Beautiful Amsterdam

Here are Will and I in Amsterdam.
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So, I have met my brother successfully in Amsterdam.  It is warmer here than I thought it would be, but definately a brisk fall atmosphere.  The canals, buildings, and people here are so welcoming and pretty.  We have wandered through several of the neighborhoods, and enjoyed the pedestrian only paths and the Christmas lights!  The green spaces that you can find here are so nice.  There are even chess boards in the parks with giant pieces to move in the game.  Everything seems so clean and organized compared to what I might have pictured before I got here.  Due to its legalities, I feared that this city might be dirty and overrun with lude behavior.  It really isnt that bad if you just go to the right areas.

Crazy street performers in different costumes in Dam Square.
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A group of us are staying at the Renaissance Marriott, which is probably the nicest hotel I will stay at my whole entire trip!  Ha, ha.  Julie has some connections from work, so our rooms are reasonable using some of her frequent visitor points.  They even have a concierge!  It is also perfectly located on the edge of the Red Light District, close to the Central train station.

This city is very walkable, and bikers are everywhere as well.  You can rent a bike and drive through the city in a few hours hitting most of the big destinations.  We walked to the Museumplein one afternoon to go to the Van Gogh museum.  It was pretty amazing.  Several of his well know pieces, as well as a great exhibition were on display.  We saw "Wheatfield with Crows", "Sunflowers", and several amazing self portraits.  I purchased my first souvenir there!  A poster with the dates of the exhibition on it.  I hope to frame it when I get back, and I can send it home with Will free of charge.  Yeah!

A sign in the Museumplein. The park is beautiful, and people climb all over this sign.
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Today, the 27th, we walked through Jordaan.  A cute neighborhood with trendy cafes, boutique shops, and less crazy than the Red Light District.  Most of the cafes have bowls of flowers on every table!  There were tulips and roses to be found everywhere.  We had lunch at a local pub.  I enjoyed the specialty, pea soup, and I even was able to get some corn chips with salsa!  My first taste of any Mexican food since I left home!  It was untraditional, but delightful just the same!

Bikes are the main form of transportation throughout Amsterdam. You have to definately watch out for them when you are walking!
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After lunch we went to the Anne Frank House.  It was very interesting, but a bit sparse.  There were lots of movies and interactive computer screens, which kind of made it feel a bit too modern.  Her actual diary was there though, and that was pretty amazing.  It was almost eerie to stand in the places she was cooped up in for so long.

We hope to have a traditional dinner tonight, because Will and Julie and the gang are off to Belgium and then Germany tomorrow afternoon.  I will stay another night in a hostel, and then I am off to Lisbon to meet my Aunt Jackie.  It is strange to me that I have been able to be with other travellers or friends for half of my trip so far.  I never planned for all these visitors, but it has been very nice!