#schiphol street art

[a465161]

The Best Airports for Art and Culture

Book cheap flight tickets and hotels - Trail Travelz

Airports are often seen as transient spaces, hubs of transportation where travelers pass through on their way to destinations far and wide. However, some airports have transformed this perception by incorporating art and culture into their spaces, creating unique experiences that leave a lasting impression on visitors. From stunning exhibitions to architectural marvels, these airports go beyond functionality to celebrate creativity and heritage. Let's explore some of the best airports around the world where art and culture take center stage.

Singapore Changi Airport (SIN)

Singapore Changi Airport is renowned not only for its efficiency but also for its dedication to providing a cultural oasis within its terminals. The airport boasts an impressive array of art installations, including kinetic sculptures, themed gardens, and even a four-story slide for entertainment. The highlight is the mesmerizing Kinetic Rain installation, featuring thousands of moving droplets that dance elegantly above travelers.

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol embraces Dutch culture with its extensive collection of art and exhibitions. Passengers can enjoy rotating displays of contemporary art, photography exhibitions, and cultural performances throughout the year. The airport also features a library where travelers can borrow books for their journey, promoting a relaxing and intellectually stimulating environment.

Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)

Hong Kong International Airport blends modernity with traditional Chinese culture, offering travelers a glimpse into both worlds. The airport showcases a range of artworks, from avant-garde sculptures to traditional Chinese calligraphy. The Aviation Discovery Center provides interactive exhibits on aviation history and technology, appealing to visitors of all ages.

Denver International Airport (DEN)

Denver International Airport is renowned for its commitment to integrating art into its architecture and design. The airport's extensive art collection includes murals, sculptures, and installations that reflect Colorado's natural beauty and cultural diversity. Notable pieces include the iconic "Mustang" sculpture and the whimsical "Shadow Array" installation, ensuring that every corner of the airport is a visual delight.

Incheon International Airport (ICN)

Incheon International Airport in South Korea sets itself apart with its impressive commitment to showcasing Korean culture and heritage. The airport features traditional Korean music performances, cultural exhibitions, and even offers travelers the chance to try on traditional hanbok attire. The Korean Cultural Street within the airport allows passengers to shop for Korean crafts and souvenirs, providing a taste of local culture before departure.

Dubai International Airport (DXB)

Dubai International Airport stands out not only for its luxurious amenities but also for its celebration of art and innovation. The airport hosts rotating art exhibitions that feature both local and international artists, providing a platform for cultural exchange. Travelers can also explore the Dubai Museum of Contemporary Art within the airport, which houses a diverse collection of modern artworks from around the globe.

Frankfurt Airport (FRA)

Frankfurt Airport blends history with contemporary art, offering travelers a unique cultural experience. The airport features exhibitions that range from historical artifacts to cutting-edge installations by renowned artists. Visitors can also explore the on-site Frankfurt Airport City Forest, a green oasis that provides a tranquil escape and hosts outdoor art installations.

Seoul Incheon Airport (ICN)

Seoul Incheon Airport showcases South Korea's rich cultural heritage through its art and design. The airport's architecture reflects traditional Korean aesthetics, while its art collection includes both modern works and traditional Korean paintings. Passengers can participate in cultural workshops, such as tea ceremonies and calligraphy classes, enriching their travel experience with a deeper understanding of Korean culture.

Zurich Airport (ZRH)

Zurich Airport combines Swiss precision with a passion for art, creating a welcoming environment for travelers. The airport features a curated art collection that includes sculptures, paintings, and installations by Swiss and international artists. Zurich Airport also hosts cultural events and performances, ranging from classical music concerts to contemporary dance performances, ensuring that cultural enrichment is accessible to all visitors.

Istanbul Airport (IST)

Istanbul Airport, as a gateway between Europe and Asia, celebrates Turkey's rich cultural heritage through its art and architecture. The airport's design incorporates elements of Ottoman and Turkish motifs, creating a sense of historical grandeur. Travelers can explore the airport's art gallery, showcasing Turkish artworks and exhibitions that highlight the country's vibrant artistic traditions.

In conclusion, airports around the world are evolving into more than just transit hubs; they are becoming destinations in their own right, offering travelers opportunities to engage with art, culture, and heritage. Whether showcasing local artists or celebrating global diversity, these airports enrich the travel experience and leave a lasting impression on passengers from around the globe.

#AirportsForArtAndCulture, #BestAirports, #TravelArtAndCulture, #AirportExperiences, #CulturalTravel

[roomchailimited]

From Dhaka to Amsterdam: A Traveler's Guide to Dutch Delights and Canal Cruises

Amsterdam, the vibrant capital of the Netherlands, is a dream destination for travelers from all over the world, including those from Dhaka, Bangladesh. From its historic canals to its world-renowned museums and lively neighborhoods, Amsterdam offers a diverse array of experiences that cater to all types of travelers. This guide will help you navigate your way through Amsterdam's delights, ensuring an unforgettable trip.

Planning Your Journey

Flights and Transportation

Start your journey by booking a flight from Dhaka to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Various airlines operate this route, offering both direct and connecting flights. Upon arrival, you can take a train, bus, or taxi to the city center. Amsterdam's public transportation system is efficient and user-friendly, making it easy to get around the city.

Accommodation

Amsterdam offers a wide range of accommodations to suit every budget. From luxury hotels and boutique guesthouses to budget-friendly hostels and cozy Airbnb rentals, there's something for everyone. Consider staying in neighborhoods like Jordaan, De Pijp, or the Museum Quarter for convenient access to major attractions.

Exploring the Canals

Amsterdam's canals are the city's lifeline and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here are some ways to explore them:

Canal Cruises

A canal cruise is a quintessential Amsterdam experience. Choose from various options, including guided tours, hop-on-hop-off boats, and private rentals. These cruises offer a unique perspective of the city’s architecture, bridges, and historic sites.

Walking and Biking

Exploring the canals on foot or by bike is another fantastic way to take in the city's charm. Rent a bike from one of the many rental shops and join the locals in navigating the city’s extensive cycling paths.

Cultural and Historical Highlights

Museums and Galleries

Amsterdam is home to some of the world's most famous museums. Don’t miss:

Rijksmuseum: This iconic museum showcases Dutch art and history, including works by Rembrandt and Vermeer.

Van Gogh Museum: Dedicated to the works of Vincent van Gogh, this museum offers an in-depth look at the artist's life and masterpieces.

Anne Frank House: A poignant museum that preserves the hiding place of Anne Frank and her family during World War II.

Historic Sites

The Royal Palace: Located in Dam Square, this historic building is open to the public and offers a glimpse into Dutch royal history.

Begijnhof: A hidden courtyard dating back to the Middle Ages, offering a peaceful escape from the bustling city.

Savoring Dutch Cuisine

Amsterdam's food scene is as diverse as its population. Here are some must-try experiences:

Traditional Dishes

Stroopwafels: Caramel-filled waffles that are perfect for a sweet treat.

Poffertjes: Mini pancakes typically served with butter and powdered sugar.

Herring: Try this Dutch delicacy from a street vendor or at a local fish market.

Dining Experiences

Explore the city's vibrant restaurant scene, which ranges from traditional Dutch eateries to international cuisine. Visit Foodhallen, an indoor food market, to sample a variety of dishes under one roof.

Day Trips and Excursions

Zaanse Schans

Just a short trip from Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans offers a glimpse into traditional Dutch life with its windmills, wooden houses, and artisan workshops.

Keukenhof Gardens

If you visit in spring, don’t miss Keukenhof Gardens, known for its stunning tulip displays. It's a perfect day trip for flower enthusiasts.

The Hague and Rotterdam

For a change of pace, take a day trip to The Hague, the political heart of the Netherlands, or Rotterdam, known for its modern architecture and vibrant cultural scene.

Practical Tips

Weather and Packing

Amsterdam has a temperate climate, with mild summers and cool winters. Pack layers, a waterproof jacket, and comfortable walking shoes. An umbrella can also be handy given the city's frequent rain showers.

Language and Currency

Dutch is the official language, but English is widely spoken. The currency is the Euro (€). Credit and debit cards are commonly accepted, but it's always good to have some cash for small purchases.

Safety and Etiquette

Amsterdam is generally safe, but like any major city, be mindful of your belongings, especially in crowded areas. When cycling, always use bike lanes and respect traffic rules.

