The semester is done!
The night after my final final was over, Sara, Sam, Gaby and I took a bus to Pisa, then a plane to Eindhoven, then another bus to Amsterdam. When we stepped off the bus we were tired (we hadn't slept that night, and had been traveling for about 8 or 9 hours) and it was raining, snowing, and windy.
Eager to find some food and warmth, we headed straight for the Pancake Bakery, which our roommate John had recommended from his trip to Amsterdam earlier this year. These weren't normal pancakes - mine had spinach, melted cheese, and cashews; Gaby's had apple and bacon, Sam's had ham and cheese, and Sara's was an "Indonesian" pancake with curry. If this sounds disgusting/weird, think of okonomiyaki and how delicious that is. This is the international/Dutch version!
We also visited the Anne Frank House. It was an incredibly strange feeling to know that I was walking in the same places that Anne Frank and the other people in hiding did. I would go crazy being stuck in there for two years.
For dinner, we had a Turkish/Algerian feast. There was hummus, a lamb/chicken/apricot/yam kebab with cous cous, veal ribs, Turkish delight, and baklava.
The next day, we had a bagel breakfast. I never knew I missed bagels so much! Another reason to go back to California.... Next, we headed to the Rijksmuseum (pronounced "raiks" museum), which is scheduled for intensive construction and renovation from 2005 - 2008. It's now 2009, but only a quarter of the building was open. At least we got to see some beautiful Rembrandts and Vermeers! For our Valentine's dinner we went to an "Asian Fusion" restaurant in the vicinity of the Amsterdam Chinatown, got some noodle soup and Ben & Jerry's!
Our final mission was to the Van Gogh museum. A new exhibit focusing on Van Gogh's nightscapes just opened, and it ended with "The Starry Night," which is smaller than I thought... The Van Gogh Museum was full of inspiration for me - and seeing his paintings in person is a very different experience.
For dinner, we went to an Indian restaurant. We couldn't leave Amsterdam without having some Indian food. I finally had some naan!
I was just getting used to eating Italian food every day...and this trip reminded me of the other foods out there...!! I liked Amsterdam a lot, though. It's very peaceful, and the fact that everyone seems to have flower displays in their windows and balconies makes the city that much better. 
My album - sorry not many photos!
I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's and President's Day...I am headed off to Venice for Carnevale on Friday and will update about that soon!
My album - sorry not many photos!
