Live From Amsterdam

It is....live from Amsterdam.

It is 945pm here.  It has been a long two days and that is putting it lightly.  Between flying for what seemed like eternity and then getting dropped off by the bus at the wrong place. I decided not to take the train like I originally planned because to many connections.  So yes, the bus.  I haven't take a bus in ages nor will I again for quite some time except here in Amsterdam because taxis are to expensive for my frugal mind.

The bus however, nice enough driver, but he dropped me several blocks from the hostel I am staying at.  I had to hoof it with two suitcases (over the hills and through the woods).  Luckily, they had wheels but it still was quite the feat and sight for that matter.  I felt like the gal (Amy Adams) in the movie Leap Year rolling her bag down the road in the Irish country side in high heels, however in my case I am not Amy Adams, not wearing high heels nor was I in the country side.  It was in a great big scary city that I have never been to.  I made it though after asking a few nice dutch people.  I wasn't wearing a jacket and one of the men I asked thought I was cold but I told him I was used to the cold and furthermore I was pretty warm anyways, having already walked several blocks dragging rolling said suitcases.  If you remember yesterday I was in 95 degree heat in Ethiopia so this quite honestly was a nice change; no jacket and all (I brought one, just wasn't wearing it at the time).  Kinda like the weather in Oregon. 

So I have been out exploring the city all day today. Beautiful city!  All the canals through the city.  The architecture of the buildings, just gorgeous.  I figured out if you just follow the train tracks or the canals you can get to and from just about everything around the city and not get lost.  Which is a good thing because I am a bit directionally challenged in my own city and more so in a city I am not familiar with. Until I figured out the whole train track and canal thing, I had a city map stuck to my nose and you could clearly tell I was a tourist.  And bikes, they ride bikes. Bikes everywhere.  If you are not paying attention you will get run over.  Mopeds too.  I heard there are 700,000 and some odd bikes in the city of Amsterdam.  Wow!

You want to see some pictures of the beautiful city of Amsterdam?  Well I am going to show you some anyways, so there.  Many of these were taken while I was on the canal tour from the little tour boat.

I went to the Van Gogh Museum today too.  I could not take pictures in the museum for obvious reasons.  The art work was abbbsoulutely breathtaking.  I sat in one of the rooms in complete awe.  I was in Amsterdam looking at original Van Gogh paintings.  How cool is that?  I THINK it is pretty cool.  Did you know Van Gogh died when he was only 37?  Such a shame.  So talented, gone too soon.  I didn't realize he was that young. And another fact that I learned today was he reused a lot of his canvases because back then canvases and art supplies where hard to come by and very expensive.  There are several of his paintings that have other paintings under neath and only recently has these been determined through x-ray photographs and analysis of the canvas. 


I bought several small prints of his work.  I can't wait to get home to mat and frame them.  I have the perfect spot in mind on our living room wall.  They will look gorgeous.


Here are the prints that I am going to frame:

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I am beat so I am going to call it a night and visit with you all tomorrow.  I hope you have enjoyed the pictures that I have posted so far.

Have a great day/night wherever you may be.

Goede nacht (Good Night).