Conclusion

Traveling from Dhaka to Amsterdam promises a rich tapestry of experiences, from the tranquility of its canals to the vibrancy of its cultural landmarks. Whether you're indulging in Dutch delicacies, exploring world-class museums, or simply soaking in the city's unique atmosphere, Amsterdam offers something for every traveler. Use this guide to plan your trip and make the most of your Dutch adventure.

[goedkoopnaarschiphol]

Schiphol taxi, Goedkoop naar Schiphol

Noord Holland is a beautiful province that has plenty of things to do and see. A train is an ideal option for traveling through the province.

A day trip to Alkmaar or Haarlem is an excellent opportunity to explore this historical province. In either town, you are able to ride along the picturesque streets or stroll through the streets. It is also possible to visit the cheese market.

The Red Light District, or De Wallen, is an old neighborhood in Amsterdam's central area. Visitors flock to this neighborhood and enjoy a range of things to do.

The district is centered around Oudekerksplein (Old Church) and has lovely canals to walk through. It also has a lot of coffee shops and bars.

This is a wonderful place to visit and is a must-see on any Amsterdam trip. There are a few guidelines you should follow if you want to avoid disappointment.

The Rijksmuseum houses a beautiful collection of antiques and art. It features pieces from some of the most famous artists of the time, including Rembrandt and Vermeer.

The museum was inaugurated on the 18th of August, 1885, in an elegant building designed by Pierre Cuypers. The museum is home to an array of 8,000 objects which tell the history of Dutch history and art.

The Van Gogh Museum is one of the most renowned art museums in Amsterdam and is home to the largest collection of Vincent Van Gogh's work. The museum shares years of research into Van Gogh's artistic development, travels, and connections through thousands of personal letters as well as research studies.

Visitors can view the personal works of the artist, such as his 200 paintings as well as 500 drawings. The collection also includes 750 letters. These letters are a valuable source of information regarding his conjectures, emotions, and ambitions.

Who We Are

Goedkope Schiphol Taxi. Luxe Taxi';s en Taxibussen naar Schiphol, vanaf € 40,- enkele reis Schiphol Amsterdam. Tot 70% lagere Schipholtaxi tarieven !

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Schiphol taxi, Goedkoop naar Schiphol Nicolaas Beetsstraat 142 2hg, Amsterdam, Noord Holland, 1054 XV, Netherlands +31 20 260 0810

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[crygimethydgoode]

Lover’s Fantasia Chapter 1 (Crystal Methyd x Gigi Goode RPDR12) Cruel Summer

no rules in breakable heaven 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32286397/chapters/80027176

June 28th, 2021

Amsterdam

It was a fresh start. And it was exactly what Gigi needed after finally starting to feel like herself, finally seeing the sun without her smile. It was a new city bustling with new people and new experiences. It was perfect timing too. Soon after Biden was sworn into office, vaccines were being rolled out. By spring Gigi was fully vaccinated, she could finally go out with her friends and feel the sun beating down on her skin. Her best friend had just won Drag Race, and in late May they celebrated with a trip to Mexico. Gigi was performing again, living again. She breathed in the fresh air that was once masked with a piece of cloth. Everything was finally going back to normal.

Well, almost everything.

Because some days Gigi still went to Venice Beach to sit alone for a moment, allowing herself to bask in the almost nostalgic feeling. Allowing herself to feel that ache in her chest she had fought so hard to push down the past year. But she knew that feeling wouldn’t last, so she’d leave, telling herself it was for the best. Then the sun blinded Gigi through her curtains early one morning when she got a call from Jaida Essence Hall and Michelle Visage offering her a gig for the summer in Amsterdam. And Gigi couldn’t help but hope. It was Hunter who ultimately convinced her to go.

“It’ll be good for you,” he said. “It’s new. It’s nothing she’s… touched.” And Hunter was right, so that night they booked a ticket to Amsterdam. Gigi was excited, she really was. What could be better than spending nearly three months with Jaida and Michelle while they prepared for the iconic Amsterdam Pride? It was the perfect opportunity.

So why did Gigi’s chest ache as she made her way through customs? She decided to ignore it, which was something she had gotten used to doing. The Schiphol airport was much different than LAX. It didn’t have the same white interior and harsh lights that always caught Gigi in her worst moments, no, this airport was different. It was modern, but not artificial. With plenty of art, places to sit, and excitement. It was enough to make her nerves settle.

Gigi’s eyes scanned the horizon through the large windows, and if she squinted she swore she could see Amsterdam, her home for the next few months. She saw The Man in the Clock and quickly took a picture, captioning it “surprise!” before sending it to her story. She decided to keep Amsterdam a secret from the fans, mostly because she couldn’t promise that when the day came, she would be able to get on the plane.

“Don’t be dumb,” Symone said to Gigi as they walked into the airport, Hunter trailing behind. “This is a good thing, Gigi, you’re gonna realize it as soon as that plane takes off.”

So Gigi boarded the plane, not wanting the last time she saw Symone for a while to end in a fight. And she made it to Amsterdam, but now she wasn’t exactly sure what to do from here. She decided going to baggage claim would probably be a good start.

As Gigi walked to the baggage claim, she decided that Symone was right, and this really was the best thing for her. It had to be. She stood waiting for her suitcase when a flash of color caught her eye. Her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach, hoping her eyes were just playing tricks on her. It wouldn’t be the first time. Sometimes she’d see a head of curls on the street and her heart would skip a beat, and the sensible part of Gigi’s mind would remind her that they were worlds away.

Gigi assumed it was just her wishful thinking and continued to look for her suitcase and waited for the tightness in her chest to go away. But then the flash of color Gigi had seen came into full view. A hot pink suitcase covered in various stickers with a leopard print scarf tied around the handle. Suddenly her heart shot up from the bottom of her stomach into her throat. Gigi blinked a few times, trying to wake herself up from this nightmare. ‘It couldn’t be,’ Gigi thought. ‘There’s no fucking way.’

“Excuse me, pardon me,” a small nasally voice said. ‘No. Nope. This can’t be happening. This cannot be happening. Fuck this. It’s not her, it couldn’t be.’

“Excuse me, thank you- Gigi?”

Fuck. Gigi took a deep breath and grabbed the pink suitcase, as well as her own. She turned around.

“Hi,” Gigi said.

“Hello?”

Summer 2019

Drag Race

Gigi paced around her hotel room, deep in thought. It was her first day off after the first challenge. Gigi had been stuck in her room all day, just expected to sit around and do nothing. Just expected to ignore the longing in her chest for her friends back home. Hunter, Symone, Rosy, Marko, who were just a short car ride away, technically. But Gigi was locked in her hotel room, being told to enjoy some time off. In solitary confinement. What a way to celebrate the fact she had just nearly won her first challenge of Drag Race, placing in the top two of the very first challenge. Gigi was on cloud nine, relieved that she made a good first impression.

And that the judges liked all the helmets.  

But Gigi was so lonely, all she could do was lay in bed and watch weird daytime television. She tried to watch the shitty soap operas but they were just so boring and corny, she couldn’t stomach them. She didn’t have anything to work on, anything to read, nothing. She even attempted to work out, jogging around the tiny hotel room. That lasted for thirty seconds.

Gigi knew the obvious solution. One of the first things she had noticed in her hotel room was the conjoined door, which led right into Crystal’s room. Crystal Methyd. Probably the weirdest person Gigi had ever met. Not just because of her crazy bright drag, clown makeup, and outrageous but perfect amount of jewelry. No, she was shocked by how drawn she was to Crystal. She really was unlike anyone Gigi had ever met.

When Jackie asked Crystal if she was a fashion queen or a comedy queen, and Crystal just responded with “Fashion queen, comedy queen, I’m a TALENTED queen,” Gigi was completely fascinated by her. And then she actually got to talk to Crystal and get to know her a little bit, and Gigi knew in a heartbeat that Crystal was special. She was bright, sociable, and funny. But also really quiet, drawn into herself. Gigi couldn’t quite decide what it was, but Crystal had something the other girls didn’t. She needed to be her friend. So Gigi came up with a game plan.

She obviously couldn’t just knock and say she was bored like a loser. What if Crystal didn’t want to be bothered? What if Crystal hated her already? No. Gigi had a feeling Crystal just wasn’t that kind of person. Maybe she could ask to borrow sewing supplies, saying that she wanted to polish up one of her runway looks. And then she would just... charm Crystal into having a conversation with her? That could work. It’s not like Gigi had many options.

