OK so it's safe to say that I have taken a little break from the blog...
I am still not officially back and am actually going to take this post in a different direction. I have not created a new blog yet so I am going to sprinkle some new material into this one.
My dear dear friend Catalina has been so kind to model for me over the past year and we have taken some real gems. So I wanted to publish them somewhere.
So please enjoy :)

Friday June 9, 2011

Had to switch hotels today because we had to stay an extra day in Amsterdam and our hotel couldn't accommodate us anymore. 

Out shower that requires us to crouch.
come on..

It's our last day in Amsterdam so we decide to" take it easy" yeah right. We haven't done the two museums in Amsterdam yet. We wet to this famous street market that was actually really cool. Stopped in a shop and bought a beautiful purple dress. Happy bday to me! 

The flower market. They weren't too keen on me taking pictures near the flowers.

We walk along the market looking for something to eat. End up at a little cafe that was not that good. 
I had a chicken blt which was not bad just not very filling and mom had a salad who's main ingredient 
was mayo. Yumm. 


On the walk back to the market and the tram stop we stopped by this little bakery thing and bought a brownie and the best apple strudel thing we have ever eaten. 

We turned around and bought a second right then and there. Holy mother of god were they delicious. 


We took the tram up to where a movie theater was to check the times for that evening. We fancied seeing a movie after the museums. 

out front. I'm not quite sure why there is a weird duck thing in the fountain.
I suppose I just don't understand art.

We had quite the sugar buzz going on from the strudel things

Just before we got to the fountain mom had stumbled a little bit and I laughed at her.
Our sugar high turned this into a play fight and then a photo shoot in front of the museum.
Let me be clear about something, she stumbles over something at least once a day.
I laugh at her every time. She doesnt find it as funny as I do. 

Went to the rijk's museum finally. 

Mom is jazzed about it

Most famous was the night watch by rembrant? Maybe. There were no places to sit though. Which is what usually gets me through museums. Ok and hour and then were off to the van gogh. They pronounce ( van gock) with s bit of a ch gh thing in there. I like van gogh because you could actually see his brush strokes as opposed to the picture looking fake. Bright colors too. Yum


Yay not on our heads. Catch the tram to the movie theater area which is right across from the flower market. Go and check it out. Load of flowers for cheap. Pretty. Bought Sabrina a little sunflower thing. 


Go see XMen origins. There were certain parts of it that were in German and would normally have German subtitles. Well those subtitles were in Czech. We made due lol. Almost forgot we were in a foreign country because while in movie you just feel like you are where you are comfortable. 


Oh we had a falafel before the movie. Happening falafel shop.
Get the tram back and walk a little in the cold. Trying to hold onto that feeling because home is going to be sooo hott.
Night

Thursday June 8, 2011

Woke up early in order to get to the anne frank house by 10. It's quite the popular thing and the lines get really long. We found it no prob and waited for only like 5 mins. Had a pepper and cucumber in line.

just getting the proper nutrients

Anne frank house was really cool. You actually saw her room where she had put up pictures from mags on the wall and where her mother made pencil markings on the wall as her an her sister grew while living in the annex. Didn't realize that Otto ( the father) lived and then published anne's diary.

 I liked it a lot. Learned about Margot ( her Sister as well) 

After we figured out where our bike tour was and explored around there a little bit. Then went on the bike tour. It was not fun. 

company we did the bike tour with

Anne Frank house from the outside

we got a break on the tour to get a drink or food.
we slept on the grass lol

art that just appeared over night.
The country speculated it was the queen.

The girl was a rather poor tour guide and the people on the tour with us were not as seasoned on s bike as I would have wanted them to be. And we were tired! 

Oh and before our bike tour we ate at a traditional pancake house. I got a pancake ( crepe, not the fluffy thing I was hoping for) with apples and bacon. 

Yummy. Mom got an omelet a d we of corse split it. After the bike tour we went back to the hotel and layer down like 10 mins. We then changed and went to an Indonesian restaurant for dinner. This is the food in Amsterdam apparently.  And I can see why. 

We ordered a "rice table" which was insane. It's like 16 boats of food that you eat. It was amazing 

Wednesday June 8, 2011

Took the bikes that we rented Yesterday, around town. Bought tickets to the rikes museum that we are planning on heading to later. 

We head towards the train station to find these ferry boats that we read about in Rick. Super hot guy stopped to help us find our way and told us abut s scenic route through Jordan (your dam).

