Paris, Howth and Everything in between!

Dear faithful, virtual audience consisting of all the people that I love the most,

As always, thank you for reading this! It truly means a lot to me and I very much hope this blog finds you all well! I am thinking of you often and sending loads of prayers your way!
And I do sincerely apologize for not blogging sooner but in my defense it really does require a certain mood to sit down and talk about myself for a few hours. Okay, I guess I just mean a certain mood in terms of the absence of a human to give me feedback and laugh at my corny jokes.You know, I really love the immediate, positive reinforcement.
But alas, here I go! Things here in Dublin are grand! I truly feel like a regular Dubliner! I am literally having the time of my life! I know Dublin like the back of my hand and feel really at home here in the city of leprechauns, literature, cheesy bread and Guinness. It's really odd, they love their cheesy bread here and big surprise- I love it too! I would say that I am fully immersed in my life here in Dublin! I've practically been here for two months and I can't believe my time here is half way over!

PARIS

Two weeks ago I went to Paris for two reasons; to take in the amazing culture and history with my friend Chelsea and to eat. I did both of these things thoroughly and enjoyably, if I do say so myself! I was so excited to return to Paris because the first time I went to Paris I absolutely loved it. When my mom took my brothers and I on a fabulous trip to Paris when I was 14 I remember being so overwhelmed and amazed by the history, art and culture that I knew I had to return! Flash forward through wonderful high school and college experiences that nurtured that little girl's love of history, new experiences that developed her strong sense of self, several more trips to Europe to give her some more culture and you find that same little girl all grown up, standing on a busy street in Paris at midnight. That girl was actually next to me on the flight over, we talked the whole flight. Just kidding, that little girl is me!

Chaloux children jetlagged at a cafe in Paris circa 2004

Go on, have a laugh at our expense. 

 

Puberty did wonders for me. 

As I said I took in Paris with my friend Chelsea who is studying abroad at the American University of Paris this fall. We are doing most of our European traveling together so I took advantage of her great flat in Paris for the weekend and made myself at home! Chelsea's apartment is a 10 minute walk to the Eiffel Tour and in a lovely area of Paris! Using that as our launching pad we explored the City of Lights! On Friday Chelsea and I got up fairly early and hit the ground running, walking all around the city. I do believe that simply walking around any city will give you an acute understanding and appreciation of life there. As Chelsea is living there she knew her way around and was able to give me a great tour of Paris. As I walked around so many things became familiar from when I was in Paris 7 years ago and I fell in love again. The beautiful architecture and aromatic cuisine made me nostalgic for my trip with my family but excited to explore with new eyes.

Bonjour from Paris! xoxo Kate

First Chelsea surprised me and took me to the Shakespeare and Company bookstore which is a lovely, eclectic bookstore in Paris that specializes in English literature and also serves as wonderful library. Now, if you're reading this you know that I love literature and Shakespeare in particular so I was in heaven here! As I looked around I felt like I was at home among the books truly never wanted to leave. The James Joyce section was particularly poignant for me as a lover of Joyce because Shakespeare and Company published Ulysses when no one else would! I have also recently decided that I would like to become a writer so I felt a particular kinship with this great bookstore!

Mecca for any literary nerd!

Laugh now, but when I'm a famous writer people are going to be wanting autographed copies of this picture!

I'll be happy to hook you up first because you supported me and read my blog when I was a nobody. 

Our second stop was the Pantheon which I had not actually seen on my first tour of Paris so it worked out wonderfully. The Pantheon in Paris was originally a church but now functions as a mausoleum filled with famous dead French people such as; Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Marie Curie, Louis Braille, et al. It was kind of creepy going through the crypt and the long corridors filled with various famous dead people's tombs but I liked it none the less. Each tomb had a historical account of each person which would have been great except I don't know French so I just took in the beauty and atmosphere of the Pantheon. The upstairs where the proper church part is, is beautiful and houses several great statues and paintings. There was a huge many depicting the coronation of Napoleon so of course I had to take a picture to make it look like I was getting coronated because I'm a tourist and a joker, but it was so cool to think about how many important things occurred in the Pantheon that have formed history. There are many paintings of Joan of Arc which I enjoyed observing and reflecting on because I always gotta pay respect to a strong woman in history no matter where I am!