So she walked to the door that went into Crystal’s room. “Go before you’re ready bitch,” Gigi said to herself. She took a deep breath, raised her fist to the door, and before her screaming mind and pounding heart could stop her, she knocked. She could hear rustling coming from Crystal’s room, probably her crawling out of bed.

‘Do you have a big sewing needle? Do you have a big sewing needle? Do you have a big sewing needle?’ Gigi said over and over in her head. And then, before she was ready, the door swung open, and there she was. Crystal Methyd. Gigi’s breath caught in her throat and she prayed Crystal didn’t notice.

Crystal’s mullet had been put into two messy space buns on top of her head, little tendrils of curls framing her face. Gigi could tell that Crystal had hastily shoved her glasses on; they were lopsided, slowly slipping off her nose. There was only one word to describe the person who was standing in front of Gigi, being engulfed in an oversized One Direction concert T-shirt. Adorable. Her game plan flew out the window, and she was left there, speechless, looking like an idiot. What did she want again?

“Hi,” Gigi blurted lamely. Crystal’s face split into a grin, and Gigi could tell she was trying not to laugh.

“Hello?” Crystal asked in her sweet voice. Maybe it was her soft appearance. Maybe it was the fact that Gigi was too bored to care. Or maybe it was Crystal’s kind smile and bright eyes that made Gigi immediately relax. This was just Crystal. The same dork who had a One Direction tattoo on their chest in Arabic. She’s just... Crystal.

“I’m so fucking bored,” Gigi sighed, letting herself smile.

“Oh my GOD, me too! I thought about knocking on your door but I didn’t wanna bother you. Do you wanna come in?” Crystal offered, stepping to the side. Oh. That’s it? That’s all it took?

“Yeah,” Gigi grinned and stepped into Crystal’s room. Gigi’s heart was still pounding, her stomach still felt like it was in her throat. And there was Crystal, already climbing back into the bed, beckoning Gigi to join her. It felt like… it felt like Gigi was truly seeing Crystal for the first time. And her heart was still pounding. It felt good.

Amsterdam

Gigi had imagined what it would be like to see Crystal again for the first time, she had thought of scenario after scenario. Maybe she would enter the Werkroom for All Stars and there Crystal would be standing, a bright grin on her face. Or maybe one day they would be randomly booked for the same gig and they’d bump into each other backstage. Gigi also had wondered what it would feel like to see her again. She expected it to feel like a punch in the gut, or maybe like she was drowning, gasping for air while trying to find the right words to say. But as Gigi stood in the middle of the Schipol Airport looking into Crystal’s brown eyes, the only thing she found crashing over herself was a wave of relief. Crystal was still... Crystal. For some reason, Gigi assumed Crystal would be different, or maybe Gigi assumed she would feel different. But she stood there and felt as the familiar fire began to burn in her chest.

“What are you doing here?” Crystal asked, a slur of emotions ridden on her face.

“I-”

“Oh good, you found each other!” Jaida’s voice called out. Gigi and Crystal’s heads both whipped to see Jaida and Michelle Visage.

“Welcome to Amsterdam bitches, it’s about to be the best summer ever!!!” Michelle ran to them, giving them each a hug, Jaida following suit. Gigi felt like she had just been slapped in the face, but she put on the best grin she could, and Crystal did the same.

“Look at us, top three reunited! I can’t believe it’s almost been a year since Drive n’ Drag,” Gigi’s breath hitched in the back of her throat and she hoped no one noticed.

“Totally,” Crystal said, voice falling flat.

“So excited.” Gigi managed a smile. Jaida cocked an eyebrow.

“You two okay?” Michelle asked. Gigi was anything but okay.

“Yeah. I just got to go to the bathroom before we leave,” Gigi said. She heard Jaida and Michelle questioning Crystal as she walked away.

“She’s probably just jet-lagged,” Crystal shrugged. Gigi walked faster. She rushed to the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

“Fuck,” Gigi exhaled, fumbling for her phone, not exactly sure why. Who would she even call? If Gigi told Hunter now, the rest of the day her phone would be blowing up with messages. Besides, it was around 6 AM in LA, Hunter wouldn’t even be awake for another few hours or so. Gigi decided to just splash some water on her face, hoping she didn’t worry Jaida and Michelle too much by running off.

And Crystal.

God, what could Crystal be thinking right now? Gigi took a deep breath and stared at herself in the mirror. “You got this.” And with that, she walked out of the bathroom, head held high.

“Y’all ready?” Jaida asked.

“Ready,” Gigi nodded. With a loud whoop, Michelle and Jaida started towards the exit of the airport, Crystal and Gigi trailing slightly behind. After a short walk through the parking lot, they arrived at Jaida’s rental car. Gigi put her suitcase in the trunk and tried to ignore Crystal, who was clearly watching her. Jaida was driving, Michelle had taken shotgun, which meant Gigi and Crystal would be sitting in the backseat together. Great.

Crystal and Gigi sat in their respective seats. They didn’t lean in and talk to each other, they didn’t slowly find themselves inching closer and closer until their shoulders were pressed together, they both just busied themselves by looking out the window at the flatland that seemed to go on forever. Luckily, the drive was only about twenty minutes into the city. They made some light conversation, but it was clear that Crystal and Gigi couldn’t match Jaida’s and Michelle’s energy.

“Oh! There’s this long-ass tunnel coming up. No, Michelle, I’m not talking about your throat,” Jaida said. Gigi tried to see Crystal out of the corner of her eye. She had a worried expression on her face. ‘It’s not my problem,’ Gigi thought to herself. ‘ It’s not my job to make sure she’s okay.’

Gigi knew that. But that didn’t stop the sick feeling rising in her stomach as the tunnel appeared in the distance. She bit the inside of her cheek, Crystal shifted uncomfortably in her seat as they entered the tunnel. “Weee fuckers!” Jaida cackled. Crystal forced an uncomfortable laugh.

“Can we put on some music?” Gigi folded. Crystal visibly relaxed.

“I thought you would never ask!” Michelle said, handing back the aux cord. “Who wants it?”

“Crystal, you want it?” Gigi said, trying to sound as neutral as possible. Crystal just nodded, plugging her phone in quickly. Before they knew it, the car came out the other side of the tunnel, being filled with sunlight once again.

“Oooh, ladies we are getting close! I’m so excited for you guys to see Amsterdam. You’re gonna love it here,” Michelle said after a few more minutes of driving.

“Wait, how close? Because I have something very important I need to do,” Crystal laughed. God, Gigi missed Crystal’s laugh. She had almost forgotten the way it could fill and brighten the room.

“Well this is our exit, so do what you need to do, girl,” Jaida said, taking the exit. Gigi waited, wondering what Crystal could possibly have planned. Suddenly, in the distance, the tops of roofs appeared as the busy highway turned into a bustling street full of cyclists cutting through the road, causing Jaida to scream. The buildings changed from modern, glass exteriors to faded brick masonry.

Citizens and tourists alike walked the cobblestone streets freely, other people driving didn’t blink an eye at the cyclists who truly ruled the streets. Everyone was going at their own speed, each person had their own tempo they went to. It was refreshing, seeing everyone just doing. Gigi was almost emotional, this was still her fresh start despite… everything. She could actually see herself calling this place home.

Just then, she heard it. “Boom, Clap” by Charli XCX started playing out of the car's speakers, and Crystal was wearing a shit-eating grin. Gigi tried desperately to force back her smile, but couldn’t. They turned down road after road, slowly finding their way into the heart of the city. It was fucking gorgeous, it almost felt like they had gone back in time as the vintage buildings captivated them completely. Gigi felt the excitement rise up in her chest, she couldn’t stop grinning. She stole a look at Crystal, who to her surprise, was looking back. A feeling rose within Gigi, hope, maybe. And then Jaida slammed on her breaks, causing everyone to lurch forward in their seats.

“DAMN IT’S LIKE THE VANS ALL OVER AGAIN!”

Drag Race

Once all the queens had gotten out of drag, they were escorted to the vans, which brought them back to the hotel. Gigi soon found that one of her favorite parts of being on Drag Race was oddly the van rides to and from the studio. It was about a fifteen minute drive in the mornings, but a 45 minute drive when they had to go through heavy L.A. traffic. But Gigi enjoyed it. She liked sitting with Crystal, just shooting the shit. Sometimes all the girls would make up stupid road games to pass the time, which annoyed the hell out of the driver.

