USA V. UK

As the semester is slowly winding down to a close much of the days have been spent writing (or pretending to write while really watching shows on BBC's iplayer) essays and formulate presentations. While there is not a great deal to report from Glasgow currently, this period is certainly a calm before the storm. That storm being a trip to Prague, two days to complete yet another assignment, visitors from South Africa, a trip to an island, visitors from America, a tour of England and lots of job applications. While sleep may be non-existent for the next month or so.... I couldn't be more excited.

My family has been anxiously counting down the days until their United Kingdom arrival. Apparently in all his glory my brother Michael has created a new name for the Garrett Family travels... YOLO. The YOLO tour or the "You Only Live Once" tour has caused a slight rift in my family. Michael has decided that to fully embrace the YOLO tour a travel budget is superfluous. Coming up with many elaborate schemes on how my family should spend their time and money while in the UK has become my youngest brother's latest hobby. When these plans are met with the concern of my parents Michael has taken to throwing his hands in the air shouting "YOLO Parents! YOLO." And, while his argument rings true, we do only live once, my mother has taken to reminding him that their lives will not end (well hopefully) during this trip and that they must continue to live their one life after the trip. A life that generally necessitates some form of money.

In honor of my family's trip and to answer a question I am asked on a weekly basis, I will compare the United States and the United Kingdom.

Things I miss from the good Ol' United States of America:

1. Automatic Ice Dispensers--

During my undergraduate years living on Constitution I became used to the concept of ice cube trays. I am ashamed to admit that before those two years, I had never used ice trays. This small fact came up with a few friends over drinks one evening. When asked what I missed about the US I said ice, especially automatic ice dispensers. Then the look happened, the look that makes me realize that something I think is normal/excessively run of the mill is actually bizarre.

Inquisitive Person One: What do you mean automatic ice dispensers?

Me: You know the ones on refrigerators that you just press your cup against and ice comes out....

Inquisitive People: WHAT?!

Me: hm... well... you know it just dispenses ice and water out of the refrigerator.

Richard: Oh well that must get annoying to fill up constantly.

Me; You don't fill it up.

Inquisitive People: WHAT?!

Me: Well it does it automatically....

Richard: So is there a little pipe that you connect your fridge to that pumps water into it and forms the ice cubes... (this attempting to figure out the magic that is automatic ice continues for a long time)

Me: To be honest I'm not entirely sure, our refrigerators just always have ice.

Inquisitive Person: All of them?!

Me: Well most of them, it's pretty common. Some people even have dispensers where you can select the shape of the ice... crushed or cubed.

Inquisitive People: (Jaws dropped followed by total silence)

Richard: Freaking First Worlders.

Yes, so in this sense I am a true first Worlder and I miss my ice. The next day I found a recently purchased set of ice bags in my kitchen (Thank you Richard) and learned a new way of making ice. You fill up this little bag and seal the top, slide it in the fridge and pop the ice cubes out the next day. It's pretty labor intensive but the end product is just as nice as automatic ice. This was fun until I put an entire bag of the ice into my cup and my ice cube privileges were taken away... I like a lot of ice!  To my American friends get up and go to your refrigerator, press your cup against that little lever and appreciate the wonderment that is automatic ice. Or go to Sonic and have some of their ice, we can all agree that ice is the best.

2. Driving.---

 More specifically driving an automatic. I miss not being the only human within a hundred mile radius who has absolutely no idea how to drive a stick shift.... and calls it a stick shift not a manual.

3. Taco Bell---

I can honestly say there is very little food from home that I long for but I do miss Taco Bell. Which I realize is horribly sad.

4.Television Programs that end correctly---

While working diligently to avoid writing essays I have become a new fan of BBC's iplayer. I have watched a number of Louis Thereoux documentaries in his new series "Extreme Love." After watching an episode on people suffering with Alzheimer's and the people who love them, Richard had to spend an hour convincing me that neither of us would fall victim to the disease anytime soon.... I probably shouldn't be allowed to watch emotionally charged documentaries.

Last night after reaching the 2,500 word mark of my essay I decided to take a break to watch "Escape to the Country." A show in which British couples decide they are tired of their city/suburb life existence and want to purchase a new home surrounded by sheep flocked fields and miles away from the nearest neighbor.

