Amsterdam

Hello!

I'm a bit behind in my blogging - school has suddenly become quite demanding, and I also kinda popped over to Italy for ten days, so I've had a very busy schedule. But hopefully I can catch you all up in the next few weeks. So many photos to share, jeez. What a life.

I was blessed to have my mom and her good friend Rochelle come visit me in CPH at the beginning of May, and during their visit we traveled to Amsterdam and Brugge. Amsterdam was such a beautiful city to visit in the spring, especially after Copenhagen's long winter. All the trees and flowers were in full, full bloom and there were even a few days where I wore, like, sandals and a sweater. Instead of boots and a jacket. My toes felt the sunshine!

We stayed in a really beautiful apartment in Jordaan (click the link to check it out). For any travelers out there, I highly recommend renting an apartment instead of staying in a hostel or hotel. They're surprisingly affordable and so much more comforting to come back to after a long day of touristing and exploring. Plus you get a better idea of what living in the city is really like, and you can cook your own breakfast! Really wonderful.

Mom, Rochelle and I spent each day wandering through the city. By boat, by foot, by bus. I visited the Van Gogh Museum for the second time (I came to Amsterdam on a 2-week Eurotrip when I was 14), and we took a canal tour, shopped and ate. Amsterdam won my heart a bit. It seems like the perfect city to live in in warmer months - on the first day, it was so warm that locals were boating down the canals in shorts at sunset. Bliss.

A few of my favorite photos:


^Canal right outside of our flat. Magical, no?


^I can't get over how nice our apartment was. Right on the canal pictured above.


^Mom and Rochelle! Good company.


^See? Full bloom. (Grandma Alice, if you're reading this, what kind of tree is this?! We were stumped.)


^I almost preferred the canals at night. I can't get over the idea that water can run through a city just like that, the same way a lake or a stream would in nature. Its the best of both worlds to me.


^And lastly, my cheesiest picture of the trip. (In the land of cheese, too!)

Next up on the blog: Brugge, Belgium (gorgeous medieval city but filled to the brim with tourists), then Keukenhof (incredible tulip gardens just outside of Amsterdam), then Venice, Florence, and Cinque Terre. I've been a busy girl.

♡♡ Maddie

P.S. Only 26 days left in Copenhagen. Some days bitter, some days sweet.