanksgiving or Christmas; lots of build-up, anticipation, and planning and then suddenly poof! it's passed. I just can't believe that I've already been here for almost 10 weeks! Feels as those I just stepped off the plane...

We had a long journey today to arrive to Interlaken, Switzlerand - a city which revolves around skiing! I've never gone skiing but it's Alex's thing so he'll be skiing tomorrow and I'll be writing a midterm (they never seem to be over!). Saturday I'll do a learn-to-ski with 2 of our friends who will be joining us, and then we'll probably squeeze one activity in on Sunday and head back! More updates definitely to come...

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

The Battle of the Butters.

Now that my parents have replenished my American PB, I feel compelled to write about the differences between the American stuff and European stuff.

First of all, peanut butter of any form is not the easiest to find here. Grocery stores usually have 1 kind (pictured below) and don't shelve it where you would think, with the other spreads. I've seen it in a different section in each grocery store that I've gone to!

European peanut butter does not have the "salty/sweet" flavoring that American peanut butter has. It is dry, not processed, much healthier, and much less flavorful (no offense!). It's more like America's organic peanut butter, or peanut butter that you might make yourself out of your own peanuts. I've gotten used to it, but it took quite awhile and I still don't love it because it's so dry. It actually translates to "peanut spread" more so than "peanut butter" and that's what I would equate it to as well. There's nothing buttery about it! It's really not the same phenomenon as in the United States. For all intents and purposes, I still argue that Europe does not have peanut butter...at least as we know it!

Went to the grocery store and stocked up on the important things in life.
At the train station in Paris, I popped into a librairie and picked up a compact paperback thinking I would need something to read while I'm in Switzerland this weekend. I was excited to find Eating Animals, which is something I've wanted to read for quite awhile.
Jonathan Safran Foer (a favorite author of mine) wrote this when he realized he couldn't explain to his son why we eat some animals and not others (i.e. pig yes, cat no). Foer did a lot of research into the animals eaten in different cultures, and the conditions in which some of these animals are captured or caught, and then slaughtered, and how the manner in which this is done affects our health on a daily basis. I read about 30 pages en route from Paris to Luxembourg but wanted to save the rest for the weekend. I'll have to let you know what I learn!

Getting excited to see my parents in Luxembourg City tonight...and to spend the day with them tomorrow!

Monday, March 24, 2014

Paris with the Parents.

This weekend was a very special one indeed...we returned to Paris (as old pros :) and met my PARENTS there! Like before, we took our usual just-after-class train in the early afternoon and arrived at about 3:30PM. On the train ride I made Alex watch The Princess Bride, which features the Cliffs of Insanity (aka the Cliffs of Moher) which are going to visit in Ireland at the end of the month. It lasted just long enough until we arrived in Paris! We navigated to our hotel, checked in and dropped off our stuff, and then went and met my parents at the Montmartre metro stop to go up and see Sacre Coeur - a great first-night-in-Paris activity.

When I finally saw my parents I was amazingly excited and could hardly believe that they were really there! I think we were all in a bit of a daze because we were just buzzing with excitement.

Of course, I forced them to take their first picture in Paris with the city-scape!

And one of us :)

After a late dinner, we all went straight back to our hotels and got some rest for their first full day in Paris, which would be on Saturday! 

We woke up early and made the first stop at Musée d'Orsay. Alex and I got into all of the museums this weekend FREE with our student residency papers - I was so excited to be considered a European student! My parents used bulk museum passes since they planned to hit more museums on Monday (they aren't coming to Luxembourg until Tuesday). 

My favorite thing in d'Orsay was the impressionist exhibit. 

My favorite impressionist painting :)
When I was little I always read a picture book at my grandparents' house about this painting (above). It was about a little girl named Katie who went to the museum and got sucked into the painting! In the book, she was the little girl in the coquelicots (poppies). 

Another favorite work of art that I was thrilled to see in person! A Degas dancer!
From d'Orsay, we went to l'Orangerie to see Monet's waterlilies. I thought it was so amazing that he painted those custom paintings for the round rooms in the museum - while blind! I loved the waterlilies and was glad we got to go see them. I wasn't sure about some of Picasso's work though.

