Friday, November 30, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
100 Cats
The itinerary stated clearly the plans for Monday and Tuesday. Derek and Kane took the hour bus to Toledo on Monday and to Segovia on Tuesday while we were in class. After their trips which they claim were “beautiful, gorgeous, stunning in every which way, and definitely a potential hot spot to raise a family,” (I too, thought it was a little strange that they were THAT enthused) we met them at Escamplero and went out.
On Wednesday, the chicos roamed around the city, parking themselves on the bench with the most entertainment around…the typical Spanish PDA sesh proved to be entertaining at the very least. After we got out of class, Jess, Meg and I (Beth left for Brussels), brought the boys back to MC’s humble abode…and humble she was, offering them dinner. Although frightened by the nutty old women, they were sure not to pass up the free meal. Once we established that there was a futbol game on TV, Mary Carmen scurried around situating us on the couches to watch while shoveling food down our throats. After the victory, we all fought for who could get the bathroom first. Sike. No one threw up but we sure as hell wanted too. After dinner, we hung out in the house and packed for the upcoming weekends activities.
At around 12 A.M., Derek and Kane said their farewells to Megan and Jess who were spending the weekend in Paris. Although we had to tear Michael away from his beloved novia (oh my gosh, meangan!), we somehow managed to get to the bus station in time for our overnight drive to Granada (anything to save a few Euro.) Thankfully, we slept the whole way on the bus, and awoke bright and early in the quaint Moorish city. We spent the rest of the morning as tourists and visited cities Cathedral. Afterward, we went back to the hostel to check into our room and take a siesta. The rejuvenating nap gave us the energy we needed to hike up a mountain…note to self: never go on vaca with an ROTC student and Rugby stud. Upon reaching the top, we could see an incredible view of the entire city. When we returned, we showered and got ready for the tapas tour that the hostel had planned. Everyone in the hostel hopped from bar to bar as we sampled just about every Spanish tapa known to man. Granada is one of the only cities left in Spain that still gives you a free appetizer with every beer…talk about a cheap, filling meal. Our new Australian and French Canadian friends (who Kane, again, swept off their feet), helped make the evening a delightful one.
The next morning we woke up, packed a loaf of PB&Js, and headed off to the Alhambra. One of the top 10 tourist attractions in Europe is a symbol of the Moorish retreat during the Christian Reconquista. The Moors’ great palace consists of four sights clustered on top of a huge hill. The detailed artwork and architecture which clearly showed the Moorish obsession of water (we almost through Kane into quite a few waterfalls) were incredible. The sight took the entire day to explore, so by the time that we were finally finished, we needed a siesta. Afterward, the hostel provided a FEAST for a measly 5 Euro. Beginning with carrot soup, Salad, Patatas Bravas, Paella (4 yards in circumference), and triple chocolate brownie made us never want to leave Oasis hostel. That night, we went to a bar for a few drinks.
On Saturday morning, we woke up to check out of the hostel. We got our usual cup of café con leche, and then headed to the bus station. When surrounded by good company, the 5 hour long bus ride only seems to take 2. When we got back home, I packed a suitcase of gifts (don’t even think about it family!) and went to Pinocchio’s for dinner. MC offered the boys a bed for the night (good etiquette yet again) because my babygurls were still gone. After the night out with Suzy, I took the boys to the airport in the AM, and we sadly bid our farewells.
On Wednesday, the chicos roamed around the city, parking themselves on the bench with the most entertainment around…the typical Spanish PDA sesh proved to be entertaining at the very least. After we got out of class, Jess, Meg and I (Beth left for Brussels), brought the boys back to MC’s humble abode…and humble she was, offering them dinner. Although frightened by the nutty old women, they were sure not to pass up the free meal. Once we established that there was a futbol game on TV, Mary Carmen scurried around situating us on the couches to watch while shoveling food down our throats. After the victory, we all fought for who could get the bathroom first. Sike. No one threw up but we sure as hell wanted too. After dinner, we hung out in the house and packed for the upcoming weekends activities.