Sorry I didn't invite you to my coronation. Please consider this my royal apology. 

Following our trip to the Pantheon Chelsea and I walked around some more taking in the lovely sights of Paris until we became hungry and then we looked for a cafe to eat in. I really wanted to have fondue and wine and be classy in Paris so we made that happen. Largely, the most significant difference about experiencing Paris from when I was 14 to now being 21 is that I can enjoy a glass of wine and feel like a fabulous, Parisian loving life at a cafe. The great part about me is that I'm always trying to be fabulous and classy, by virtue of me admitting it perhaps I am not, but alas I felt all of those things that I had wanted to feel at 14. As I sat across from my friend sipping a red wine, eating fondue at a cafe in Paris it was abundantly clear to me that I am the luckiest girl that ever lived and have grown into a lovely young woman. At that moment that only thing I wanted to do was share it with my mom because she would have loved it! This trip was so interesting and moving for me because I had feelings such as that. I also felt incredibly close to my family as I always do but missed them intensely on this trip and would have loved to share it with them.

Hi Mom! Wish you were here! Love, Mini-Me

Oh how original! An action shot of me eating!

For the rest of the day Chelsea and I walked around more exploring. We mostly walked everywhere not just so I could see the city but also because there have been terrorists threats against France so we just tried to be safe and avoid the metro. We happened into a lovely vintage shop where I found a great vintage bag and Chelsea found a few great sequined items and we ended up at a funky bar where we had inventive mojitos and laughed the night away!

So this is me at a gay mojito bar with my fake smile!

On Saturday morning we took a more touristy approach to Paris at my behest and saw the Eiffel Tower up close and personal as well as the Louvre. I cannot describe my sincere adoration for the Eiffel Tower. Every time I see it, it is grander than I had remembered or imagined. It is such a lovely landmark and wonderful icon for the world. We actually didn't go up to the top because I had already done that and the terrorist threat is always something to be mindful of. However, I was thinking of Tim the whole time because he loves Paris and the Eiffel Tower especially! After snapping some great shots and fighting through swarms of people we made our way away from the Eiffel Tower and continued our day with a lovely walk along the Seine River.

This one is a little bit more about the Eiffel Tower and a little less about me. 

Best Friends at the Eiffel Tower! 

Our next stop was a famous macaroon place called Laduree. Marie Antoinette used to go there because she loved their scrumptious macaroons, and who could blame her! The shop is absolutely lovely inside! You weren't supposed to take pictures but I obviously snapped a few! I quite enjoyed my vanilla, chocolate, and hazelnut macaroons! Chelsea got a few different ones including violet and rose and I must say I had a bite of each and they truly tasted exactly what you might think violet and rose should taste like! Following our little snack Chelsea and I walked along the beautiful Champs Elysees, which is a very famous avenue in Paris, where I snapped photos of the fabulous storefronts of luxurious perfume, lingerie, and clothing stores!

Me being a sneaky photographer inside Laudree. 

I laugh in the face of no photography signs. 

Let's just put it on the table- this is not my best picture,

But this picture is not about my face but my hands! Look at that right claw ready to open up that bag!

Look what that claw found! 

They're almost too cute and dainty to eat; the key word here being almost. 

Next we made our way down the Tuileries Gardens and into the Louvre. The Tuileries are famous public gardens in Paris that lead into the courtyard of the Louvre. It was a stop that I had wanted to make on the trip because I had fond memories from my previous trip. Outside of the Tuileries Chelsea and I had a lovely cup of hot chocolate, perhaps the greatest hot chocolate I've ever had! Upon approaching the Louvre all I could think of was how goofy that modern pyramid looks outside such a grand building as the Louvre, but it certainly didn't stop me from taking a photo with it!

This is the casual me posing in front of the Louvre photo. 

Note the great bag! This is the one I got in that vintage shop!

