Rachel-There And Back Again: Things I Learned in Amsterdam

Amsterdam! City of....lots of not super great things, but also Belgian waffles. And a whole ton of Nutella. And that could almost make up for it.

Literally, the waffles were heaven.

So! Here is a nice list of the things I learned while in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam Central Station

1. Take everything you've ever heard about the millions of bikers in the city. Multiply it by 8.

Bikers. And bikes lining the streets. So. Many. Bikes

2. Bikers count pedestrian points. It's extra if they hit you while you're looking at a map. They have unlimited points if they knock you into a canal.

3. Speaking of canals, it's probably not a good idea to get too close. The sides don't have ladders, and as we mentioned, bikers are vicious. As a fun fact: they pull out an average of 10,000 bikes from the canals there every year. That's 27 bikes per day, if they did it daily.

4. Coffee shops don't actually sell coffee.

5. Marijuana isn't actually technically legal there, despite popular belief, but it's lucrative for the government, so.....

6. You will get bothered by the police much quicker for drinking in the streets than by smoking marijuana anywhere. Drinking in the streets is a big no-no.

Not that I ever had a problem with drinking in the streets. Or anywhere, for that matter.... Something about not drinking kind of takes care of that problem.....

The outdoor market.

The fish portion of an outdoor market. The place where we stayed was right on the street of the outdoor market, and even when it was down, you could tell where the fish vendors had been by the smell.

7. If you ask someone if they speak English, they will probably look at you like, "What, do you think I live under a rock? Obviously I speak English, because do you see any tourists trying to speak Dutch?"

8. They say that Dutch is one of the hardest languages to learn. This isn't because it's actually a hard language, on the contrary. It's just because no one needs to learn it. Everyone there speaks English.

9. When the waiter says he's only willing to split the check seven ways if everyone gives him a kiss, he means it.

This is indeed the waiter I refer to.

10. They're serious about their cheese.

11. Life on the weekends doesn't really actually start until late. If it starts at all. We practically had the city to ourselves all morning.

12. Just eat the waffles. Every chance you get. I don't know what they do to them, or what they put in their Nutella, but it's heaven. And they're serious about their Nutella.

This about sums up Amsterdam. They try to be cool, but they just can't get over their Nutella addiction.

Heaven!

I told you. Obsessed.

13. Getting up or down any of the flights of stairs requires all the concentration you've ever had. Not to be attempted when you're tired, drunk, or in a hurry. Seriously. The stairs there are out to get you.

14. Souvenir shops: if you don't know what it is, don't ask. You probably don't want to know.

15. As far as food goes, remember: #itsnotcaloriesitsculture.

16. Probably the best thing I learned: search out the good. There are plenty of unpleasant things in the city, just like in life. If we focus on them, that's all we see. Take the chance too look at the scenic, and enjoy the little things that make life fun. It will make the experience so much better.

The Anne Frank house was very touching.

This is the church that Anne Frank, in her diary, mentioned hearing the bells of.

We fit 8 people into an apartment meant for one. Score. Although apparently we weren't even the largest group that had ever stayed with our kind host.

#faultinourstarsbench
#stillhaventreadit
#sothisprobablywasntasemotionalasitshouldhavebeen

Everyone on the bench. You can't even see it. I'm pretty sure the local girl we asked to take the picture thought we were crazy Americans. Which we are. So....