At around 12 A.M., Derek and Kane said their farewells to Megan and Jess who were spending the weekend in Paris. Although we had to tear Michael away from his beloved novia (oh my gosh, meangan!), we somehow managed to get to the bus station in time for our overnight drive to Granada (anything to save a few Euro.) Thankfully, we slept the whole way on the bus, and awoke bright and early in the quaint Moorish city. We spent the rest of the morning as tourists and visited cities Cathedral. Afterward, we went back to the hostel to check into our room and take a siesta. The rejuvenating nap gave us the energy we needed to hike up a mountain…note to self: never go on vaca with an ROTC student and Rugby stud. Upon reaching the top, we could see an incredible view of the entire city. When we returned, we showered and got ready for the tapas tour that the hostel had planned. Everyone in the hostel hopped from bar to bar as we sampled just about every Spanish tapa known to man. Granada is one of the only cities left in Spain that still gives you a free appetizer with every beer…talk about a cheap, filling meal. Our new Australian and French Canadian friends (who Kane, again, swept off their feet), helped make the evening a delightful one.
The next morning we woke up, packed a loaf of PB&Js, and headed off to the Alhambra. One of the top 10 tourist attractions in Europe is a symbol of the Moorish retreat during the Christian Reconquista. The Moors’ great palace consists of four sights clustered on top of a huge hill. The detailed artwork and architecture which clearly showed the Moorish obsession of water (we almost through Kane into quite a few waterfalls) were incredible. The sight took the entire day to explore, so by the time that we were finally finished, we needed a siesta. Afterward, the hostel provided a FEAST for a measly 5 Euro. Beginning with carrot soup, Salad, Patatas Bravas, Paella (4 yards in circumference), and triple chocolate brownie made us never want to leave Oasis hostel. That night, we went to a bar for a few drinks.
On Saturday morning, we woke up to check out of the hostel. We got our usual cup of café con leche, and then headed to the bus station. When surrounded by good company, the 5 hour long bus ride only seems to take 2. When we got back home, I packed a suitcase of gifts (don’t even think about it family!) and went to Pinocchio’s for dinner. MC offered the boys a bed for the night (good etiquette yet again) because my babygurls were still gone. After the night out with Suzy, I took the boys to the airport in the AM, and we sadly bid our farewells.
Monday, November 26, 2007
We missed you, Knuty!
MC's chicas were reunited last night after another weekend of separation (tear). Jess and Meg were in Paris, while Bec took the visiting chicos south to Granada... she'll tell you all about that soon. I went to Brussels with my political econ class to see the European Union and have some fun in Belgica! We took off from Madrid and arrived at our very nice hotel late Wednesday night. After getting settled, a few of us went out for a couple Belgian brewskis. It happened to be karaoke night at the nearest little bar, so we endured some painful croons but enjoyed some drinks and sang along before heading in for the night.
We had an early wake-up call Thursday morning for a meeting at the European Parliament. The Spanish parliamentarian we were there to meet was busy, but we got the tour from his assistant, and briefly greeted him in passing after creeping in his office. Next we headed to a quaint part of the city for a quick lunch. Being the good friend that I am, I risked my life for a Brian Dearborn photo shoot, and barely escaped death by a moving car. We went on to our next meeting with lobbying firm Business Europe, and then back to the hotel for a brief siesta before dinner.
Knut, our professor and frequent visitor of Brussels, took us out for a typical Belgian meal. It would have to suffice for Thanksgiving dinner for the Americans in the class. We enjoyed mussels, Belgian fries (don't even think about calling them French in Belgium), and of course some more Belgian cerveza. Delish. Dinner turned out to be quite the cultural experience, as we all used the paper table cloth to teach and learn ridiculous words and phrases in different languages. Fat and happy, we headed to see Grand Place (gorgeous at night! Check out the pictures) and Mannequin Piss, Brussels' famous statue of a little boy peeing (??). Whatever they're into... Then we passed a lucky Belgian statue, which some of us were bold enough to touch. (So I'm either going to get married within the month or never at all... Eeek.) Knut took us to one of his favorite Brussels bars, The Coffin, where we drank beer out of skulls and Knut told us about his days as the lead singer in a death metal band. Needless to say we all got to know our each other pretty well this weekend.
