after enjoying my friend jeremy's hospitality for the last week, i'm packing up to leave the netherlands and move on to visit jason and azure in cambridge, england. but before i leave, i wanted to document what a typical day in amsterdam has been for me.
waking up in sunlight on the sofa late in the day (the distinctions between weekday versus weekend days are irrelevant for both of us at this point in time, since jeremy's on vacation during the summer), and then the delicious smells of freshly-made cappuccinos and jeremy's dutch breakfasts, each day being a different breakfast (the american/dutch/mexican crossover huevos rancheros being my personal favorite).
afternoons are spent walking (or better yet, bicycling) around the canals and streets of the city (jeremy issued me a city rental bike almost immediately after i arrived), picking up necessities at the outdoor market or at albert heijn,
just cruising around town to see the sights, meeting new friends, or having lengthy chats over delicious dinners (i recommend the crispy duck quite highly), and staying out late enjoying the nightlife.
visiting a city where a can stay with friends makes such a difference -- it's a total contrast to the usual "tourist" itinerary, and i can't say i've seen any historic sights or museums, but i've gotten a small taste of what it's like to live in amsterdam, and i have to say my visit here and to the lowlands festival has been one of the best parts of the trip. it's hard to contemplate leaving here today for england, but luckily i've got good friends i'll be staying with there as well, and change is good, so off i go to england.
waking up in sunlight on the sofa late in the day (the distinctions between weekday versus weekend days are irrelevant for both of us at this point in time, since jeremy's on vacation during the summer), and then the delicious smells of freshly-made cappuccinos and jeremy's dutch breakfasts, each day being a different breakfast (the american/dutch/mexican crossover huevos rancheros being my personal favorite).
afternoons are spent walking (or better yet, bicycling) around the canals and streets of the city (jeremy issued me a city rental bike almost immediately after i arrived), picking up necessities at the outdoor market or at albert heijn,
just cruising around town to see the sights, meeting new friends, or having lengthy chats over delicious dinners (i recommend the crispy duck quite highly), and staying out late enjoying the nightlife.
visiting a city where a can stay with friends makes such a difference -- it's a total contrast to the usual "tourist" itinerary, and i can't say i've seen any historic sights or museums, but i've gotten a small taste of what it's like to live in amsterdam, and i have to say my visit here and to the lowlands festival has been one of the best parts of the trip. it's hard to contemplate leaving here today for england, but luckily i've got good friends i'll be staying with there as well, and change is good, so off i go to england.