If you're in the neighborhood of the Louvre I just feel like you're obliged to say hello to Mona so Chelsea and I endured the long line and ventured into the Louvre. I think I just have a much greater appreciation for art these days because I was appreciating the Louvre more than I had when I was younger. I stood in absolute admiration and fascination of the grandiose Winged Victory statue and fell in love with a few paintings. One of the paintings I most loved is Elisabeth- Louise Vigee- Le Bruns famous painting of her and her daughter. It is so incredibly tender and loving that I might have teared up a little thinking about my own mom and how much I missed her. Mom, I know you're reading this and thinking "that daughter of mine is a nut" and I am but it's just us! Now of course the da Vinci's Mona Lisa never ceases to amaze me for a few reasons; she's always looking at you no matter where you stand and she's about the size of a postage stamp. Okay, she's not that tiny but she's really dwarfed by my huge nose as you can see featured below!

So this one is a little more about me and a little less about Mona. 

But get over it Mona, you're always the center of attention. 

Look Mom, this is the brunette version of us!

Now here's the thing, I flew Ryanair. Now for those of you who know about Ryanair this airline name comes with a connotation-a bad one. However, for those of you who don't know, Ryanair is a discount European airline that flies throughout Europe. The flights are real cheap because they offer absolutely no amenities such as assigned seats so there I am a fairly peaceful gal aggressively running for a good seat as soon as I catch on to the mad dash for good seats. Just let that marinate as you picture me with latte in hand running down the tarmac. However, on the way home due to the strikes in France I wasn't sure that I would get back to Dublin because my flight was super delayed because they weren't sure if they had enough gas. Classic Ryanair.

DUBLIN 

Flash forward through a week of classes and Chelsea Ullman shows up at my doorstep a week later for a grand tour of Dublin! Of course, who better to give a tour of Dublin than a literary and historical nerd who loves Irish history! I actually could not find anyone so I decided to step in and give Chelsea my grand tour! We all know I have a burning passion for Ireland that has only been nurtured this semester by spending loads of time in Dublin and taking many classes concerning Irish history. So I took Chelsea on my tour of all of the monuments and basically gave her a play by play of the Irish Revolution starting at St. Stephen's Green down along O'Connell Street. If you are lucky enough to come visit me, you too will get this great tour!

Vanna White's got nothing on me. 

The next thing I took Chelsea to do in Dublin was to visit the Guinness Storehouse. I had done this a few years ago but was saving it for her trip on this visit. We went along with my good friend Fiona and her friend, Tasslem, who was visiting for the weekend. The Guinness factory is a very cool place full of history and scientific explanations of how Guinness is brewed. Arthur Guinness who founded Guinness was a visionary, he leased out the space for the factory on a 9,000 year lease which is prominently featured in the storehouse. I was loving the tour because I have really come somewhat of a connoisseur of Guinness throughout my study abroad experience. However, the best part of the tour is when you get to the top of the factory because it is literally the highest point in Dublin and you can see the entire city whilst enjoying your Guinness.

Fiona, Tasslem, Chelsea, and I on top of Dublin!

Following our trip to the factory we went to Fiona and I's favorite pub, Lannigans off O'Connell Street and ended the night in our favorite bar in the Temple Bar area listening to live music. The pub in Temple Bar that we went to, Farrington's, is usually where we go for some great live music. They play a combination of classic Irish folk songs and American classics. In short, a good time was definitely had by all on a perfect day in Dublin.

"Hey, if you could just go ahead and get me and this boat" picture. 

Chelsea and I in Howth

On Saturday my roommate Michelle, Chelsea and I went to the seaside town of Howth to see some beautiful sights. I had heard about Howth several times from friends who had been. It is actually still part of Dublin proper but definitely outside the confines of the City Centre as it is about a 25 minute bus ride outside of the city. It is absolutely breathtaking, truly beautiful! It is unreal to imagine that a tiny seaside village that looks like time hasn't changed it is so close to such a big international city. As it is right on the coast the whole town of Howth is basically a beautiful harbour full of picturesque boating scenery and lighthouses. When we were first walking around I was looking up at the beautiful blue sky as it was contrasted with the almost green ocean and felt that I was in some kind of fairy tale. There were also seals in the harbour which made the whole scene even more special! We walked around the piers and out to the lighthouse enduring the wind but feeling the warm sun on our backs! It truly is a most perfect setting!

