Days 53-56 - Hamburg and Back to Amsterdam

Four days without a post?  Has it really been that long?  By now you have probably assumed that I am lying in a ditch somewhere in the European wilderness.  Actually I am in the library in Amsterdam using their free internet (a rarity in Europe.)  So how did I end up here?

I believe last time I posted there was one day left in Hamburg.  Unbeknownced to me, I had already been to all of the tourist sights in the city so after a walk around the downtown area it was time to solve an important mystery.  Does the word hamburger come from Hamburg?  It turns out that it does.  When people emigrated from Hamburg they brought with them a local dish, the Hamburg steak.  This is in fact the basis for the modern hamburger, although what we eat today does not really resemble the steak. 

*
The last night at the hostel I met some guys from Germany and then stayed awake to watch the Giants game.


The Germans and the Giant's fan

In what is fast becoming a recurring theme it was time to figure out where I was headed next.  My four main choices were Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Berlin and Frankfurt.  I'd already been to Berlin, Copenhagen was too far out of the way and Amsterdam easily trumps Frankfurt.  Another six hours of travel landed me in the city.  Here are some highlights from the last forty-eight hours. 

Awesome art - I hope they aren't useable

As you may remember, the Dutch love their bikes.  Below is the largest bike rack I have ever seen.



During my first visit I stayed mostly around the canals and did not make it to the harbor.  I went this time and found that it is an incredibly relaxing place to sit and watch the boats pass.

Below is the bench I sat on in the harbor.  Normally I would not include a bench but this one had to be in here because it was actually comfortable.  To whoever invented the "I put the end of this at the perfect height to give you lower back pain" park bench in the US, take notice. 

Spending a day with three New Yorker's has made Amsterdam significantly more enjoyable.  It has also allowed me to be in some photos for the first time in a about a week.

The famous "I amsterdam" letters

The Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum are nearby "I amsterdam" so we (the New Yorker's and I) paid them a visit.
  

The Van Gogh Museum

The Rijksmuseum

We also went to the Heineken Brewery together.  I had already been but to be honest it was nice to have the company of some other Americans. 

The shadows were wierd - I still have eyes

There has been a lot more but when I'm trying to summarize four days its hard to stay on track.  Besides, I have to save some stories for when I'm home. 

I leave Amsterdam tomorrow so I'll be figuring out where I'm headed tonight.  I have to be in Rome on October 8th so going south is probably the best idea.

Scott