I Amsterdam

I arrived in Amsterdam at around 9 pm. It was quite a site to see all of the bikes outside of the train station. They even have separate lanes all over the city just for bikes. I then made my way to my hotel. It was kind of far away, but the walk was absolutely amazing. The houses with the canals were absolutely breathtaking. I was fascinated by them. I don’t think I had seen anything this cool ever. I made it to my hotel. It was amazing how steep the stairs were. It was a small room with shared facilities. That just completed the whole European experience for me. I went straight to bed because I was really exhausted.



I got up early the next morning, showered, and had breakfast. I had to go back to the train station to pick up my I Amsterdam card which got me into the museums as well as a transportation pass for twenty-four hours. I then headed to the museum district to visit some of the museums there. I went to the Van Gogh museum first. That was pretty awesome. His paintings are amazing. Unfortunately, cameras aren’t allowed at many of the museums in Amsterdam. It was really cool to see all of those. Then I went to the Dutch history museum. That was really cool as well. They had a bunch of items from the 1600s, as well as a lot of paintings from Rembrandt. A really nice museum that is definitely worth visiting. Then I went on a cruise of the canals. That was amazing as well. It’s just amazing how they constructed that city. The houseboats were neat to. We went out into the harbor as well which was way cool. I got to see Anne Frank’s house as well. Really a nice tour. After that I went to the Tulip Market. That was a cool site to see all the flowers and tulip bulbs. It reminded me about how we have bulbs planted in the front of our house that we planted upside down! Anyway…then I had a quick lunch and got back to site seeing. I went to the Rembrandt house to see where he lived and worked. That was really neat. Then I went to the Old Church. That was crazy because it is right on the outskirts of the red light district so there are prostitutes working right outside. It was also like seven euros to get in, but with my pass it was free. After that, I did some souvenir shopping. I got an orange Holland jacket that I was pretty excited about. After some other sight-seeing I got dinner at a Greek restaurant. I am such a sucker for Greek food, that it is not even funny. Then I went back to the hotel room for a little rest.

After my rest, I went and walked around the red-light district. It was an experience. It was kind of sad to see really. I think the nice thing about it is that you can avoid it and have a really enjoyable experience. Overall, I was really impressed with Amsterdam. It is really a beautiful city.

After I went back to the hotel, I packed up my bag so I would be ready to go in the morning. My flight didn’t leave until 9:55am, but I was planning on leaving for the airport pretty early. So I went to bed pretty early. Needless to say, I overslept. I woke up at 7:44. I hurried up and got dressed and out the door. I caught a tram to the train station and bought a ticket for the airport. Luckily it came pretty quickly and got there quickly as well. I got there about 8:50 so I thought I would have plenty of time, but then I saw the passport check line. It was crazy long. Luckily I made it. The way the airport works there is they have a waiting area and forty minutes before your flight they announce your gate and then you go through security while headed to your concourse. It really made security a breeze. There were a bunch of annoying Indians on my flight that were so loud and obnoxious. I flew to Manchester first. I had a three hour layover there. I made my traditional airport stop at Burger King. I mostly ate there because I didn’t have any pounds on me and they are probably only the place that would take credit cards. Anyway, I had a nice flight back to Hungary.

Belgian Waffles

I got into Brussels about eight o’clock in the evening. I was a little worried about what I had gotten myself into. I walked out of the train station and it took me forever to find a street sign so I could use my Google Map to find my hotel. I found it finally, and then I started walking. All the while, I was like what have a gotten myself into. It was pretty run down and there was trash everywhere and not a white person in sight. Needless to say I walked briskly to the hotel, which was surprisingly nice.

In the morning I woke up and had breakfast at the hotel (included). It was probably the nicest breakfast I had ever had in Europe. They had bread, meats, cheese, orange juice and croissants which was really nice. After breakfast I headed to the city. I honestly just kind of wondered till I came across things. I started at the Cathedral which was really nice. Then I found my way to the older part of town. The town square was amazing. The buildings were absolutely amazing. The flower market in the center really added to its charm. Then I explored some more churches and then headed to the main event.



For some reason I have always wanted to see Mannequin Pis. Don’t ask me why, but there is just something cool about someone peeing and it being a fountain. It was worth the trip. Once again my Asian friends came through for me and took my picture. Honestly, this was one of the major highlights of the trip for me.