Dad, This one is for you!

The Lighthouse is so beautiful in the background! 

Yes, this is me wearing sneakers out on the town.

Don't they just look funny?

However, I haven't even gotten to the most beautiful part the backdrop of this scenery are the majestic cliffs on Ireland in the background. We walked up the cliffs to get a more perfect view of the whole town. As I stood at a natural resting point between the harbour and the cliffs surveying my scenery I felt an indescribable awe and appreciation for the beauty of Ireland and felt a strong feeling of gratitude for being in Ireland and had a feeling that I am the luckiest girl in the world. I really wished that my dad had been with me because he would have loved the seaside town and the little fishing village feel of Howth! Don't worry, Dad, we will be voyaging to Howth when you are here! As we continued our walk up we passed a place that W.B. Yeats lived in! What a serendipitous little find I thought to myself, as I am taking a class on his poetry. However, it makes total sense that someone could write beautiful poetry from there because the views are absolutely breathtaking.

Hey, look I'm a midget wearing sneakers! 

"Hi, from Ireland" picture

And then, after a few more paces, it happened. I fell in love. Not with anyone, my luck is not that good. But with a place. I found the most beautiful, perfect house I have ever seen right on the edge of one of the cliffs. It is a big brown house that overlooks the water yet still manages to have a yard and remain elegant. I have decided that this will be my house when I am a famous writer and need to retreat from the world to work on a new novel. I kept on taking pictures of it because it felt like home. So hopefully, I will look back on this blog sometime and laugh as I sip tea from my beautiful house on the water!

This will be my future house and yard when I'm a famous writer. 

This is actually my resting pose. 

After a great day in Howth and a tasty dinner we headed back into the city to paint the town red! Okay, that is the glamorous version of what we did, we just got all dolled up and went out to a club. Chelsea and I got matching lace shirts at a discount store called Penny's that all Irish people love! I actually hadn't been out in awhile so it was just so nice to get all dressed up and go out!

We are actually wearing matching lace shirts!

I saw this place and thought of you, Dad!

Then on Sunday Chelsea and I got up and went to my favorite place in all of Dublin called Queen of Tarts. I know I have blogged about it before but it deserves to be mentioned again! Following our late lunch at the Queen of Tarts we went to the National Gallery so I could show Chelsea some of my favorite Irish and Dutch paintings at the Gallery. For some reason the National Gallery of Ireland has many Dutch paintings. Then the saddest part of my weekend came when I had to put Chelsea back on a bus to the airport but she had a great visit and I cannot wait for my next visitors and travels!

Lords of the Dance.

Thank you again for reading all of this! I love you all very much,
Kate

Classes, Hannah O's visit and Amsterdam

Dear family and friends,

I'm so sorry that I haven't posted in so long. What can I say- I've been busy and lazy. Okay, mostly lazy but in my defense it does take me quite a bit of time to whip up these bad boys!

I hope you're all well! I am missing all of you terribly but have been thinking of you all quite often!

I am doing grand here in Dublin! I feel like so much has happened since I last blogged! So let me start to fill you in!

In case you forgot what I looked like due to my lackluster blogging patterns!

Don't I look just like my mommy?

This blog entry is long but chalk full of pictures so enjoy!

I'm artsy.

PROOF THAT I ACTUALLY GO TO CLASSES

So first things first- they actually started making me do work. I must admit, I was taken aback at first. 

"The audacity..school work? This is study abroad" I thought to myself defiantly. However, much to my dismay I have been inundated with school work. So now I know you're wondering, what kind of things I'm studying so here is a brief breakdown of my classes! 

Celtic Ireland basically covers Irish history from the very beginning of recorded settlement in Ireland to the early modern era- so it spans a long time but I find it quite interesting. There is one lecture per week and one small group class. My small group TA is mildly abrasive and intimidating but I already did my big presentation (quite well if I do say so myself) so I'm feeling quite confident in that class. All of the names and places are in Gaelic so I feel like the loser foreigner when I am trying to pronounce things like the Eoganachta or Niall Noigiallach! 

