Norderney and Amsterdam

     This past week was the busiest and most hectic week of the program so far, but it was definitely the most enjoyable one. The trip to Norderney was simply amazing. It was very serene and quaint. The hostel was simply fantastic, and getting to play some soccer with one of the kids at the hostel was so wholesome and just a small moment of beauty that gave me a lot of peace. The trip to the badehaus was a little weird for me because I felt as if many of the older German citizens were judging us for not being completely nude in the sauna, which made me feel very out of place and like I shouldn't go back up to the sauna floor after my first session. It was a moment where I just felt a little uneasy, and it was hard to get over it. The rest of the badehaus trip did make me feel very relaxed, and I'm glad Dr. Wasser took us there. Included below is a picture of the sunset on the beach during the last night in Norderney.

    After the end of the Norderney excursion, many of us went to Amsterdam, and I can confidently say that Amsterdam is my favorite city in Europe that I have been to. I went to the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, as well as taking a city bike tour and visiting so many different shops along the way. Stroopwaffel and cheese were bought. Many miles were walked, but the journey was amazing. This could be in part due to the fact that more of the people in Amsterdam spoke English, and the city felt like more of an American city. This means that I was able to feel more comfortable in my exploration of the city because the culture felt much more like something I was familiar with while still containing elements that made the city fascinating and completely different from the places I have been before. At the Rijksmuseum, I was able to view some amazing paintings from the era of Romanticism, which is my favorite era and style of paintings, so that was a huge plus for me. The Van Gogh museum allowed me to dive into the life of a troubled man through some beautiful landscape paintings and impressionist art that was frankly quite touching and moving. 

The first picture below is of the sunset during the last night in Norderney. The second picture is one of the sun in the evening over the canals in Amsterdam. You will notice my proclivity towards sunset pictures. The third picture is one of my favorite paintings I saw in the Rijksmuseum.