Our last full day in Europe was spent exploring Holland, specifically Volendam, a fishing village, and a tourist trap called Zaanse Schans. Volendam is on the water with plenty of restaurants offering Dutch fish dishes, a stroopwafel factory (a must see for every single person alive), and gift shops galore. Zaanse Schans is a recreation…
travel
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The Anne Frank house
One site I was truly excited to visit was the Anne Frank house. I read The Diary of Anne Frank back in seventh grade, and I welcomed the opportunity to visit the house in person. The house has a few rather steep staircases, and you are given an audio tour player as you enter. The…
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Amsterdam walking tour
Our first full day in Amsterdam was jam-packed. We started out early (this on day 8 of 10) with a bus and walking tour around town. We hired a local guide for this part, and I felt really bad because a lot of us (including me) fell asleep. Some of our stops included a windmill…
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Amsterdam canal tour
We left Paris and took the train up to Amsterdam, passing through Belgium. It was another peaceful and nap-filled ride. Once we arrived, we dropped our stuff at the hotel then headed back to the heart of Amsterdam for an evening canal tour. I think a canal tour is a must for any visitor to…
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Sacre Ceour, Montmartre, and the Moulin Rouge
Our final dinner in Paris was at a traditional creperie in Montmartre. On our way, we walked through the arrondissement and stopped at Sacre Coeur. Our tour guide, Mario, likes Sacre Coeur more than Notre Dame so he gave us over an hour there (while a church service was in progress, no less). Sacre Coeur…
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The Mona Lisa
We had a limited amount of time in the Louvre. Because of this, we prioritized seeing the Mona Lisa. Plenty of people had warned me that it’s not that big and you can’t get that close to it, but I felt compelled to see Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece. Honestly, I thought the warnings were misplaced….