Fiona and I on the Dublin bus, my main method of transportation. 

These are just random pictures from my trip to spice up the boring sections!

Critical Theory is a class that I really need to take for my writing skills as it teaches you the main critics and theorists that are useful to reference in essays, and as I spend most of my time writing papers this class seemed like a good idea. Now the subject matter is very interesting but the lecturers are less than engaging and it's taught in a huge lecture form. We're talking 350 people in this class. Somehow, I always managed to sneak my way out of big lectures at GW as a freshman and land myself in seminar style classes, you know, so that I can hear the sound of my own voice, so this is proving to be a hard setting in which for me to learn in. I actually have a big paper due in this class on Friday so watch out Chris Chaloux you will be getting a call inquiring about psychoanalysis in the near future! 

Fiona and I at our America party!

We brought American college life to Ireland and guess what-

THEY LOVED IT!

Irish Revolution is easily one of the best classes I've ever taken both in terms of interesting subject matter and an engaging, brilliant professor! My professor is great and seems to do every lecture without taking a breath, emphasizing just about every word which makes it all seem so significant and interesting. However, after this class my hand always aches from trying to write as much as possible as fast as possible! This class focuses on the Irish Revolution from 1916-1922. It has been so cool to walk around Dublin and feel the history of this period around me or see the statues of the great revolutionaries in light of taking this class. Taking this class and other classes surrounding the topic of Ireland has made me feel more connected to Ireland in a way that I cannot quite articulate but I feel at home here. 

Just barely taller than the Jameson barrels. 

You win some and you lose some.

Renaissance Literature is a painful class for me. I've narrowed it down to two reasons why this and Critical Theory are proving to be so painful for me: a.) I'm an absolute nerd-genius who knows everything or b.) I really don't like English classes of 350 people because I feel too distanced from the material. Now while I would probably like to maintain that it's the former I'm quite sure it's actually the latter. Well in the small group portion obviously it's not as bad, but it's kind of awkward as I'm the only one who does the reading so it's effectively myself and the TA having a dialog about the text the whole time. I mean, I love to talk and discuss literature and maybe I have an acuter disposition to Renaissance Literature than most as a devout lover of Shakespeare, but it is still a little ridiculous. 

You would think I had passed the bar with that smile.

No. But I am a Qualified Irish Whiskey Taster.

Read further for the whole story!

Ireland Uncovered is a class that was recommended for all study abroad students to take as it covers a broad  spectrum of Ireland vis-a-vis 15 lectures from different professors from different departments at UCD. I have found all of the lectures to be interesting in their presentation of a different aspect of Ireland that I might not have gained access to without taking a class specific to the topic. For example, last week there was a lecture about the declining economic status of Ireland and the prior week the lecture had been on the intense relationship of the Irish people with land. The only weird thing about this class, which I actually have this evening, is precisely that it is in the evening from 6 to 8. Now, I've never had a class later than 3 at GW because I have always tutored directly after school so it makes for a kind of weird time for me. 

Fiona and I out on the town.

Okay, you got me. It's the student bar on campus.

Poetry of W.B. Yeats is a class that I decided to take because I knew it would be challenging. I do not have the intense love for poetry as I have for the written novel or play but I am trying! I hadn't read much Yeats prior to taking this class but I am really enjoying it. It is also a seminar style English class which I think I have established that I much prefer but nonetheless it's a great class. It actually only meets once a week and I would really rather it met twice and some other classes only meet once, but alas, you win some and you lose some. 

Evidence for why:

a.) I need a nose job (this one goes out to you Tim Chaloux)

b.) White girls can't dance

LIFE AS A DUBLINER

So aside from my academics you might be wondering what I've been up to so let me tell you a little bit about life as it is in the Emerald Isle! Life is good. There is not much I can say other than that. I feel extremely blessed to be here. Everyone is so nice! I have 5 roommates whom I absolutely adore and we get on quite nicely; cooking dinners together on Sundays, throwing parties with each other and just generally helping each other with anything that we need. As most of my life takes place on the campus of UCD around Irish people and other international students I must say that I feel quite immersed in the culture and life here and I am loving it. I have met some great people who I adore and I can tell will be life long friends. One of my friends, Fiona, is among the most wonderful people I have ever met and we have already made so many great memories together and will surely be friends beyond study abroad. She is the one in most of my pictures.  I am always so blessed in meeting such wonderful friends everywhere I go. Largely, all of you reading this (with the exception of my poor family who has been stuck with me since birth) please know how blessed I am to count you all as friends! 