 It was lovely. It's easy to ride a bike. It is not easy to stop and maneuver yourself at slow speeds through narrow roads and high traffic (both cars and people) situations. 

Started getting a bit frustrating. Rode by the anne frank house ( now we know where that is) and found our way to the read or the station and the ferrys. Took one to a nearby island or land mass, not sure. 

It's cold and overcast today so when we rode by a local spot with a couple eating yummy smelling hott soup we stopped in. It was a fish place that had soup to sell with crusts of delish bread. 

I almost liked the bread better than the soup lol. Decided that we are too tired to so the other excursion mom wanted to do so we head back on the ferry and decide to find somewhere real to eat. 

Head back to jordan. Where we find a vegan vegetarian place ( I'm return to remain in moms good graces) that is actually quite delicious. 

the ferry

me on my bike 

There is a big fat cat roaming around the restaurant, which we of corse find bizarre but no one else seems phased.

Cats are everywhere!

 So we get over it. Mom- quiche ( yum yum yum with sweet potatoes and broccoli and other shit. Me- big toasted roll thing with hummus on and a salad. So good but I'm getting full. 

Ride our bikes back to the hotel and take a little cat nap. We out the riles museum on hold. 

We have tickets so we know well go. 

Decide to do dinner/ space cookie and red light district tonight. We head out in search of the 420 cafe that my friend alex told me about ( and what to order when I get there) especially being with my mom we wanted to go somewhere under referral instead of going in blind. Take the trams ( so easy to use and are something new and diff) to the area we think it's in. Takes a stressful 20 mins to find it and I can tell mom isn't happy. 

We finally get in and order one macadamia nut space Cookie. When I told mom that's what alex said we should get earlier at day " I love macadamia nut!" was her response lol. We split Half of the cake. Sounds puny but my bro told me to take it easy and see how I feel cause they are powerful. 

We head to an awesome Chinese place for dinner. Very authentic. Mom and I split a soup and a chicken entree that comes with hot tea. 

So yummy tea and food. Start feeling the cookie. Walk around the red light for a tiny bit and get creeped out. Not by the women , do ya thing girls, but by the gross guys there. It's gross and when some guys started getting really close to me and making kissy noises, we are out of there. 

We both feel the cookie in a mellow happy way that makes us laugh but still know exactly how to get home on the trams. Good day

go in to buy a shirt for Trent

there were french fry shops everywhere too. 

We go to a grocery store and get some chocolate. Mom and I get in an argument about the old "Trix" commercials that we laughed at the next day. We watched tv for a little bit and couldn't tell if the commercials were actually super weird or if it was the cookie. 

Tuesday June 7, 2011

Beautiful view from the train window

I slept the best on this sleeper train, playtime is over. Eye cover and phone noise machine= sleeping happy. I slept for probably four and a half hours total. This kid Casey got on the train at 12:30. He was from Canada and was traveling alone.

We get to Amsterdam at 10 am and I was shocked with how many beautiful men there are here. I saw more hot guys just in the train station than I had in all other countries combined. The trams were on a one day strike so we have to get a cab. We get to our hotel which is basically like an apartment/ hotel right near the entrance of Vondel Park. Its so cute I cant stand it. Red carpets and whit walls. Ikea chandeliers and little floral curtains.

There is a bathroom down the hall and a kitchen that we share with the other people staying there. You cant wear your shoes inside. 

We nap for about 45 mins then head out around our hotel for food. Recommended by the owner to an Indonesian place that opens at 6, its only 2. We eat at a corner café.

Splitting everything as usual

Pumpkin soup and amazing OJ. Oj is a big deal here apparently. Open faced BLT and veggie humus zucchini Sammy.

We go rent bicycles and ride around. Bikes are the mode of transportation here. There are separate roads and stop lights for bikes. Its craziness.

So many bikes here that they had a boat with a crane pulling bicycles out of the canal!

Looking rough right off the train.

We ride to the city center and walk around. Booking life and bikes everywhere. We eat a brownie and a muffin ( not that kind) and mine was moist and perfection. 

We ride our bikes over to the Rijkes museum cause were gonna go there tomorrow. Saw the I Amsterdam thing. Mom and I were getting snippy with each other because we are so tired.

We ride back to a grocery store, get some fixings and head back to hotel. Its really nice that everyone here also speaks English.

Go to bed around 10 pm. Its still light outside.