The show follows the standard pattern of real estate programs:

1.  The viewer is introduced to the couple

2. Couple lays out what they are looking for in a home,

3.Couple tours three or four houses, couple is super excited about two houses and disappointed with one house

4. Couple debates which house to purchase over a drink.

5 Couple tells  the viewer which house they purchase and everyone is excited. The real estate agent hugs the couple at least five times.

6.  The couple is revisited two months later. The viewer gets to see how nicely (or terribly) they have decorated their home. The couple is so happy with their new home that they have purchased a new puppy or had another baby!

Steps five and six do not happen in the UK!! My break from essay writing turned into a research project,. I couldn't go back to writing after one episode, I had to watch three more. In every single episode they don't tell you which house the couple purchased! The real estate agent didn't hug the couple and you don't even get to see if they get a new puppy or kid! Not only do steps five and six answer all your questions regarding the couple's new house but it also allows you to know which of the three houses are still on the market. In the US if I watch a real estate show and fall in love with house number two and the couple picks house number one... I understand that I could possibly purchase house number two. However, I have no idea if my dream cottage in the British countryside is still for sale or if there is a couple residing there with a new puppy.

5. Changing Weather Patterns and Thunder Storms---

While the people of the UK love to talk about how rapidly their weather changes, it is nothing like Kansas weather. It may be raining here one minute and sunny for the next thirty seconds before it rains again but the weather is generally the same; chilly, wet and windy. I do miss the sun but more than the sun I miss really big thunder storms.

**** My fellow Americans these may seem like small, silly things but they are things I took for granted. I, of course, miss my family, my friends, my dog, my house, etc. but I was expecting to miss those things.

Things I Would Miss Leaving the UK



1. Tea Kettles---

In the UK you don't have to fill up a little tea pot and set it on the stove and wait 500 hours for it to boil. Instead, you have an automatic tea kettle. You fill this with lots and lots of water flip a little switch and about 2.4 seconds later the water boils. These things exist in the US but they are ridiculously priced and a very small number of people own them (generally just relocated Brits). Not only does it drastically reduce the time it takes to make a cup of tea it is also drastically reduces the time it takes to cook pasta, rice, etc.

2. Sales Tax Included in Price---

Here is something shocking, in the UK the price on the price tag is the price you will actually pay! If something says 1.50 you will pay exactly 1.50 at the counter. There is no debating about how much the item will be after sales tax is added, no digging through your purse in hopes that you have enough change to cover the eight cents per dollar. In America the dollar store lies to you..... everything is not a dollar, it is a dollar plus tax. In the UK poundland is honest, they tell you exactly how much their items will cost and that that price is one pound, one pound flat, no tax.

3. Small British Towns---

At the risk of offending a few people I am about to be very honest. I have never been a fan of small town America. I know a number of people from small towns in America who are wonderful people and absolutely love the small town they are from. I have yet to find a small town in America that I instantly love. But, almost every single small British town I have visited I have loved. There is something so overwhelming charming about a small British town that I fall for each and every time.

4. The Word Cheers---

The only times Cheers is ever used in America is when raising your glass to another individual or discussing where was Kelsey Grammar before Frasier. While I still feel like a fake when using the word myself, I love hearing other people use the word. In all honesty, I need to overcome my fear of using "cheers." I use it on occasion but it feels strange coming out of my mouth and I am convinced I will be swarmed by a group of people demanding an apology for my attempting to be British. The only word better than cheers? Cheerio (and I am not talking about the cereal).

5. British Dogs and Small Children---

After seeing a number of British children in wellies I have decided that if I have children they will wear wellies, even if such footwear is unnecessary. Wellie clad feet=Adorable children.

6. Cheese and Onion Sandwiches----

The people of the UK make some strange sandwiches and I have to say I am a fan. Also, nothing is better than the food served at high tea. But for a moment I do have to defend my people. Americans have a pretty bad reputation for eating terribly unhealthy food in massive portions. While I can't disagree with this statement I would like to share this fact. The UK has taken an American chain, Pizza Hut (which was actually established in Kansas!) and created something that reaches a new pinnacle of unhealthy eats.... the hot-dog stuffed crust pizza. Yes, it is a normal slice of pizza hut pizza then added to the already stuffed cheese crust is a hot dog.

