Chocolates and Trains

Yesterday, Lee and I returned from my birthday trip to Bruges. Last time I went to Bruges was on a high school trip years ago, and only for an afternoon. It was great to get a chance to go back there and decently explore the area. We arrived Monday evening after a long day of train going, from Amsterdam to Antwerp (where the station is completely being renovated and had no screens displaying train information), Antwerp to Ghent, Ghent to Bruges. The stop in Ghent was not planned, we had missed the proper train to Bruges due to the disarray of the Antwerp station. We got checked into the gorgeous Hotel Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce, which is right on a canal near the Markt in Brugge Centrum. It was a beautiful Medieval building, with nice details. Very pretty. We had a lovely birthday dinner at a nearby restaurant , where we were given complimentary snails. Lee and I both tried our best to eat them, both unsure of the right way, and what parts to eat. Strange. Also, Belgium is not too keen on dismantling seafood at restaurants. I asked if they could take the lobster apart for me (this was a nice restaurant mind you, in America this would be normal request) the waiter was confused and insisted it be served in the shell. Lee got the sole, and it was served practically whole, head and bones intact. Lee loved it despite this. We finished the evening with a stroll around the town. 

The next day after breakfast, we walked around a bit, and then went to a brewery tour at De Halvemaan . The tour showed the workings of the old brewery, and featured a spectacular view from the roof of the brewery. We sampled the Brugse Zot beer at the conclusion of the tour, and then wandered throughout the city going to chocolatiers and shopping at local shops. In the afternoon, we visited the Christmas Market going on in the Markt and Simonstevinplein. It was very festive, and all of Bruges is all decorated for the holidays. They had an ice skating rink, but it appeared slushy and suspect to us. We looked at the stalls and had frites instead. It took forever to find a good restaurant for dinner ( it seems all the restaurants serve the same items) and there was one waiter for the entire place. He was the most intense multitasker ever, he was doing everything in a timely fashion. It took us a while to notice that he was the only one doing all the serving, taking the orders, seating people, and clearing the tables. Intimidating. When I tried to order a waffle for dessert he informed me it would take too long because the kitchen was busy. Lame. I just wanted a waffle. 

Wednesday the epic quest to get a waffle was my final mission. I was turned down the night before, and got turned down again in the morning at a cafe, and as we left people were eating waffles. I guess she couldn't wait ten minutes to put my order in? Oh well. Lee and I found a better waffle place on the walk back to the hotel, where we were the only customers and we could have whatever we wanted. Crucial. 

The train ride home went from Bruges to Antwerp, where our Amsterdam train was running late, then the Amsterdam train terminated at Schiphol Airport instead of the central station and we had to get another train into Centraal. A tram ride, and we were home. 

I will post pictures when I return home to America on Saturday!

Cakes and Trips

Tonight was a lazy Sunday here in Amsterdam. Lee and I went to another film at the IDFA, a selection of shorter animation pieces, not really documentaries, but just thematically arranged animation program. There were a few interesting films, and a few that might not have been animation, but it was another great time at the Tuschinski. 

Today is also the eve of my 20th birthday. In celebration, Caren and Katrina made me a cake, it was pretty good. Tomorrow Lee and I are off to Bruges in Belgium until Wednesday. 

Until then...

-Liz

FIlm Festivals and Thai Food

Today Lee, Caren, Dan, Natalie, AJ and I went to see the film Note by Note  a film in the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. The festival started last night here in Amsterdam and continues into next week. Featuring hundreds of films spanning the globe, the festival is a highlight in the cultural calendar.  The film was excellent, and told the story of one piano being made at the Steinway Piano factory in Astoria, New York. The film intricately followed the piano's journey over one year from a piece of wood to a piano in the Concert Division of the Steinway Company. The film gave an insider view of the process of hand craftmanship and effort that goes into each piano. So much effort goes into each individual piano, and the people who put into that effort see the art of pianomaking as their passion. The film featured interviews with individual craftsmen, and concert pianists, and even one boy getting his first piano in his home to connect with his elderly grandfather. The story was touching and interesting, the presentation immaculate, an excellent film. 

The best part of going to the film festival was the opportunity to see a film at the Tuschinsky, a beautiful theater here in Amsterdam. Built during WWII, the builder from which the theater bears its name was unable to see it completed and perished in a Nazi death camp. Fortunately, his vision is still here for us today, and it is my favorite place in the world to see a movie. 

