I'm actually back in London, late Monday night. I never got a chance to blog from Amsterdam, as I spent all my time running around doing stuff, I didn't have Internet access at my hotel and there didn't seem to be any Internet cafes nearby. You know, there's something kind of about traveling around Europe as I have been, well not really surreal, it's just that you plan a trip like this months in advance and build up a sense that places like Prague & Amsterdam should be larger than life or something like that (though unlike London, Paris, even Sydney, my anticipation did not come with any specific visuals; I didn't see anything previously familiar, except for some paintings). But my point is that though my anticipation was somewhat gradiose, once you're there, there isn't really time to appreciate any sense of awe, you just figure out how to get to the hotel, how to get around, and then go here, there and everywhere. I certainly enjoyed many of the things I saw, specifically in Amsterdam, my activities included the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, Heineken Experience (a pseudo brewery tour, kind of like Guiness in Dublin), and just walking around a lot of places, including the famed -- and a good bit creepy -- Red Light District. Adding to my meandering point is that of the 12 days on this vacation, only 7 allowed for real, full daytime activities. There's just a sense of dipping in for a whirlwind of sightseeing and then leaving, which is the only way it can be, but not as acutely exhiliarating as it should be. It's late, gotta go. Got back to London just in time to see one more musical, which I got a 1/2 price ticket for: Bat Boy, the Musical. It was nearly empty, but very enjoyable.
Bat Boy 11.22.04 London @@@@
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