Paris was my favorite, but Amsterdam was probably the most fun city we visited. We took the train from Paris to Amsterdam. It was just over 4 hours and we got to see the country side of France and Belgium. An interesting fact: we did not have to go through customs at the train station.We stayed at a really nice hostel near Vondel Park. Amsterdam is a relatively small city so we were in a good position to see all the sights. Though we could have probably walked everywhere, we picked up a 72 hour tram pass, which helped out dramatically.
The sights in Amsterdam:
- Van Gogh Museum - This was really amazing, my mom would be so jealous!
- Canal Cruise - Though this was super-touristy, it was really cool and an amazing opportunity for photos. The photo above was taken off the stern of our canal boat.
- Heineken Experience - One of the most elaborate brewery tours I have ever been to. This is a must see if you are a beer drinker in Amsterdam!
- Rijksmuseum - Absolutely stunning. They have swords, guns, and a gigantic model of a 72-gun Dutch man of war ship. Though the real amazement came from the plethora of Rembrandt paintings, as well as many of his students, such as Vermeer.
- Red Light District - I was expecting the prostitute zone to be ferreted away on some back alley, but it is in the very center of the city. Though no one in our party was keen on soliciting the services of the local business ladies, it was really interesting to check out. We also checked out the Casa Rosso theater for some local uh... flair!
We spend our leisure times checking out local pubs and eateries. Mike tried a local delight: raw ox meat sausage. Though it sounds revolting, it was actually really good.
We spent two and a half days in Amsterdam before we had to head back to the States. I had an amazing time on the trip, I highly recommend that everyone take at least one trip through Europe, you will not regret it!
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