Lee and I also got some thai food with Caren and Katrina for dinner at a very classy restaurant called Thai Company. I just cannot escape the thai food.

-Liz

Pancakes and Turkeys

THANKSGIVING.

The best holiday of the year. I was born on a Thanksgiving, and love every minute of every Thanksgiving since then.

This year, I am in Amsterdam. Lee and I woke up leisurely, and went and got some Dutch pancakes with Katrina and Laurel. I thoroughly enjoyed my chocolate banana pancake, which is really just like a crepre, except unfolded, and like an omelet in that everything is all mixed together. It was pretty delicious. Afterwards, the true festivities began.

A quest was launched to the nearby American Book Center to procure Scrabble. Because it was Thanksgiving there was free candy and a 10 percent discount for everyone, on top of the 10 percent student discount, it was 20 percent off!

Returning to the house, Lee began the process of washing and peeling the 4 kilos of potatoes.( Truly, the potatoes and Lee are destiny at this point.) Caren was wokring on turkey and all the other yummy stuff. I was in charge of decorations. A quick trip to my bible, www.marthastewart.com, and I had my plan. Pinecone turkeys. Fabulous. Katrina and I embarked into the streets of Amsterdam with a final grocery list, and in search of pinecone turkey supplies. Pinecones were plentiful at one particular stall in the nearby flower market, and luckily all the groceries were in one Albert Heijn (typically, grocery trips require visits to more than one Albert Heijn grocery store), the feathers and pipe cleaners were acquired at a bizarre store called HEMA which apparently sells everything.

59 minutes later, a return to Boomtops for turkey creation. I assembled 12 small turkeys and one large turkey which graced the table settings. Lee handmashed the potatoes( he is dedicated). Dan made some gravy, and we were ready to eat.

After a costume change, it was dinner time. There were 10 guests in the apartment, including two of Laurels friends from school. and two of Caren's friends from Rhode Island. The dinner was excellent, everything was delicious, and there was great company. A Great Thanksgiving.

A Scrabble match of epic proportions took place after dinner. Lee and I were the victors with a total score of 163 points. I think it was all that fancy college learning.

-Liz

Museums and Markets

This morning Lee and I started the day with a little bit of culture by going to the Van Gogh Museum. There is so much great art here in Amsterdam, and the Van Gogh is no exception. The exhibitions chronicles Van Gogh's life through his art, and presents his process and development as an artist, into the style that is associated with him today. There are many earlier works, and there is also alot of biographical information presented, that allows for a greater picture of such a brilliant artist. (Terrible puns aside) It was my second visit to the museum but I was much more enriched this time around, it also gave me an oppurtunity to send a video message to some loved ones from the museum shop.

Next, Caren, Lee and I went to an open air market that sold everything from clothes to fresh fish. We did some shopping and then headed to lunch at a North African restaurant for falafels. After we got some energy, it was on to the larger task of purchasing vegetables for Thanksgiving. On the list, 10lbs of potatoes. Potatoes are not as plentiful and varied as they are in America, but some hunting found some very nice potatoes in a shop along the market, after grabbing a few other necessities, chocolate covered peanuts, and candy of course we headed back to the Singel to unload all the spoils. Lee singlehandedly carried 4 kilos of potatoes back on the tram. Not an easy feat, but he survived.

Tomorrow is the big day, THANKSGIVING. My favorite holiday.

-Liz

Baseball and Lectures

An early attempt to go to Cologne for a few days next week had to be scrapped due to train strikes in Germany and France. After getting the disappointing news this morning, Lee and I headed down to the Vondelpark, Amsterdam's largest public park. We brought along our baseball gloves, handcarried from America, and played a lovely game of catch in the crisp weather. The Vondelpark is still very green and lush, and there were alot of people out and about, walking dogs, and riding bikes. Lee and I undoubtedly stood out, taking on such an unusual and very un-Dutch acitivity as playing catch, but it was still a great time. On the walk back, we stopped at an Irish pub for some lunch and cider, and also sampled some seasonal treats next to the ice rink in the Leidseplein. All decorated for Christmas time, there are stands serving hot waffles and other traditional Dutch treats. Lee and I shared a suikerwaffel and wandered home slowly, enjoying the day.

