ok, i did abandon you. it's not that i don't care about you... it's just that i don't care enough.
that, and i've known what my next entry needed to be, and it's a marathon. it's amsterdam!
february 2008
britt wakes up at 3 am with an epiphany. she must bring mariah to amsterdam. mariah will love it, and it must be done.
february 2008, the next day -morning
britt plants the seed and mariah starts thinking, "hey i don't go anywhere. it'd be fun to go to amsterdam." *checks bank account* oh yeah, that's why i don't go anywhere.
february 2008, same day - afternoon
britt is a miracle worker and has somehow convinced her lovely, amazing, generous aunt to get my ticket with her frequent flyer miles. not being one to ever turn down anything free, i had no choice but to agree.
saturday, may 17 (no, i will not write my dates in backwards euro-date fashion)
britt, kathy and i flew 8ish hours to the land of prostitutes and marijuana. i thoroughly enjoyed my teeny tv screen in the head rest. why do these not exist on all flights? if they did, i bet those box-cutter wielding terrorists would've been too caught up in the heartwarming story of 27 dresses to complete their mission.
actually, that movie was awful, but the rescuers and juno were able to get that saccharine taste out of my mind.
sunday, may 18
after landing, we picked up our iamsterdam card and rolled our luggage from central station through dam square, announcing our arrival as Tourists with every cobbled step. after checking in to the lovely hotel hoksbergen, we took a canal cruise along with every other Tourist in amsterdam. i was doing my best to not purge my plane meal all over the boat, so i focused on listening to the automated script repeating the tour information in 3 different languages for the next hour.
after successfully surviving the leisurely canal cruise, we made our way to puri mas for rijsttafel. the rice was delicious and just what my tumultuous tummy needed. the meat was mysterious but pretty good overall. it was the perfect way to end our first day. taking in the shops and the bikes and the peoples on the walk back to the hotel made the whole city feel cozy and homey. after enjoying some wacky netherlands faux-mtv music videos, i popped an ambien and passed into a dreamless, rock solid sleep. eat that jet lag!
monday, may 19
the clock was ticking on our 48 hour iamsterdam card, so we started early with a hearty hotel hoksbergen breakfast and wasted no time checking off our Tourist list. the van gogh museum was first, followed by the rijksmuseum. they were both full of art and culture, and i'm sure i didn't appreciate their priceless works nearly as much as i should have. i enjoyed their gift shops very much though.
after a morning full of shuffling and thoughtful gazes, we'd worked up an appetite. we assumed that there would be some sort of precious outdoor cafe on our way to destination number three, but after circling block after block of office buildings, we had nearly given up hope, and had begun contemplating whose arm would be the first to get gnawed off. luckily, before it came to that, we found a glorious little bagelry where i indulged in the first of many bacon-related sandwiches during this trip. fantastic.
i floated to the foam museum on a bacon high, and was quickly sobered by the ultra depressing ninth floor and secret rooms exhibits. only photography could make heroin addiction and torture look arty.
after a nap for the jet lagged (who foolishly turned down offers of ambien), we attempted to find a restaurant that served authentic dutch food, but failed miserably - likely due to my poor navigational system and amsterdam's nutty street labeling system. this is why i have to believe that a pork product greater than myself guided us to the koepelcafé. it was here that i ate the greatest 4 ingredients ever placed on a plate - thick sliced brie, piles of prosciutto, and garden fresh arugula on a straight-from-the-oven warmed roll. now i know what my answer would be to that eternal "last meal" question.
next on the agenda was a foray into the red light district. lots of coffeeshops, lots of japanese tourists, and lots and lots of seriously bored ladies of the night. some were texting, some were chatting with their fellow window ladies, and one was snacking on vlaamse frites. we browsed through a few rows of windows, ducked into a toy shop to avoid being followed by seriously overly interested creeper, and headed home.
tuesday, may 20
with time still remaining on the iamsterdam card, we started out at the world press photo exhibit in the de oude kerk. i was looking forward to seeing this the most, and it did not disappoint. i probably could have spent the entire morning there, but i didn't want to torture my poor traveling companion. i have a very ferris bueller/seurat reaction when i see a photograph that strikes me, and i tried my best to keep the thoughtful extended gazes to a minimum.
