Getting lost in the Netherlands
I fell asleep on the early plane ride and 2 hours later I arrived in the Netherlands. It’s starting to feel normal being able to travel in Europe so easily and at such a low price. Amsterdam is a funky and unique city and is different than any place I’ve traveled to. It reminded me of Belgium except there is way more energy in Amsterdam. The city itself was busy, and the streets were crowded with bikers, skaters and a variety of street art.
I started the day wandering the Waterlooplein flea market. The market was filled with wooden clogs, second-hand clothes, African drums and a variety of food stands. My favorite stand was the cheese stand of course. After the market I found myself getting lost in the canals and admiring the architecture and unique art on the streets. Despite the extremely cold weather, Amsterdam is a beautiful city. After talking to some Dutch people, I realized that there is rarely sun in Amsterdam so I took advantage of the one sunny day I had there. Vondelpark was the perfect park to unwind and explore. The park is the biggest in Amsterdam and was filled with grassy fields ponds and beautiful gardens.
Biking is a huge thing in Amsterdam. They even dedicate a large section of the road for bikers so you need to be on the look out. The city itself was a maze. Surrounded by canals I found myself getting lost quite a few times and ending back in the same spot that I started in. The Red Light District was the oldest part of the city and was surrounded by canals, coffeeshops and cafes.
Something about Amsterdam that I specifically loved was the art scene. Although I didn’t get a change to visit the Van Gough museum, Amsterdam was filled with art on every corner. The streets are packed with street art, graffiti and a variety of sculpture. If I could re-do the trip I would have stayed in Amsterdam a week and explored more art museums and parks. The city had such an artsy, funky vibe and for a New Media major it was particularly intriguing to explore. It was so interesting to experience and soak in a different culture and part of northern Europe. It seems like every weekend I travel to a different country I have an even bigger urge to keep travel.
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