Another early morning on Friday, we met with two more EU lobbyists from different industries, then took the tram out of downtown to visit the Estonian embassy. Suburban Brussels in the fall was beautiful and reminded us of home. After an interesting chat with the ambassador, we headed back to the EU Commission building, where we had our final meeting with a Swedish commissioner. For dinner, Knut took us to another little Belgian place for some more authentic food and beehs. That night some of us went out to the popular club You and danced the night away euro-style.
We took a trip out of town on Saturday, to the beautiful city of Brugge. The old-Europe city was all ready for Christmas, and we all got in the spirit, doing some shopping, and tasting the seasonal hot wine. We visited a shop that makes their own chocolate, and of course enjoyed lots of samples and spent lots of money. It was worth every euro and every calorie. Back in Brussels, we went out for dinner and another fun night hanging out with people from our class.
Sunday morning we got up to visit King Leopold's museum of stuff he collected from his own personal African colony, walked around a little park outside Brussels, and finally enjoyed an authentic Belgian waffle. Seriously packing on the pounds this weekend between the waffles, fries, chocolate, and beer. How all Belgians aren't obese I'll never know.
The trip came to a close with our flight back to Barajas, where we said tearful goodbyes to our new friends. I headed back to MC's to be reunited with my long-lost roomates. Tonight, Rowan and Owen (Jess' and my Aussie friends that we met in Granada) are in Madrid, so we are going to meet them and show them our stomping grounds. Check ya laterrrrr.
We had an early wake-up call Thursday morning for a meeting at the European Parliament. The Spanish parliamentarian we were there to meet was busy, but we got the tour from his assistant, and briefly greeted him in passing after creeping in his office. Next we headed to a quaint part of the city for a quick lunch. Being the good friend that I am, I risked my life for a Brian Dearborn photo shoot, and barely escaped death by a moving car. We went on to our next meeting with lobbying firm Business Europe, and then back to the hotel for a brief siesta before dinner.
Knut, our professor and frequent visitor of Brussels, took us out for a typical Belgian meal. It would have to suffice for Thanksgiving dinner for the Americans in the class. We enjoyed mussels, Belgian fries (don't even think about calling them French in Belgium), and of course some more Belgian cerveza. Delish. Dinner turned out to be quite the cultural experience, as we all used the paper table cloth to teach and learn ridiculous words and phrases in different languages. Fat and happy, we headed to see Grand Place (gorgeous at night! Check out the pictures) and Mannequin Piss, Brussels' famous statue of a little boy peeing (??). Whatever they're into... Then we passed a lucky Belgian statue, which some of us were bold enough to touch. (So I'm either going to get married within the month or never at all... Eeek.) Knut took us to one of his favorite Brussels bars, The Coffin, where we drank beer out of skulls and Knut told us about his days as the lead singer in a death metal band. Needless to say we all got to know our each other pretty well this weekend.
Another early morning on Friday, we met with two more EU lobbyists from different industries, then took the tram out of downtown to visit the Estonian embassy. Suburban Brussels in the fall was beautiful and reminded us of home. After an interesting chat with the ambassador, we headed back to the EU Commission building, where we had our final meeting with a Swedish commissioner. For dinner, Knut took us to another little Belgian place for some more authentic food and beehs. That night some of us went out to the popular club You and danced the night away euro-style.
We took a trip out of town on Saturday, to the beautiful city of Brugge. The old-Europe city was all ready for Christmas, and we all got in the spirit, doing some shopping, and tasting the seasonal hot wine. We visited a shop that makes their own chocolate, and of course enjoyed lots of samples and spent lots of money. It was worth every euro and every calorie. Back in Brussels, we went out for dinner and another fun night hanging out with people from our class.