This list could go on for ages, I would miss the game show pointless and the popularity of dresses and tights, the word brollies and the smell of rain, the BBC and weird sports.

After reviewing this list I would like to make my own country. One which is populated with British dogs and small children, serves taco bell,  the citizens say cheers and automatic ice is always on hand, it would be a pretty great place to live.

Nessie Spotting

Over winter break I had coffee with Caitlin, from my high school, to discuss studying abroad. Caitlin and I had gone to the same school and went on a trip to Greece and Italy with one another in 2007. Although we had, unfortunately, not seen one another in years, we were brought back together through studying abroad. When I heard Caitlin was planning on spending a semester in Prague I wanted to get together over winter break to congratulate her and wish her a safe and amazing adventure. This coffee date led to us creating a plan to visit one another over the spring semester. Caitlin had always wanted to visit Scotland and I had always wanted to visit the Czech Republic. After settling into Prague Caitlin eagerly booked her tickets to Glasgow and she was to spend a long weekend here in Flat 3.1.

My visitor was to arrive on a Friday evening and I was so eager to welcome a guest that I arrived at the airport amazingly early. To pass the time I grabbed a travel magazine and settled into the airport's Starbucks. I was so enthralled with my afternoon spent coffee drinking and travel reading that I managed to miss the fact that Caitlin's flight had been canceled. I was finally able to get in contact with the traveller and learned that her flight was to be rescheduled for later that evening. I travelled back to city centre and had a quick dinner before heading back out to the airport to pick up Caitlin. I am now very familiar with all methods of public transportation to get to Glasgow's airport! Fortunately, this flight made it to Glasgow on time and Caitlin despite her travelling woes was no worse for the wear.

The evening was spent sharing studying abroad stories and of course discussing all the people we know back home. It was exciting to have someone in Glasgow who knows that Kansas isn't in the south, uses words such as "crock-pot", understands that it is perfectly normal that I do not own a cow, appreciates the jayhawks and makes not a single reference to the Wizard of Oz.

The next day was spent exploring Glasgow. It was fun to travel around the city with a visitor, letting me see the city I have come to know so well with new eyes. The University is always spectacular but seeing the buildings day in and day out make it less thrilling. However, seeing it with someone for the first time is a strong reminder of just how beautiful it is. In addition to sight-seeing we did some shopping and lots of talking.

Sunday, was Easter... I believe that in our reminiscing about Kansas we forgot that we weren't actually in Kansas anymore (I am betting you all  just thought of Wizard of Oz.. stop that. We Kansans hate that movie) and wore to church what we would wear in Kansas' spring weather to church. That means lovely floral dresses and no tights or leggings.. this would prove to be a mistake. After mass we decided to take the train to Edinburgh, first doing a bit more shopping in Glasgow. The time spent in Edinburgh was a lot of fun... although absolutely freezing! Our walk down the Royal Mile turned into a mile jog as we moved quickly just to keep our legs warm. We received plenty of stares from people passing with massive coats, gloves, scarves and hats. It was interesting sight-seeing on Easter. Caitlin and I were amazed at the number of tourists in Edinburgh for the holiday weekend and the overall choas of the city. Both coming from Catholic families we didn't realize that people actually went places besides mass and the family dinner table for Easter. Okay, we did realize this we just had never experienced it. Our Easters typically consisted of a massive egg hunt and a large portion of ham and potatoes, not touring a castle.

Much like the experience in Glasgow, I really enjoyed getting to see Edinburgh with someone who was seeing it for the first time.

 Not being a Harry Potter fan, I have officially seen this cafe too many times! Although, I am certain my brother, Michael, will force me to take him there in only a months time.

