Big Bad Amsterdam And Our Journey Into Germany

So we finally bid farewell to Belgium and made our way into the infamous city of Amsterdam. The city was awash in a sea of orange to commemorate the Netherlands participation (and so far domination) of Euro Cup 2008. We toured the Van Gogh museum, and while Starry Night is currently in New York, there was no shortage of great works as well as a well-displayed bio of the artist as we went along. We also got to take a stroll through the beautiful Vondelpark, with the comic highlight being the numerous dogs we saw swimming through the less than pristine ponds. From there, we headed for the historic Anne Frank House, which is a surreal experience even if you’ve been there previously. Last but not least was the obligatory jaunt through the red light district after the sun goes down, and all I can say is that we found the Best Western. All in all, Amsterdam is a wonderful city, especially if you have the time to really hoof it and see everything it has to offer.

Following our brief stay in Amsterdam, we crossed into Germany for a quick stay in the city of Bremen. Bremen is most well known for being the birthplace of Beck’s beer, which is readily apparent as there are Beck’s signs affixed to every restaurant and café. We did actually make the effort to visit the brewery, only to learn upon arrival that it is only open to the public two days a week, both days not falling within our visit. Looking beyond that though are a few very neat attractions. The first is St. Peter’s Cathedral, which is approximately 1,200 years old and can be seen from every part of the city. Next is the Aldstat or old town, which is a small network of very narrow streets that used to comprise the heart of the city, definitely a bit of a time warp feeling. Berlin is next and we are extremely excited (actually we are already in Berlin, but don’t want to write about it until we are done).

Mark and Kaylin

P.S. – German supermarkets are very similar in nature to 99 cent stores.