Just last week, tons of tulips started popping up all around the city. All of a sudden one day there were flowers lining the strip in the middle of the street on the way to my University, i love it!
So, I'm kind of thinking that the whole dressing up in green is an American thing, because we've talked to some locals and internationals, who don't know what we're talking about...interesting.Sam and Jace, friends from slc, are visiting this week, but are in Ireland (Dublin) until wednesday through St. Patrick's Day. They arrived on friday, I took a train to Dusseldorf to go pick them up, and I'm really glad I remembered to bring my passport, because it was checked on the ice, international train, it was a last minute thought.
On friday we all went into the city, nijmegen, and did a little tour, saw most of the sights. On saturday we spent the day in Amsterdam, we found a free tour and learned some more about Amsterdam's history and the big sights. I didn't know about squatters, apparently it's legal to to break in and live in a building if it's been vacant for at least a year and you have a bed, a chair, and a table. There's a squatter's organization and a number you can call to have someone who knows how to break in, and another, legal mind, to talk with the owners of the building and make sure it's legal.
We also went and saw the most famous coffeeshop in the world...it's in ocean's twelve (movie) at the beginning where clooney, damon, and pitt, meet with the eccentric man (it was just on t.v. last night). It doesn't show the sign, so you don't know it's a coffeeshop, but it is!
I think I've put up pictures of the urinals all over the city. The urinals were put up because there was a problem with men peeing in the canals, and people complaining about the smell in the streets. For a while they put up the things below... 
that obviously would discourage any further peeage. At one time they even made poles with an electric current that would shock if any liquids came in contact. But, after an injury and a lawsuit they got rid of those...and put up urinals. Can you see the sign with the peeing man?
And I think it's unfair there aren't free restrooms for women. But, apparently back when, women in Amsterdam were also upset and formed a massive group and on one sunday all the women got together and peed on a bridge in Amsterdam. They said every sunday following they'd pee on a different bridge...but of course that's a pretty big statement to make...and they got their free restrooms. But, since those toilets had to be covered (they just look like tiny plastic towers), people would go in them to do drugs and left needles inside, and others slept inside them, and it got to be such a problem that they were closed down. Now they're just used as sign posts.
Oh, we also went to the Heineken Experience, and got to try the barley and water, pretty sweet. We went through this 'ride' on a platform...where we were 'made into beer.'
Sunday we were on our way to Den Haag (The Hague)...when Jace decided she wanted to go get cheese in Gouda. So, we made an impromptu stop and checked out Gouda, a very small city,
a lot more canals, much like venice (so i hear). We also got to see a windmill, my friends were very excited about that. Unfortunately the cheese shop wasn't open so we didn't get to buy any, but just being in Gouda was apparently good enough.
The smallest named street I've ever seen.
The Hague was very confusing, and very big. Just out of the train station a woman approached us to help while we were staring at a map. We told her we wanted to go to the M.C. Escher museum, she told us what tram to get onto and it would tell us our stop.
It did not.
She must've just heard us say museum...but it did not let us off where we wanted. We ended up following it to the end of the line and back. And payed a pretty penny to take an unneccesary little tour of the city. Eventually we made it to the museum.
It was great. Probably one of the best I've been to, but I had no idea Escher was Dutch! The museum was housed in a former royal palace, Queen Emma's.
We also saw the current royal palace where the royal family lives.
Along with some other governmental buildings.
Today I have my first course for Egyptian Religious Texts, I'm pretty excited about it!
But, I'm still sick, tired all the time. It's been nice to just relax for a few days.
On friday we all went into the city, nijmegen, and did a little tour, saw most of the sights. On saturday we spent the day in Amsterdam, we found a free tour and learned some more about Amsterdam's history and the big sights. I didn't know about squatters, apparently it's legal to to break in and live in a building if it's been vacant for at least a year and you have a bed, a chair, and a table. There's a squatter's organization and a number you can call to have someone who knows how to break in, and another, legal mind, to talk with the owners of the building and make sure it's legal.
We also went and saw the most famous coffeeshop in the world...it's in ocean's twelve (movie) at the beginning where clooney, damon, and pitt, meet with the eccentric man (it was just on t.v. last night). It doesn't show the sign, so you don't know it's a coffeeshop, but it is!
I think I've put up pictures of the urinals all over the city. The urinals were put up because there was a problem with men peeing in the canals, and people complaining about the smell in the streets. For a while they put up the things below... 
that obviously would discourage any further peeage. At one time they even made poles with an electric current that would shock if any liquids came in contact. But, after an injury and a lawsuit they got rid of those...and put up urinals. Can you see the sign with the peeing man?
And I think it's unfair there aren't free restrooms for women. But, apparently back when, women in Amsterdam were also upset and formed a massive group and on one sunday all the women got together and peed on a bridge in Amsterdam. They said every sunday following they'd pee on a different bridge...but of course that's a pretty big statement to make...and they got their free restrooms. But, since those toilets had to be covered (they just look like tiny plastic towers), people would go in them to do drugs and left needles inside, and others slept inside them, and it got to be such a problem that they were closed down. Now they're just used as sign posts.Oh, we also went to the Heineken Experience, and got to try the barley and water, pretty sweet. We went through this 'ride' on a platform...where we were 'made into beer.'
Sunday we were on our way to Den Haag (The Hague)...when Jace decided she wanted to go get cheese in Gouda. So, we made an impromptu stop and checked out Gouda, a very small city,
a lot more canals, much like venice (so i hear). We also got to see a windmill, my friends were very excited about that. Unfortunately the cheese shop wasn't open so we didn't get to buy any, but just being in Gouda was apparently good enough.
The smallest named street I've ever seen.It did not.
She must've just heard us say museum...but it did not let us off where we wanted. We ended up following it to the end of the line and back. And payed a pretty penny to take an unneccesary little tour of the city. Eventually we made it to the museum.
It was great. Probably one of the best I've been to, but I had no idea Escher was Dutch! The museum was housed in a former royal palace, Queen Emma's.We also saw the current royal palace where the royal family lives.
Along with some other governmental buildings.Today I have my first course for Egyptian Religious Texts, I'm pretty excited about it!
But, I'm still sick, tired all the time. It's been nice to just relax for a few days.
Dag!
p.s. title song by Reel Big Fish
p.s. title song by Reel Big Fish
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2 comments:
I love the Tulips. How gorgeous!
They're very pretty...although, my mom corrected me, apparently they're crocus.
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