up next was the allard pierson museum. it was here i realized that britt should just accept her fate of being an ancient civilizations professor and just be done with it. nobody else (except for maybe indiana jones) would ever be that excited about etruria.
after that it was off to the rembrandthuis for a quick audio tour through quarters that were a little too cramped to hold that many Tourists. one cranky discussion about where to eat later, and we settled on the cafe across the street (blood sugar levels were very very low - proximity was key). the blt with frites was good, but the people watching on the busy street was better. lots of dog walking, fancy baby prams, and more multitasking while biking than i've ever witnessed. have you ever seen an adult on a bike, leaning over to hold on to the handle of a child's bike, to guide them through the hazardous bike traffic on the mean streets of amsterdam? yeah, neither had i.
blame it on jetlag, but i completely forgot to check out the p.i.c. while we just next door at de oude kerke. i forced britt to trek back to the red light district on her blistered and bloodied feet, so that i could check out this intrepid establishment. it had lots of interesting books and pamphlets, and had i known they offered tours of the red light district, i probably would've made a point to catch one the day before.
but alas, we had had a show to primp for - vampire weekend at the melkweg! (bloggers note: the defensive music snob in me must state for the record that i had only heard a couple of their songs before seeing them live - which i did like - but i had no idea they were quickly becoming the tramp stamp of the indie/hipster scene. or the whitest band right now). that said, the show was fantastic and so. much. fun. it was kinda like being surrounded by lots of blond, pretentious uptown kids, but since you couldn't understand what they were saying they were just cute in their 80's sunglasses. indoors. in the dark.
the melkweg is basically the first ave of amsterdam, and we saw the show in the equivalent of the entry. other than lots of kiddies not speaking-the-english, it was pretty much just like home. the strivers opened, and they earned the title of my favorite unknown opener ever. i've listened to their album a few times since then, and can't say that the mood translates that well to mp3 format. maybe it was the clouds of marijuana in the air, or all that (mysteriously tastier) heineken i drank, but this night was the peak of the trip for me. the lekker ice on the walk home was just the cherry on top.
wednesday, may 20
after sleeping off the hangover, we headed out to artis zoo. if you clicked on the link you would have seen the mascot for the zoo - the sock monkey that stole my heart - but at €19.95, he was just too costly for me to justify. oh, the regret. the zoo was fun, and the enclosures were very nice (except for the poor polar bear), but all i can really remember are those wee beady plastic eyes, just begging me to take him home. i'm sorry i left you!
for lunch we hunted down a pancake house, and ended up at the pancake corner sports cafe. i ate a whole 6 bites of my bacon, cheese, and onion pancake, (the first bite was heaven, the sixth made me regret bacon had ever been born). it was well worth it though, and i can't imagine it will take very long for minnesotans to catch on to this genius idea, wrap it around a stick, and sell it for $5 at the state fair. i'll be awaiting that day with empty stomach.
it was an arduous walk back to the hotel with that food baby, but we made it, and i even had enough energy to go exploring on my own for a bit. first stop was the nearest coffeeshop... for internet (yes, i really am that lame). one herbal tea later (with my internet craving satisfied), it was on to meandering around the neighborhood. i learned two things during this tour; h&m is the dutch starbucks (i spied 2 within 1 block of each other), and lights out is at 8pm - everything was closed! even mcdonalds! i finally ended up at a grocery store and managed to get nearly all of my souvenir obligations fulfilled in the candy aisle.
back at the hotel, i awed and astounded britt with the bundle wrapping technique for packing. i will never fold again! i had a suitcase full of goodies, and with my clothes in a tightly wrapped log, there was more than enough room for everything i brought home... and everything i didn't... single tear.
thursday, may 22
february 2008
britt wakes up at 3 am with an epiphany. she must bring mariah to amsterdam. mariah will love it, and it must be done.
