Ah, Amsterdam!

Enjoying Some Freedom Fries!

What a great city. After having been in Rome for over year straight we were beginning to the think that the world was just like Rome and that every place was just as backwards. Turns out, that's not the case! Amsterdam is a very international city not only in terms of its population but it's cuisine and nearly everything else. Damn near every Amsterdammer speaks English without much difficulty. The streets are clean and clearly labeled, the buses and trams run regularly and are well-maintained, the people are friendly, the espresso isn't so great but the restaurants are fantastic. We decided that we would have no Italian food during this trip because, well, you can guess.

Allie and baby brother Isaac

We went crazy because the food available in Amsterdam is so close to what you might find in an American city. We had waffles in the morning, Allie had a waffle with banana, whipped cream and chocolate sauce! You would never find that in Rome. We ate a lot of Thai food, french fries, apple pie, cookies, you name it, we probably ate it. They also have a Ben and Jerry's near one of the restaurants we ate at! It was amazing, we split a Brownie Sundae with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream! You are all probably thinking that we're crazy for getting so excited about a brownie sundae and some Thai food but in Rome, you really can't find such treats and so we haven't had anything like that in over a year! The Dutch apple pie is something that one must experience for themselves.

Charles Enjoying the Canal Scenery