Forever Paisley

Okay first off I just passed a “coffee” shop called The Doors and I can not get “Love Her Madly” out of my head for the life of me! Anyways …

A quick wrap up on London – After I wrote I went to the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. At the National Gallery there was a lot of renaissance, romantic, and impressionist art. Though I am not a huge fan of any of these eras it was interesting to the restoration of the paintings along with the physicality of them. I have to say the Tate Modern was my favorite exhibit in Europe. All I need is to invest in some larger canvas and my art will be there in no time – RIGHT!!! After all my site seeing I got on the tube and headed home. All a sudden I hear someone calling my name, but new it wasn’t obviously for me! Turns out it was Molly Phillips (MQT), she is doing an internship in London this summer. We chatted for a few stops before I had to get off. I swear Marquette really is everywhere!!!

I flew into Amsterdam early yesterday morning and then took the train into town. I was asking a guide at the train station for directions – he gave them to me, then proceeded to tell me if you get lost just ask any “normal” person for directions. I looked at him kind of funny – I knew what he meant but who really is normal anyways??? If there is anyone I don’t think I am going to meet them in Amsterdam!!

I got to my hostel checked in and then went on a Museum marathon! First it was the Anne Frank Museum which was really interesting because it was set up just like the hide out where she had stayed before she was taken to Auschwitz. I then went to the torture museum – where they displayed all forms of torture from the past. Angie hide your broom – most people punished were accused of witchcraft (wink wink). At the end of the exhibit they had a blurb on how ironic they thought it was that the US prides itself on humanity yet has a legal death penalty in select states, questioning whether or not we have improved at all?! From the torture museum I decided to go somewhere a bit more enlightening, so I headed to the Van Gogh Museum. I have seen exhibits before BUT this was three entire floors of original works, I was on my knees! I then ventured off to the Rijks Museum – they had original armour exhibits, alot of gothic style paintings and even a dollhouse display!

I woke up early and ventured over to one of the windmills in downtown, on the way there a taxi driver was so kind to offer me his number, I gladly declined. Walking back to central I passed the zoo and the maritime museum, I just got back from the market where I got a head scarf. I am just glad I am living out of a backpack or else my bank account would be suffering even more than it already is!!!

Let me tell you about the Red District. Imagine a whore house a square block large!! Okay that is the red district!! The women here are basically selling their bodies through the street windows. Sure their are a few other stores and “coffee” shops in the Red District as well but half naked bodies make up the majority! All I have to say is Gloria Steinman would NOT be proud!

So far Amsterdam has treated me well, the architecture is interesting as many buildings are tilted forward and have windows that are misaligned. The tilting prevents large objects from hitting the lower floors when they use a pulley to move the objects through the window rather than using the stairs. Amsterdam has a population of over 700,000 but it seems like no one really lives here! Many areas remind me of Pana in Guatemala in the sense that everyone just seems to wander around without a care in the world. There are bikes everywhere and very few cars which is really refreshing. There are also house boats everywhere – in the realms of 2,500 I believe. So Mom and Dad – in case Skanee is losing it’s appeal get your boat ready for Amsterdam! Stacey is meeting me here today, when she gets here we are going to go to the Heineken Brewery and possibly the Sex Museum – yes, today should be a very educational day! Tomorrow is off to Berlin, not a lot of time there but I really want to see the Wall Museum so we should be able to fit that in!

Speak to you from Germany!

“Don’t you love her madly, don’t you need her badly, don’t you love her ways, tell me what you say …” YES it is still stuck in my head!

Cherrettie