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Glamorama: London
Today was our last day in Amsterdam. We woke up around the same time, and then set out for one of the local markets. It was very crowded, with tons of locals...one of the first times I heard Dutch all around me. They sold tons of fabric and sequins and buttons and other sewing notions. They also had cheap clothing and accessories and food at the end.
Then, we walked toward the city center and stumbled upon a cute alleyway filled with shops and cafes. All of the streets in Amsterdam have names like Nieuzieldwzs Kolk or Spielgstraat or Stadhourderskade, and it's laid out like a circular spiders web, so we rarely knew where we were going. If you just learn where the city center is in relation to where you are and wander around, you will find something cool, maybe even the place you're looking for!
Anyways, we spent awhile on this street buying things and drinking coffee. Then, we kept walking to the city center in search of our canal tour. We found the local flower market instead, which was filled with colorful and exotic flowers...even wooden tulips!
After wandering and asking some people, we found our canal tour boat and boarded. It was a very nice boat with lacquered wood paneling and comfy seats. We saw the Bartolli house, a fancy mansion which was once the house of a wealthy Italian merchant. Amsterdam started as a fishing village and quickly became an important port of trade for the East and West India Companies. There are 1000 bridges and 100 canals, and the city put up guards to keep cars from driving into the canals. They told us that this still cannot prevent the average of one car a week driving in!
We left the canals for a little while and entered into the harbor, which is one of the largest in Europe. We saw a museum in the shape of a ship designed by the Italian architecht who also designed the Pompidou Centre in Paris. We also saw a huge, to scale replica of a trading company ship which sank on it's maiden voyage.
When we returned to land, we were lost once again. We wandered around until we found the Red Light District once more for some dinner. Then, we went back to the hostel to freshen up.
We went back out with the intention of finding a bar, but instead we ended up in more shops and more wandering. We tried to find a lounge bar named Chocolat, but since the street wasn't on the map, it was a lost cause. Instead, we went to a small bar with a friendly bartender who gave us potato chips and talked with us. Then, we got back on the tram and went back to the Bulldog, since it was close to our hostel. Since it was a Monday, there were not very many people out. We packed our belongings and went to bed, and then woke up the next day for a very early flight and long day of classes.
I loved Amsterdam...for the canals, the pretty settings, the Euro, the friendly locals, and the amount of places for young people to go. To me, London lacks these things, and I hope to return to Amsterdam sometime soon...sometime warmer.
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