After having seen the two biggest cities of Scotland it was time to take Caitlin to the most famous loch in all the land... Loch Ness! I was really anxious to go on this journey as well because I have yet to see the loch. Many people, and by people I mean Americans, were appalled by this fact. How is it possible that I have lived in Scotland for seven months and have yet to see Loch Ness. Well, to begin with Loch Ness is actually quite a distance from Glasgow and there are no Ryanair flights to the loch! But, fortunately there was a one day tour to Loch Ness! Caitlin and I joined a small group of people and took our seats in a white van. Our tour guide, Michael, pointed to the map of Scotland hanging at the front of the van and showed us the route we would be driving throughout the day. I must say that the route looked daunting. We would be travelling through the high lands, far into the north of Scotland, the drive would be a long one.

However, about 30 minutes into the drive I was again stunned by the beauty of Scotland. It is amazing how quickly the landscape changes outside of Glasgow. Once you escape city limits you quickly begin to see the lochs, bold colors, hills and farm life that is so quintessentially Scottish. Living in Glasgow, it is easy to forget the beauty of the Scottish countryside. We quickly approached Loch Lomond and fortunately our tour guide made the tour ridiculously cheesy/amazing by blarring the ever-so Scottish song "Loch Lomond." I then proceeded to steal the tour guide's glory by telling the story of wallaby island to Caitlin right before he informed us all of the "mysterious island that is home to a herd of wallabies." Outside of high land cattle and the jaw dropping scenery, wallaby island may in fact be my favorite thing about Scotland. We continued our journey around Loch Lomond passing the turn off for Inveraray. I will admit to being disappointed I couldn't show Caitlin this little Scottish town. I really have no idea why, but I absolutely love Inveraray.. if you visit Scotland, you must go!

As we journeyed further into the highlands the countryside became even more beautiful. The sharp contrast of the snow-capped hills and the lush green fields dotted with lambs was breath taking. Since it is early spring it is currently lambing season and we saw many lambs frolicing in the fields. In addition to Loch Ness, I was extremely eager to visit Glen Coe. I had heard from many people that this Glen is truly one of, if not the most, beautiful places in Scotland. As the van approached the famous Glen it was easy to see why it is so revered. When we stumbled off the bus to take in the beauty of Glen Coe it, of course, was raining. But, the rain added to the atmospheric beauty of the Glen and our time spent gazing at the natural wonder was a little wet but overwhelmingly awe-inspiring and peaceful.

A few people thought that this picture was taken in front of a backdrop... it wasn't! Glen Coe is just that impressive.

 More pictures of beautiful Scotland from the drive to Loch Ness

As we continued our drive further up the country the weather began to clear; we took a short lunch break at the southern tip of Loch Ness. After lunch we drove the entire length of the Loch listening to stories of Nessie and intently peering out the window for any hints of the monster. Our stop at Loch Ness included a scenic boat tour of the Loch. It may have been the influence of being in small van for hours or maybe the spirit of Nessie herself but by the time we piled onto the boat Caitlin and I had become the ultimate tourists. We were wildly excited about the Nessie adventure, convinced that we would document the next sighting and perhaps even produce a photo that would bring us instant fame and enough money to pay off our student loans. We sat ourselves directly beneath the "Nessie Tracker"... yes, the boat had a Nessie tracker! The tracker calculated the depth of the water and detected any foreign bodies in the water.. this could include sticks, ducks, birds, fish, etc.. but most importantly, Nessie.

The Official Guide to Nessie:

1. Nessie plays the best game of hard to get that any woman in the history of women has played.

2. This particular loch monster has the longest life span of any creature... There is no documentation that Nessie has produced offspring. Therefore, the creature in the water is the creature people have been seeing for hundreds of years. The Loch Ness monster is that impressive.

3. The Loch Ness Monster does not want anyone stealing her fame. That is why the man attempting to become the fastest water traveller in the World did not claim his title on Loch Ness, Nessie capsized his boat.

4. Nessie lures normal/sane people in with her charms and then turns them into eccentric, okay really crazy, Nessie hunters. For example, a successful London Lawyer gave up his lucrative career practicing law to find the Loch Ness Monster. He now lives lakeside, daily looking for the monster; he makes an income by selling etchings of the monster. He has been living this Nessie centered life for 20 years.

5. Science can't deny Nessie. The loch is such a strange shape that it is impossible for researchers to explore all regions of the loch at one time. Nessie is so accustomed to scientists looking for her that she hides when they come to visit. Nessie does not like scientists.

