ha! my one day in amsterdam, and i'm waiting in a queue in front of anne frank's house. oh well. i think it's an important part of history to see. really interesting, and probably sad. but it's definitely the sort of thing i need to see.
i really like amsterdam. granted, i've only been here two hours, but so far it's my favorite city on the continent. bruxelles was too well, cement (hey, i just realized something, it's the only major city i've been to not on a river.). amsterdam is filled with quaint canals and boats riding up and down (lots of flowery houseboats and sightseeing boats). rustic bridges span the canals, wrought-iron and intricately designed. you can walk along the canals to get anywhere as bikes whiz by. i just wish i had time to rent one and pedal around.
but oh, this is so the life. now it's evening according to the clock, afternoon according to the sun, and i'm relaxing in my b&b room. today has been so fabulous! as i already wrote, i queued up in front of anne frank's house with hundreds of other tourists. i enjoyed seeing it, especially seeing the two rooms in the annex where 8 people lived, but i think i would have preferred had they expanded the museum to include lots of war-related memorabilia, it would have set the tone a little bit better as well as make an effectively longer stay (besides 30 minutes). it was quite interesting nonetheless...
and perhaps a short stay was best as it allowed me to see the rest of amsterdam too! (since i'm only here for one day...) after the museum, i was determined to locate a plug converter for my camera, which i still hadn't gotten. one of the b&b people here suggested an electronics warehouse by the bleumenmarket, which means, no joke, *blooming market.* as in tulips and flowers and seeds, right on the canal. grandma would love it!
anyway, at the market i found some tacky*but*cute dutch shoes on a magnet that i couldn't resist, luckily they're small and will fit with ease in my bag. what a nice souvenier! i also bought yet more postcards to send out and stamps too...
things here are as cheap as in the states, definitely much cheaper than any place i have been to in europe. however, i still didn't want to spend too much for dinner: some meals seemed a little high (18 guilders, 9 u.s. dollars), and i blew 3 guilders on a tube of toothpaste at the supermarket today, so i enjoyed a "kip sandwich extra value meal" at bk. you know you're in holland if they ask if you want mayo or ketchup with your fries!...
i just know i need to come back to amsterdam, especially in the summer. maybe it's the venice of the north, it seems quite romantic here. with a special person, that is. i love amsterdam!
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