Sunday morning we got up to visit King Leopold's museum of stuff he collected from his own personal African colony, walked around a little park outside Brussels, and finally enjoyed an authentic Belgian waffle. Seriously packing on the pounds this weekend between the waffles, fries, chocolate, and beer. How all Belgians aren't obese I'll never know.
The trip came to a close with our flight back to Barajas, where we said tearful goodbyes to our new friends. I headed back to MC's to be reunited with my long-lost roomates. Tonight, Rowan and Owen (Jess' and my Aussie friends that we met in Granada) are in Madrid, so we are going to meet them and show them our stomping grounds. Check ya laterrrrr.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Gracias a Dios por ser Espanol
Los chicos arrived Friday A.M. so Betha met them at the areopuerto bright and early. We took the chaps to their Hostel in Sol where we left them for a few hours to take a serious siesta. Afterward, Derek and Kane met us for dinner at our favorite pizza place, Pinocchio, where we ordered our beers by the litro via our own table's tap...so college. Our Euro getup threw the boys for a bit of a shock..Euro meets American with our spandex under dresses topped with Northface jackets...mind you, all four of us dressed in uniform. Afterward, we took the boys out for their first Spanish clubbing experience. Derek and Kane's lack of dancing skills made it obvious that the Spanish clubbing scene that we have become so used to is far different from the American college bar scene.
The next morning, the boys slept in still struggling from the time change. They diverged from the itinerary schedule, which had a full sightseeing day planned ahead. When they finally woke up, we met them with bocadillas and watched one of the many manifestaciones that was going on in Sol because it was the weekend anniversary of Franco's death. We then made way to Real Madrid's futbol stadium where we spontaneously bought tickets for the Spain vs. Sweden Eurocup qualifier. (Shout out to Sergio Ramos!) We went home to get ready briefly then got on the metro again, only to get robbed for the second weekend in a row. The metro was packed with Espana fans presenting a perfect opportunity to unzip Becca's purse and steal her clutch containing all of her valuables. Madrid: 2. Becca: 0. SORRY Collins. Once we found our perfectly situated stadium seats, her worries disappeared. Becca and Jess wore their Espana flags proudly and Kane bought an obnoxious horn (shocking) to cheer their team to victory!
On Sunday, we met the boys at MC's before heading to Mass and the Prado. Derek spoke of all of the artist painting techniques, while candyKane tried to make a run for it with Valezquez's most famous piece. Afterward, we treated MC and CO (Pepe and his GF) to a traditional Thanksgiving meal. To our dismay, Corte Ingles was lacking in the turkey inventory, so chicken had to suffice. With MC buzzing around in our faces insisting that her frozen beans were better than ours and SHE knew how to make mashed potatoes, we still managed to enjoy a hearty meal. After dinner, we helped Derek and Kane plan their day trips to Segovia and Toledo on Monday and Tuesday. The next weekend Betha was torn into two. Becca took Derek and Kane to Granada while Beth attended a class trip to Brussels. Hold your horses...new posts are a comin'.
Check ya later!
The next morning, the boys slept in still struggling from the time change. They diverged from the itinerary schedule, which had a full sightseeing day planned ahead. When they finally woke up, we met them with bocadillas and watched one of the many manifestaciones that was going on in Sol because it was the weekend anniversary of Franco's death. We then made way to Real Madrid's futbol stadium where we spontaneously bought tickets for the Spain vs. Sweden Eurocup qualifier. (Shout out to Sergio Ramos!) We went home to get ready briefly then got on the metro again, only to get robbed for the second weekend in a row. The metro was packed with Espana fans presenting a perfect opportunity to unzip Becca's purse and steal her clutch containing all of her valuables. Madrid: 2. Becca: 0. SORRY Collins. Once we found our perfectly situated stadium seats, her worries disappeared. Becca and Jess wore their Espana flags proudly and Kane bought an obnoxious horn (shocking) to cheer their team to victory!