Meet 5 out of the 6 Roebuck Hall 1 Apartment 2 roommates at our America party!

Me, Eoin, Paddy, Bram and Michelle!

The Domestic Goddess does Ireland. 

One of the cool things that I did on September 23rd was to celebrate Arthur's Day with my friend Fiona. Arthur's Day is a worldwide toast to Arthur Guinness, the founder of the famous Irish stout. We went into Dublin to Temple Bar, which is the trendy bar area of Dublin, and toasted Arthur at 17:59 along with the rest of the world! It was so cool to be in Dublin for this because everyone was so excited about it and we had a lot of fun counting down and enjoying our Guinness!

Did we take the theme too far in our matching
Guinness shirts whilst drinking Guinness?

We didn't think so either!

HANNAH O COMES TO DUBLIN

Two weekends ago one of my dearest friends from Pike and a member of the lovely TBGs, Hannah O, came to visit me from Edinburgh, Scotland and we had a great weekend! We went around talking, eating, going out, and talking and eating some more so it was great! Hannah came at such a good time because I was feeling sort of homesick so seeing her made me feel so much better. Among the fun things that we did were to go to this fabulous cafe called Queen of Tarts with my friend Fiona. If you come visit me for nothing else, come visit me for Queen of Tarts! It is perhaps the most delicious food I have ever had, and we all know I have tasted a lot of food! First there is the savory tart then the sweet tart; it is hard to say which I liked better. I had the roasted chicken tart and then a most decadent lemon meringue tart ever!

Hannah, Fiona and I enjoying some delicious tarts!

Look at those smiles. Those are the smiles that only food can bring.

Yeah, mine might be the biggest. But hey, a girl's gotta eat..

From Queen of Tarts we all went to the Jameson Distillery which was actually a great take. It is no longer a working distillery but functions as a museum. It was really interesting to learn about what goes into the production of whiskey. I was also really impressed with how well done the museum tour was, the tour guide was very knowledgeable and made the tour very interesting. However the coolest part of the experience was that they asked 8 volunteers from the tour to test whiskey, naturally Hannah O and I both shot our hands up at the same time and were selected. At the end of the tour we taste tested 3 different whiskeys; Jack Daniels Whiskey, Johnnie Walker a Scotch Whisky, and, of course, Jameson Irish Whiskey. It was really interesting to sample all of them and compare their different taste as we were educated as to why they tasted so differently and with someone explaining it as you're tasting it you can really tell the difference! At the end we had to select which one we liked the best and of course you're supposed to pick Jameson but good 'ole Hannah O went and picked the Scotch which was kind of funny as the tour guide teased her; naturally, I chose the Jameson! Like Queen of Tarts, the Jameson Distillery comes highly recommended! 

There are things I joke around about and 
then there are things I don't joke around about-

One being pictures with certificates.

Overall, I think Hannah O enjoyed most of the visit except for when I tried to take her on a historic and literary tour of Dublin center. So if you're coming expect a great walking tour of Dublin from this nerd! However, I did show Hannah O a good time in the Temple Bar area as is evidenced by the picture below!

