To continue with my "Study Week" (as they call fall break here) adventures, after a awful day of traveling, I made it safe and sound to beautiful Amsterdam! I was so exhausted that I ended up just going straight to bed, but that was good because I got to start fresh the next morning. I met up with four other SMC chicks from the Maynooth program to explore Amsterdam: Lauren, Emily, Katie, and Madison. We all had different things we wanted to do so it was nice to have a bigger group so we could split up.
In the morning, Lauren, Emily, and I walked to the Rijksmuseum which is home to many of the famous paintings and other works of Dutch artists. We started upstairs with the paintings and oh my goodness gracious were they beautiful! My favorite was "River View by Moonlight" painted by Aert van der Neer (here is a link if you want to see it yourself
http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/aria/aria_assets/SK-A-3245?page=0&lang=en&context_space=&context_id=). Johannes Vermeer's paintings were also very beautiful. Downstairs there were all sorts of miscellaneous art pieces. One room was entirely dedicated to illustrations in children's books and you could sit on couches and read the books that were displayed on the surrounding walls. In another room there were two giant doll houses. They put ladders in front of them so that you could peer into the attic and upper rooms. I know three little girls who would have gone crazy playing with those doll houses! There was also the figurehead from an old ship hanging above one of the doorways.
After getting our fill of culture in the Rijksmuseum, we stepped outside where what do you think accosted our eyes but the famous "I amstersdam" sign. Photo op? I think so! (The next day we actually found a miniature one as well!) For some reason the "I" in the sign had a mustache, I wish I could tell you why.
Amsterdam is of course known for its beautiful and numerous canals, but you may not know that it also seems to have just as many trams. Lauren proved to be an expert at navigating them. She always got us to the right stop and headed in the right direction on the right tram. Now you may not be so impressed with this, but trust me, you should be. Those things are confusing! After getting off the tram, I would break out the map and maneuver us among the streets, bridges, and canals to our destination. We made the perfect team!
The trams aren't the only way of getting around Amsterdam. Biking is a big deal there too! They actually have a huge, multi-level parking garage just for bikes! All the streets and bridges are lined with bikes and bike racks too. I especially enjoyed seeing all the men riding along on their bikes with their girlfriends sitting sidesaddle on the back. It was so cute that Emily and I had to try it!
One of our many destinations was the Tulip Museum. Yes, it's just as adorable as it sounds! There was a little shop with a display on the history of tulips in the basement. We learned that tulips actually don't have a scent (though some modern hybrids can have one). Who knew? I also discovered a white tulip called Maureen!
We also went to Bagijnhof which was a community of homes for single, lay Catholic women called beguines. Even though between 1578 and 1795 Catholics were not allowed to practice their faith and much of their property was confiscated, the beguines were left in peace. This is because they were lay women and their homes were considered personal property. Though the last beguine died in 1971, still only women live in the homes of Bagijnhof.
That night we did two of the most touristy things possible. First we went on a canal tour boat ride and second, we went to the Ice Bar. We had to watch a hilariously corny video and get suited up in puffy white coats and gloves. Then we went into freezing (literally) cold room where everything was carved out of ice. There were icy chairs and benches and even sculptures of penguins. After the bar, we passed through the Red Light District on our way home. It was honestly the most depressing five minutes of my life, and that is really all there is to say about it.
On our last day in Amsterdam we went shopping in a flea market just down the street from our hostel. Lauren got some hilarious slippers that looked just like wooden Dutch shoes! Afterwards we headed over to one of the canals where we rented a paddle boat and wound our way among the different streets of water. Besides a brief run in with a couple of threatening swans, we were able to relax and enjoy the beautiful buildings lining the canals. I must admit that I am in love with those narrow yet tall houses.
After giving our legs a good work out, we made our way to a tulip market. It was incredibly colorful! I even picked up a packet of bulbs from one of the vendors and shipped them back to Mom. Hopefully they'll pop up in the spring, though I may not be home in time to see them. Lauren currently has some growing in a tin can in her room!
My final adventure in Amsterdam was a somber one. I went with Madison and Katie to see the building that Anne Frank hid in for years during WWII. Having just studied her diary last year at Saint Mary's, I appreciated being able to see first hand what I had only read about. The house is a little hard to describe, and to be honest, I think Anne does it best in her diary, so please look there if you'd like an accurate picture. The rooms are now bare because Otto Frank, Anne's father, requested that it remain unfurnished. However, there are photos in each room of what it would have looked like when Anne lived there. As I walked through the different rooms there were two things that especially stood out to me. First, was the bookcase that covered the secret entrance to the attic. Stepping through that didn't even feel real. I couldn't believe that I was passing through the entrance to Anne's world. The second thing that I found eerie was Anne's room. It contained no furniture, but all her posters and pictures were still glued to the wall. There were movie stars, the royal family, advertisements, and family photos. As vivid as my imagination is, reading about it just doesn't compare to actually seeing it first hand. Throughout the rest of the museum there were video presentations, quotations, and Anne's actual diaries. It was very moving and even though a huge crowd was passing through each room, there was barely even a whisper. As sad and spooky as it was, I'm glad that I got to see where Anne lived.
After the Anne Frank house we hurried back to the hostel to gather our things and then hopped on a night train headed for Copenhagen. For some odd reason I was the only one to get a bed, and all the other girls were stuck in compartments that only had chairs. I investigated my room and seeing that a suspicious looking man was there, I opted for sticking with the other girls. Lauren, Emily, and I had bought cheese, apples, and bread for dinner, so we feasted on these while chatting (though we were interrupted several times by police with drug sniffing dogs). Unfortunately, more and more passengers kept arriving so I was kicked out of my borrowed seat. I made my way back to my compartment and luckily discovered that the suspicious man had left the train and that there were 3 extra beds! I grabbed Lauren and Emily and we moved into my compartment. There were two other men staying there as well, but they were both very nice and we chatted for a bit before finally going to sleep (I got one of the top bunks which was surprisingly comfortable). In our conversation, however, one of the men told us that the guy who left was afraid of being searched for drugs by all the police, so he hopped off at the nearest stop! Are my instincts sharp or what? In the end we arrived safe and sound in Copenhagen, so no harm done.
The trams aren't the only way of getting around Amsterdam. Biking is a big deal there too! They actually have a huge, multi-level parking garage just for bikes! All the streets and bridges are lined with bikes and bike racks too. I especially enjoyed seeing all the men riding along on their bikes with their girlfriends sitting sidesaddle on the back. It was so cute that Emily and I had to try it! 
After the Anne Frank house we hurried back to the hostel to gather our things and then hopped on a night train headed for Copenhagen. For some odd reason I was the only one to get a bed, and all the other girls were stuck in compartments that only had chairs. I investigated my room and seeing that a suspicious looking man was there, I opted for sticking with the other girls. Lauren, Emily, and I had bought cheese, apples, and bread for dinner, so we feasted on these while chatting (though we were interrupted several times by police with drug sniffing dogs). Unfortunately, more and more passengers kept arriving so I was kicked out of my borrowed seat. I made my way back to my compartment and luckily discovered that the suspicious man had left the train and that there were 3 extra beds! I grabbed Lauren and Emily and we moved into my compartment. There were two other men staying there as well, but they were both very nice and we chatted for a bit before finally going to sleep (I got one of the top bunks which was surprisingly comfortable). In our conversation, however, one of the men told us that the guy who left was afraid of being searched for drugs by all the police, so he hopped off at the nearest stop! Are my instincts sharp or what? In the end we arrived safe and sound in Copenhagen, so no harm done.
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