Amsterdam!

Amsterdam - a city of many canals, pot, and women for hire. Can an introduction get much better than that? Our tastes for those items only revolved around the canals, which were everywhere but we stumbled across several red lights and "cafes" nearly everywhere we went. We took the short 2 hour train ride up to Amsterdam from Brussels and made our short trip by foot to the place we stayed at. Our all-in-one room consisted of everything we needed but I couldn't imagine living there long term. We stayed in a building that was over 350 years old and our room had been recently renovated - well everything except the windows which the city said had to stay single paned for the historical preservation. Needless to say that made things a bit noisier in our room.

(Ps find photos here https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0IJtdOXmJuFtyh)

After we put our bags down we got straight to sightseeing. We walked to the Bejindof which is where only single women have lived for nearly 600 years. It was also the only Roman Catholic institution to remain in Amsterdam starting in the 16th century. It has a small but nice garden inside and well maintained homes. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos inside but I snuck one anyway which you can find on my photo album. Next up we walked to the Heineken Experience - it was so cool! Even if you didn't like beer, the presentation of the museum and especially the history of its marketing is impressive. It was interesting because while it cost nearly $20 to enter, it was more of a marketing scheme to get you (the consumer) to further like the Heineken brand. Pretty unreal from a marketing standpoint but it was so effective you didn't realize what was happening until it was over. I earned my Certified Pourer license which means I've passed the strict test of properly pouring a Heineken from draft. While most people passed, there were a few that had to do it again. So I was happy to pass the first time! We had dinner at an Indian restaurant nearby and called it night after navigating our way home.

Day 2 in Amsterdam found us visiting the Van Gogh Museum which showed the evolution of his artistic style based on where he lived and who influenced him at the time. The museum was a bit disappointing in the fact that it didn't have a lot of pieces to show, but I guess that's because the famous pieces are at larger museums around the world. After the museum we went on a canal ride - which was so beautiful with all of the autumn colors hanging over the bridges and canals. The sun was shining which made for a pleasant trip whether sitting inside or standing up in the back. We next visited the Botanical Gardens. The history of the gardens is quite extensive and I believe it's been open for over 600 years. This was also the first time it rained on us. And by rain, I mean light mist for about 3-4 hours. I figured if it did that every 2 weeks I'd be okay! We visited the Maritime Museum after that which gave us a brief glimpse over the extensive sailing/importing/exporting history of the Netherlands. Lastly we visited the Anne Frank House which was where Anne Frank hid out during WWII. It was great except for the zillion other tourists that were continually piped into the house. It was a bit hard to get the feel for the house when we'd have to wait 5-7 minutes to get into the next room.  Finally we finished the day with all you can eat sushi! This was Rachel's idea but I think I got the best value!

Day 3 found us heading to the Rijksmuseum. Which housed an assortment of Dutch artwork from throughout its history. It is the most famous/visited part of Amsterdam as it recently underwent a 10 year renovation so it was still new! The best part of the day for sure was going to Zaanse Schans - it's where all the famous windmills are! We took a bus about 45 minutes out of town and we were there! We were able to walk around and go into one of the windmills. The one we visited was a saw mill that was recently refurbished a few years ago and was working while we visited. It was entertaining to watch the saw speed change based on the strength of the wind. We of course visited the clog shop and wow there were so many choices! Unfortunately I didn't buy a pair for I knew I'd have to carry them around for the next 4 weeks. We headed back into town, ate dinner, then packed everything up again. Off to Berlin in the morning - nearly 6 hours in a train!

Amsterdam - thank you for your nice people and great atmosphere!

Brussels!

Brussels - what a beautiful little city. I have to start out with this. When we finally decided where we were going, Brussels was actually a "last-minute" decision 6 months or so ago because we had initially planned on going to Paris. The AirBnB we had tried to use in Paris declined our request so then we thought of other places between London and Amsterdam of where we might want to go. Brussels came up and so it was booked. Later when I told people my travel plans: London, Brussels, Amsterdam...a couple of people said why Brussels there isn't anything there. Well, this is for those doubters - Brussels is beautiful and a great little city. So for 3 nights and 2 full days we explored this lovely city.

After arriving on Saturday we went to the grocery store and bought groceries for breakfast and dinners. We learned quickly why it was so busy at 5pm on a Saturday - most grocery stores aren't open on Sunday. We ate in and had a relaxed Saturday evening. However throughout the night we heard several groups of people who were having a great time, the last time I heard people was 4:30am. Needless to say, we've both had better nights of sleep.

On Sunday we went to the Musical Instruments Museum first. It was unique because we received an audio device that played the sound of the instrument you walked by. Next up we walked though BELvue Museum which gave a great overview of how Belgium was formed. Like America, it's pretty new too! Beneath that was the Coudenberg which was a palace from the 12th-15th (ish) centuries. After that, they demolished most of it and built a new palace on it. So we went under the new palace and walked through the remains. It was pretty cool but the first time I heard an underground train I got a bit spooked!

