We arrived in Amsterdam after flying out of Paris-Oly and into the Dusseldorf Airport, where we caught a bus to Amsterdam. Cheaper than flying straight to Amsterdam and we got to blow through a whole new country! Germany was great! Waves of memories from my high school German class washed through my brain and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I remembered. Not that my small amount of German did us ANY good in Holland where they speak DUTCH. Gah!
Street in downtown Amsterdam
April 29
Amsterdam has an entirely different feel to it than the UK, France and Italy. There are BIKES EVERYWHERE. More bikes than I've ever seen. And lotsa "individual" looking people. My one sentence description is that Amsterdam is like if every liberal arts college campus I've ever visited mated with a large bike parade and Venice.
The people are way totally laid back and they are all HUGE! We learned that the Dutch are the tallest people in the world. It was shocking to see Phil actually look short. There were many, many men at least as tall if not taller than him. And lots of women at my eye level too.
Phil, looking short
April 30
We got to stay in our own cabin. The campground had cute little bunnies all over! So adoreable!
Amsterdam Cabin
April 28
Cute Lil Bunny
Amsterdam is known as the Venice of the North due to the canals. I didn't even know it had canals but they made the city look pretty neato.
Amsterdam Canals
April 29
Little did we know that we happened to book our stay over THE most popular holiday of the year: QUEEN'S DAY~!! It's like a mix of New Year's Eve and the 4th of July for us. The Dutch threw a HUGE party downtown. I, mean, huge. We have never seen a street party like this one, not in Portland, not in San Francisco, not anywhere. Orange is the color they wear to celebrate and the everyone is allowed to try to sell anything, anywhere throughout the city. Basically on Queen's Day there is a huge garage sale and hoards of drunk people wearing orange. Here are the pics.
People Wearing Orange Blow Up Hats and Wigs (and me Drinking a Heineken)
Parade of Hare Krishnas
Party Boats in the Canals, Orange Everywhere
So Many People, Down Every Damn Street!
Orange Party Boat
It felt like we ended our huge, gianormo Europe Trip with a big party. We even got to bust out our tent again our last night in Amsterdam (since the cabins were booked).
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