AMSTERDAM 

This past weekend I actually visited Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Now I know what you're thinking, what the hell was Kate Chaloux doing in Amsterdam? And believe you me, when I arrived in Amsterdam's Schipol Airport and everything was in Dutch and smelled like marijuana I felt the exact same way. After asking several people I finally made my way to the Centraal Station in Amsterdam to meet my good friend, Chelsea, from GW who I was travelling with. After we had a most loving reunion in the Centraal Station we set off to find our hostel. Yes, a hostel. I, Kathryn "The Marriott is roughing it for me" Chaloux, stayed in a hostel. (Because I must give respect where respect is due; that quote is actually not an original but from Uncle Gary!) So let me tell you about this establishment that we stayed at. For starters it was called The Flying Pig and it generally comes well recommended but I think my standards are a little bit different than the average study abroad student's but alas I survived...(just barely)

This picture is significant for a few reasons:

a.) This is me in Vondel Park in Amsterdam which is absolutely beautiful.

b.) This is me being photographed in skinny jeans for the first time. Wild. 

Can you believe that this beauty shares the same zip code

 as the world capital of sex and drugs?

I actually don't think they have zip codes, per se, but go with it.

So here's the thing about the Flying Pig. One could fault them for a lot but they were all about the decor; everything was pig themed. My personal favorite was a picture of a pig going to the bathroom on the bathroom door; clever! However, even the pooping piggy was  no consilation for everything else the Flying Pig is and was. The thing is that all of Amsterdam pretty much smells like weed which is weird, very weird for an American tourist actually. But nonetheless the potency of marijuana in the Flying Pig is perhaps the most concentrated in all of Amsterdam! When we finally got there the girl at the check-in was literately too high to function and moving slower than I've ever seen anyone move which for a traveler can be frustrating but being in the laid back Emerald Isle for a month now I'm a little bit more accustomed to people moving slowly. However, let me tell you about the crowd at the Flying Pig; when I tell you Chelsea and I were the only people who looked like we had showered in the last few weeks I'm not lying. We pretty much stuck out like sore thumbs. Everyone was an unshowered and seemingly unaffected hippie; however, very nice people. 

Naturally, this would be me and a giant clog.

And no I'm not this obese. It's just the shirt. I swear. 

This would have been a great picture of Chelsea and I 

in front of a canal with bikes and buildings in the background; 

however, some people are just not cut out for photography..

This is my casual, "I own this bridge" pose.

This picture makes an appearance for no other reason than I think my legs look good,

and the fact that I bear a striking resemblance to Mr. Despicable from the movie Despicable Me. 

Really, I have no idea who this statue is commemorating.

Some famous Dutch figure is probably rolling in his grave. God forgive me. 

Now the real kicker was the room. As we are on a budget Chelsea and I selected to stay in a 12 person room which meant 6 bunk beds in a very crowded room, largely, "not my speed" as I would later go on to say but nonetheless we survived it. However, it wasn't the cramped room or the weedy atmosphere that freaked me out it was that there was a 45 year old man staying in our hostel. Mostly hostels are for college kids traveling but every once and a while you see and older person and are poised to wonder just what they are doing there, and of all places, Amsterdam. This guy was harmless but creepy and very high so we were uncomfortable but then we met our other roommates who were pretty normal and nice kids so we were more at ease but let me tell you, I won't be sharing a room with 11 other people in the near future!

Little Dutch Pancakes - Take 1

Me with Little Dutch Pancakes - Take 2

No more Little Dutch Pancakes - Take 3

I'm so funny sometimes I can hardly take it. Funny and hungry. 

But Amsterdam, where do I even begin! It is such a beautiful city and it is filled with canals and old buildings so every picture we took looked like it was straight out of a fairytale. Our weather was also beautiful, sunny and warm, which was a welcome change for some of us who reside in the land of rain and wind! For most of Friday we walked around Amsterdam to get our bearings and see the city which was wonderful. However, this is a true fact, there are more bicycles in Holland than cars! Isn't that wild? Now, part of me is really excited for Holland and all of them reducing their carbon footprints but let me tell you- people on bikes are abrasive! I was almost run over several times and was not all too pleased every time this happened. But the weird thing about Amsterdam is that there are several modes of transportation running around the streets simultaneously; the bikes, the cars, the trams, the buses and the pedestrians! Now all of these things in conjunction just make for crowded, confusing streets but I guess that is Amsterdam. I will say that we were on foot most of the time which was probably great considering all of the tasty food that Amsterdam has to offer! However, here's a sidebar and just some food for thought: trams. I don't understand; they move so slow and should be underground and would be so much more effective if they were underground but alas they are not. 