After that I went exploring some more around Brussels. I decided to be American again and ate at Subway! It was good. Then I did some shopping. I got some Belgian chocolate, which is pretty good and pretty expensive. Then I had a Belgian waffle with whipped cream and strawberries. It was so good! It was better than any waffle I had ever had. Nice and crispy! You should definitely try it if you get the chance. Then I headed to the train station where I spent some time on the Internet. I got on the train to Amsterdam. Once again----nice train that was super fast.



Honestly, Brussels is nice, but nothing to write home about. I don’t think I would spend more than a day there because there really isn’t that much to do, but Mannequin Pis is definitely worth it.

Bon Voyage

Sorry for the delay in finishing my blogging about my trip throughout Europe, but Internet has been somewhat scarce for a while. My last couple days in Paris were a lot more relaxing than my first couple of days there. On Saturday, I slept in really late and just ended up staying in the hotel room for most of the day to recover from my marathon day. I went out in the evening and saw the Arc de Triomphe. That was amazing. It’s at the end of the Champs de Illysee and from the top you can get a really good view of the city. The sculpture work on it was really intricate. It’s one of those things where it really is better in person.



Then I went walking along the Champs de Illysee. It was pretty impressive. I ate at an Italian Restaurant that was really good. So much food! I also had the most expensive Coke that I have ever drunk before (4 Euros). After dinner I made a quick stop by the Moulin Rouge to see what that was all about. It was cool to see, but not in one of the nicer parts of town. After I got a picture I headed to a place where I could get a good view of the Eifel Tower. My friend Savannah Steele told me that it sparkles on the hour. I made it just in time. It was really pretty at night even without the sparkles, but it was really neat to see. Then it started to rain, so I ran to the Metro and headed back to the Hotel.



The next day, I got up at a reasonable hour and headed to the Chateau de Vincennes. It was a compound with a castle and chapel that you could go into. The castle was really neat because you could go into not only the rooms, but the dungeon as well. It also had a real moat which was neat to see. After that I headed back to Concorde Plaza. That was really pretty. It had a fountain and a bunch of statues. I went to the Musee de Orange which housed mainly impressionistic pieces. It was cool to see pieces by Renoir and Monet. They were amazing to say the least. Then I walked through a park by the Louvre. I had an American moment and had lunch at McDonalds. I only wish they had free refills.

Then I headed over to the Rodin museum. That was a lot of fun. I got to see “The Thinker” which was a once in a lifetime experience. It was a really nice museum set in a garden and had a lot of his work. After that I went and visited the Opera House made famous by “The Phantom of the Opera.” It was neat to see in person. I didn’t go inside because it was closed by the time I got there, but I think that will be a definite must do the next time I am in Paris. After that, I went and got a crepe and some ice cream and ate it on the banks of the River. It was a really cool time to be in the city because the cafes were filled with people watching the French Open final as Nadal won again. That guy is amazing on clay. Then I headed back to the hotel.



My last day in Paris was another relaxed one. I started out by going to see the Eifel Tower up close. It was a little bit cloudy and rainy so I didn’t go to the top. It is a really nice area. The buildings and flowers create a really nice atmosphere. I got my picture in front of it (props to my Asian friends who helped me out with that). I also had one of my thousand encounters with a gypsy asking for money. This one had a paper saying that she was deaf and dumb and working for a legitimate charity. Yeah…okay. I have a hard time believing anything is legitimate when a gypsy is involved. Then I headed to the Concierge which is where they held prisons during the French revolution. It was kind of interesting to be in a courtyard where people got their heads cut off. After that, I did some souvenir shopping. Then I had lunch at this really good restaurant and it was inexpensive as well. I got the menu, which started with a mushroom chicken crepe that was so good. Then I had a pork chop and French fries. Of course, it ended with Ice Cream. Anyway, it was really good. After that I said goodbye to Paris. I got on the underground train thing and headed to the train station. I thought I saw big train stations in Hungary, but this place was huge. I waited for my train and then headed to Brussels. The train ride was really nice and fast. I would highly recommend it!



So, some final thoughts about Paris: 1) The people aren’t nearly as stuck up as everyone thinks they are. From my very first day there they were very helpful. I never met a rude person at all. From the guy telling me to jump over the turnstile entrance into the metro when my ticket didn’t work to the lady who helped me get checked-in, they were all really nice. 2) It really is the city of love! Besides the young couples making out like crazy on the Metro, I think that saying goes deeper. When ever I walked along the Seine there was always an older couple eating lunch together which I thought was pretty cool. One of the other things I will remember most regarding love is an older couple on the metro who were clearly in love, so much so the lady took her gum and played with it all over her husband’s hair arms. You could just tell that they were in love. Way cool! Paris is definite must see!