After that we followed the tourist to the Grand Place. Let me explain the Grand Place in three words: oh my gosh. This was the most beautiful square I'd ever seen (and by judging by the amount of other people simply gawking and taking pictures, it was pretty popular with other people too). The buildings were decorated gold and very elegant. Most importantly around the Grand Place there were several chocolatiers - this is Brussels, the home of Belgium chocolate! Clearly we had to sample a few different chocolatiers (Galler, Neuhaus, and Mary). We saw the Cocoa museum and got to sample different kinds of chocolate much to my delight.

Grand Place!

On Monday, we quickly learned that most museums and tourist attractions were closed. Our pass had a few options for a Monday so we took the train out east of town and visited AutoWorld.  On our way to the museum from the train we walked by a juice shop, I wish I could've taken a picture of my excitement! AutoWorld was a well designed museum to showcase the evolution of cars. Even without being a car buff I could still appreciate the differences in each decade. After the museum we headed back to the Grand Place and had lunch. Rachel finally got her mussels and I got a cheese and tomatoe tart accompanied with a Belgium beer of course! We stopped by a few more chocolatiers on our way out but before we left we visited the Belgium Beer Museum. To be honest it was a very dismal museum but it allowed you to sample a beer on your way out. That was probably the high point of the museum :) The last thing on our agenda was to visit the Planetarium. Now ordinarily this wouldn't be on our list but since most museums were closed this was what was available with our pass. It was a short visit and we watched a show on the "Secret Lives of Stars" - it reminded me of something you would've seen at OMSI as kid. Right next to the Planetarium was the Atomium, an odd atom-like structure that was built for the 1958 World's Fair. It was cool to see but that was about it!

We headed back to the central city area where we stayed and called it a night. Off to Amsterdam in the morning - or so we hoped! The Belgium train workers union decided to have a strike during our visit and thankfully our train was neither canceled or delayed, unlike others.

Again - you won't find many pictures on my blog as I've had trouble posting on the tablet so here is a link to a share folder that I'll continually update with new photos (https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0IJtdOXmJuFtyh). In addition it will be much more up to date than this blog as I try to add new photos every other day.

London!

Our adventure in Scotland quickly came to a close - and I mean quickly! We decided to take the bus to the train station in Edinburgh to save us from lugging our bags about a mile. We were there plenty earlier and in line and all of the sudden the door shut and off the bus goes. We will never know exactly why we missed the bus but I've come to the conclusion it's because we were tourists. So with 25 minutes before our train was to depart, we made a very quick walk of the mile (uphill nonetheless) to the station and thankfully had a few minutes to spare. We had a great 4 hours on the train and we had 2 college age girls sitting across from us. Our love of music was evident as we spent some time talking about the difference festivals we had been to and the differences between the UK and US festivals. Once we dropped everything off (we stayed by the London Eye) we headed up towards Trafalager Square and found our way to an Indian restaurant (thanks to Katherine's recommendation) and wandered our way home. We stopped at the local pub by our place and well we were quickly identified as tourists but a love for beer was quite evident so I got to sample the IPA (yes another one!) before I decided on a pint. Alas, I still miss the PNW IPAs but I think I'll survive a few more weeks.

London!

With Friday being our only full day in London, I planned to make the most of it. We started with a visit to Starbucks so I could get some breakfast (side note - a double tall soy latte must not be a common theme because for some reason I could only get a single shot). First we went to Westminster Abbey (most famous recent years as the royal wedding was here a few years back). It was gorgeous. Unfortunately they did not allow photos instead but had a great audio tour that we were able to follow. After the Abbey, Rachel and I separated - she went to visit relatives and I went on my way throughout London. First up on my solo trip was to the Churchill War Rooms. This was on my wish list when we first started trip planning and it definitely didn't disappoint. They kept a lot of the rooms in similar condition to how they were during the WWII. I took a few pictures which you can find on my iCloud album. The War Rooms also had a museum to the life of Churchill which could have taken at least 3 hours to get through. It was incredible all the snippets and facts they accumulated and I all know is that my history-buff Dad would have stayed here all day :)

Next up I grabbed a sandwich and snack and took the a river cruise down the Thames to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. I can't lie, it was a bit chilly on the boat but as I wasn't shaking, I figured it was probably about 50 degrees out, somewhere in the 40s with windchill. The 30 minute ride was great, we got a brief overview of some of the buildings and funny stories. Next up was the Tower Bridge, I mainly decided to do this as Rachel and I were meeting about an hour later at the Tower of London and since this was included on my London Pass, why not? The bridge was cool and gave a great description of how it was built and how it combined two different styles of bridges for the time into one.

After the Tower Bridge, I went right next door and walked into the Tower of London right as a Warden was starting a 45 minute tour -great timing! We learned about he history and the story that sticks out in my mind the most is one where one King (sorry can't remember who) passed away and the eldest son who was 12 was King, his uncle said he would help him rule until he became old enough and took him and his younger brother to the Tower of London. He said that they'd be safer in one of the towers and they were never seen again. One hundred years later (or so) they found the bones of two children holding each other at one of the entrances, and this is believed to be the two brothers - sad. On a happier note, the Crown Jewels were as massive and elegant as ever. After seeing the thickness of the doors going in, I can only imagine how valuable that collection is worth!

