A Weekend In Amsterdam

Another week has gone by…wow time is flying. Last weekend was our first free weekend, and I was fortunate enough to spend it with some great friends in Amsterdam!

The trip got off to a slightly unlucky start. Our train from Bonn to Cologne stopped on the tracks for about 10 minutes, so by the time we reached Cologne, we had ONE minute to catch our next train. All eight of us were determined to make it, so when the train opened its doors, we SPRINTED. Two of us fell running…I may or may not have been one of them. Despite our lightning fast running, the train decided to leave us in Cologne. We made the best of it though. We had a nice breakfast in the train station and left for Amsterdam on the next train.

Aside from that, the rest of the trip was incredible. Although we were only there for two days, we were able to cross off quite a few tourist attractions from our list. The first thing we saw was the Anne Frank house. It’s hard to imagine how anyone could live in hiding for so long. I didn’t realize how dark the rooms would be. All of the windows were covered with black-out curtains and each room had one light bulb hanging from the ceiling. It was truly depressing. There were parts of some of the rooms that were extremely chilly, probably from a draft or perhaps something else. Visiting this house was my favorite part of the trip, as it gave me a newfound appreciation for the spirit of life.

That first night, we walked through the Red Light District. It was interesting…that’s for certain. I wasn’t quite sure how to feel about it. I had only two thoughts running through my mind: 1. that girl is someone’s daughter and 2. that girl made a conscious decision to sell her body. I have no judgment for them, as their life decisions don’t affect me. It was just an unusual experience… Later that evening, we went to the Amsterdam Ice Bar. At –9.4 degrees Celsius, our group only managed about 20 minutes in the sub-freezing bar.

The following day began with a trip to the Van Gogh Museum. I absolutely love going to art museums, and it was extraordinary to see so many of his works in person. That afternoon, we walked through Vondel Park. Although it was a rainy and somewhat dreary day, the park was still beautiful and refreshing. We spent the rest of that day wandering through the streets of Amsterdam, buying souvenirs, and eating all kinds of Dutch food. Luckily, we made it back to Bonn with no troubles. Coming back to Bonn felt like coming “home.” So I guess you could say I’ve settled in and have become an official Bonner.