Week 7 & 8

Amsterdam:

Amsterdam was easily one of my favorite destinations of this trip so far and is a good contender for my favorite location of the entire study abroad. Being one of the most internationally traveled destinations in Europe, there seemed to be an immediately perceivable energy that I could pick up on while walking through the city streets hearing countless languages from each pedestrian. The main motivating factor in coming to Amsterdam was visiting the world famous Van Gogh museum which was an absolute must for me having come to Europe. It lived up to all of the expectations I had of it and is without a doubt my favorite art museum.

I think what has stuck in my mind most about the aesthetics of the city is the constant juxtaposition: land against water, newly paved roads connected to cobblestone alleys, and hundred year old architecture next to modern glass and steel constructions. This will certainly not be my last trip to the “Venice of the North”, and I look forward to whenever I can return to this great city.

Side Note:

The idea that the greatest experiences are ones that are unexpected came to me in full force getting back to Bonn from Amsterdam. Having very little time between our connecting trains as it was, when our train coming into the little station of Venlo was delayed by only four minutes, we knew that we would be stranded in the tiny station for over an hour. Before we even had time to complain, the sound of a blaring brass band sounded in the distance. We made our way to the only open space of the station to find a 20-30 piece band playing dancing and party music, each band member dressed in a full native American style garb. What could have been an hour of standing bored in a nothing to do station became an hour of singing and dancing with the dutch. Even though it was completely unplanned, this became one of our favorite highlights of the trip. Sometimes missing your train can be a blessing in disguise.

Karneval:

The only way that I can think to describe Karneval is like a hybrid between Mardi Gras and Halloween. Costumes, candy, and drinking dominate life for the five day celebration in preparation for lent. While I was fairly exhausted from Amsterdam, I was able to get a taste of the party on one of the most important days of the festival: Rosenmontag (rose Monday).