But most of the time, Crystal and Gigi were off in their own little world, foreheads nearly pressed together, hushed whispers about whatever stupid random thing they were talking about, two giggling messes. But things were different tonight. The challenge was Snatch Game, and Gigi was going through a whirlwind of emotions. She had just WON Snatch Game, which was totally unexpected but meant everything.

But she had also gotten into her first “TV fight” and it wasn’t as glamorous as she had expected. If anything, she just felt like shit for coming after Heidi’s makeup out of nowhere. Yes, she looked cracked, but Gigi wished she had just kept her mouth shut.

BUT SHE HAD JUST WON SNATCH GAME.

‘I’m not just a fashion queen anymore, bitches,’ Gigi thought gleefully. And then her attention turned to the queen who was walking to the vans slower than usual, head cast down. The night had been so hectic, Gigi had only been able to talk to Crystal a couple of times since the runway. Poor Crystal. If Gigi had a bad night, it was nothing compared to hers. Crystal’s Snatch Game didn’t go so well. At all. It was shit.

No one but Gigi had really understood it. While Crystal’s Poppy was accurate, the judges didn’t find it funny. Gigi thought it was amusing. Entertaining? Well,  at least her performance wasn’t as bad as Aiden’s or Britta’s.

The queens climbed into the vans, all going to their unassigned assigned seats. Gigi, Crystal, and Jackie sat in the way back, Crystal in the middle. Gigi couldn’t help but smile as Crystal slid in next to her, shoulders knocking together.

“Hey,” Gigi whispered, tilting her head to look at Crystal. She just gave Gigi a sad smile, resting her head on her shoulder. Gigi’s stomach immediately dipped, her whole body on fire. ‘Is my heart really beating that fast?’ she thought, feeling the pounding against her chest. She prayed Crystal didn’t notice. If she did, she gave nothing away. She just nuzzled her head closer to Gigi’s neck, letting out a sigh. Gigi could practically feel Jackie smirking at them, but couldn’t be bothered to care. She loved these van rides for a reason.  But they couldn’t know that. So Gigi just gave a soft chuckle and leaned into Crystal. “You good?” She whispered. Crystal gave a small nod.

“‘M just tired,” Crystal murmured. The vans took off, and they were immediately stuck in L.A. traffic. Within five minutes Crystal was fast asleep. Gigi allowed herself to relax for a moment, just thinking about the person that was practically sleeping on top of her. Things with Crystal were... interesting. It was weird how fast they clicked. The minute Gigi had built up the nerve to knock on Crystal’s door, they had become nearly inseparable. Of course they were close with the other queens, but Crystal and Gigi had each other on lock, painting next to each other, working on their challenges together, riding in the vans together, always.

And nearly every night since had been spent in each other's hotel rooms; practicing the lip syncs, sewing costume pieces together in silence, or just talking about everything and nothing. They were just there for each other. Within the span of two weeks, Crystal had become one of Gigi’s favorite people in the world. Gigi couldn’t help but wonder if the feeling was mutual.

Suddenly the van hit a huge bump, causing everyone’s heads to smack the ceiling.

“Did you hit a fuckin dog?!” Gigi heard Jaida ask the van driver. With a soft laugh, Gigi turned her head to see Crystal was awake now, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

“We hit a dog?” she whispered, still half asleep. Gigi chuckled and shook her head.

“No, it was just a bump,” she replied. Crystal let out a breath, laying her head on Gigi’s shoulder again.

“Your snatch game was so good,” Crystal muttered dreamily. Gigi could feel her face beginning to heat up, but tried to keep her cool.

She’s just Crystal. Just Crystal.

She’s just... Crystal.

“Thank you,” Gigi replied softly. She wasn't sure why, but something gave her the nerve to reach for Crystal’s hand, giving it a light squeeze. Crystal laced their fingers together and didn’t let go.

“I’m just so happy for you. You’re killing it, Geege. You’re gonna go all the way,”

“Yeah well, I’m not going anywhere without you. So you better do good next week. I need you,” the words came out of Gigi’s mouth before she could even think to stop herself. Crystal raised her head, turning to look straight into Gigi’s eyes.

“You will not see me in the bottom again,” Crystal said, a determined look on her face. And Gigi believed her.

“I know.”

The vans pulled up to the hotel, and everyone was escorted to their rooms. Crystal and Gigi said a quick “goodnight” in the hallway in front of the producers and went into their respective rooms. And then Gigi heard it. Her knock. Gigi opened her conjoined door and there Crystal was, looking like she was holding back a shit-eating grin.

“Was my Snatch Game really that bad?”

“Crystal...” Gigi trailed off. And they both burst into laughter. And it was nice.

Amsterdam

It was nice to laugh with Crystal again, nice to feel carefree and happy with her again, driving through the streets of Amsterdam as Jaida and Michelle pointed out a few of the clubs.

“You bitches aren’t ready to see your apartments! We’re all in the same building, Jaida and I are a floor below you,” Michelle said excitedly, turning back in her seat as Jaida turned down a narrow road.

“Y’all are on the top floor. Michelle and I didn’t wanna go up all those stairs. Sorry bitches!” Jaida cackled unapologetically. So not only did Gigi have to spend two months in Amsterdam with Crystal, she also had to live right next to her.

‘This is fine. Amsterdam is still my fresh start. This is fine. I will be alright,’ Gigi repeated over and over in her head until Jaida parked on the side of a busy street, her car parallel with one of the many canals in Amsterdam.“See that coffeeshop?'' Jaida pointed at a tall building across the street that was much wider than the other ones. There was a coffeeshop on the bottom floor, the storefront painted bright turquoise. All along the windows were tiny versions of all the different pride flags waving in the wind.

Looking through the windows Gigi could see walls covered in art as people sat in booths, passing joints around with dazy grins on their faces. And Gigi couldn’t help but grin too. “We’re living right above it! Pretty good gig, right?! Me and my girl Michelle tiptoe down the stairs every night, we smoke a little, laugh a little, and stumble up into our beds. You two are gonna love it, I know,” Jaida explained as everyone helped unload Crystal and Gigi’s suitcases. Gigi could tell Crystal wasn’t paying attention, looking around the city in wonder.

Jaida and Michelle started to cross the street towards the apartments, but Crystal was still standing in the same spot, watching the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam.

“Crystal,” Gigi called, not wanting to cross the street without her. Crystal’s head snapped in Gigi’s direction, and she immediately ran towards her, suitcase in trail.

“Sorry. Thanks. It’s just all so...” Crystal trailed off as they followed Michelle and Jaida into the apartment building.

“I know,” Gigi muttered, giving Crystal a tight smile.

“Right,” Crystal said, her voice barely above a whisper. They walked up a narrow stairway behind Jaida and Michelle. After climbing four long flights of stairs, they finally stopped. The four stood on a small landing, barely fitting. There were two doors across from each other, the one on the left labeled 28, the one on the right 27. “I want 28!” Crystal blurted, eyes wild. Gigi had to hold back a laugh.

“That was your apartment anyway, dipshit. Michelle, if you wanna give Crystal a tour of her apartment, I can show Gigi around hers,” Jaida said, and pulled Gigi into her apartment. She looked around at the narrow but long room. Immediately to the left, there was a door that led to the bathroom. Gigi stood in front of the door, looking at the small kitchenette before her, knowing she would never use it. But there was a small table with four chairs that Gigi immediately knew she would use to organize all of her drag stuff. To the right, there was a huge bed with fluffy white pillows and a matching comforter. And right next to the bed was a door that led outside.

“THAT’S RIGHT BITCH YOU GOT A BALCONY!!!” Jaida exclaimed as she dragged Gigi outside. She was immediately blown away by the sight. The balcony overlooked a small canal, jutting over the water. There was no road, just another set of apartments on the other side. But to her right, Gigi could still see the main street where Jaida’s car was parked, tourists and dutch folk alike going in and out of the small shops and restaurants. “And you get to share the balcony with Crystal! You two will have fun out here,” Jaida winked at her. Gigi saw another door right next to hers, which she guessed led to Crystal’s apartment. Conjoined balconies. Cute.

