EASTER IN AMSTERDAM

Hee, tiny tiny tiny box of matches, with tiny tiny tiny matches inside.

Here we have Min in the bottom left corner (friend from Hamilton), above her we have Kato (Min's flatmate who crazy cool aussie), Mark who Min's friend from Hamilton who lives in Amsterdam at the moment. And me and Kate.


This is Mon and I. Mon being the girl that Kate came to London with and she is now living with over here.
For those of yu who arent sure of those i am hanging and talking about i will label the photos. Kate and Mon and I flew to Ansterdam and met Min and Kato, (obviously easily confused - atleast some of our parents were original) who made it there on a bus in 13 hours or so. We tagged along for some of their tour group antics but mainly remained a threesome.

We largely forgot it was actually easter and the closest we got was the morning chocolate hunt set up by Monica : ) Oh and we did get to cuddle a cuple of bunnies on the side of the street and they gave us a wee egg : ) Oh and we did find the best lolly shop in Amsterdam to make up for any sugar that we may have been missing out on over the Easter period.

The town is very retro and laid back and cycling around the place was the best experience. The canal ride is nice but a little overrated, considering the canals were in the same places as you walk and ride. The buildings are crooked and so close to the canals - very cute, especially the house boats the reside on the canal itself due to housing shortages.

The streets were filled with bikers and there were 3 story parking buildings for bikes alone that were ablsoutely full! It was pretty busy being Easter but never really seemed touristy which was cool.

The streets and canals

We did alot in Amsterdam but unfortunately we werent allowed to take photos of everything we did. As well as some photos that will not make it to my site in consideration of my reputation.

We did visit the Anne Frank house which was very cool and now i need to reread the book because i wasnt really listening in form two when Mr Quinn tried to culture me at a young age. He should have taken us to amsterdam! Ill remember that when i have my next classroom - our class trips are gona be phenomonal! Was very cool and even cooler we got up early to beat the line that was about 150m long when we got out!

We visited the Van Gogh museum which was nice.

We went to a show that was very interesting and wandered down a few alleyways in which cameras were also prohibited.

We also spent a little time sleeping after visiting the local cafes.

ON OUR BIKES

Bikes were everywhere in Amsterdam, but not your funky mountain and race bikes! Lucky cos probably a bit harder to master. Instead we had bikes straight from the 1920'2 or there abouts! The ones where you brake by pushing backward on the pedals! Heehee (note to self - much harder to brake in this fashion when going down hills)














We navigated our way around the streets and canals to find the parks of the city. We hung out in vondel park where all the hippies gathered, way back when our bikes were brand new. Fair to say i was impressed with our efforts, only a few slight crashes, like Mon into a man and me into some dog crap. A beautiful sunny day, unfortunately not a dry spot to lie down in the sun. And so the search of park bences went on.














We look quite confident here but if we had taken a photo of us going through the main streets in the dedicated bike lanes...........our faces would have a few more wrinkles and our knuckles would have been white from holding on so tight! And probably the people in the background would have been laughing!

Barcelona good times

Barcelona in a nutshell -

Crack up people that have u in stitches.

Crowds of people that cheer when you walk past - only applies if u as hot as us right now - not really.

Alot of tourists and alot of orange - i challenge you to find a city where so many people ar wearing orange!

Great nights of crowded streets and giggles on Sangria, ask Kate what it islike to bathe in Sangria.

Sunny beaches with loads of room to cater for the crowds of half naked people who like to prance around.

People hanging out in the main square in circles - chatting, hanging, watching the street performers

The Gaudi works

So Gaudi's architecture is absolutely amazing and very different to anything else we will see. The photos will not do him justice but what can you do? Unless you want to visit when i am living there in the future - the place is that cool that i am racking my brain to think what and how and who will live there with me. His work isa all over Barcelona - Familia, Pedaro and Jardins are featured here. From parks to gardins to churches to apartments!

Holah From Barcelona!!!!

So kate and i just got back from Spain! As you do on a random week. We soaked up some of the Gaudi (who ever heard of him until the other week , but obviously a very important man) arcchitecture, the spanish culture of late night eats and drinking sangria (wine and juices and liquer in a jug), and some of the rays from the hot sun on the beach.






The place was full of cute lanes, like Ham's Casabella lane, that all lead into crazy courtyards or main strips full of markets and street performers.

Our room was very cute in a building in main centre. Just like an apartment all by ourselves - a luxury i couldnt affors but enjoyed nonetheless.

Practically summer

In celebration of the summer weather - the daffodils- the blossoms and the realisation of the beautiful parks - me and kate went frolicking in Hyde Park. Despite the people asleep on benches (not sure if homeless or jus prefer the summer time to their beds) it was really pretty!

Especiall For Jesse - The London Dungeon

I was very excited to be at the London Dungeon because Jesse had told me all about it and i knew he would be so excited about me being there! So i took lots of photos so you could see the gruesome ycky things that we did.

I learned heaps about the plague and fire of london and jack the ripper. a little bit sickening but they kept us entertained with skits and a ride and cool things to look at. perfect for a rainy day.

Andy Arrives

It was very cool being the London guide for a day, showing Andy around the city. Our activities were a little weather influenced as all the seasons came out to greet Andy - sunshine, rain, wind, daffodils, and hail! Crazy.

We managed to see the palace through the crowds of people and arrived just in time to see the changing of the guards. Saint james park got cut short by the down pour but Camden town pulled through with a couple of punks, of whom Andy took sneaky photos of. And a new leather jacket for me!

We sheltered in the london dungeon while the rain was at its worst. When the sun came out we managed to visit the London Tower bridge - not to be confused with the london bride which was really nothing more than the pukete bridge of hamiltron!