To start, let me assure some of you and disappoint others that I did NOT patronize a single red window while in Amsterdam although, goodness, these were not your run-of-the-mill Wilkinson Blvd. hookers. That said, I did have a wild couple of weeks since my Christmas day post, so let me start from then.
I left Cáceres midday on Monday, December 28 to take the bus to Sevilla to meet up with my college roommate, Joey, and a few friends from Sevilla with whom I would be going to Portugal. The plan was to have two nights out in Sevilla, but I, in typical fashion, managed to take the bus five hours in the exact opposite direction, realizing my mistake in a town called Valladolid. Following that link, you can see that it would probably be a nice place to visit, but not so much when it results in taking a night bus all the way back down South.
Arriving in Sevilla bright and early the next morning, I took a brief nap before exploring town with Joey. I really do love the city and was looking forward to seeing the sights with him, but our day was dampened (ha!) by torrential rains all afternoon and evening. We overcame the inconvenience by hopping between restaurants, spending most of the time eating and drinking.
A short car ride the next day brought us, along with ten or so other friends, to Lagos, Portugal, which is one of my absolute favorite places on Earth. It boasts the comfort and convenience of a small town, old homes and stone-paved streets, stunning beaches, and a surprisingly vibrant bar scene. In Lagos we rented [and destroyed (and cleaned)] rooms in the house of an unfailingly patient elderly couple for two nights, which was just about the right amount of time. New Year’s Eve was a lot of fun, getting to see fireworks from the beach after midnight and meeting people from all over Europe and the United States who were visiting town. During the countdown to midnight I experienced the Spanish tradition of eating one grape per second for the last twelve seconds of the old year, which is a lot of fun and silly because everyone ends up with a big face full of grapes at midnight. My cohorts and I decided to take the silliness to the next level and performed this feat pantless.
Before I knew it, Joey and I were touching down in Amsterdam, accompanied by a coworker of mine, Will, who had met up with us en route, and we were joined the following day by my good friend, Philip, who was visiting for the week as well. We all quickly settled into a comfortable apartment in a quiet neighborhood that was in easy walking distance to just about everything that we wanted to see. We were sure to pay visits to the Anne Frank house, the Van Gogh museum, the original Heineken brewery, and even saw a woman doing the most amazing cigar tricks, but to me seeing the city itself was worth the trip. This is a beautiful city, and rather than try to describe it I will simply add a few pictures below. We experienced a substantial (and apparently uncharacteristic) amount of snow while there which made walking difficult, but definitely added to the charm. When the snow really kicked up we were often found inside warming up with coffee and a big meal or two. Amsterdam’s eating options are epic, and my first taste of sour cream in two and a half months was truly a beautiful experience.
I have now been back in Cáceres for a few days and have enjoyed settling into the apartment again and having all of my roommates and friends back in town. I feel like I am just now settling into a routine, as my time here so far has been punctuated by various excursions throughout Spain and abroad. Now I have little on the horizon until Carnival in mid-February, and am looking forward to a month of work and relaxation in Cáceres.
I’d like to conclude this post with my resounding condemnation of the many pundits and politicians who have contributed to an unworthy proportion of my RSS news feed being dedicated to Game Change, written by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, the two biggest Chatty-Cathys alive. It seems to me that a lot of people are grasping at straws trying to turn a poor (and non-racist) word choice by a man trying to get Obama elected into something else entirely. It is a sad commentary on the circus that passes for US politics. Also I’d like to thank Barack Obama for not being Michael Steele.
I’ve got to say, I liked the part about Harry Reid. Looks like you’re doing a great job of keeping up with the current events in America.
so you are going to celebrate carnival? you should do it right and come to cologne with me. we get a few days off of school…and im an hour away from carnival central. come up here!!!!
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