Following l'Orangerie, we walked to Le Bon Marchée, which is similar to a Parisian version of Harrods Department Store. We were too overwhelmed to stay in for more than about 5 minutes, but we spent A LOT of time wandering around a huge (and very expensive) supermarket. Think Whole Foods but on an even pricier (and better quality?) scale. I could've stayed in there for hours! After entertaining ourselves by looking at fancy groceries, we went across the street to a more affordable (Kroger-like) market to get snacks for Sunday.

After getting groceries, we went back to the parents' hotel to take a breather. After a quick break, Alex and I went with my mom to check out the nearby shops. We went into a Mango and H&M, and then finally accomplished a goal of mine: eating French macarons! I had the chocolate one :)

We had a another yummy dinner and then went to bed early in order to make the trek out to Versailles. Not sure if I mentioned this the last time, but Versailles is outside of Paris and takes quite awhile to get to if you're staying in the city center. Luckily, the line wasn't quite as difficult to get through when as last time, because it wasn't the first Sunday of the month (free entry day). 
Inside, it took quite awhile to get through the crowds to see each room. I didn't mind looking at all of the grandeur for a second time. How many people get to say they've been to Versailles twice???

We wandered off of the grounds and got sandwiches for lunch for a picnic in the gardens. We enjoyed some sunshine although it was very cold. We ventured further into the gardens this time before getting caught in a freak (and cold!) rainstorm and dashing into a café for a cup of tea.

Pre-storm!
We were skeptical of the weather but still had time to fit something in before our evening train home. My parents hadn't had plans to go to the Tour d'Eiffel at all, so I dragged them there in the rain! We took some rainy photos in front of it and as we were heading off it (of course) cleared up. 

I got this picture when the weather cleared! Beautiful!

We were able to head back to the hotel and get some snacks for the ride back to Luxembourg and say our good byes to my parents. I was sad to leave them even though I'll see them on Tuesday in Luxembourg! 

For the second time, I was able to enjoy different things in Paris. I really felt more at ease and less nervous about traveling (probably because the first time, Paris was my very first trip!). I enjoyed going and seeing new things, like the museums and supermarkets. It would be easy to spend a lot of time here! As we pulled out of the train station, I realized that could be my last time in Paris EVER, if not for 30+ years. I hope to make it back there. Now, I look forward to seeing other parts of France. I especially look forward to spending Wednesday in Luxembourg with my parents!

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Few words and lots of carrot cake

Springtime makes me think of carrot cake...

I adapted this version of a Jamie Oliver recipe and it came out pretty okay except I think I needed some more sugar, and the raisins sunk to the bottom. 


Packed food for tomorrow on the train... One is for me and one is for Alex...can you get who's tin is who's? 

We're headed to Paris tomorrow to MEET MY PARENTS! They've just boarded their plane in the States and will arrive in Paris while I'm still in class tomorrow. Then we'll jump right on our train and be there to see them! I can't wait to spend the weekend in such an amazing city with them. I have so much to catch them up on! 

More updates soon - sorry for the short post!

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Future thoughts of running...and how I do my meals :)

Today is a very special day...I put my name into the lottery for the Chicago Marathon.

This is something that I really wanted to do for a little while now. Monday was the day I could've put my name in for New York, but due to scheduling problems on that marathon weekend I decided to forego that one. I'll know about Chicago towards the middle of April.

I know it's a long shot but I'm really hoping that I'll run my first marathon there this fall! It would be perfect because it's over fall break and isn't too hard to get to from Oxford. Timing-wise, the majority of my training could be over the summer, with a few long runs and then tapering down in the fall. Alex is already into this race because he qualified in previous marathons and hopefully we could go together (though I think he'd run his own race at this big marathon rather than sticking with me). 

If I don't get a spot there... c'est la vie! I may do the same half-marathon that I did last fall break (or the full-version, though it's a small marathon which means not a lot of crowds to pull you through the 26.2 miles!) or run for charity at Chicago.