6. Nessie is the most friendly monster on Earth and loves to show herself to friendly humans. You just have to know where to look.

 Found her! It really wasn't as complicated as everyone makes it out to be.

 The Official Nessie Tracker

 Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness

 The rain picked up again during our tour of the Loch, thus it made the search for Nessie a bit more complicated. One of the distinct characterisitics of Loch Ness is the extremely dark nature of its water, the rain makes the water even darker than normal.


After our boat tour we decided a stop at the gift shop was absolutely necessary. The amount of Nessie souvenirs the lakeside store contains is nothing short of impressive. As we were wandering through the aisles upon aisles of Nessie hats, Nessie books, Nessie stuffed animals, Nessie cigars and Nessie umbrellas I let Caitlin know of my secret desire to own an official Nessie hunter shirt. As we rounded the corner we came face to face with a shirt saying just those words. I am now the proud owner of an official Nessie hunter shirt in honor of my Nessie sighting.

We settled back into the van and made our way into Inverness. Unfortunately we were unable to stop in the town and I must say from the brief look we had of the town I would love to go back. We drove through Inverness and looped down south to Glasgow. It was wonderful having the opportunity to travel back to our starting point in a different direction than we had come. It allowed us to see much more of the Scottish countryside and Caitlin had the opportunity to see Stirling and Stirling castle. While there were so many places I wish we could have stopped and explored, the drive in itself was a great experience. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgable and told many interesting stories of Scotland and her people.

 Inverness

It was so nice having someone visit Glasgow. I had a wonderful time showing off the place that has become my home over the last year and introducing Caitlin to the great people I have come to love so much. I was sad to see Caitlin go but am so excited to visit her in Prague next month. Her visit also made me even more excited regarding my family's visit in May!

Benelux Part Three: The Netherlands--- All Good Things Must Come to an End

Wanting to prolong the memory of the Benelux trip it has taken me quite a while to compose this final chapter in the epic saga. However, the specific memories of the trip seem to have not been prolonged but rather more difficult to remember. Thanks to pictures and reminiscing about our time in The Netherlands on a double date (or social gathering in which we dined with another couple) I have been able to piece together a few of the high-lights from our final Benelux port of call.

Having fallen in love with Belgium I felt a twinge of sadness as we boarded the train into the Netherlands. Although, I was amazed at how quickly our time had passed in Belgium I was excited to push onto our next country. Before departing on our trip we had done our homework and uncovered an unfortunate little secret of the Netherlands, many of the country's museums are closed on Mondays. While we were really anxious to see a number of museums in the Hague it was decided that this city would be most suitable for Monday. Our train tickets allowed us to hop on and off the train at various points of call in the country. Our Monday would be spent travelling to Amsterdam and hopping off the train to explore any places of interest along the way.Our first stop was The Hague, after a luggage storage debacle (there is nothing worse than hearing a ticket print but having no ticket appear... fortunately we were able to release our luggage at the end of our stay and didn't have to buy an entirely new wardrobe in Amsterdam... although that may have been fun..) we were ready to explore the city.

 All three countries had an impressive outdoor cafe scene. I, of course, loved this. It was wonderful to leisurely eat our meals in the sun and mingle with the locals as we discussed the adventures of our day.

 While I agreed with our decision to visit the Hague on a Monday I had to be briefly consoled as we passed the home of "Girl with a Pearl Earring" and weren't able to visit the painting.

 While we weren't able to spot any Royalty as we did in Luxembourg, we did see the Royal quarter and an impressive red carpet leading to one of the buildings.

                             Because the Hague is historical and charming it was home to a few swans.

 The views looking over the city were so interesting because the merging of the old and new sections of the city was such a vivid contrast.

During our travels Richard has a very interesting way of keeping himself entrained, a little game called "pop quiz". This game occurs when Richard will randomly pull you aside with the words "pop quiz" followed by some terribly obscure question. A question that is highly unlikely you will know the answer to. He then gets to revel in the fact that he can inform you of the answer to said obscure question and mock your lack of knowledge the rest of the day. Apparently, Richard's brother and I are prime targets for this game. (Duncan.. two words: musical instruments. It's Richard's Achilles heel. He can mock you for not knowing the year in which the very first cobblestone was laid in the Hague's main square and you can mock him for believing cherubs play flutes. Who really wins in this situation?) This bird was part of the Hague's "Pop Quiz." If any of my American friends can identify this bird, you will not only greatly impress me with your ornithological knowledge but probably better the image of our people as a whole, no pressure.

