Amsterdam, London, Edinburgh

Haven't had much time to get online the past few days. Lots of plane, bus, and taxi rides. As much as I've heard Amsterdam talked up, I was still blown away. The city has such a personality. We got to know it so well in our three days there. We stayed at the Flying Pig Downtown Hostel which is just a short walk from the Central Station. There are 180 beds at the Flying Pig and everyone must have been between the ages of 18 and 30. We were in a 6 person room and our roommates were super friendly - a couple from Los Angeles and two girls from Australia. The first floor of the hostel is a bar and smoking room, but just for people staying there so everyone felt like they were in their living room. Everyone was very outgoing and sharing stories of their travels. There are 180 beds in the hostel so there were always 30 or more people hanging out on the first floor. It sort of felt like a college dorm and after just two nights we felt very at home. I wouldn't recommend that my parents stay there but for Erin and I it was just right.

The architecture and layout of the city are so unique compared to cities in the States. We didn't take a canal ride but we did rent bikes. Amsterdam is biker's paradise - they are everywhere! As a pedestrian you really have to keep an eye out. Bikes zip up and down every little alley and they don't yield to cars or people. We rode all over the city and through Vondelpark which is full of ponds, wildlife, and rose gardens. We also went to the Van Gogh Museum which was a treat. As well as a plethora of Van Gogh's works there are also pieces by his contemporaries and those who influenced him (Monet, Manet, Pissarro, Gauguin).

The Indonesian food was to die for. We had wanton soup, duck, coconut curried beef, and veggie tempura to name a few. We also had some vlaamse frites, fries with sweet mayo, a favorite in Amsterdam. Another local favorite is the coffee. There are coffee shops everywhere. It was delicious and quite strong!

After Amsterdam we met our mom in London. We did all the touristy things like seeing Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, House of Parliament, Big Ben, the London Eye, and so on. While walking through St James's Park we happened to be passing the Household of Cavalry Museum as they were starting the changing of the guards - impressive! We also went on a boat tour on the River Thames which brought us to the Tate Modern, the most visited modern art museum in the world. I could have spent the whole day there!

Another day, another city. We're now in Edinburgh. Spent the afternoon walking around downtown. Today is Armed Forces Day so there were all kinds of parades and festivities going on. Stopped into the hotel to regroup. Mom is going to stay in and us kids are going out for a night on the town. Cheers!