Jaida walked back inside, leaving Gigi no time to dwell on it as she went in after her. “Anyways, not much of a tour, there’s not much to see, but I just wanted to help you get all settled in! At like, 7, I thought we could get dinner? Go explore the city a little?” Jaida stood at the door, a glint in her eye. She knew.

“Yeah. That’s great,” Gigi replied easily. Jaida opened the door, and Gigi couldn’t help but stop her. “You left out some key details when you invited me here, Jaida. I didn’t know Crystal would be... joining us,” She tried to sound as casual and pleasant as possible, but she gave Jaida a pointed stare.

“Oops must’ve slipped my mind!  SORRYBYE,” Jaida winked and practically ran out of the apartment. And Gigi was alone.

“Fuck,” she said out loud. “Fuck fuck fuck fuck FUCK!” Gigi collapsed onto her bed and immediately took out her phone to FaceTime Hunter. “I don’t care if you’re sleeping, bitch, pick up,” She whispered, waiting to see Hunter’s face. He finally answered, still in bed. Gigi could see Marko’s sleeping body next to him.

“Geege it’s so fucking early whaaaaat,” Hunter groaned. ‘Oh just you wait bitch,’ Gigi thought. No matter how miserable she was, she couldn’t wait to see Hunter’s face when he found out.

“Guess who’s joining me, Michelle, and Jaida in Amsterdam?” Gigi said in a false cheery voice. Hunter just looked at her for a moment, and she could see the realization slowly dawn on his face.

“No.”

“Hunter...” She said, feeling the familiar tightening in her throat.

“No,” Hunter said again, and Gigi was surprised to see tears in his eyes. Fuck.

“Yeah,” Gigi said lamely, now trying to fight back her own tears. She had almost forgotten just how shitty her situation was. Almost.

“Gigi...” Hunter whispered, hand clasped over his mouth.

“Hunter...” Gigi’s voice cracked, and fuck she was crying again.

“A whole year of progress, of you finally... finally being your old self again. It’s all-all gone. And those assholes didn’t even tell you?!” Hunter was pissed now, getting out of bed and pacing around the darkroom.

“No, but it’s okay! I’m still me. This is still my fresh start, I can do this. She doesn’t matter,” Gigi said fiercely. And she wanted to believe herself so badly. But Hunter didn’t look convinced. And she wasn’t either.

“Gigi... what are you gonna do?” Hunter asked, still shell shocked.

“I don’t know. I don’t know. I guess just... keep my distance? I don’t know, Hunter,” Her voice cracked.

“Hasn’t the universe put you through enough?” Hunter implored, desperately trying not to break. Gigi had also forgotten how hard everything had been on him. How he was left to pick up her broken pieces.

“I guess not,” She answered lamely. She just looked at Hunter for a moment and watched as he took a deep breath, collecting himself. And then he went into momager mode.  

“Okay. Here’s what we’re gonna do. You are not going to be alone with Crystal. Ever. You have worked on yourself way too much to throw it all away for her. Okay? If you feel like you’re gonna do something stupid, call me. I don’t care if I’m sleeping, I don’t care if I’m at a rager. I don’t give a shit- Fucking call me. You can’t do this again Gigi. We can’t do this again,” Hunter ordered Gigi, giving her no room to object. And she easily agreed, even though a small, secret part of her didn’t want to. Not long after Hunter hung up, going back to bed. As Gigi stared at the ceiling, she knew she was utterly fucked. After all, when had Gigi ever actually listened to Hunter?

Drag Race

When Gigi heard a knock on her door, she wasn't exactly surprised. Crystal had been coming to visit every night since the Political challenge. And every night Gigi dreamed in screaming colors. At first, she tried to blame it on the excitement of being on Drag Race, but Gigi knew she was just lying to herself. She opened the door and of course, Crystal was there. Her mullet was pulled up into a top knot with a scrunchie, a mischievous grin had taken over her face, one hand behind her back. Needless to say, Gigi was ready to say yes to whatever Crystal had in store.

“What’s behind your back?” Gigi cocked an eyebrow.

“Well, I told you I was saving a joint for my first win...” Crystal sang, revealing a joint and lighter in hand.

“Oh my fucking god,” Gigi laughed, a rush of excitement crashing over her.

“I figured if we turn on the steam-fan-thingy in the bathroom and smoke in there everything would be fine, right?” Crystal asked. It was a bad plan. Definitely a bad plan that could get them both in trouble. But Gigi couldn’t be bothered to care.

“I’m in,” She grinned.

“Okay, we have to go to the vending machine first though,” Crystal said, and then “I already begged the producers to let us go together, be thankful it’s Annie and Noelle babysitting tonight.”

They walked down the long hallway, visibly excited. Gigi leaned against the side of the vending machine, peering at Crystal through the glass as she punched in item after item.

“Are you a peanut butter gal? I kinda am. It’s not my first choice but also not my last choice, you know? God, I wish they had Swedish fish...” Crystal kept on rambling about candy, but Gigi couldn’t hear over the pounding in her chest. The artificial light shone in Crystal’s face, and Gigi had to force back her smile. As she got lost in Crystal, Gigi couldn’t help but feel as if she was breaking out loud, the way she never did. “That should cover it,” Crystal said, arms full of snacks. The smile Gigi was forcing down shone through. “What?” Crystal asked, looking shy. Gigi smiled.

“Nothing. Come on, let me help,” she said, taking some of the snacks. They went back into their respective hotel rooms before Gigi entered Crystal’s room through the conjoined door. Crystal turned on the fan, it was a little annoying, a little loud, but didn’t matter at all to Gigi. Crystal threw all the snacks in the tub, and Gigi saw the lightbulb in Crystal’s head.

“I just had the best idea-”

“One step ahead of you,” Gigi laughed lightly, already going to sit in the bathtub. Somehow, their legs ended up in a tangled mess, but neither of them moved. Gigi grabbed the joint and cleared her throat. “This joint is being smoked tonight to honor the one and only Crystal Methyd’s first win!” Gigi said. Crystal cheered for herself. “I will now do the honorary lighting. Miss Methyd, if you would.” Crystal held the joint between her lips. Gigi had to hold her breath as the flame reached the joint. Crystal inhaled deeply then exhaled through a grin.

“Finally!” Crystal laughed, passing the joint to Gigi. She took a hit, sending all the smoke into her lungs then back out. They passed the joint back and forth a few more times until Gigi could feel the familiar buzzing in her chest and the tingling set underneath her eyes. She found herself giggling as she watched Crystal take another hit, coughing as she exhaled.

“Okay!” Crystal coughed. “First impressions of each other, go!” Gigi took a second to think. She had replayed the first time she met Crystal in her head over and over, but it was hard to put what she felt into words.

“Uhm... I remember you walked into the werkroom, and I thought ‘What is this thing-’” Gigi started. Crystal immediately started laughing, shifting to face Gigi. “And then you introduced yourself, and you talked about your One Direction tattoo, and I... I don’t know, I feel like I immediately could just be me around you. You were just... I don’t know. Yeah,” Gigi finished. Crystal passed her the joint.

“I thought you looked like Kelly Mantle at first. And I absolutely thought that you were going to hate me,” Crystal laughed. Gigi’s jaw dropped.

“Crystal-”

“I’m sorry.”

“You thought I looked like Kelly-“

“It was the hair-”

“-Mantle? Bacon dress girl?”

“Only for a second! And she’s a VERY talented Drag Queen!”

“Why would you think I’d hate you?”

“Because you were like... pretty. Not pretty, you were stunning. And stunning people sometimes don’t like me or don’t understand my drag. I don’t know, I just thought you’d hate me. People do,” she shrugged. Gigi didn’t know what to say. “I don’t know. You just made me... nervous? Then I heard you knock on my door on our first day off, and I got so excited because I just really wanted you to like me,” Crystal giggled, but there was weight behind the words.

“Crystal Elizabeth Methyd, there is no world where I could ever hate you,” Gigi said. Crystal looked at her differently for a second.

“Did you just call me Crystal Elizabeth Methyd?” Crystal chuckled. Gigi didn’t even realize she had called her that.

“Yeah...?” she said. Crystal just burst out laughing.

“I love that! That’s my name now. Crystal ELIZABETH Methyd. I sound fancy!” Crystal giggled.