After a great day wandering the city, Caren, Laurel and I went to a lecture at the nearby John Adams Society given by Dana Thomas, an American journalist who recently wrote a book titled Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster . The talk was an inside look at the changes within the fashion industry over the last 15 years, and how small family owned luxury companys became global megacorporations, almost overnight, resulting in a severe decline in quality and presitge. The talk was well presented and informative, and a great bonding oppurtunity with the girls.

Only 2 days until Thanksgiving!

-LIZ

The Jordaan

After a lazy weekend getting over jet-lag, today Caren arranged a walking tour of a near by part of Amsterdam known as the Jordaan. The Jordaan once had the highest population density of all of Amsterdam, and has been revived from a poor area of disrepair into a cultural center. Many of the original canals are now filled in streets, but the remaining canals create a beautiful neighborhood lined with trees. There are also homes with tiny inner courtyards known as hofjes, built as charity for eldery women, that have gorgeous little gardens inside.There were many great displays of traditional Dutch architecture and design, and it was a great chance to walk around and see more of Amsterdam.

All attempts to make some pictures upload here failed, so you can follow this link to see all my Amsterdam photos as I take them. Picture album

Shoutout to Lee for providing help on making that link work above.

Lee and I also got to sample his favorite cuisine here in Amsterdam at a place known as Kantjils. Basically, they serve Indonesian food, you choose from a grid of options, they put it in a cardboard box, and microwave it, and give it to you. Lee gets the peanut sauce with vegetables and noodles. I get chicken satay with noodles. Its win win.

-Liz

Sinter Klaus and Frites

Today was an important day in Amsterdam. Sinter Klaus arrived , first via boat, then via horse, bringing joy to all. Sinterr Klaus is the original Santa Claus, and he is quite the character. Sinter Klaus comes and delivers presents to good children in their shoes on December 9th. And he comes from Spain by horse, accompanied by his "helper" okay, potetially politically incorrect pseudo slave Black Peter. Now, in celebration, Sinter Klaus travels around the city, in a parade, followed by an army of Black Peters, and several of them were riding along the parade route in a techno-thumping party bus. Very classy. Sinter Klaus; traditional attire is very saint-like and brings back the mood of the religious traditions involved with this holiday. Black Peter wears vaguely mediterranean bright colored pauper outfits. Lee, Katrina, Laurel and I traveled to Dam Square to get a glimpse of all the hullabaloo. I managed to get a few good pictures in, and look forward to more festive happenings in the city as the holiday gets closer.

I guess we can thank the Dutch for inventing Sinter Klaus and bringing him to America.

After we got out of the throng of people seeing Sinter Klaus, we embarke on another Dutch tradition. FRITES. The french fries here in Amsterdam are plentiful and yummy, and we wandered around the Spui nibbling on some warm goodness.

-Liz

Arrivals and Atonement

After an epic quest that spanned both the Atlantic Ocean and both sides of the country of Ireland, I arrived in Amsterdam yesterday. My last minute flight brought me from Boston to Shannon to Dublin to Amterdam. Most notably, the journey was made interesting by seeing men drink Guinness at 7am in Dublin, and sharing a plane to Amsterdam with immigration deportees. By an act of God, my bag made it and there were very little travel problems.

Today, Lee joined me here in Amsterdam. And after some napping, we joined Lee's sister Laurel and a group of her friends to see Atonement at the local American style movie theater. One of my favorite parts of Amsterdam is going to the movies. There is a fabulous old Art Deco style theater which serves beer and wine, and has assigned seats, that makes me think this is how movie go-ing must have been when it first began, but there is of course also more modern megaplexes. Despite this movie theater being of the American variety, the experience was still marvelous, Dutch people are much more polite in the theater and do not even begin to leave until the ending credits are at least 3/4 finished. I must say our group were the rowdiest people there.

I am currently reading Ian McEwan's novel "Atonement", after purchasing it in the Dublin Airport. It was great to go and see the film, and get a more visual idea of the author's intent. The novel is truly gripping, not a light read, the film makes it seem like a fluffier story, but the novel truly is dark and brooding. I won't give away much of the details here, but definately go out and give it a read, or see the film.

Happy 20th Birthday Ashley!!!

-Liz

Ducks and Sunsets

What have I been up to the past few days?

Feeding ducks, seeing sunsets, and catching up with old friends.

