I will say that British Airways is a nice way to travel
since they provide free booze on flights.
We decided that since we were going to Amsterdam we should do it right and
enjoy a taste of Heineken. Our hotel was
in a great spot and had a wonderful view of the city center. Not wanting to waste time we went up to the
hotel bar and then set off for a walk around the city. We ended up in a great pub with fantastic
music and got to relax for a bit. The
next day we went on a very rainy canal tour. The amount of bikes everywhere was
outstanding. For each person actually
living in Amsterdam there are three bikes.
They say one has been stolen, one is rusting outside and the other is
for riding. The city is very beautiful
and other than trying to avoid the creepy red light district I really enjoyed
wandering around.
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| A beer in honor of our brother- tasted like feet. |
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| Best fondue ever! |
Our next destination was to finally visit Hull. We really did not spend a lot of time there
and after getting things settled we got ready to hop on the train and head to
Scotland. In Edinburgh we were able to
meet up with some of my Fulbright friends and watch the candle light procession
and have a few pints. Then with a great
place to stay thanks to a very kind friend we finally went to sleep to prepare
for Hogmanay, the giant Scottish New Years celebration. New Years Eve we found a pub to chill in
while waiting for the party to start. We
ended up spending a few hours with Rebecca and her family before joining the
party outside. I have never seen so many
people in one place before. The
fireworks were amazing, and other than trying to fight our way through people
just to find a place to stand it was great.
Back home for a night and then time to board the ferry to
head over to Belgium. Our room made me laugh,
as it was the size of a walk in closet, but oh well. They had live entertainment, gambling, bingo
(not a bingo we had ever seen), a piano bar, movie theater and a few places to
eat. Tim finally had some luck and won
at bingo that night. We spent the rest
of the night celebrating and using his winnings to buy beer. We ended up hanging out with a family in the
piano bar who do the trip often. They
gave us advice on what to do and where to go while in Bruges.
Very early in the morning we were up and ready to go. Starting in a freezing cold ice room seemed
like a good idea as we played around and slid down an ice slide. Then another day of wandering in a new city,
eating new food, drinking new beer, followed by a brewery tour.
Finally back in Hull again Tim got to meet my British family
and enjoy a night out at the pub once again.
I don’t think I have ever spent so much time drinking in a two-week
period and I am very proud that I kept up with Tim like a champ. After all that fun I was in need of another
break!
Other than a few hiccups and not so great weather it was an
amazing two weeks and I was thrilled to have family out here. Plus I survived two whole weeks with
Tim! Now that is an accomplishment.