february 2008, the next day -morning
britt plants the seed and mariah starts thinking, "hey i don't go anywhere. it'd be fun to go to amsterdam." *checks bank account* oh yeah, that's why i don't go anywhere.
february 2008, same day - afternoon
britt is a miracle worker and has somehow convinced her lovely, amazing, generous aunt to get my ticket with her frequent flyer miles. not being one to ever turn down anything free, i had no choice but to agree.
saturday, may 17 (no, i will not write my dates in backwards euro-date fashion)
britt, kathy and i flew 8ish hours to the land of prostitutes and marijuana. i thoroughly enjoyed my teeny tv screen in the head rest. why do these not exist on all flights? if they did, i bet those box-cutter wielding terrorists would've been too caught up in the heartwarming story of 27 dresses to complete their mission.
actually, that movie was awful, but the rescuers and juno were able to get that saccharine taste out of my mind.
sunday, may 18
after landing, we picked up our iamsterdam card and rolled our luggage from central station through dam square, announcing our arrival as Tourists with every cobbled step. after checking in to the lovely hotel hoksbergen, we took a canal cruise along with every other Tourist in amsterdam. i was doing my best to not purge my plane meal all over the boat, so i focused on listening to the automated script repeating the tour information in 3 different languages for the next hour.
after successfully surviving the leisurely canal cruise, we made our way to puri mas for rijsttafel. the rice was delicious and just what my tumultuous tummy needed. the meat was mysterious but pretty good overall. it was the perfect way to end our first day. taking in the shops and the bikes and the peoples on the walk back to the hotel made the whole city feel cozy and homey. after enjoying some wacky netherlands faux-mtv music videos, i popped an ambien and passed into a dreamless, rock solid sleep. eat that jet lag!
monday, may 19
the clock was ticking on our 48 hour iamsterdam card, so we started early with a hearty hotel hoksbergen breakfast and wasted no time checking off our Tourist list. the van gogh museum was first, followed by the rijksmuseum. they were both full of art and culture, and i'm sure i didn't appreciate their priceless works nearly as much as i should have. i enjoyed their gift shops very much though.
after a morning full of shuffling and thoughtful gazes, we'd worked up an appetite. we assumed that there would be some sort of precious outdoor cafe on our way to destination number three, but after circling block after block of office buildings, we had nearly given up hope, and had begun contemplating whose arm would be the first to get gnawed off. luckily, before it came to that, we found a glorious little bagelry where i indulged in the first of many bacon-related sandwiches during this trip. fantastic.
i floated to the foam museum on a bacon high, and was quickly sobered by the ultra depressing ninth floor and secret rooms exhibits. only photography could make heroin addiction and torture look arty.
after a nap for the jet lagged (who foolishly turned down offers of ambien), we attempted to find a restaurant that served authentic dutch food, but failed miserably - likely due to my poor navigational system and amsterdam's nutty street labeling system. this is why i have to believe that a pork product greater than myself guided us to the koepelcafé. it was here that i ate the greatest 4 ingredients ever placed on a plate - thick sliced brie, piles of prosciutto, and garden fresh arugula on a straight-from-the-oven warmed roll. now i know what my answer would be to that eternal "last meal" question.
next on the agenda was a foray into the red light district. lots of coffeeshops, lots of japanese tourists, and lots and lots of seriously bored ladies of the night. some were texting, some were chatting with their fellow window ladies, and one was snacking on vlaamse frites. we browsed through a few rows of windows, ducked into a toy shop to avoid being followed by seriously overly interested creeper, and headed home.
tuesday, may 20
with time still remaining on the iamsterdam card, we started out at the world press photo exhibit in the de oude kerk. i was looking forward to seeing this the most, and it did not disappoint. i probably could have spent the entire morning there, but i didn't want to torture my poor traveling companion. i have a very ferris bueller/seurat reaction when i see a photograph that strikes me, and i tried my best to keep the thoughtful extended gazes to a minimum.
up next was the allard pierson museum. it was here i realized that britt should just accept her fate of being an ancient civilizations professor and just be done with it. nobody else (except for maybe indiana jones) would ever be that excited about etruria.