After a whirlwind tour of the Hague we were to make one more brief stop before arriving in Amsterdam. Our friend, Antonie, had attended the University of Leiden and in his honor we decided to stop in Leiden. Within seconds of stepping off the train I was so happy we had stopped in the university town. The small city of Leiden is wonderfully charming with many waterways, bridges, bicyclists and a plethora of outdoor cafes. After a harsh winter the presence of sunshine had drawn many of Leiden's citizenship out to enjoy their city once more. The city was abuzz with students, walkers, bicyclists, diners and wanders like ourselves.

Joining the masses Richard and I settled down for a drink along the water's edge before departing Leiden. Being quite the beer connoisseur my travel companion sampled a wide variety throughout the Benelux odyssey. Always anxious to try something untasted Richard decided upon an unknown local brew, whereas my selection methods led me to something pronounceable. As the drinks arrived to our table so did tragedy. Richard's selection was in his words " a girl beer." Apparently light coloring and a lemon with a complimentary lemon press is womanly... Therefore, the beer did not quite live up to the established man code. A quick switch of beverages meant that I spent the rest of the afternoon pressing lemons while Richard observed the drinking habits of the Dutch men surrounding our table. Another round of drinks became necessary so that Richard could reclaim his masculinity and I could intentionally order a drink with a lemon press.. because, well,  that turned out to be entertaining and womanly.

Amsterdam To-Do List--- Day One:

1. The Van Gogh Museum

2. The Rijksmuseum

3. Heineken Brewery

4. Torture Museum



5. Anne Frank House

Shockingly enough, we did manage to complete our to-do list! In addition to these five museums we walked much of the city and took in the many sites Amsterdam has to offer. While the Van Gogh museum and Rijksmuseum were impressive and are absolute "must-sees" when visiting Amsterdam, the best stop of the day was by far the Heineken Brewery. After having been so fiscally fortunate in Brussels the expense of Amsterdam came as a bit of surprise. In the morning alone we had shelled out 18 Euros a piece for admission at the Van Gogh Museum and another 18 at the Rijksmuseum. After the blow to our pocketbooks the price of admission to the brewery was daunting. Finally we decided that while it was expensive it was an opportunity that simply couldn't be missed. The high price of admission was certainly rewarded with an incredibly fun afternoon. The self-guided tour progressed through the stages of crafting a Heineken. This is shown through numerous displays, including a 4-D movie! Richard and I were placed into a room with ten strangers and watched a film that literally turned us into a Heineken. We were "stirred" "cooked" "brewed" "bottled" and "shipped" by having water showered upon us, hot lights thrust upon us, bubbles blown at us and bounced along on a ride. Following this movie/ride we had our first taste testing experience.

We learned all about serving and drinking the perfect Heineken. As a warning we are now a bit snobbish regarding our Heineken beer. During this tasting we learned that to appropriately drink Heineken one must take "manly sips" so as not to disrupt the foamy head, as it is that head that seals in the beer's flavor. We raised our glasses and Richard and I locked eyes as we said "proost" and took our first manly sip. In Dutch tradition it is essential that one retains eye contact while proosting and indulging in the first sip, otherwise it is said one will be plagued with misfortune in one particular aspect of their existence. After our first sip we were left to indulge in our drinks before continuing the tour. It is best on these tours to finish quickly so as to beat the rush of people to the next attraction. Hurrying from the room to the next room of the tour Richard quickly hugged me whispering "I'm so proud." Having little idea as to what I did to receive such a statement I prodded "For what?" To which I was told "You drank that beer faster than any woman in the room." Well, the guide did tell us to take manly sips. Mom, I'm sorry... at least we didn't go to Hard Rock!