On Sunday, we met the boys at MC's before heading to Mass and the Prado. Derek spoke of all of the artist painting techniques, while candyKane tried to make a run for it with Valezquez's most famous piece. Afterward, we treated MC and CO (Pepe and his GF) to a traditional Thanksgiving meal. To our dismay, Corte Ingles was lacking in the turkey inventory, so chicken had to suffice. With MC buzzing around in our faces insisting that her frozen beans were better than ours and SHE knew how to make mashed potatoes, we still managed to enjoy a hearty meal. After dinner, we helped Derek and Kane plan their day trips to Segovia and Toledo on Monday and Tuesday. The next weekend Betha was torn into two. Becca took Derek and Kane to Granada while Beth attended a class trip to Brussels. Hold your horses...new posts are a comin'.
Check ya later!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Guzman El Bueno is so Beautiful
Its been a busy week, so we have finally had time to sit down and blog about our latest Madrid happenings...we know you've been sitting on the edge of your seat, dying of curiosity. This past weekend, our gracious Irish hostess, Suzy (lax super star), came to visit the city we have come to call home. MC was a pretty gracious host herself by offering Suzy lodging...put that one down in the books. On Thursday we took her to Escam where we met some of Plaza de Doctor Laguna's classiest. After hearing an original freestyle and beat box and many beautiful comments about how beautiful our eyes were... how beautiful our metro stop was... and how beautiful the English language is... from toothless jovenes, Suzy began to question our standards. Not to worry, Suzy's opinion was quickly swayed when we brought her, VIP style, to the most popular Discoteca this city has to offer, Kapital. Thanks to our friend Albert, we bypassed the line and got in free of charge. He led us up to a VIP room, on the second of seven themed floors. In true Fabulous Life Of Betha fashion, there were already bottles chilling in for us when we got to the club. We boogied with Becca's Marketing class, many of whom sport the Last Samurai Euro ponies (something not to be tried at home).
The next morning, we woke and took Suzy on a grand tour of Madrid. Beginning in our favorite pasteleria, we ventured to Sol, The Royal Palace, the Cathedral, and Retiro Park. That night, we met our other friend Suzy (fellow Madrileña) who also had friends visiting for the weekend, at a bar in Sol. After jumping into cabs to switch party scenes, a misunderstanding led to Suzy (SJU) and Becca being split up from Meg and Beth. Becca and Suzy decided to take a cab home, but as per usual, the cab driver tried to take advantage of them by cruising around and racking up the meter. When the girls protested at the end of the ride, the driver forgot what his mama taught him- boys don't hit girls. Thankfully Suzy came out unscathed, but not before taking a few slaps from the taxista while protecting, not the lacrosse goal, but Becca. Why come to Madrid if you don't experience it to the fullest? She sure as hell did. The cops came, and in between a few dramatic sobs, the story was told. Madrid: 1.
On Saturday we woke up to go shopping to indulge our newly-aquired Euro fashion sense. To our dismay, we couldnt find any spandex or skinny jeans that suited our tastes. But at least we still got some money in the bank... swizz beatz styleeee. On the way home, we were surprised to hear a metro boyband playing the crowd-pleaser "When the Saints Come Marching In"... better known as "When the Hawks Come Flying In." As proud Hawks, of course we belted out the lyrics, and became part of their metro show. After a quick siesta, we headed out again. To our shock, Escamplero was closed, so we had to choose another Plaza de Dr. Laguna jump-off. We stepped into Viejo Estilo, and realized why we had never been there before... we found ourselves surrounded by some grandads after work, cigars and pianist included. Megan took a turn showing off her musical talent, stunning the crowd with some Coldplay classics. As bumpin as the bar was, we decided to leave after one cerveza and lots of bar snacks. We went out again with Suzy-squared and Co. to Madrid's famous cave bars. Fun was had by all!
