07.15.2013 Rijksmuseum

 Andy Warhol,  Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, 1985

Today's most exciting event was the Rijksmueum. We had only 2.5 hours and I wanted to see everything, so I was practically running through the hallways.

Oh, actually we also went to the Anne Frank House but no photos allowed, so I didn't take any. There was a lineup that started at 8am, but it was worth it. Especially if you read the books and know the story. And! we went for a boat cruise, in which everyone fell asleep!

07.14.2013 Amsterdam

yaaaaaayyy!*

I barely took any photos today. Although I've been to Amsterdam "often" I still can't get from place to place. At least, however, Amsterdam is smaller than Paris, and I have a general idea of the big landmarks. But today I got to venture out on my own and it's not so bad. I also had a bit of an "I'm free!" feeling when I stepped out of the house with the keys in my hand. Now, officially, I can say I know how to get around, at least from Centraal (and all the tram stops on the way) to Museumplein.

Best thing today was getting groceries in the morning, and meeting my friend at night. Ohhh how I've missed her face! The other girls went out too and I tried really hard to merge both parties into one, but it was a cat and mouse chase all night long of missed connections.

07.13.2013 Heading to zeee Netherlands!

We are at Paris Nord. The last time I was here, I was running to catch a train. Anyway, the whole day was spent just taking our time to the train station and waiting to get on. I really really wanted to go to Amelie Poulain's Cafe des Deux Moulins, but nobody wanted to buy a metro ticket just to eat creme brulee. We visited Sacre Coeur too, but it seems like I didn't take any photos.

Our next stop is Amsterdam! (my almost favourite city, have you noticed?)  We rented a nice flat in Leidsplein. We're excited because it looks much roomier than our Paris apartment.

speculoos spread, can't stop thinking about it.

03.03.2013 Entebbe, Nairobi, Amsterdam

Half of us booked an extended (3 day) layover in Amsterdam before returning to school. How this worked out in everybody's favour, I am not entirely sure, but pure luck and coincidence, really. Otherwise, we'd be in Turkey right now. (I wouldn't mind that either) And, as a sign of good luck, one of the the first things I came across was a playground!

02.18.2013 AMS > EBB

Finally! to Entebbe! This was almost an entire day of flying, first to Kenya, and then into Uganda. Upon arrival, the rest of our team greeted us at the gate. (they flew earlier than we did). The air is cool at night and without traffic, it sort of smells like something between a greenhouse and a campsite in a forest. There are no streetlights, and the roads are rough. Our first sight was a naked man walking on the side of the road illuminated by our headlights. That's not normal they assured. We drove through the night into Kampala.  

02.17.2013 Amsterdam in transit

sitting, waiting, wishing...

With the delay, we re-booked our flights and KLM provided a shuttle and hotel for a one night's stay near Schiphol airport. There was an option to fly out in the evening to Entebbe but it would be rushed and unnecessary so we decided to take it easy --eat well, sleep well, and take advantage of the fact that we were in Amsterdam!

04.08.2012 Amsterdam to Berlin

wind farm

I made the mistake of not paying attention and falling asleep on the train. I didn't clue in that the next stop would be the stop to switch trains to go to Berlin until I noticed a heap of people getting off and I had a suspicious feeling that perhaps I should be too. The confusing part was that the signs did not match, but I quickly grabbed my stuff, hopped off and showed a train person my ticket with an invisible question mark above my head. "Better safe than sorry," is what mother would always say. The train lady read my ticket, nodded and pointed to the train on the other side of the platform. Phew..!

04.07.2012 Den Haag, Escher Museum, Kinderdijk

Hofvijver and the buildings of the Dutch parliament and the nameless island

There was hardly a person in this city. Perhaps again, everybody just stays in, or they all flock to Amsterdam where the real fun is. The difference in crowd size is distinct, but I'm not complaining, tourists get in the way of good pictures.

04.06.2012 Hello Holland!

Amsterdam!

It looks like another water logged city, I know. But it cannot be helped. It's Easter (long) weekend, and like most holidays in Berlin, nobody from Berlin stays in Berlin. And since the nearest friends are only 670km away, "Well why not?" I told myself as I got more excited about the prospect of going before even asking my friend if it was convenient to visit. So this too, was a last minute decision; (I'm on a roll) I worked out my ride details yesterday and left early morning today. Rumour has it that carpooling was a good and safe option, "Even my mother does it." was the reassuring statement. So, I tried it, and I'm still here writing a chapter from an adventure. I think the only other mode of transportation I haven't tried yet is via boat.