Bye Bye, European Wifi...

Sitting in my hostel bed before we begin our last morning in mainland Europe. We are currently in Munich, Germany and though the blog may be a couple weeks late updating you all on our adventures, I thought it apropos to have you with us for the actual 'wave goodbye' to this miraculous land. We completed this leg of the adventure by seeing yet another castle in Oberammergau. What a fitting way to suspend the magic for now. We will, of course, continue to tell the stories of our journey, but for now, it is time to shuffle off. Thank you, Europe. Thank you, readers. It is off to London to decompress a bit and then head back to L.A.

Statues WISH they had butts like ours'.

Dam Good City...

A few days (weeks) late, but I think it’s about time Checkpoint Chanislawski updated you all on their travels through the capital of the Netherlands. After the wonderfully quiet respite that was Bruges, we decided to dive head first into the canals of Amsterdam. Directly upon entering the city, you feel the difference in vibe the place has to offer. It is packed with locals and transplants alike. This obviously is a double edged sword sometimes, but Amsterdam has found a way to make it work. We were, for the most part, treated very kindly and on more than a few occasions, people would go out of their way to make sure our time in their city was a memorable one.

We wanted to get the touristy stuff out of the way early, so first on our list was to (surprise, surprise) taste a world-renowned beer from its source. Off to the Heineken Experience we went. As are all tourist traps, it was overpriced, but did include plenty of tastes of the beer and fun, interactive things to do (a trait Amsterdam is quite fond of) regarding the brand . A brewery tour is a brewery tour, but it was still enjoyable and we now have two commemorative beer glasses to boot.

Vicky Chan, Heineken model.

Later in the first night, Vicky had a strange (albeit completely shared) desire to see the Red Light District. Now, fair warning. Like all major cities, Amsterdam is going to feel like one giant tourist trap. This was the overriding feeling as we strolled through the city center and canals and Red Light District during the day. A lot of cheap (but not nearly cheap enough), terrible food, a lot of tourists (mainly young white dudes – totally, bro), attempting to scour the city for the perfect ‘coffee shop,’ and a lot of waiters desperately trying to pull you into their restaurant, no matter how many times you say, “No” or “Ask me again and I will beat the crap out of you before you can say, ‘truffles.’” Sufficed to say, our hopes were not high (unlike some of the city’s patrons) that we would enjoy it much more at night.

Yes. The buildings bow like that. It is amazing and terrifying, much like many experiences in Amsterdam.

We were proven wrong. Amsterdam comes alive at night in a way that I have not experienced in most cities. There is a musical quality to the chatter that goes on. What was a lazy staccato of people meandering during the day becomes a vibrant, shimmering aria of humans moving in unison. The canals and narrow alleyways become veins and arteries of a city, pumping with life. Every street corner oozes with personality and one can only imagine the stories that have been created there and relished in for a lifetime afterward. I’m not going to go into detail on the stories we created, but you can imagine how far the vivid colors of the city coupled with a friendly and helpful store clerk can go for someone asking, “What do you know about Truffles?”

"DON'T POINT AT THE GROUND. PEOPLE WILL THINK YOU'RE CRAZY."

Amsterdam has a plethora of parks around and in the city from which you can choose to rest your weary head after a night of stories. This is something we Chanislawskis appreciate most about any city. We need a decent place for naptime. After a filling and delicious meal of authentic Dutch cuisine at The Pantry and more than a day of ducking and weaving through the bicycle traffic (seriously, this place is run by cyclists), we needed a place to rest.  Europe loves to lounge in its parks. Amsterdam is no different and it is glorious. After being serenaded to sleep by the sounds of a non-English-speaking busker muddling through half of Nirvana’s catalogue and some teenaged girls trying to play ‘chase the pigeon,’ we awoke refreshed and ready to move on to bigger and better things.

Pannenkoken and a combination of hutspot, zurkool, and stamppotten.
Top this off with a ludicrously high alcohol content Trappist beer. Seriously.

Having had enough of street performer versions of my favorite music, we headed off to the Bibliotheek Amsterdam (their National Library) to check it out. The beautifully blended modern building fits well within the riverfront landscape. The interior is something that would make Stanley Kubrick’s world of 2001: A Space Odyssey proud. Clean and efficient, yet with a definite touch of style, all the while, being laid out in a user-friendly way. Personally, I got lost in the music section where you can stream every song they have in the library as well as browse similar works. It’s like spending a day on AllMusic.com and then being able to take a copy of your new discoveries home with you after. This place, like much of Amsterdam, also deals with the concept of young education extremely well. This place is not a fortress of forced learning, but an inviting, safe place for kids to explore what interests them.

"This place has a stream-able version of DJ Shadow's 'Entroducing?' I approve of this library."

Down the riverfront from the library is the NEMO Science andTechnology Museum where the concepts of children learning and children playing become so blurred, that you can hardly tell one from the other. Just floor after mind-expanding floor of interactive education. If you ever visit (and you should) be sure to check out the section on sex. Up front, honest, and respective of adolescents’ minds. No censorship, but at the same time, fun and engaging without being too gratuitous. Just an incredibly progressive approach to a museum and a damn fun place to hang out for a morning.

