Amsterdam to Florence...It's been a busy week

So last week I checked out Amsterdam and got my first real taste of travelling on my own. Even if Amsterdam is only a half an hour away from where I'm living. And this past weekend I took off to Florence for a couple of days. Though, on that trip I was in good company.

Amsterdam was good. I mentioned the boat tour which was great. I only learned just before I came that Amsterdam has more bridges than any other city in the world. The canal tour was a great way to see a lot of the city in a short amount of time. But the real characters came out when I got off the boat. There were a ton of tourists everywhere. Anyway I must look like I blend a little cause someone actually asked me for directions. And I knew where to send him...I think. He obviously didn't see me ask for directions just minutes before. I did make one 'friend' who took it upon himself to be my own personal tour guide. He got creepy, so I ditched him and hit up the Van Gogh museum on my own. My favourite piece of art was in the gift shop though.

Van Gogh head erasers. Can you believe it. There's a market for just about everything I guess. Though there were a few other great pieces in the museum. Very cool place. Other than that, I checked out the shops walked a lot , took a lot of pictures and took it all in. I dodged one more creeper at the train station and made it home in one piece. In one day I definitely got the bug to get out and see more.

This weekend I flew to Florence. My friends Paul and Amy were there for a bit and I met up with them for a few days. They had been there for a day already and are both experenced travellers so they got to play tour guide a little and did a great job. The first full day we did a lot of sight seeing. Checked out a couple of museums and saw the actual statue of David. It was pretty remarkable to see it in person, I had no idea how big it actually was. At least a couple of stories tall. You can't take pictures of the real thing, but there is a replica outside in a city square. We took a few dirty pictures ;) but these ones made the cut.

  

I can't seem to rotate the pictures, so sorry for the crick in the neck, but you get the idea. We saw some amazing things, including a brush with Jersey Shore. Can't be sure, but that's the story any way. We just saw them from the back, camera crew and police escort and all. It was all very exciting.

We also climbed hundreds of steps to the top of the Bell Tower of the Duomo. Well worth it for the incredible views. It was gorgeous to see the entire city from up there. Think the space needle but old and Europian.

After a full day of touristy stuff. We planned to go to Cinque Terre on day two. We took the two hour train ride to La Spezia to then connect to another train to go to Cinque terre. Unfortunatly when Amy and I visited the bathroom the last train left and all trains went on strike. Not in the plan, but the back up plan was pretty good. After much debate, we caught a boat to Portovenere. It was boasted to be a lot like Cinque Terre. One woman even said it was better. The boat ride itself was beautiful.

 When we got there the sights were incredible. So many paths and look outs to see the island from. It is just all so surreal. You just don't see things like this in Canada. A different kind of beautiful. A good alternative to the original plan.

Other than it being really hot and having to make a few connections getting back to Amsterdam, it was a great weekend. It was also great to be with friends who I know and love. It's nice not to have to make small talk meeting new people all the time. I love Amy and Paul and hope we can meet up again soon. :)

And an update on my driving, it has been good. I have been doing pretty well driving to and from school, but so far, I haven't had to drive through any busy areas. Though this Saturday I will be babysitting the kids. I will go to a wedding with the family and then I will be taking the kids back home after the ceremony. This means a longer drive and 5th gear! Here's hoping it goes smoothly.

I am missing everyone and everything back home, but I gotta say this is a good alternative. Until next time.

Ciao

Bikes, Trains and Automobiles

One week ago today I arrived in the Netherlands. Which seems to be more commonly referred to as Holland back at home, but here it's the Netherlands or Nederlands of you're truely Dutch. Which, one week in and I'm feeling more and more like the little dutch girl I am. The first weekend here was just getting used to the city. Lots of little adventures which lead upto today heading into Amsterdam for the day.

The bikes are crazy. They are everywhere. Below is just one of the areas to park your bike near the trian station. Though there are bikes on every corner not just these huge lots.

You'd think the expression, just like riding a bike, is an expression for a reason, but learning the road rules for bikes around here is a whole other challenge. I got on the bike for the first time to check out a near by international church. It was pretty good, so I'm sure I'll head back there. It's so close and such a nice ride there from my place.

This is my bike, but unfortunately, the chain broke off the first day, so I have been riding my other bike. It has a kid seat behind the handle bars and behind the seat. Pretty heavy with two kids on it. But a sweat ride all in all. I was able to feel comfortable with two kids on the bike just a few days in. I'm told my Dutch relatives would be proud. Between that and a ride in the rain to take the kids to school, I'm really get the full dutch experience.

Everyone seems to ride their bikes with the seats so high. Once I lowered the seat I was much more comfortable. Patricia, the mom of the house, took me for a longer ride later that day to show me the downtown shops and train stations. For those of you who have never been around here before, there are shark teeth all over the roads. Now that you have that visual, they are just rows of triangles painted on the roads. But these shark teeth as they are referred to, are very important. Which ever way they are facing has to stop or yield to other traffic, whether it is pedestrians, bikes or cars. There are many major intersections where cars have to stop for bikes. Bikes get the right away a lot. Though I am just getting used to riding through and expecting cars to stop. It just doesn't feel right. I have really liked taking the bike out and exploring the area. There are some amazing paths through the woods and wide open planes.