Mona Lisa Smile

Today was a marathon day that wore me out completely. I started with a metro and train ride to Versailles. It's a really nice town and I definitely got chills walking up to it. I didn't realize how massive it actually was. I thought if I got there first thing in the morning, it wouldn't be packed, but it was. The inside was amazing. Just when you thought it couldn't get any more extravagant it actually did. The pictures really don't do it justice. The gardens were absolutely stunning as well.













Then I took a train ride back to Paris and got some lunch. Gyros french style. Greek food is so delicious!



Then I headed over to Notre Dame and walked around inside and went up the towers. The stained glass windows were amazing. I can't even imagine how they built that thing back in the 1200s. It's a miracle really!







After the hike up and down, which was exhausting, I headed over to the Louvre. That place is massive. It honestly would take a person a long time to see everything that they have there. I headed straight to the Mona Lisa. It was pretty impressive. I don't know what it is, but it was kind of emotional seeing it in person. I wonder if Da Vinci realized what kind of effect this piece would have. Anyway, it was a once in a lifetime experience. I highly recommend it.







After that, I decided to stop at a Bakery and try some of the French sweets. The cake is a Frasier. That was really good. The cookie like thing is a Macaroon. There is a story behind that one. I took a history class about the Reformation for fun one summer term at BYU. The teach was an expert in French History and always talked about how good the Macaroons were. She even made some for us, but warned us that they weren't as good as the real things and one day we needed to try them. Well, that one day was today. The real one was a lot better. Nice and sweet!

I Don't Speak French

This summer I'll be working as an Intern for the State Department at the US Embassy in Budapest. I decided that I would take some time and tour around before I actually started. I left May 31st from BWI. I would highly recommend getting an international flight from there. There is hardly anyone there which makes the traveling process a whole lot easier. I flew a prop plane to Toronto and then waited for my flight. The guy doing passport checks criticized me for not using "Pardon?" and that just really surprised me. Why are you criticizing my English?

After a three hour layover, I departed for Frankfurt. The flight was uneventful. I can't really sleep on planes, which makes them long, but it was okay. We were late, which meant I only had 20 minutes to make my connecting flight. Well, I ran and had to go through security, but I didn't make it. Oh, let the fun begin again! So I had to walk another mile to get re-booked, but he couldn't print my ticket, so I had to go outside of security and then get the ticket. Then I was worried because there was a guy from the Embassy waiting to pick me up and I didn't have a phone and internet was like .25 euro cents a minute. I was lucky and found this company booth type thing and I was able use internet for free.

My new flight was supposed to leave at five, but it was delayed until 6:30. Then they let us board our plane, which included taking a bus to our plane. After everyone gets on, we are just sitting there not going anywhere. The flight attendant eventually came on and said that we would be delayed another hour because there was only one runway open. Great! So, after two hours on the plane we finally took off. I was just hoping the guy from the Embassy was still waiting for me because I didn't know what I was going to do if he wasn't there. Needless, to say Admir was there and had a driver for us. He is a really cool guy originally from Bosnia. Anyway, we went back to our apartment, which is amazing (I'll post pictures once I get back to Budapest). He gave me the grand tour and we just talked for a little bit. Then I went to bed. I slept so well.

In the morning, I got some breakfast and Got a transportation pass for Budapest. Then I went to the airport, caught my flight to Paris. Once I arrived, I picked up my museum pass and transportation pass. I then caught a bus to my hotel. While I was waiting two people asked me questions in French, and I had to respond sorry but I don't speak french. I knew france was pretty diverse, but I didn't realize just how diverse. There were more Africans and Muslims then there were Europeans. It was kind of neat. So I find my hotel, and there is a wonderful sign on the door:



I was like: What? How does that happen? I had a reservation. Anyway, I made my way into the lobby and after a couple of minutes, I gave a nice looking lady my best parlez vous francais and she helped me to find the concierge who let me in. Needless to say it was a scary few minutes there. I got some dinner and then I headed to downtown Paris. My hotel is about a 30 minute subway ride to the downtown part. It was amazing.



I also had some ice cream. It was so good. European Ice cream is so much better than American ice cream. there will be a lot of Ice Cream eaten this summer. I can't wait! Tomorrow Versailles!