In 2002, J and I went on a 2-week trip to London, Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. This post is adapted from my travel journal. Here are the last two days of our vacation, in which I continue my obsession with food, remain vague on details, and eat fries.
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Tuesday, August 6 2002 Amsterdam
I got up and had breakfast alone–cereal, tea, fruit, and juice. This hotel is huge compared to the others and breakfast was busy.
We walked to the Bloemenmarkt and bought some tulip bulbs in ceramic containers. We looked at flowers, cacti, and wooden shoes. Next we went to the Van Gogh Museum–beautiful, but way too crowded. Then we went to Stedelijk Museum…way too contemporary for my tastes. We ate lunch there.
We went to Vondelpark and watched ducks and a crane. It was rainy so we didn’t stay long. The park was nice but dirty; the ground was littered with beer cans, bottle caps, cigarette butts, and other junk. I think this is the dirtiest city we’ve been in so far. We went back to the hotel for a nap and then went out for our candlelight canal cruise. The cruise was nice–there was wine and cheese, but no candlelight. Hmm.
There are a lot of hippies here. This city must have more dreadlocks per capita than anywhere else on earth. There are also a lot of bicycles. The people on bicycles scare me.
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Wednesday, August 7 2002 Amsterdam
I had breakfast alone again and then we went out. We went to Rembrandt Square and then to the grocery store to get food for lunch. On the way we stopped at a street market–a very interesting place that sold everything from clothes and records to drug paraphernalia and porn. I stopped at a stand to get fries–hot, salty, greasy, and drenched in mayonnaise. Delicious.
Next we walked to Oosterpark and watched the ducks, gulls, and pigeons. We ate lunch on a bench under some trees: sandwiches, blackberries, and cheese. Later we went to the antique stores near the Rijksmuseum before dinner at Isola Bella. Tomorrow we leave; J is ready to go home and I think I am, too.
there & back again 
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