Final blog of the summer! Bittersweet to say the least. This weekend a bunch of us Bucknellians traveled to Amsterdam, Netherlands. I had no idea that the Netherlands used to be Holland. Frankly, I’m still confused as to why they changed the name in the first place.
Our flight was early Friday morning and we explored Amsterdam as soon as we landed. Ariana and I visited the Rijksmuseum and looked at paintings by Rembrandt and Van Gogh, sculptures, and artifacts. Each piece of art told a story of life in the Netherlands and throughout Europe decades and centuries ago. I enjoyed seeing the Van Gogh self-portrait and two of his other paintings, but other objects in the museum took my breath away. My favorite pieces in the Rijksmuseum were the carpets made by François Spiering. Latona and the Lycian Peasants and Cephalus and Procris both tell stories about the Greek gods interacting with humans. These carpets are filled with vibrant colors and incredible attention to detail.
One of Speiring’s carpets in the Rijksmuseum!
After the museum, I met up with Margaret and we visited the Anne Frank House. Tickets to this museum sell out months in advance, but I was lucky enough to join Margaret with her extra ticket. In grade school, I spent a lot of time studying the Holocaust and reading pieces of Anne’s diary. However, stepping into the rooms the Franks and four others stayed in for two years during World War II provides an unparalleled and profound opportunity for reflection.
Following the tour, we rejoined our Bucknell squad for a canal boat tour. Cruising along the water with some wine and cheese was magical. Amsterdam was significantly hotter than Dublin and I didn’t pack accordingly. Being on the water allowed us to cool off while sharing laughs and cheese.
What a unit!
Adorable Bucknellians.
More pals on the canal tour!
On our second day in Amsterdam Ari and I walked up to the north side of the city for a pancake boat tour. The pancakes were great and filled with sweet Nutella and bananas. What wasn’t so sweet was the burn I suffered from walking in the sun all day. Next, I had a solo trip to the Heineken Experience. Heineken was different from the Guinness Storehouse, but enjoyable and filled with interesting aspects of the history of Amsterdam and culture.
My fair skin wasn’t prepared for a UV of 6!
The third day was a whirlwind. I decided to travel to Brussels, Belgium with some friends. A 4:45 am wakeup was not enjoyable, but I enjoyed seeing the Manneken Pis, St Michael, and St Gudula Cathedral and celebrating Belgium’s independence at the Nostalgia Festival in a park.
Manneken Pis! Silly boy!
Yup. Just a lion statue in Brussels, Cassidy.
Back in Amsterdam, I continued my tourist activities by taking the train with John and Ari to Zaanse Schans. Here we admired the windmills and the land where the famous tulips grow. After a few hours of walking around, we headed back to the city center for a little shopping before making our way to the airport. Overall I had a great time in both cities and would recommend visiting for a weekend.
Johnny boy and I at Zaanse Schans!
Love this shoe!
This week is one that I have been dreading for a while. There is so much I still want to see and do in Ireland and I wish I could experience this trip again. I’ve made incredible friendships, visited beautiful places, and learned so much. Now we’re allowed to cry, Sammy (@skb010). Dublin will forever hold a special place in my heart and I can’t wait to come back.