Fall Break Part 3: Amsterdam

Amsterdam was a really fun experience. We were there from Wednesday until we left to go back to Rome on Sunday. Amsterdam was a city unlike any other. Even though Amsterdam has a reputation of being a city that acts a certain way, I didn't feel that from just walking around. It was weird t me because as a city most of the people speak English and most of the restaurants are chain places, not local cuisine. In the words of a friend who is currently studying abroad in Amsterdam, "There really isn't a local cuisine here. It's known for it's French fries (with a lot of different sauces, they're amazing) but most of the places that I go to eat are chains of American type food."

Walking up the street to the fair

As I walked around the city the most noticeable thing are all of the bikes. This city is known for being bike friendly because it is so flat and has a bike lane on every street. I found myself having to avoid the bikes more than the cars themselves. They also have a great metro system of trams and buses that were very useful for getting around. We spent most of the day on Thursday and Friday roaming around the city without any plan. We did the Anne Frank House on Thursday morning which was very cool. It was interesting to finally see the house that I had heard so much about and it met all of my expectations.

On Saturday we met up with a friend of mine who is studying abroad in Amsterdam and he showed us to the "I am Amsterdam" sign. He made a good point that reinforced the idea that Amsterdam is lacking a certain local culture: The "I am Amsterdam" sign is in English, not Dutch. Later that day we went to the Heineken Factory. That was one of my favorite things because I love beer and am very interested in how it is made; so seeing a model factory was very cool.

"I am Amsterdam"

All in all it was an amazing 10 days. I spent a week in 3 cities, 3 countries with 3 different languages and 3 different currencies. Even missing the train added to the experience.

Next up Parents weekend.