This is the type of thing I usually wouldn't bother mentioning until I knew for sure that I got it but I'm just excited to have registered, for the time being. Having a potential race to look forward to is a great motivator when it comes to running. I get very excited about races and having goals. Running here can be a little monotonous (the same out-and-back trails every run) so getting to think about even having a glimmer of a chance at Chicago is great :)

My running here hasn't changed much from at home. I'm not doing as many miles as over winter break, but that's okay because I was probably doing too many miles at that time. Now, it all balances out. Since October, I've graduated into doing more miles in each run rather than 7 small runs per week, and I pretty much keep up with that here. I wish I could be outside more, but that's okay. Even though I am keeping up with my running here, it's strange not to have rigorous practices every day. This is the longest I've gone in 6 years without any sort of rowing in my life. For 6 years, I trained very hard and maintained peak strength and fitness. Right now I feel like I still have the fitness but not the strength (I'm referring to back and arms here). I know it'll come back quickly, but it's a sort of odd phenomenon. 6 years is a long time for a lot of hard work. I suppose at this point, my body probably really needed a sort of break from that. Focusing on enjoying my runs right now is probably for the best; no scheduled practices, erg tests, lifting regimens, etc. That's a lot for a body.

Recently I've been trying to think of new ideas of simple things to cook at home...mostly I eat a lot of salad and eggs. The other night I actually combined both of these components into something very similar to my kale-egg favorite. I added a tortilla and some salsa and yum!

I also usually get a lot of veggies in my lunch at the Chateau, which I only have twice a week. They have a salad bar, and my favorite lunch recently is to get their soup with lots of fresh, crunchy veggies.

Typical Chateau lunch for me

Another fave food of mine lately has been broccoli. This is so much the case that I made Alex take a picture of me with my favorite food when I found it in the supermarket in Amsterdam.
He was very ashamed/embarrassed of me posing with iron-rich green veggies in public...sorry about it! I am appreciative of him dealing with my weirdness.

Last night I made a very yummy and inventive dinner. I really wanted to pack in the vitamins, so I had some broccoli and a "sweet potato panini." I boiled and mashed a tiny sweet potato onto a tortilla, and I also sprinkled on some beans and a tiny bit of cheese (cheese is tough for me to digest so I used it sparingly). I cooked this all as one might cook a quesadilla - in a pan with a spoonful of olive oil.

Sweet potato selfies

Beans take a long time to cook so while that was going on I munched on some chunky applesauce and half of a banana with some Luxembourg pb. 

The finished product! Should've made more broccoli.
I've often been asked how I get all of my nutrients since I don't eat a lot of dairy (calcium) or meats (protein and iron). This meal ^^ is a great example of that! Broccoli, sweet potatoes, and beans all are extremely rich in iron, protein, fiber, B12s, AND even calcium. Aside from cooking the beans, this meal was really quick and easy to make as well.

Today marks the half-way point in our program...this half felt half but the next one will feel even more speedy fast. We've just about scheduled each of our remaining weekends in Europe...we have about 6 more trips left and at least as many countries! This weekend is going to be Paris with my PARENTS! We will spend Friday afternoon/evening, Saturday, and Sunday together and then they will come into Luxembourg on Tuesday night and stay until Thursday. 

Heading off a little bit early this Wednesday morning...because I'm going to get my Luxembourgish citizen card! WAHOOO! I guess they're going to keep me after all :)

Monday, March 17, 2014

Amsterdam.

Amsterdam was a great time! This weekend we travelled with another couple, N & C. They turned out to be great travel buddies and were a lot of fun! 

Our journey started right after class on Friday per usual. It was a ~7-hour journey to Amsterdam with lots of train switches and running around in the train stations. 

First thing was first: we waited in the train station for my friend (who I wrote about last week) to meet us there. We only had to wait about 20 minutes and then she appeared! It's been interesting coordinating all of these things without phones...it's probably good for us!

We met her and then quickly checked into our hotel (all 6 of us) before heading out for an evening of dancing! Amsterdam (for obvious reasons) had the potential to have a sort of intimidating nightlife but the place we found was pretty low-key at the hour we were there. 

