" The Dam "

At the hostel in Spain I was talking to the receptionist about my future plans and she pointed out that a cheap flight to Paris from Barcelona would be better than a train ride which would cost about double. So that's what I did. The airline wasn't much chop but it did get me from A to B cheaply and in a couple of hours.

To tell you the truth, when I planned out my trip, Paris was not high on the list of things to see. I was simply needing to stay there to break up the trip north. How wrong I was. In the first couple of hours that I was in the city, I realized how many things there actually are to see. Despite being exhausted by the transition from Spain to France and lacking a nights sleep, I was keen to get out and see as many things as I could in the little time I had. I saw things like the Eiffel Tower, the Arch de Triumf, the military museum, the Louve and Notradam. Each and every one of these sights blew my mind. Furthermore, it really led me to believe that Paris could just be the heart of European history. Unfortunately the photos that I took at each of these places are on a memory card that is giving me grief. Hopefully I'll be able to sort that out by the time I see Uncle Paul in London.

I stayed in Paris for a couple of nights before catching a train to Amsterdam.

I think I may have just reached my favourite city of the trip so far. Not for obvious reasons.. Ok, partly for obvious reasons..

The hostel I'm staying at is actually pretty dodgy for it's price but I'm really only there to crash. During the day, I am busy checking out the countless museums, breweries, parks, shops and sights that this beautiful city has to offer. Over the past couple of days I've been shocked by how quirky the city really is. Obviously the "Coffee shop" scene is a prominant component of this. They are absolutely everywhere! You could be in the park or in a bar or even walking by clothes shops when you pick up something that doesn't quite smell like tobacco.

Another one of my culture shocks came through seeing the infamous red light district on a guided tour that I took yesterday afternoon. There is actually a whole lot more to it than you might think. This knowledge came through stories that the guide told us about how the region came to be, how it functions and even why it's still a legal industry. Money well spent. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Needless to say I didn't mind the girls in the windows either. They indeed have the quality edge over what one might consider the stereotypical prostitute. Don't worry mum, the tour guide made sure I was always within eye-shot of the group.

I really have lucked out with the photos. I'd love to post some up of the last couple of days but my camera literally ran out of battery when I arrived at the internet cafe. NOTE: (this is not an excuse to keep inappropriate photos from the mature members of my blog).

So now I'm off to visit the famed Heinekin brewery where I intend to take one of their tours. They sound really good, plus, it will be good to learn about how beer is actually made as it will be my first brewery tour. May as well make it the Heinekin factory (the largest international distributor of beer in the world) !