On Sunday we had another cultural day, beginning at the famous Prado Museum. Our art appreciation does in fact extend beyond van Gogh. We brought the Madrid-packed weekend to a close at the Real Madrid game Sunday night. Robinho (pronounced RRRRRRRRRROBINHO, rolling your Spanish "r" of course) dazzled us with his fantastic fútbol skills, scoring 2 of RM's 4 goals in their win against Mallorca. Although we loved Mallorca's crystal blue waters and crazy clubs, we're still Madrileñas at heart. You know we aren't the chicks to do anything halfway... we rocked our Real Madrid jerseys, of course.
Monday morning we bid Suzy farewell and began another jam-packed week of schoolwork... and we thought Joe's was hard. MC's four oceanographers kept busy completing a project on seaweed (yes, we're serious... we never knew there was such a school of information on the subject.) The school week flew by as usual, and we sit here awaiting the arrival of Darrell and Kane VERY early in the mañana!
The next morning, we woke and took Suzy on a grand tour of Madrid. Beginning in our favorite pasteleria, we ventured to Sol, The Royal Palace, the Cathedral, and Retiro Park. That night, we met our other friend Suzy (fellow Madrileña) who also had friends visiting for the weekend, at a bar in Sol. After jumping into cabs to switch party scenes, a misunderstanding led to Suzy (SJU) and Becca being split up from Meg and Beth. Becca and Suzy decided to take a cab home, but as per usual, the cab driver tried to take advantage of them by cruising around and racking up the meter. When the girls protested at the end of the ride, the driver forgot what his mama taught him- boys don't hit girls. Thankfully Suzy came out unscathed, but not before taking a few slaps from the taxista while protecting, not the lacrosse goal, but Becca. Why come to Madrid if you don't experience it to the fullest? She sure as hell did. The cops came, and in between a few dramatic sobs, the story was told. Madrid: 1.
On Saturday we woke up to go shopping to indulge our newly-aquired Euro fashion sense. To our dismay, we couldnt find any spandex or skinny jeans that suited our tastes. But at least we still got some money in the bank... swizz beatz styleeee. On the way home, we were surprised to hear a metro boyband playing the crowd-pleaser "When the Saints Come Marching In"... better known as "When the Hawks Come Flying In." As proud Hawks, of course we belted out the lyrics, and became part of their metro show. After a quick siesta, we headed out again. To our shock, Escamplero was closed, so we had to choose another Plaza de Dr. Laguna jump-off. We stepped into Viejo Estilo, and realized why we had never been there before... we found ourselves surrounded by some grandads after work, cigars and pianist included. Megan took a turn showing off her musical talent, stunning the crowd with some Coldplay classics. As bumpin as the bar was, we decided to leave after one cerveza and lots of bar snacks. We went out again with Suzy-squared and Co. to Madrid's famous cave bars. Fun was had by all!
On Sunday we had another cultural day, beginning at the famous Prado Museum. Our art appreciation does in fact extend beyond van Gogh. We brought the Madrid-packed weekend to a close at the Real Madrid game Sunday night. Robinho (pronounced RRRRRRRRRROBINHO, rolling your Spanish "r" of course) dazzled us with his fantastic fútbol skills, scoring 2 of RM's 4 goals in their win against Mallorca. Although we loved Mallorca's crystal blue waters and crazy clubs, we're still Madrileñas at heart. You know we aren't the chicks to do anything halfway... we rocked our Real Madrid jerseys, of course.
Monday morning we bid Suzy farewell and began another jam-packed week of schoolwork... and we thought Joe's was hard. MC's four oceanographers kept busy completing a project on seaweed (yes, we're serious... we never knew there was such a school of information on the subject.) The school week flew by as usual, and we sit here awaiting the arrival of Darrell and Kane VERY early in the mañana!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
News Flash
Spotted:
B & B both donning (gasp!).... leggings. What's next? Skinny jeans? Oh wait, they've already tried them out too. Guess the plain Janes couldn't resist Euro fashion forever...
till next time...
you know you love me
xoxo
B & B both donning (gasp!).... leggings. What's next? Skinny jeans? Oh wait, they've already tried them out too. Guess the plain Janes couldn't resist Euro fashion forever...
till next time...
you know you love me
xoxo
Monday, November 5, 2007
2440 or Amsterdam...same diff.