Note the tram, person on bike and person on foot. 

This is the kind of craziness I'm talking about. 

The canals and buildings are truly breathtaking. 

Quite literately, this is the type of thing that is sandwiched in between these picturesque scenes. 

See I'm not joking about the bikes!

However, Amsterdam does have a lot of things to offer in terms of culture. We went to the Heineken Experience which is the Heineken Brewery, the Anne Frank House, and the Van Goh Museum. 

The Heineken Brewery was a very good take. It is another museum tour that shows visitors how Heineken is produced as well as the history of Heineken. I thought it was really well done and interesting. At one point they 'brew you" wherein you go on a little ride with a big screen essentially taking you through the process of being brewed. It was pretty fun! 

This is me just casually brewing some Heineken. 

Why? Because we're hilarious. 

It was a tough call but I did actually manage to leave without this gem.

Then on Saturday we woke up early and went to the Anne Frank House as there are always long lines. This was actually the highlight of the trip for me. It was intensely moving and very well done. In the wake of the Holocaust when Anne's father, Otto, after surviving went back to the Secret Annex and found Anne's diary he knew that the space and her words had to be remembered so he preserved the house. As the SS had seized all of the furniture in the house and Otto had wished for the house to remain as original as possible there is no furniture which makes it all the more eerie. It was so moving, walking through the house thinking that this is where 8 people were in hiding for 2 years. On the walls there are quotes from Anne as well as historical facts and progressions from the war as you ventured further into the museum. I was moved to tears on several occasions just being overwhelmed by the whole experience. However, it were Anne's words that resonated with me the most. She was incredibly eloquent for a girl of 14 and quite clearly one of the kindest persons that ever graced this world as anyone could read from her quotes. I read Anne's diary a long time ago but I am rereading it now after being so moved by the whole experience. 

A statue of Anne Frank. 

No pictures are allowed inside the Anne Frank House or the Van Goh Museum. 

Next we went to the Van Goh Museum which was wonderful. It was so nice to see all of the original Van Goh peices which I have grown up learning about. I loved seeing "Sunflowers" Van Goh's famous yellow toned painting of a vase of sunflowers. Like the other museums, this too was peppered with the history of the time as well as his biography which made it all the more interesting as you could compare his art to where he was at in his life and where he was physically in the world. 

Chelsea and I enjoying a lovely lunch at a cafe in Amsterdam. 

Somehow we are always photographed whilst eating. 

We also did walk through the Red Light District which I don't really want to talk much about because everyone knows about it. As a raging feminist, it was enraging and infuriating to see women standing in the windows and men just looking at the women as if they were objects. I have so many thoughts upon this matter, such as all of the women around the world who have worked so hard to gain equality for women but here in 2010 there are women in windows being objectified, but alas I cannot change the world. Not to mention that it made me dually uncomfortable being a little conservative as it turns out that I might be in that sense. Largely, the whole culture of sex and drugs everywhere was really just a bit too much for me. 

What would have been a great picture if not for my squinting eyes.

But you get the picture of the beauty that is Amsterdam. 

Me posing with the famous I amsterdam landmark. 

So unfortunate that someone graffitied it. 

However, the main thing we really did in Amsterdam other than sight see and explore was eat. Let me tell you Amsterdam has a lot to offer within the realm of food. We had decadent desserts and delicious sandwiches and pizzas! Among the desserts were these things called "Little Dutch Pancakes" which were literately little pancakes with chocolate and hazelnut gelato. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. Largely, the tastiest things I have ever eaten. The of course there are waffles everywhere so I did have a delicious waffle that was adorned with chocolate and ice cream and I would happily go back to Amsterdam for either of those desserts. At the end of the weekend I can say I liked Amsterdam and it was fine for a weekend but I don't think I'll be going back any time soon, except maybe for the Little Dutch Pancakes! 

Chelsea and I in Museumplien.

Kind of funny that it looks like that roof is a hat on Chelsea's head!

Thank you for reading! I know this was long and I applaud you for reading all of this! It means a lot to me! 

All my love,

Kate