I took the train from Bacharach, Germany to Amsterdam. Finally, I got to ride on one of the super high-speed German ICE trains! These things are super awesome - sleek on the outside, and posh on the inside. And, I was traveling 1st class (since I'm old, I had to buy a 1st class Eurail pass. As Rick Steves says, "Forced Luxury")
Too bad the train didn't get up to full speed - I'm not sure why. We were well over 100 mph, but not as fast as I had been on one of the French TGV trains. (I think I been close to 200 mph on that)
I got back to the apartment in Amsterdam, and headed out to dinner. Since I was in Amsterdam, naturally I went for Indian. ;-) I was just in the mood for some naan & curry.
That night it stormed really hard. REALLY HARD! No complaints, though. It was fun to watch the lightning & hear the thunder. And, considering how fantastic the weather had been during the whole 6 weeks - I couldn't get upset about a little rain.
As in other cities, I decided that a bike would be the best way to get around. I rented a bike near the train station. They were really concerned about bike theft - I guess it's very common in Amsterdam, which is why everyone rides really crappy, basic bikes. My bike had 2 locks on it - one for the rear wheel, and a chain that was for the front wheel & frame. I was told that I must use both locks whenever I leave the bike anywhere.
Biking in Amsterdam is great, although more chaotic than the other cities that I had biked in. On my last day, I used the bike to get outside of Amsterdam & bike in the Dutch countryside. Well, I probably didn't make it to the countryside, but I definitely wasn't in Amsterdam-proper.
I made my way past lots of enormous wind turbines. I couldn't believe how quiet they were! I was standing basically at their base, and I could barely hear a faint whine.
I crossed a canal on a ferry (which cost nothing) and headed north. I rode through Zaanstad, and made my way up to an area called Zaanse Schans. There were some fantastic old windmills up there! If I had been there earlier, I could have gone inside to see how they work. Oh well, I'll go back to the Netherlands again to do some more biking in the countryside. I'll stop by the windmills again.
I visited my 4th WWII historical site while in Amsterdam - the Anne Frank House. The line to get in was really long, but fortunately I ran into the Singapore girls again. They told me that they read that the lines are much better around 6pm. So, I went back then, and sure enough - they were.
The Anne Frank House was really moving. It was such a small space for so many people to live! Anne's original diary is on display there too. It was the only place that I saw in all of Europe where everyone respected the 'No Photography' signs.
The Trip Home
At the end, I was tired. I wanted to see more, but I didn't want to right now. I had moved around so much that I was tired of getting on trains, visiting museums, checking in, checking out, etc... So, I decided that it was time to come home. I'll have to see more next time.
I'm not sure how long my next trip to Europe will be. A week or 2? Several weeks/months? Whatever it is - I won't move around as quickly next time. I'm glad that I did this trip as I did - it was a good way to get exposed to a lot of things. But, next time I'll take more time in each place.
I made it home in time for one of my favorite events of the year - the Minnesota State Fair. I went twice. :-) I ate a lot. :-)
I also made it back in time to spend a few days with Brian - a friend from college who now lives in Australia. He was back in town for a visit, and it was great to see him again.
Several people commented that I looked much thinner after coming home. I jumped on the scale, and wow! - I was 10 lbs lighter! I hadn't paid any attention to my diet or exercise while over there. I ate & drank like crazy. I guess all the walking around (especially with a big backpack on) really had an impact.
People ask what my favorite place was. I'm not really sure - I visited a lot of great places. But, here are some of the highlites that stick in my mind:
- Seeing the Eiffel Tower in person. Much cooler than I had expected!
- The Richelieu wing of the Louvre. The sculptures were amazing.
- Hiking in the mountains of Gimmelwald
- Paragliding in Interlaken
- The amazing stories from Normandy
- The ice-cold stream through the English Garden in Munich
- Swimming in the alpine lake in Fussen
- Using a bike to get around. (Fussen, Salzburg, and Amsterdam)
- Wandering around Prague at night
- The Night Watchman's tour in Rothenburg
So it was a great trip. I'll definitely go back to Europe many times in the future.
Some Statistics
- Days in Europe: 45
- Countries Visited: 7
- Cities Visited: 19
- Ghosts seen: 0 (not even in Prague)
- Flights: 5 (4 in airplanes, one on a paraglider)
- Journeys by train: 22 (I think... not counting subways & trams, btw)