Shocking news: we did not be win the "best halloween costume" for 2007. Even more shocking, we did not even dress up because these lame Spaniards don't celebrate what most would consider the best college holiday. Instead, we spent the day packing for Amsterdam and feasting on Kit's halloween package and Deb's halloween candy (you jerks are making it hard for us to come back looking sexy.) Thursday morning we caught our flight to Frankfurt and would not have minded staying one night in the German city with all of the tall, blonde, blue eyed Aryans. Our delayed flight eventually took off and after a quick 45 minutes, we landed in the Dam of Amster.
Upon our arrival we found our hostel. Room 11 or Anne Frank's hideout...same diff. We left Megan at home with her parents for the weekend so the two of us and Jess were crammed in a 2x4 with only one bunkbed and a matress laying the ground. The only benefit of our hostel was that it was in the center of everything so we met our friends (who were staying in a different hostel) at a bar close by. After deciding to call it a night, we were drawn by the blue strobe lights and Dutch anthems booming from inside bar Surprise. When we entered, we were literally surprised. After watching huddles of Dutch men belting out their country's jams, followed by favorites such as "It's Raining Men," by the Spice girls, and ABBA's "Dancing Queen," we looked around to realize that we were the only chicas in the bar...SURPRISE...it was a gay bar. A wild time, nonetheless, we stayed longer than expected pretending to know the words to the Dutch songs and making some Dutch friends. DUTCH.
Our friend, Matt from Joe's (who is teaching English to little German kinder) also met us in the land of the Nethers (we told you that you would get some airtime). We met him for the free breakfast of bread and butter at the hostel then off we treked to fulfill Beth's seventh grade dream of visiting Anne Frank's humble abode...and humble it was...but not quite as humble as our 2x4. We toured the mini quarters and at the end we sent our Padres some video footage of our cultural activities. We lifted our spirits by sampling Amsterdam's famous crapes...which were less than stellar. The waffles were far more superior. We topped off our day of culural experiences by visiting the Van Gogh museum. Mesmerized by some of Vanny's materpieces, Becca finally found a favorite painting called "Sunflowers." Don't worry Kit, I'm not stealing your favorite flower...my new favorite now also comes from one of Goghseph's paintings, "Irises." Next, we went back to our hostel for a brief nap before a night on the town.
We got dolled up...in what most would consider not such a "Betha" outfit...spandex and skinny jeans have grown on us madrilenas. We lent our 2x4 and shower con flipflops to our homeless Spanish friend, Victor. Surprise! We got a few dranks at Surprise, the Escamplero of Amsterdam. Then we headed to Amsterdam's biggest club, Escape. Anne, you would have definately wanted to escape. On stage there was a combination of dancing mimes dressed as transvestites with clown faces on. For some reason, we didn't think it was weird at the time. We boogied through the night to the techno beat and had a romantic walk home as the sun was rising.
BAGELS! We had them for breakfast! We walked around and nearly died several times as Amsterdam's crazy women bikers swooshed past us. Lee Ann, you would have fit in perfectly because everyone was just as sick at bike riding as you. Come to think of it, we give you more props. The beach chair, towel, and beach bag in hand, radio on the shoulder, and one (or both) of us on your handle bars is hard to beat. You go girl! Unfortunatly the bike rental places were sold out so we didn't get to bike around in true Dutch fashion. We visited the infamous Red Light District...when in Amsterdam. A serious EEF had by all. Jess was lured by the legal prostitution but being the good Catholic girls that we are, we said, "NO JESS, PLEASE NO!" Kidding, the trashy sluhas were easy to pass up...even for Matt.
After a full day of city gandering, we went out again and met some London lads. They did not hesitate to bust the chops of an Italian creep who remembered Beth from the night before. He came to be known as "The Godfather." Despite popular belief, Beth must have some killer dance moves, unforgettable to middle aged Euro men who pick their nose...AND wear glasses. (NOTHING to worry about, Tombase!) We woke up early to get to the airport...but apparently, not early enough. We officially had our first "sprint to the gate" airport run. (Beth is laying on my best doing situps right now.) We made it just in time for our flight back to MC's house. This weekend, Suzy will be visiting from Ireland so we will get a chance to repay her for the awesome time she showed us there.