In Dublin, my favorite thing to do by far was feed the ducks in both the Grand Canal and in St.Stephen's Green. Since returning to America I have been hunting the Massachusetts landscape for ducks who need feeding. After saving up some delectable stale wheat bread, cheerios and life cereal, my friend Ashley and I embarked on a two hour epic quest for ducks. We scoured all of the ponds and lakes in Rochester, stopped in Acushnet and Lakeville, and finally had to settle for the surly ducks at Buttonwood Park in New Bedford.
Now, I enjoyed duck feeding in Dublin because it was relaxing, and a great activity to help me unwind and think things through during a hectic day. It was a great escape. Plus, I just love ducks. The ducks at Buttonwood were anything but relaxing. Upon arrival, as we slowly approached the water's edge, the ducks, geese, sea gulls, and potential swans literally rose out of the water and walked toward us. Seeing the image of a bag full of goodies, the birds became aggressive and in a scene out of a Hitchcock film, surrounded me on all sides. After the initial fear and panic wore off, it was a good time, many laughs and screams were had by all, and you can see all the great photos my friend Ashley took over here on Flickr. Since then, I have found out that there may be more amicable ducks off of Main Street in Wareham. I will get over there soon and investigate.

As the weather is getting colder here in Southern Massachusetts, the ocean is starting to get dark, and the boats are coming out of the water, and the beach is becoming desolate. I love the beach most in winter. The stillness, the isolation, the beauty, the infinity, there is just something magical about it all. Ashley and I went on another drive, ending up in Padanaram where we were able to catch the beginnings of a sunset, and I was able to meditate on my choices over the past few weeks. It truly is a time of new beginnings, and I am excited to truly begin to figure out what I want to be doing with myself. I will leave off this post with a couple pictures from Padanaram. Have a great day everyone, it is good to be home.










-Liz

Top 10 List

A Long Awaited Dublin Top 10:

10: Jo'Burger- Amazing burgers, which could be served nude, and with any toppings one can imagine. I will miss the eclectic atmosphere of scenesters and live DJ nights.

9: Botanic Gardens- Located in Glasnevin in the north of the city, a great escape from the hustle and bustle of city centre, not to mention gorgeous.

8: Henry Street- The less upscale, and less tourist ridden shopping street in Dublin, great deals and great people watching.

7: the Architecture- Wandering the city, one can find so many amazing buildings, there is so much beauty all over. My personal favorite, the Georgian buildings in Dublin 2.

6: Lemon Creperie and Coffee Co.- The best Caramel Mocha in Dublin, not to mention tasty crepes and breakfast served fast. Yum.

5: Merrion Square- A gorgeous intimate park in Dublin, I loves going there and reading between classes, no ducks, but a sketchy statue of Oscar Wilde looking lecherous.

4: Bulmer's Cider- Gotta love it. I can't stomach Guinness, but a pint of Bulmer's is amazing.

3: Penney's - Cheap stuff. I bought a pair of knockoff Uggs for 8 euro, and another pair of pink flats for 1 euro. Not to mention a belt for 50 cents. Do I need to say more?

2: Trinity College- I absolutely adored the academic experience. Amazing classes, beautiful buildings, great lecturers.

1: The Ducks in St. Stephen's Green- My favorite pastime was feeding the ducks in St. Stephen's Green. I will miss the relaxing activity most of all. I have yet to find a suitable alternative here in Massachusetts.

-Liz

Leaving on a Jet Plane

In what has been the most difficult decision of my life so far, I will be leaving Dublin tomorrow morning. This in effect is my final post as a resident of Dublin. It turns out that Dublin and I just did not get along, and frankly sometimes things just change. I have had some amazing times here in Dublin, but overall it just was not for me. It took alot of thinking, and it was difficult, but I am leaving Dublin with an open mind and hope to find out more about myself in the next few weeks.

In the next few days I will be starting up a new blog. I will post the address here once I get it organized, more on what I will be doing post Dublin.

My favorite part about Dublin was Trinity College. It was an amazing academic experience. I enjoyed all my classes, and it was a shame to have to leave, but my overall happiness and well being is more important right now.

I am proud to say that I got this far, and in the future I may return. But for now, I just have to go home and work things out. I would appreciate everyone's support during this time, and hopefully in the next few days I can have a post about my favorite spots in Dublin, and then I will organize that new blog.

Keep checking, new updates soon.


-Liz