As this is our last night in the amazing city of Amsterdam, I'd like to fill you in on the fun, fun walking tour we joined today. I really can't remember the exact names because my poor, lacerated feet (another story, darn you, mud-walking tour) were killing me. I do remember passing through the red light district, although, since all the windows were closed, we didn't see anything special besides the plaq of a man's hand groping a woman's breast. Eww. T.T
We also passed through a serene courtyard where we saw a Protestant Church, Amsterdam's oldest wooden building to the immediate left, and a hidden Catholic church. Apparently Catholism was banned a few centuries ago and worshippers had to practice in secrete or 'discretely' as the tour guide, Steve, said.
The Royal Palace was very impressive and made the church standing next to it seem inferior by comparison, a sore spot for them I was told. We saw many other neat structures, ending with the story or Anne Frank and her house. The tour of the Anne Frank house was both sobering and enlightening. As I had just visiting the Torture Museum the night before, I was bummed out for hours afterwards.
On another note, for those of you next year who are confronted with the mud-walking tour in the Netherlands, my advice is to bring very high-sided, fully laced shoes. I didn't and had to remove both of my shoes, lost my socks, and cut up my feet badly from walking on seashells. Also, if you are a big girl, like me, you should probably find something else to do altogether. It was an excruciatingly un-fun experience for me. I would never do it again.
One fact I learned today is that weed is actually illegal in Amsterdam, but is 'decriminalized' because nobody cares enough to do anything and it's 'good for business.' The harder stuff, like cocaine and heroin, will get you in heaps of trouble, however.
Signing out,
Lindsey Sampson
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