Upon our arrival we found our hostel. Room 11 or Anne Frank's hideout...same diff. We left Megan at home with her parents for the weekend so the two of us and Jess were crammed in a 2x4 with only one bunkbed and a matress laying the ground. The only benefit of our hostel was that it was in the center of everything so we met our friends (who were staying in a different hostel) at a bar close by. After deciding to call it a night, we were drawn by the blue strobe lights and Dutch anthems booming from inside bar Surprise. When we entered, we were literally surprised. After watching huddles of Dutch men belting out their country's jams, followed by favorites such as "It's Raining Men," by the Spice girls, and ABBA's "Dancing Queen," we looked around to realize that we were the only chicas in the bar...SURPRISE...it was a gay bar. A wild time, nonetheless, we stayed longer than expected pretending to know the words to the Dutch songs and making some Dutch friends. DUTCH.
Our friend, Matt from Joe's (who is teaching English to little German kinder) also met us in the land of the Nethers (we told you that you would get some airtime). We met him for the free breakfast of bread and butter at the hostel then off we treked to fulfill Beth's seventh grade dream of visiting Anne Frank's humble abode...and humble it was...but not quite as humble as our 2x4. We toured the mini quarters and at the end we sent our Padres some video footage of our cultural activities. We lifted our spirits by sampling Amsterdam's famous crapes...which were less than stellar. The waffles were far more superior. We topped off our day of culural experiences by visiting the Van Gogh museum. Mesmerized by some of Vanny's materpieces, Becca finally found a favorite painting called "Sunflowers." Don't worry Kit, I'm not stealing your favorite flower...my new favorite now also comes from one of Goghseph's paintings, "Irises." Next, we went back to our hostel for a brief nap before a night on the town.
We got dolled up...in what most would consider not such a "Betha" outfit...spandex and skinny jeans have grown on us madrilenas. We lent our 2x4 and shower con flipflops to our homeless Spanish friend, Victor. Surprise! We got a few dranks at Surprise, the Escamplero of Amsterdam. Then we headed to Amsterdam's biggest club, Escape. Anne, you would have definately wanted to escape. On stage there was a combination of dancing mimes dressed as transvestites with clown faces on. For some reason, we didn't think it was weird at the time. We boogied through the night to the techno beat and had a romantic walk home as the sun was rising.
BAGELS! We had them for breakfast! We walked around and nearly died several times as Amsterdam's crazy women bikers swooshed past us. Lee Ann, you would have fit in perfectly because everyone was just as sick at bike riding as you. Come to think of it, we give you more props. The beach chair, towel, and beach bag in hand, radio on the shoulder, and one (or both) of us on your handle bars is hard to beat. You go girl! Unfortunatly the bike rental places were sold out so we didn't get to bike around in true Dutch fashion. We visited the infamous Red Light District...when in Amsterdam. A serious EEF had by all. Jess was lured by the legal prostitution but being the good Catholic girls that we are, we said, "NO JESS, PLEASE NO!" Kidding, the trashy sluhas were easy to pass up...even for Matt.
After a full day of city gandering, we went out again and met some London lads. They did not hesitate to bust the chops of an Italian creep who remembered Beth from the night before. He came to be known as "The Godfather." Despite popular belief, Beth must have some killer dance moves, unforgettable to middle aged Euro men who pick their nose...AND wear glasses. (NOTHING to worry about, Tombase!) We woke up early to get to the airport...but apparently, not early enough. We officially had our first "sprint to the gate" airport run. (Beth is laying on my best doing situps right now.) We made it just in time for our flight back to MC's house. This weekend, Suzy will be visiting from Ireland so we will get a chance to repay her for the awesome time she showed us there.
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