I know many of you have been waiting anxiously for the story of Messy Richard. Well my friends, the time has finally come. You no longer need to be perched on the edge of your seats in suspense but can sit back and enjoy the karma that was certain to befall a particular individual. At the end of our tour we each received a pint of ice cold Heineken. This time I took the time to savor the drink and had quite a bit of beer left to finish by the time Richard had polished off his pint. Now, for some reason Richard and I drink liquids at an alarming different rate. Richard finishes the average cup of coffee in 8.5 seconds while I generally finish a cup in 8.5 hours. Because of this Richard will finish his beverage and around the 2 hour point of my indulgence begin drinking from my glass. As this time neared Richard reached to grab my Heineken glass. But, his grabbing resulted in spilling. And, not a little spill but a massive splash which catapulted off the table and walls onto the back of the man seated in front of us. Stifling my laughter I jumped to help Richard clean the mess and fled from the scene. As we stood at a stoplight the red finally had begun to fade from poor Richard's face. It was in that moment that I told him that I had really wanted to ask the table if it needed more beer or if it had had enough. Looking at me Richard began to explain how the spilling incident was really and truly my fault when he tripped in the middle of a very busy Amsterdam street. And, the trip wasn't just a small little shuffling of the feet but instead a trip where one has to fight desperately to regain balance. After making certain that he didn't fall and was okay I burst into laughter and continued to laugh for at least a mile down the road. After about 15 minutes of my incessant laughter I received the quintessential raised eyebrow look with an "are you finished?" I finally stopped laughing long enough to say how happy I was to have found someone so much like me, before I replayed the image in my mind laughing hysterically once more. It was at this moment Richard pushed me into the bike lane.

Speaking of bikes, they are everywhere in Amsterdam! In addition to having the standard driving lanes the roads in Amsterdam have bike lanes, which we mistakenly found ourselves walking in numerous times. The people of Amsterdam bike everywhere and lock their bikes onto any grounded surface. Much of our time spent in Amsterdam was spent pondering how Amsterdammers find their bicycles and whether or not a moped should ride in such a lane.

Our day finished at the Anne Frank Museum and we crossed the street for a quick dinner. Sitting at dinner we discussed the city and the effects tourism has had on the city's image. Wandering around the city throughout the day we had been exposed to innumerable tourist shops and attractions, almost all of which seemed to focus on the legality of pot and prostitution. While many argue that the Dutch's open-minded attitude regarding sex and drugs has led to their rapid advancement it is unfortunate that this is what they have become known for. While on the train into the city a Dutch man was speaking with tourists about the Red-Light District. He was stating the rapid decline in the area's appeal and the plans of diffusing the area into the city so that it is not so heavily concentrated in one area, an area which seems now to only appeal to the tourist population. While we admitted to sounding old and possibly boring we felt sorry for the city's populous and the stereotypical viewpoints many tourists seemed to harbor. While part of Amsterdam's appeal is in fact their liberal open-mindedness it is not the only aspect of note within the city. Fortunately, we were able to experience these other aspects of note seeing that Richard appointed himself moral director as well as navigator of the trip. Meaning, our time spent in Amsterdam was spent in museums and on canals rather than in coffee houses.

We finished our dinner and argument over Lingua Franca (It should now be extremely evident how fun of a couple we are!) and slowly made our way down the canals. While I greatly enjoyed seeing all the marvelous sites in Amsterdam walking along the canals that evening was wonderful and reminded me a bit of our walk down the Seine. While it is entirely cliche, it is always the smallest moments of these trips that I love and remember most fondly.

The next day our flight was scheduled to leave late in the afternoon. Because of this, we spent the morning exploring the Rembrandt museum, walking the streets of Amsterdam one last time and finally taking a canal cruise.

As we settled into our plane seats we spent a few minutes enjoying the peace and quiet of the plane before the Ryanair flight crew tried to sell us everything under the sun. I leaned over looking at Amsterdam one final time "I'm said it's over, Richard." "Well, me too but all good things must come to an end." As we turned off our cell phones and pulled out our books I, of course, had to debate this statement. "What about things with longevity such as your job or spouse... aren't those 'good things'" and as our plane left the tarmac we left Benelux with these ever so optimistic words "Let's be serious, you will retire and you will die."

Our good thing had come to an end but fortunately it can live on a bit longer in this blog.