Lots of Updates! :)

Hola!

I've been trying to sit down and write a blog but this is the first chance I've gotten since Amsterdam!  They've kept us really busy with school this week.

Where to start with Amsterdam...it was INCREDIBLE!  We were in a huge rush on Friday when we left because our flight left Barcelona at 3 and we didn't get out of class until 1:30!  But we pretty much ran to the airport, and our flight turned out to be late so we had plenty of time.  We got to Amsterdam around 7:30ish and took a tram and a train to get to our HILTON!  The hostels in Amsterdam were so expensive that it was cheaper to get a hotel room and split it between all of us (7 of us went).  We crowded into one tiny room, but it was still SO nice!  The shower was huge and there were down comforters that were soooo comfy!  It was quite an adventure to get by with the hotel room since only 2 people were supposed to be in the room! :)  I checked in with just one of the guys, and the rest of us had to go in and out in shifts the whole time!  It was really funny, and quite a tight squeeze!  But it was a ton of fun just being in a nice room - Onix is not quite a 4 star hotel!

All of us in our tiny room! 

After we got the hotel, we set our bags down and showered and then went to hunt for some good food - we were starving after a long travel day.  We wandered a bit past our hotel, and we loved every minute of the walk.  It stayed sunny till about 10:30 in Amsterdam!  It was so beautiful - quaint town homes, shops, and cafes everywhere.  It was almost like a cross between Venice and somewhere in the northeast, like Maine.  The whole city is built around canals, which are so gorgeous.  Anyway, we found a fun area after about 15 minutes of walking, and we sat down outside at a pub.  We had no idea what to expect with the food, but oh my goodness, what a pleasant surprise...I had one of the best cheeseburgers of my life!!!!  And it came with a huge pile of fresh fries and salad!  I hadn't been that full since I left home, I was so happy!  And it was so nice and relaxing outside.  Amsterdam is probably the most laid back place I've ever been to!  People just sit around and talk and relax - it was a nice change from the bustling cafes/bars in Barca.  

A pretty house on our walk!

This is what it looks like all over Amsterdam - so beautiful!

After dinner, we walked a little further into the city and found a crowded, cool area with lots of people out and about.  There were tons of bars and "coffee" shops...we went into one of the shops and they asked for our ID's, so we figured something a little strange was going on - when we got menus, it was literally all full of different kinds of marijuana, they didn't even have drinks on the menu!!!  We were all shocked, and it was so strange!  But don't worry, I didn't have any!  Just a hot chocolate for me :)  But it was such a cool experience, I will definitely never forget it.  After the coffee shop, we walked a little more around the city and then went back to the hotel to go to sleep.

We woke up early on Saturday because we wanted to pack in as much as possible!  First on the agenda was breakfast - we just walked into a random cafe and I had a chocolate croissant and latte, what's new :)  But oh my gosh, I have never tasted a croissant so good in my life!!!  It was better than Barcelona, and the latte was amazing!  There was chocolate sprinkled on top in the shape of a feather, so pretty!

Delicious croissant and latte!

After breakfast, we went exploring and just walked around for a while.  We got to the center of the city, and we decided to go on a canal cruise.  It was so fun!  It was beautiful, and we got to see most of the city from the water, which was awesome.  After the canal cruise, we wandered into a random pub nearby and had yet another fabulous meal - i got a sandwich with mozzarella, pesto, and pine nuts, and a Heineken of course!  After lunch, we went to the Heineken museum.  We had a blast!!!  The first part was mostly learning about how the beer was made and seeing the different processes, and the second half was so fun - there were all these tasting stations and there were actual bars/clubs/lounges in the museum!  We had a blast and hung out in the lounges for a while.  Our next stop was the Van Gogh musem.  It was incredible!  There were 3 floor of paintings, and it was surreal to see everything.  I loved it.  After that, we went back to the hotel to shower and headed out for the night!  We went to a Tex Mex restaurant in the same district as the coffee house from Friday, and it was soooo good!  It felt so good to get my Mexican food fix :)  We had fajitas and nachos!  After dinner, we tried to find a fun club, but we were not impressed after being spoiled by Barca discotecas! :) We called it an early night again and went back to our lovely Hilton and went to sleep for the night.

Hannah and me on our canal cruise!

Daddy, none of these looked as good as your baguettes ;)

Pretty boats on the canal

There was a mini "I AMsterdam" sign outside the Hilton

We woke up early on Sunday again and checked out of the hotel.  It was a rainy day outside, but it was actually really nice!  It was cool and refreshing, and we were all fine since we brought raincoats.  We tried another random cafe for breakfast, and this was truly fantastic food.  We all split a large baker's basket that came with all different kinds of bread - Daddy you would have loved it!!!  But nothing was as good as your bread ;)  There all different spreads on the table too - jams, chocolate, white chocolate, butters.  I also ordered french toast...no words to describe it!  It was so delicious.  They don't serve syrup with anything, but it didn't need it at all.  We left with full bellies to look for a taxi to go to the Anne Frank museum.  Unfortunately, we didnt realize there would be a long line, and we didn't end up having time to go because of our flight.  Instead, we went back to our favorite pub from Friday night, and I got a Strongbow and some potato & leek soup - again, it was to die for!  I was seriously in heaven with all the food!!!  I loved absolutely everything I ate!  After one last meal, we had to head to the airport.  None of us were ready to come back to Barca because we were loving Amsterdam so much!!  Our flight home was smooth, but my guard was down a bit (as far as pickpocketing) from Amsterdam, and I actually was almost pickpocketed in the metro station on the way home.  Thankfully, I felt the guy's hand in my bag and turned around and caught him before he took anything.  It was so scary though!  I had to stop and collect myself afterwards before getting on the next train!  It definitely felt good to get "home" to Onix.

Best french toast ever!

Hannah and me in the Amsterdam rain on Sunday morning

Potato and leek soup - AMAZING!

Hannah and me again!  Having one last meal before heading home.

I've been really busy with school again this week.  Architecture is a ton of work, and our teacher is a bit difficult.  But almost everyone on the program is in the architecture classes, so we band together.  I think they're piling on the work and being harder on us because we have a week off next week.

This may be my last blog post before my Italy trip next week!  I won't have my computer there, so I will write a giant post when I get home!  :)  I'm leaving on Saturday and coming home the next Sunday.  I am soooo excited!!!  We're going to Rome, Florence, and Venice.  This time, we're roughing it in hostels!  I can't wait.

I hope everyone is doing well!  I miss you guys lots!!!  Can't wait to update everyone after Italy!

Adios Barca, bonjourno Roma!!!! :)

All my love! xoxo