When Gigi got the call saying she made it on Drag Race, this was the last thing she thought would happen. She didn’t think she’d find herself opening up one stitch at a time to Crystal. Yet as the smokescreen faded in and out of view, legs tangled, something screamed from within her. Crystal took a hit, then exhaled the smoke onto a piece of chocolate.

“Gigi, look! I made you an edible!” she laughed. Something screamed from within Gigi, and it screamed “This is exactly where you should be.” They finished the joint and ate all the snacks while swapping stories and laughs back and forth. Gigi learned a lot about Crystal, she learned about Get Dusted and all the work Crystal did for the drag community in Springfield with her friends. Gigi couldn’t wait to meet all of them. She also learned about Crystal’s fear of tunnels.

“Like, there’s cars above you, and you’re just stuck and I get all claustrophobic… it’s just not good,” Crystal explained. Gigi loved learning about Crystal, she loved watching her eyes light up as she praised her friends back home, about everything she accomplished with the Get Dusted girls. And Gigi loved as Crystal listened to her long-winded life story that she had definitely already told her before. But Crystal paid close attention, gasping in all the right places, listening intently. Hours had passed without either of them realizing it.

“Shit. It’s probably three by now,” Gigi groaned, rubbing her tired eyes. Crystal sighed.

“This is my least favorite part of the night,” she said. Gigi cocked an eyebrow. “Saying goodbye.” And again, Gigi saw a light bulb appear in Crystal’s brain. “You could stay the night!”

So Gigi crawled into bed with Crystal and tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. She dreamed of Crystal in the glow of neon signs, her hair, her glasses, her hands, her. When Gigi woke up, the silence of morning couldn’t be louder.

Amsterdam

At some point, Gigi found the motivation to get out of bed and stop moping, worrying about how she was going to avoid Crystal all summer. But Hunter was right. She could do this. Why would she ever be alone with Crystal anyways? All she had to do was lock herself in her apartment. Never go out on the balcony. Always make sure she was with Michelle or Jaida. Gigi could do it. And if she ever felt like she couldn’t, she would just FaceTime Hunter. She could do it easily.

But still. A small part of her didn’t want to.

Gigi shoved that intrusive thought down real fast and got changed for dinner. At 6:45 Jaida and Michelle came knocking on her door, and soon the group of four was off to dinner. Gigi had no idea where Jaida and Michelle had taken them. All she knew was that the booth was way too cramped, her arm nearly brushing Crystal’s. She thought this would be the worst part of dinner. But really it was Jaida and Michelle’s lame attempts at small talk.

“So. Crystal,” Jaida began, looking at her expectedly. “Why did I hear a little rumor that Widow is babysitting your cat?”

“Um... because she is,” Crystal giggled awkwardly. And then they were right back to that awkward silence. They soon finished up their meal, and Gigi didn’t look at Crystal the rest of the night,  knowing she couldn’t. Knowing it would unlock something too strong. Something she couldn’t just push down and forget. But then Crystal was walking on the edge of a canal, arms spread, trying to balance. Fucking idiot.

Gigi found herself slowly inching closer to Crystal, knowing she was tipsy and stupid. She noticed. The minute Crystal could feel Gigi’s presence, her head whipped to look at her. And then she stumbled. In a flash, Gigi’s arms flew out, one hand clutching Crystal’s elbow, the other one pulling her by the shoulder. Crystal stumbled into Gigi, but at least she didn’t stumble into the canal. Crystal regained her footing, quickly pulling away from Gigi after muttering a lame “thanks.”

Gigi’s mind was going crazy, her heart was pounding, her body on fire. That was the first time she had touched Crystal since... that was the first time Gigi had touched Crystal in ten months, just short of a year. It was all too much. That was the first time she had seen Crystal in a year. The first time she had spoken to her. She had been cut off from Crystal for nearly a year with absolutely no contact, just trying to forget about her. Could Gigi really do this? She thought she could. She hoped this would get easier.

“Y’all wanna smoke before bed?! I think it’ll be magical,” Jaida turned. Crystal hummed in agreement, Gigi just gave a silent nod. They soon made it to the coffeeshop they lived above and walked in. The inside was decorated with all kinds of weird shit. There was no specific lighting source, just a bunch of random, probably thrifted lamps scattered across the shop, casting different shades of light across the floor. There was a bookshelf filled to the brim with books and magazines. Gigi swore she could see the Harry Potter series next to some old Playboy magazines. One wall was covered with vinyl records that had been painted over. Every record was different, painted by different Dutch artists. Gigi’s favorite was a sunset over the desert, a car driving past with a U-haul trailer attached. She knew this would become one of her favorite spots in Amsterdam.

Crystal, Gigi, and Michelle sat at a table while Jaida went up to buy two joints for them to split. She came back shortly, an excited grin on her face.

“Just a little nightcap ladies,” Jaida sang, and Gigi had to chuckle. At least she had Jaida. Jaida put the joint between her lips, lighting the end of it. Gigi watched the top burn away as Jaida deeply inhaled. As she blew out her smoke, Jaida gave Michelle a lazy grin and passed it to her next. Soon Crystal had the joint, taking a hit.

“Blow O’s!” Jaida cackled as Crystal obliged. Gigi fought back a smile. And then Crystal passed her the joint. It fit easily between Gigi’s fingers, but she was confused. All she saw was the back of Crystal’s head. It was turned, looking down at her phone. And then she realized. Crystal wouldn’t look at her. And all Gigi could think was, ‘What have we done to each other?’

Eventually, they finished passing the joints around and followed Jaida through a side door that led to their apartment building entrance. Gigi gave long hugs to Jaida and Michelle on the third-floor landing, not caring that they had blatantly lied to her about Crystal being there. It wasn’t worth it. And maybe this would end up being a good thing. She hoped to god it would.

Crystal didn’t say goodnight, just ran up the stairs and went into her apartment without a word. Gigi didn’t know how that made her feel. Relieved? At least she wouldn’t have to say an awkward goodnight to Crystal. Yes. This was good. No Crystal is a good thing. So why couldn’t Gigi stop thinking about her as she got ready for bed? Why couldn’t she stop replaying everything over and over in her head? Seeing Crystal for the first time since...

Gigi was supposed to be okay without Crystal. She thought she was. She had gotten better in L.A. It didn’t hurt every time she thought about Crystal, just more of a dull ache. Gigi had let herself let go, move on to a life without Crystal. And she was hoping that she could do the same thing in Amsterdam, despite seeing her every day. But it was only day one. And all she could think about was Crystal.

Crystal at the airport, Crystal in the car, Crystal walking along the canals, Crystal passing Gigi the joint, refusing to look at her. Her mind was all just... Crystal. And she just wanted to forget. But that was impossible. Crystal had found a way to burrow into the deepest depths of Gigi’s brain, refusing to leave. Did Gigi really want to let go?

How do you let go of someone when you’ve spent the last year desperately wanting them? When you’ve spent the last year replaying every moment together over and over in your head, wondering what you could’ve done differently, wondering where it all went wrong. How do you let go of someone when for so long, it was the last thing you wanted to do? How do you let go of someone when your heart is screaming at you, begging you not to, no matter how much you know you should?

As Gigi brushed her teeth, she heard Crystal opening her balcony door and stepping out onto it. She peaked out the window and saw her lighting a joint, sitting in one of the chairs. A year ago Gigi would’ve joined her on the balcony in a heartbeat, complaining that Crystal hadn’t invited her in the first place. Now Gigi was just utterly... confused. How do you let go of someone when she’s right there on your shared balcony, and all you want is to just be with her, no matter how much she might hate you?

‘Maybe I should call Hunter. He’ll stop me from doing anything stupid.’ But Hunter was worlds away, and couldn't really do anything to stop Gigi. A part of her knew this was coming. She knew she’d cave eventually and try to talk to Crystal. Why? Why did Crystal have so much power over her, still? And why was Gigi trying not to smile as she heard Crystal coughing outside? Even when things were so different, even though everything had changed, Gigi couldn’t help but admire Crystal, who was now just scrolling on her phone, lazily holding the joint between her fingers. Absolutely wasting bud, if Gigi may add.