I am already thinking I would like to get a bike back home, but Abbotsford is a lot more hilly than it is around here, so I may have to test that out before I commit to anything.

The trians seem to go between every city around here. I took my first train ride into Amsterdam today. So fast and easy. I think I will be doing that a lot more. There are some interesting characters in Amsterdam, that's for sure. I must have seen 10 bachelorette parties in Amsterdam today. The dutch seem to celebrate like we do in Canada. Embarass your friend with costumes and humiliating tasks is the name of the game.

I took a canal boat tour to see the city. What a beautiful place. So many amazing old buildings and hundreds of bridges over all of the canals.

Amsterdam is a great city and there was so much to do and see. I will have to post again with all the details of this and any future trips, I am sure there will be many. I seem to attract all the creepers but I saw some great sights and checked out the Van Gough museum. I feel so cultured now.

Now that I have a handle on the bikes and trains, I just need to master the cars. I just started learning to drive a standard car before I came out here. The family I am living with got me a few driving lessons to get used to rules of the roads out here, but I am working moslty on mastering the stick shift. I am getting better, but the car I will be driving is so much harder to shift than any other car I've drive. I am told that once you are comfortable driving standard you'll never want to go back, but from where I am sitting, it seems like a whole lot of unnecesary work. Like I mentioned earlier, the road rules are crazy. I haven't seen a stop sign yet, and barely any lights in Hilversum. But I guess it makes sense, kinda.

The first week has been a good one. The family I am living with are great. They have been really supportive and helpful with everything. The three kids are fun and their english is great so that helps. They each have their own very strong personalities which is...fun, but challenging. The first few days here, it really started to set in how long a year is. The lonliness set in early. But now that i|"ve started working during the week and now getting out and seeing the cities, I am remembering why I wanted to do this in the first place. I am deep into the adventure now, and loving it.

Day 1 down, 364 to go...

Well, I made it.
My flight left Vancouver today at 4pm, well 4:30 we were off the ground. The plane ride was pretty good. A few bumpy patches, but nothing major at all. I was sitting next to a couple on their 25th anniversary. With 4 kids this is their first holiday in over 22 years without kids along. There was the dullinf sounds of a young toddler crying for a good chunk of the trip. Poor parents, they were trying everthing, but the little guy seemed so tired. I was tired too but with no one rocking me to sleep, I only got about half an hour of sleep.Pls their were so many good movies that I really wanted to see. Did you know you can play video games on your persnal tv? This was a novelty for me, but tetris seemed to challenge me more than I was prepared for. And man, those seats are cramped. I was definitly looking forward to getting off that plane. First overseas flight under my belt, and I feel stronger for the experience. Though I admit it took me by surprise when the plane taxied right along the highway. That was a little odd.
When I got off the plane it seemed like forever till I got the the bagage claim. But I got there and collected all my bags. Very big and very heavy, but I managed. Though I seemed to miss Martijin (the dad) at the gate, but after pasing back and forth I spotted him and off we went to Hilversum. About a half an hour drive from Amsterdam. Martijin and his two oldest children Wessel (pronounced Vessal) 5 years old and Laurien almost 4 years old showed me the way home. I was glad that there seemed to be little awkward silences and I felt comfortable right away. When we got home Patricia (mom) and Lucas (almost 2) were waiting. After a quick tour of the house of over 100 years old I was ready for a nap. It tried not to sleep too long and had lots of chance to visit over dinner.
We had a beautiful bar-b-que outside in the 26 degree heat. Very unusual for this time of year, but I'll take it. The area is beautiful with so many old houses full of character. I will get to go out and explore it more tomorrow, but until then, I am falling asleep just writing this. So that's it for me,

Pictures to come.
Kelly

3 more sleeps...

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go
I'm standin' here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
...
'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go
...
Every place I go, I think of you
Every song I sing, I sing for you
...
'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go

Now the time has come to leave you
One more time, oh, let me kiss you
And close your eyes and I'll be on my way

'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go

And I'm leaving on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go

But I'm leaving on a jet plane
Leaving on a jet plane
Leaving on a jet plane
...

So three more sleeps until I hit the tarmac. It has been an emotional roller coaster week for me. I finished work on friday and have now spent a few days moving out and tying up loose ends. I crammed a ton of stuff into those handy vacuum sealed bags, and packed an unrational amount of stuff into my little storage space. I moved out the other day and it was strange to leave my apartment with people moving in it. But I'm sure they will keep good care of my place while I'm gone. Since then I have been couch surfing and saying lots of goodbyes. It is starting to hit me that I am leaving for a year. I haven't totally wrapped my brain around it, but it is starting to slowly sink in.

I had my final standard driving lesson today. I wish I could say I ended on a high note, but I think I stalled more today than ever. Though I hit the big roads today. So here's hoping that the scary roads of the Netherlands go easy on me. If anyone has a bumper sticker that says "I'm new at this stick shift think, keep your distance," send it my way.

So I guess the next time you hear from me I will be donning my wooden shoes upon my arrival in Amsterdam on Saturday.

Tot volgende tijd,
Kelly