Tiffany - The Netherlands with My Second Visitor!

We are actually in this picture

My second visitor from home came to visit this week and in just 5 short days, we explored Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Rome! Esi is one of my best friends whom I have known for almost 9 years and since the day we met, we have been like sisters. Our first stop was Amsterdam. Two aspects of Amsterdam that I found surprising: 1)  Amsterdam is one of the most diverse cities in the world (I had no idea!) and 2) it’s numerous canals and modern style row houses make it absolutely gorgeous. For most people, two things that come to mind when Amsterdam is mentioned are the Red Light District and legalized marijuana. Although we didn’t partake in the legalized marijuana which came in the form of everything you can imagine (truffles, brownies, cookies, etc) and in shops on almost every corner, we did take a brief stop the Red Light District and were both surprised by how “in your face” the prostitution is. We briefly considered taking a guided tour of the Red Light District given by a former prostitute but opted to see the Anne Frank House and Van Gogh Museum instead which by the way were both amazing and inspiring. We had limited time but I think that tour would have definitely been one to remember.

Our second stop was Rotterdam, the 2nd largest city in the Netherlands. One of my classmates at UNC, Joe,  has a girlfriend who lives in Rotterdam and recommended that we check out the city while in Amsterdam because it is only 40 minutes away by train. We stopped there for a few hours and walked all around the city. We were excited to see another city and both surprised by how diverse it was and how super friendly the people there were. We ended our evening in Rotterdam with margaritas with Vivian, my classmates girlfriend who is also completing her undergraduate degree in Rotterdam. I am loving exploring different cities and thrilled by the fact that I am meeting some great people along the way. Next stop....Roma!


Rotterdam

 Amsterdam