Gigi’s feet started moving before her mind could scream at her to stop, going before she was ready. Her hand slowly went to the doorknob,  just hovering there. Was it worth it? Was she going to throw it all away for Crystal? All the tears, all the talking, all the driving, the countless days where she forced herself to get out of bed, knowing she would forget about her someday? All the days where Gigi really had forgotten about her? When she felt like she could finally breathe again? Gigi felt that familiar burning in her chest. And she knew. There’s no way to let go of Crystal Methyd. Not when Gigi swore two summers ago she never would.

LAX

Gigi felt the knot forming in her stomach when she passed the sign that read “LAX 5 MILES AWAY.” Crystal had the same sad smile on her face as Gigi. It was really about to be all over. The summer of competing, crying, laughing, smoking, sneaking into each other's hotel rooms, lingering glances, and shy smiles. Why did it have to end like this? In Hunter’s Jeep, Rosy blasting “ Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift, all the windows down, letting the music rumble through the speakers and through their chests. Crystal and Gigi’s shoulders pressed together even though there was plenty of room in the backseat.

Why did it have to end at all?

Hunter took the exit, and Gigi started to feel sick. Crystal was supposed to have one of the vans bring her to the airport, but couldn’t refuse a ride with Gigi, Hunter, and Rosy. And Gigi hoped that Crystal accepted the ride because she too, couldn’t stand saying goodbye just yet. Just yet.

It was bittersweet. Of course, Gigi was happy to go home and be with her friends and family, but she couldn’t shake the sense of dread ringing throughout her body.

“You want us to drop you off at the front, Crystal?” Hunter asked.

“I’m gonna go in with her,” Gigi blurted, knowing she couldn’t say goodbye... just yet. Crystal looked at Gigi, beaming. “I don’t think Crystal could drag five suitcases around an airport by herself.”

“Oh sure,” Crystal murmured, nudging Gigi slightly. Crystal didn’t notice Gigi blushing, but Hunter did, sending her a knowing look in the rear-view mirror. Hunter found a parking spot after about ten minutes of looking around.

“It was so nice meeting you, Crystal! I absolutely adore you my fellow Aries,” Rosy said, grabbing Crystal’s hand and giving it a parting squeeze. Gigi caught Hunter’s eye again.

“I’m sure we’ll talk soon, but it was really nice meeting you,” Hunter said.

“Thank you guys so much for giving me a ride, you’re literally the best,” Crystal said. And so she and Gigi dragged the suitcases out of the Jeep before walking into the airport together. It was packed with a lot of people going home after spending their summers in LA. Gigi didn’t dare look at Crystal, scared she would see right through the brave face Gigi was trying to maintain despite the tears threatening to fall. Gigi watched from a distance as Crystal checked in and got her ticket, breathing slightly shallow. She knew what was coming next, she wasn’t stupid, this was always inevitable.

“All checked in!” Crystal tried to sound her usual cheery self, but Gigi could hear the sadness in the back of her voice.

“So this is it...” Gigi said, looking anywhere but Crystal. Crystal grabbed Gigi’s hand.

“I’ll see you soon. I promise,” Crystal said, voice cracking slightly. Gigi chuckled, tears stinging her eyes.

“Don’t cry cause I’ll start crying,” Gigi said, blinking back her tears.

“Geege...” Crystal put her hand on Gigi’s face, her thumb gliding across Gigi’s face. Chills ran down her body.

‘don't go, don't go, don't go’

“You have to go, you have a flight to catch,” Gigi said, composing herself quickly.

“I know, I just-”

“I know.” Gigi looked Crystal in the eye, who had tears streaming down her face. “Believe me, I know.” Crystal threw her arms around Gigi, and Gigi held on. She held on so tight her chest felt hollow. It was inevitable. There was nothing Gigi could say to make Crystal stay, she knew that. But that didn’t stop her from trying.

“You could just stay for the weekend, you know?” Gigi said into the hug. Crystal hugged Gigi tighter.

“I can’t, I gotta get back home to Paul and Tictak,” Crystal whispered.

“Paul?” Gigi asked, though the pessimist in her already knew the answer.

“My boyfriend,” Crystal said. The knot in Gigi’s stomach burst, now feeling empty and gutted, utterly hollow. Of course. Gigi pulled out of the hug.

“Oh. Well, um-”

“He’s just very um- private. He asked me not to talk about him on the show... And then it... just never came up I guess,” Crystal said, sounding slightly guilty. Crystal shouldn’t feel guilty, she owed Gigi nothing. Gigi knew that. She kept repeating it.

“No, I get it. I just uhm-”

“Shit, I’m sorry I got to go through security or I’m gonna miss my flight. I hate goodbyes. I hate that this is happening-”

“It’s okay, Crystal,” Gigi gave Crystal’s hand a final squeeze. “We’re gonna see each other soon, remember?” Gigi said. Crystal’s lip was trembling, she nodded quickly.

“Yeah. I’ll see you soon,” Crystal said. And that was it. Crystal walked away. Gigi couldn’t bear to watch as the person who completely captivated her left to go be with someone else. And Gigi just hoped she could smile long enough, just until Crystal turned back over her shoulder, finally ripping her gaze from Gigi. She waited, a painful smile on her face that made her cheeks ache, waving Crystal goodbye. Goodbye, for now.

Alas, Gigi didn’t bother wiping the tears streaming down her cheeks as she walked back to Hunter’s Jeep.

“Hey!- oh god she’s crying,” Rosy said, getting out of the car to wrap Gigi in a hug. She immediately started crying in Rosy’s arms. Hunter stood, a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“You really like Crystal, don’t you?” he asked gently, which made Gigi hurt even more. She tried to answer, tried to form a sentence, tried to say it’s just a crush or we’re just really good friends but she couldn’t admit that, not yet, so instead she said.

“She has a fucking boyfriend.”

And as Gigi stood in the middle of the LAX parking garage crying in Rosy’s arms, she only thought one thing. ‘I will not let go of you, Crystal Methyd. I will not let go.’

Amsterdam

Gigi’s hand landed on the doorknob, and she knew Crystal heard it. ‘Go before you’re ready bitch,’ She turned the doorknob, and felt the warm summer air on her face. And there Crystal was, looking up at Gigi with a dumbfounded expression. “Hi,” Gigi said softly, smiling at Crystal. She watched her visibly relax, returning the smile.

“Hello,” Crystal grinned, putting down her phone.

“We should probably talk about... everything.”

[streetartmuseumamsterdam]

Kaagbaan Experience - Street Art and Schiphol

When we got a phone call from our favourite client at Schiphol Real Estate SPOT Community, it was a no-brainer that Street Art Museum Amsterdam would be a perfect match for the event: Kaagbaan Experience. See what we managed to achieve in 2 days :)

[artmutt]

Amsterdam, Part 1

Our flight into Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport arrived just before dawn, resulting in a beautiful sunrise at the airport. Then we jumped in a taxi into the city, and ended up at our hotel before 8 a.m. It was much too early to check in, so I shifted some things from my day bag to my suitcase, and vice versa, and we went out to explore the city.

It was still very early, and we were groggy from the flight, Our hotel was about a block away from the Rijksmuseum, and the Museumplein (a big open area near the major museums) was quiet and beautiful, with nobody around, except a couple of food vendors getting ready for the day’s activities. After a nice stroll through the area, we decided we desperately needed a real breakfast, and lots of very strong coffee.

Luckily, we found Blushing, an adorable little cafe just off the Museumplein, where they were serving really terrific food and a variety of coffee beverages. Europe has adapted to the new food sensitivities that people have these days, so that even in a country as obsessed with cheese and milk products as the Netherlands, we were able to get coffee with almond and soy milk. Blushing’s version of Eggs Benedict was made with smoked salmon instead of Canadian bacon, and eliminated the Hollandaise sauce, and replaced the English muffin with spelt bread. So no dairy for my lactose-intolerant partner, and no gluten for yours truly: perfect. The walls were adorned with celebrity photos (all drinking coffee, of course), and it’s hard to argue with the sentiment that “A yawn is a silent scream for coffee.”

There are three major museums in the area. Besides the Rijksmuseum, there is the Van Gogh Museum, and we had pre-bought tickets for that on Sunday morning. The third is the Stedelijk Museum, which is the museum of modern art in Amsterdam. That was where we headed, after we were sufficiently caffeinated to actually focus our eyes.