One of my first views in Amsterdam.

The next morning we headed off early to see the Anne Frank house! We'd tried earlier in the week to get ticket reservations, but they'd been sold out already so we knew we'd just have to wait. Even though we got there not long after opening, there was a huge line down the street and around the corner. None of us minded the wait too much. 

Seeing the house was one of the most interesting experiences I've had in Europe so far. When I first read Anne's diary, I was only 8 years old - third grade. I've read it periodically ever since then, and each time I read it I take away something new and relate to Anne in a different way. Seeing the house felt strangely personal, like seeing the experience of a friend. The markings on the wall where they measured Anne and her sister were still there, and I stood next to the markings and found that I would've stood at eye-level with Anne around the time of the last mark. The posters in her bedroom were still there, too...it was almost an odd experience. Throughout the museum, it was mentioned many times that Anne had died only a month before the liberation. She represented so many, and was an example of everything that was lost. 

At the end of the museum, Alex and I were waiting for N&C to finish up and I suddenly saw...an old friend from high school! I couldn't believe my eyes at first, but yelled out her name. She responded (so it wasn't just me seeing things!) and was equally as shocked. What were the odds of meeting in Amsterdam one Saturday morning??? She was traveling with her school soccer team (she plays for Carnegie Melon) and just happened to be doing the same thing as us that morning. Couldn't have been weirder. As another strange coincidence we actually also learned that our friend that we were traveling with, C, went to high school with my best friend who moved down to Atlanta for 11th/12th grade. A weekend of scary coincidences!

After Anne Frank we walked around and found a park, where we meandered for the afternoon. We adore parks and getting to relax people-watch in them. 

We climbed this cool tree
The boys of our little group really wanted to do the tour of the Heineken Brewery, so we did that later in the afternoon and evening. Not really my thing, but Alex always does activities that I pick so it's only fair!

Learning about the brand's history and about the longgg process it takes to brew the perfect beer was actually sort of interesting.

The big kettles used for brewing. Check out the stained glass windows!
At the end we were sent on a scavenger hunt (aka just to another one of their outlet stores) for a "free gift" that came with the tour. It turned out to be small Heineken glasses with the first Heineken logo on them. It looks sort of like this.
Just without our faces in it.

On the way to the Heineken outlet we saw one of the "Iamsterdam" signs! We didn't get a picture with that one though.
Dinner that night was CREPES! 
Per Alex's request, the 4 of us then took a tour through the Red Light District. I dug my heels in and did not support this trip...but when we got there I saw that I'd been wrong with my presumptions about this place. First of all, it's just a normal place. Not sketchy. It looked just like any other Amsterdam street at night. We jumped onto a walking tour and learned that the Red Light District is actually a very high-demand place to live and is very expensive. It's one of the oldest parts of Amsterdam. It was actually beautiful along the water the homes had doors that opened right into the canal! I loved that (and imagined jumping right into a rowing shell out of my front door :). After about 4 minutes, Alex was satisfied that he'd been in the Red Light District and we headed back to the hotel. We played cards and fell asleep early.

In the morning we stopped at the grocery store to stock up on lunch. I got some stroopwaffles to bring back for friends as a souvenir, and then I found this Oreo chocolate bar! Oreos inside chocolate. Brilliant.
I was feeling green food for lunch. Apples and salad!

This is what Alex got for lunch.
Then we headed to the Van Gogh Museum. It was really great to be able to see some of the famous artwork that I grew up seeing in textbooks. Seeing the evolution of his artwork was also really interesting...it changed so much over time!
We had a long journey home. 4 trains home! We had a long layover in Rosendaal so we found a park and hung out in the sunshine for awhile. We also had a layover in Brussels so I went BACK to this chocolate shop and I got more chocolates from there, just like I did 6 weeks ago! I still have some leftover from that first trip...now I'm confident I'll have Belgian chocolate to bring home to Cleveland.
We also saw this hot air balloon during one of our train rides. It was so pretty along the sunset! I wonder who was up there...

We finally arrived home at about 9PM. Weekend:successful!