After a stop for dinner we walked down the Thames to the National Gallery which was open until 9pm on Friday - lucky us! We only went through the Impressionist pieces as those were the most intriguing to both Rachel and I. After getting our fix of Monet, Degas, Van Gogh and more we walked back home to get packed for our journey the next morning to Brussels.

Again you can see my photos here https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0IJtdOXmJuFtyh

Scotland!

Well that went fast! Three full days and four nights flew by - which I think is going to be a recurring theme. Here's my recap for our Scottish adventure. I've been having trouble inserting images to this blog so I've decided to make my iCloud photo album public. You can see some of my trip highlights here https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0IJtdOXmJuFtyh

Day 1 - Welcome to Edinburgh!

I arrived near dinner time so I dropped my stuff off at the flat we were staying at and then we went to a pub. It was more American than Scottish I think as we ordered a burger (falafel) and fries. Most importantly this place was known for its craft brews so I was in IPA heaven as I got to sample 3 different locally brewed IPAs. Just for reference - I still like PNW IPAs much better!

Day 2 - Sightseeing in Edinburgh

For my first full day in Europe we went to Edinburgh Castle. It never ceases to amaze me at all of the history that Europe has when you compare it to the rather short history of America. The castle was built during the 12th century I believe and really is a conquering sight over the Edinburgh skyline. After a tour of the castle we went to the Scottish Whisky Experience where we learned all about Scottish whisky - pretty neat because I knew absolutely nothing about whisky. Probably the most interesting part of that was we got to use this scratch and sniff piece of paper that had the exaggerated scents of whisky from the four main whisky producing regions of Scotland. After the tasting experience we went to Calton Hill, which was a park that was basically on our way home from the castle. It had some amazing monuments and the one photo (in the album) we learned was a very common teenager hangout spot based on all of the liquor bottles behind the monument (which you can't see).

Day 3 - Arthur's Seat and Glasgow

In the morning we hiked up Arthur's Seat to get a great view of Edinburgh and its surroundings. After that we visited Holyroodhouse Palace which is where the Queen resides during the summer. The Palace was gorgeous and undoubtably has a lot of history (Mary, Queen of Scots lived there). In the afternoon we took about an hour train ride to meet up with one of Rachel's family's friend. First we went to the Glasgow Cathedral which was the only real working cathedral that we visited while in Scotland (all others were in ruins).

Day 4 - St. Andrews

The day to visit the home of golf finally arrived and we caught a train to St. Andrews along with several high school kids that were there to tour the university with their parents (it was pretty adorable seeing all of the nervous kids). First we went to the St. Andrews castle - or what remains of it - it was situated right on the coast and had we not been fogged in I bet we would have had a great view of the sea. We stopped for lunch at a fish and chips place and then went to the ruins of St. Andrews Cathedral. This was the most magnificent sight in Scotland due to the graveyard that had been built up over the centuries where the cathedral used to sit. To top off our day we went to the Old Course and watched a few groups play the last hole and simply imagined what it would be like to play the Old Course...one day!

Again, sorry about the lack of photos, but I've spent the last 3 days trying to post this while fighting with the pictures so you can access my photos here: https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0IJtdOXmJuFtyh

Next up: London!

Here We Go!

Here we go!

As I sit on one of four flights that will take me to my first destination (Edinburgh) - I figure it was time to officially start this blog. Since some of you didn't know that I was leaving the country, let me catch you up.

Once upon a time in a land called Portland, I had been brainstorming the idea of a grand trip as a break before my next adventure. For the last 3 years, I have been living in Seattle, WA and working at an HVAC consulting and training firm while obtaining my MBA in Leadership Formation from Seattle University. For the longest time, my ultimate career goal was to return to Portland. But before I started on that adventure, I wanted to take a break to see some sights before settling down in PDX. Ever since I was a kid I have always loved traveling. I joke with people that I'm always happy when I'm not at home :) but truly I love exploring and living life outside of my comfort zone.

So that takes me to today and my four leg journey to Edinburgh, Scotland. Over the next six weeks, I will venture to (with arrival dates listed):

• Edinburgh, Scotland 10/11
• London, England 10/15
• Brussels, Belgium 10/17
• Amsterdam, Netherlands 10/20
• Berlin, Germany 10/23
• Munich, Germany 10/27
• Prague, Czech Republic 11/2
• Vienna, Austria 11/6
• Venice, Italy 11/9
• Florence, Italy 11/14
• Rome, Italy 11/17

I hope to keep you all updated at least once from each location (as I know that will help ease the worry from my several "parents" - you know who you are).

Just because I'll be over in Europe doesn't mean I'll be living under a rock. I still have my US cell number and it is active so you can always text me. Also I will check my email addresses daily, so feel free to contact me.

Otherwise - that's it for me. Now wish me luck as I try to stay awake on the 8 hour plane ride which happens to be right smack dab in the middle of the night for the PNW.

Amanda