Here we (Van) Go(gh)

It's updatin' time! I hope I can remember everything I've done in the last few days. We're in Amsterdam now - pretty much smack on the edge of the Red Light District, meaning there are lots of weed and sex shops specializing in designer condoms and dildos close by. Mark wondered aloud today if the Dutch of the colonial era would be pissed if they could see what happened to Amsterdam, which was once an important and moderately successful colonial power. Past Amsterdam: sophisticated trading center. Current Amsterdam: Mardi Gras on steroids year-round. Yeah, they'd probably be pretty angry. At least they're nice and green here, because aside from loving pot (which is also green), the Amsterdamians (?) really love bikes. They're everywhere!

I'm getting sidetracked though. I need to start with Brussels, Day 2: We started at a flea market and Mark bought a one euro Belgian beer glass. Later we walked around the "European quarter" of Brussels, the area where all the EU buildings are. It was maaaybe a wee bit long, but I had to be nice because I broke Mark's beer glass during it (note: I subsequently replaced said beer glass in Bruges). And the building that houses the EU Parliament is enormous and really cool - and closed on Saturdays. Overall, Brussels was cool and very unique; all the areas of the city are different.

We took a train to Bruges, a medieval city north of Brussels, that afternoon. I announced our presence to all of Bruges with my rolling suitcase and cobble stone streets combination. The weather in Bruges was pretty bad too - chilly and damp and rainy, which our waiter at dinner assured us was highly unusual. We wandered, bought some different types of Belgian beer, and decided that the Belgians are decisively nicer than the French. Bruges is a really gorgeous little town. We wandered again the next morning, checked out the French fry museum and the chocolate museum, and then bought both fries and chocolate. We didn't necessarily do a ton in Bruges, but, like I said, it's a really neat town, and I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Belgium. The city is so old that they can turn buildings from 1500 into fry museums and not worry about a thing.

From Bruges to Amsterdam. We were overwhelmed getting into the city at 9:30 (it takes all of two minutes before the smell of pot reaches your nostrils and all of five before you see the "Sex Museum") and stayed in for the evening. But today we got up and saw a lot of the city as we walked to the Heineken brewery - which was super fun and included lots of beer with the ticket price, plus Mark and I got to print a cheesy Heineken bottle label with our names on it - and then to the Van Gogh museum. Here's the thing about the Van Gogh museum: it has more than 200 Van Gogh paintings, including the Sunflowers one and the most famous self-portrait. Here's another thing about the Van Gogh museum: it does not have Starry Night. That's at the MoMA in New York. We're fairly certain Amsterdam is...bitter about this, to put it lightly. There is not a single reference to Starry Night in the museum or in the museum shop (which sells plenty of Van Gogh posters) - and it's arguably Van Gogh's most well-known work. Sorry, Netherlands. Or sorry, the Netherlands. The US beat you on that one.

Interestingly enough, there was also no reference of that whole chopping-off-his-ear thing. Hmmm...

And as a final note, one of our roommates in this hostel has a snore that is indescribable. But I'll try anyway. It starts with coughs, then has a burp, then a disgusting phlegm-sucking noise. If that sounds gross, too bad, cause you know what sounds even more gross? - the snore itself. I may not have slept too well last night.