after that it was off to the rembrandthuis for a quick audio tour through quarters that were a little too cramped to hold that many Tourists. one cranky discussion about where to eat later, and we settled on the cafe across the street (blood sugar levels were very very low - proximity was key). the blt with frites was good, but the people watching on the busy street was better. lots of dog walking, fancy baby prams, and more multitasking while biking than i've ever witnessed. have you ever seen an adult on a bike, leaning over to hold on to the handle of a child's bike, to guide them through the hazardous bike traffic on the mean streets of amsterdam? yeah, neither had i.
blame it on jetlag, but i completely forgot to check out the p.i.c. while we just next door at de oude kerke. i forced britt to trek back to the red light district on her blistered and bloodied feet, so that i could check out this intrepid establishment. it had lots of interesting books and pamphlets, and had i known they offered tours of the red light district, i probably would've made a point to catch one the day before.
but alas, we had had a show to primp for - vampire weekend at the melkweg! (bloggers note: the defensive music snob in me must state for the record that i had only heard a couple of their songs before seeing them live - which i did like - but i had no idea they were quickly becoming the tramp stamp of the indie/hipster scene. or the whitest band right now). that said, the show was fantastic and so. much. fun. it was kinda like being surrounded by lots of blond, pretentious uptown kids, but since you couldn't understand what they were saying they were just cute in their 80's sunglasses. indoors. in the dark.
the melkweg is basically the first ave of amsterdam, and we saw the show in the equivalent of the entry. other than lots of kiddies not speaking-the-english, it was pretty much just like home. the strivers opened, and they earned the title of my favorite unknown opener ever. i've listened to their album a few times since then, and can't say that the mood translates that well to mp3 format. maybe it was the clouds of marijuana in the air, or all that (mysteriously tastier) heineken i drank, but this night was the peak of the trip for me. the lekker ice on the walk home was just the cherry on top.
wednesday, may 20
after sleeping off the hangover, we headed out to artis zoo. if you clicked on the link you would have seen the mascot for the zoo - the sock monkey that stole my heart - but at €19.95, he was just too costly for me to justify. oh, the regret. the zoo was fun, and the enclosures were very nice (except for the poor polar bear), but all i can really remember are those wee beady plastic eyes, just begging me to take him home. i'm sorry i left you!
for lunch we hunted down a pancake house, and ended up at the pancake corner sports cafe. i ate a whole 6 bites of my bacon, cheese, and onion pancake, (the first bite was heaven, the sixth made me regret bacon had ever been born). it was well worth it though, and i can't imagine it will take very long for minnesotans to catch on to this genius idea, wrap it around a stick, and sell it for $5 at the state fair. i'll be awaiting that day with empty stomach.
it was an arduous walk back to the hotel with that food baby, but we made it, and i even had enough energy to go exploring on my own for a bit. first stop was the nearest coffeeshop... for internet (yes, i really am that lame). one herbal tea later (with my internet craving satisfied), it was on to meandering around the neighborhood. i learned two things during this tour; h&m is the dutch starbucks (i spied 2 within 1 block of each other), and lights out is at 8pm - everything was closed! even mcdonalds! i finally ended up at a grocery store and managed to get nearly all of my souvenir obligations fulfilled in the candy aisle.
back at the hotel, i awed and astounded britt with the bundle wrapping technique for packing. i will never fold again! i had a suitcase full of goodies, and with my clothes in a tightly wrapped log, there was more than enough room for everything i brought home... and everything i didn't... single tear.
thursday, may 22
i had just enough time to get in some last minute purchases before we had to check out of the hotel. and it's a good thing too, because miffy looks super cute on my bathroom wall. we indulged in some tea and chocolate cake at a cafe overlooking the canal, and then headed to the train to get back to schiphol. mix in a couple of ambien and another 8ish hour flight, and this is where the marathon ends.
the sprint version of this blog goes like this: amsterdam = awesome.
1 comment:
a) hooray! new blog!!
b) I totally heard John Oliver state that quote last night and was all, "oh, mariah and britt went there; i miss them."
c) keep up the good work =)
...are you coming Aug. 8?
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