"Wait. Sex isn't supposed to be terrifying and embarrassing?"

This Chanislawski would be replete not to mention an excellent bar we visited our last night in Amsterdam. After visiting the ‘coffee shops,’ (best line from a local on those, “Yeah, I guess you can get coffee there, too.”) we decided on a much more ‘us’ evening outside, on beanbags, under a windmill. While in Amsterdam, check out Langendijk Cafe. Great local brews and an intoxicating vibe. Why wouldn’t you want to drink under the largest wooden windmill in Europe?

It was a jam-packed few days in Amsterdam. Between using the public transit and public parks to their fullest extent, getting ‘coffee’ and ‘truffles,’ and touring the canals and Red Light Districts, Amsterdam is a beauty and beast with no comparison. Quaint and demur by day, brash and sultry by night. The city and it’s locals are open, inviting people who only want you to do what we did on our short time there: enjoy yourself and remember the way back home as best as possible. If you can only do one of those, however, there are plenty of parks in which to sleep off any excursion.

A lasting image of Amsterdam. The commercials are right. A Dam Good City.

In Bruges...

I saw the film, 'In Bruges' when it came out once. I remember loving the humor and the drama of it. I don't remember the setting fairly well. I don't remember coming out of the theater saying, "I cannot wait to see this city."

I probably sympathized with Brendan Gleason during this.

Now, whether or not that had more to do with the portrayal of Bruges in the film or my age and relative lack of enthusiasm for travel back then, who knows? What I do know is that as we prepared to depart Paris for the beautiful country of Belgium, we originally had planned to visit either Brussels or Antwerp. However, a chance encounter while stranded overnight in a Welsh bus station (thanks, Megabus) with an Australian woman continued to tickle our brains. The new short-term friend told us that, based on our short term travel time, we should skip Brussels and just hit up the smaller, lesser-known gem that is Bruges.

Seriously. Bruges. Gem.

We've been to a lot of cities, a lot of countries on this whirlwind adventure thus far, and without a doubt, Bruges was exactly what my tired body and muddled mind needed. After over a month of sleeping in hostel cots and living room floors, day after day of walking seemingly endless distances in order to traverse major metropolitan areas and the unforeseen problems of living outside of an everyday routine for an extended period of time, I was ready for a respite. Often I would get angry at our damned power converter for not doing it's job adequately. Vicky would try to calm me down, saying it was an inanimate object.

Had to throw this 'In Bruges' reference in here somehow, didn't I?

However... Bruges, with it's small scale and inviting, walkable layout was exactly that. If I wasn't casually strolling along cobblestone paths, I was napping in one of the many public parks within shouting distance of the city center. When we weren't enjoying a local Belgian brew in a cozy cafe, we were posing for pictures along one of the endless photogenic canals. It truly was the definition of 'relaxing.' If not in the mood for an entirely relaxing trip, we definitely recommend renting a bicycle for the day and cruise around the city. Bruges is the perfect size for such an adventure and can be circumvented in under two hours.

You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a picturesque spot near a canal here.

One of the many tricks to fully enjoying a foreign country on a short trip is to ingratiate yourself to the locals. In Bruges, 99.9% of the people speak English and are more than happy to accommodate you in that way. However, try to learn how to say simple things like, 'Hello' or 'Thank You' ('Hallo' and 'Dank u wel' respectively - Bruges, as you can tell, was not difficult). That being said, just being polite and engaging is usually a great start in itself. Listen to locals when they give you tips as to where to go. It's always more satisfying when you find a great picnic spot or pub given to you by a local rather than Yelp or Google. In addition, remember to keep your eyes open for local ads. This has, on many occasions given us great things to do and try.

Gazing at Michelangelo's Madonna.

Vicky with harpist, Luc Vanlaere.

After visiting the Church of Our Lady to see Michelangelo's Madonna, we spotted an ad for a free harp concert nearby. Seeing how we had an hour to kill before dinner (did I mention it was free?), we decided to check it out.

After sitting in a dimly, although meticulously, lit room, we noticed a small stage littered with a half dozen worldly instruments. A concert harp, a Celtic harp, harps from China, Japan and even an Indian harp that has 50-something strings that play the same note. Not to mention a gong, singing bowls and even a new type of steel drum called a Hang that wasn't invented until 2001. Just an amazing conglomeration of uncommon instruments. 45 minutes later, Vicky and I were recovering from the emotional ride of Luc Vanlaere's stunning musical talents. All instruments were played by just him, at times more than one at a time! As if Bruges hadn't been soothing enough to my travel-weary mind, it decided to swoop in with the coup-de-grace and give me nearly an hour of what Vicky called a 'brain massage.'

Do yourself a favor. If you're ever near Belgium and you want a few days to relax and unwind, take advantage of what Bruges has to offer. Beer, chocolate, architecture, culture and some of the most serene parkland we've encountered in our travels thus far. You will not regret it. As my Rolodex of 'Cities I've Been To' continues to grow, I can honestly say that Bruges will probably always be near the front (and not because it's in alphabetical order).

Passed out in Bruges.