The Stedelijk originally began in an older building, repurposed as a museum, but some years back, they added a new wing to the building, fondly referred to as “the bathtub” by locals because, well, that’s what it looks like. I’ve seen a couple of amazing shows at the museum, which has strong holdings of early Modern art by artists like Kasimir Malevich, and Piet Mondrian. At the moment, because of some remodeling going on (this becomes a motif for the visit), most of the permanent collection is kind of jammed willy-nilly into a crowded space. It does keep important work available, but this jammed presentation doesn’t encourage prolonged or contemplative looking.

Luckily, the current temporary exhibit of work by the Atlas Group, which is to say Lebanese artist Walid Raad, was well worth seeing, and it was given the kind of space needed for careful contemplation. It’s also very diverse work, politically vibrant and conceptually engaged. There were multiple rooms, each with very very different work, ranging from photography to painting to large-scale sculpture. A full-blown consideration of such thematically and technically diverse work would require an extended essay, so I’ll provide three photos, and let you go looking for better discourse on the Stedelijk website. I’ll just say that the exhibit, which spread across seven rooms, included “Sweet Talk,” one of the most stunning video pieces I’ve seen in a long time, in which buildings being demolished (basically imploded), through the use of mirroring, reversals, and loops, became a huge kaleidoscopic abstraction that was both horrific and beautiful at the same time. We sat and stared at this for a very long time because it was completely mesmerizing. While sitting we also had time to contemplate the myth of “progress,” the double-talk that delays any serious effort toward peace in the Middle East, and the whole conflicted notion of what “Modernism” is.

Of course, I can say that now. At the time, the jet lag was really kicking in, and I was rapidly heading toward incoherence. I had planned to have lunch at the Stedelijk’s cafe, only to find it was closed for renovation (like I said, a motif). So we fled to the nearby Keyser Brasserie, where I made the mistake of ordering a couple of Dutch classics, only to discover that neither of them were really what I wanted to eat at that moment.

I had also failed to pack any good walking shoes, and after walking around on cobblestoned streets in my dress shoes, my feet were screaming. So we popped into a shoe store, and I picked up some black high-topped leather sneakers, which totally saved me for the rest of the trip. A bit pricey, sure, but no more pricey than if I’d bought the same thing at Nordstrom in Chicago. And besides, we all need a good souvenir of any trip.

We went for an afternoon stroll through the Vondelpark, one of several large city parks. It was a lovely fall afternoon, and there were a lot of people out and about. My partner was expecting a lot of drugs, and there was certainly the occasional note of marijuana in the air, but for the most part it was a very civilized location, with lots of college-age kids on bikes or roller skates or scooters, and a lot of families with strollers or toddlers in tow. In point of fact, my partner saw less drug-use now than he had seen in the 1970s, before marijuana was legal. Just goes to show...

The neighborhood near our hotel turned out to be one of the fancier shopping areas in the city. This is where all the high-end clothing stores had their outlet stores. This turned out to be a very good thing, because there was very little else in the area besides high-end retail, so during the day the area was buzzing with wealthy shoppers and dropped-jaw tourists (the prices were pretty intense), but once these places closed, the streets were empty, so the neighborhood was very quiet in the late evenings. if we’d been in an area filled with bars or clubs, (like the area just across the canal from us), things would have been hopping until 2 a.m. or later.

My favorite among these places was the Hermés shop. Yes, I’m a fan of their stuff: I wear their cologne, and for many years had a treasured orange scarf from there that I wore until it fell apart. I also recognize how insanely overpriced their merchandise is. But they do have a certain je ne sais qua that I admire. Their Amsterdam outlet is constructed out of glass bricks, consequently, at night, it is illuminated from the inside, and presents a glowing presence on the street that makes all the other buildings look boring.

After a meal of Indonesian food (that merits a separate post), we got to bed early, and more or less collapsed until morning.

[prettylittleflowerx]

Unique Hotels For Wonderful Travelling Experiences

The potency of hotels in Amsterdam is likely in the situation of their diversity. The many types and models of special hotels like Amstel and Krasnapolsky have been created for at least a hundred years. Being a portion of the history of earliest resorts, these establishments play a significant role in enticing travelers to seeing them and staying inside their premises as part of their travel itinerary to researching the classic and culture of the grand city.

One very distinctive hotel is the Renaissance Hotel, located in a somewhat hidden nook along the small street named Kattengat, which translates to the expression Cats hole. The place is in direct proximity of the Central Station involving Singel and Spuistraat. Though initially tricky to determine its precise location, it can be seen from afar as a result of its cupola of the former Renaissance church that's now serving as a conference room in addition to beautiful lounge. The Renaissance Hotel is made up of 397 rooms and five suites. It's one of the most unique hotels in Amsterdam; formerly its nomenclature has been Sonesta. Belonging to the worldwide series of Marriot Hotels, the hotel seems to have gained greater reputation on account of the architectural designs and heritage value.

Aside from that, Victoria Hotel is also another exceptional place whilst spending time in this capital city. It's been awarded four stars and is a workhorse amongst the other leading hotels. Its location is conveniently inside the proximity of the Central Station that is the principal railway station in Amsterdam. This is surely a no-nonsense hotel, best for a brief holiday visit or business trips. Since the Central Station is a short 20-minute train ride from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, this resort in addition to many others are popular with visitors to the city.

V-hotel Frederiksplein stays in the list of unique hotels in the city district. With the uniqueness of its title, V-hotel is one of both fashionable hotels in Amsterdam. The location is in the immediate proximity of Utrechtsestraat, a road famous for shopping and dining delights. It's a fireplace in its lobby, matched with aggressively designed interiors projecting a trendy setting throughout its assumption. With the Rijks Museum in easy walking distance from the resort, many guests can take a relaxing stroll into the Dutch national museum to enjoy a huge selection of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age in addition to Asian artwork for exhibition.

Seven Ways to Enrich Adventure Travel Experiences

What are the best methods to enhance Adventure Travel for you and your companions? Seasoned travelers pick up tips along the way, and I invite you to add your own to the list. Below are seven ways that visitors to Cape Breton Island have improved their enjoyment of their journey, their stay on the Island and even the magical in their everyday lives upon returning home. Notice the frequent ingredient is link .

1. A Vision For Your Trip provides your experience travel a context of what you would love looking back on as a reference point of you being energized, connected with yourself and your environment, a sexy minute that could re-energize everyday life. 

2. A excellent Destination: What place engages your sense of curiosity, your sense of where you and your companion(s) would love to research and also settle in for a moment? 

3 Fragrant Local Guides: By guides I mean people who know that an adventure destination and are generous and passionate about sharing their expertise and experience. They may actually escort you on a trip or just educate you on areas off the beaten track, things to do, where to eat or sleep, and where to visit to be able to discover exceptional spots mentioned above--to create your own"sense of place". These guides can provide a local connection embodying their passion and excitement --they reveal an adventurous spirit that's joyful, even infectious. Guides offer a link to local people, places and experiences. They offer you security and useful information and recommendations.

4. Unique Gatherings The native Mi'kmaq on Cape Breton Island call parties"Mao I Omi" as well as the French call them"place de rencontre" and the Celts"Ceilidhs" (often involving music and dancing ). What you will discover is that meeting others and sharing your experiences, experiences and stories is a way to feel a part of things, to live your experiences and enjoy others'"magical experiences", gifts and abilities. Local parties, events and ceremonies are designed to make connection between individuals, a feeling of"magical", as well as the gift of great memories.

5. "An Adventure a Day (mild to wild)" By experience, I mean something which has a level of freshness and challenge to you even when you're accomplished at it. It doesn't need to be hiking up a wilderness trail or rock climbing, it may be as seemingly mild as learning a new recipe by a specialist chef or finding a blueberry patch ripe for the picking with the majority of the blueberries consumed on the spot and the remainder put to a yummy blueberry pie! Easy as it is to overload your journey, with a list of things to do, think about focusing on"an experience a day", whether mild, wild or someplace in between.

6. A Greater Purpose (During Service and Learning) Besides recreation why traveling? And is your adventure travel most important just for you and your companion(s)? Having a greater Purpose frequently adds to the experience and gets you beyond temporary distress and obstacles. 1 current objective is what I call the"Green Theme" for adventure travel. A lot people experience what some call a character deficit disorder (c/o writer John Louv) and detect it in our children and others' children. What happens when you connect with nature--trees, open space, birds and other creatures --is a sense of connection not only with nature but on your own. Connected to this"link" with nature is a growing desire and awareness of this delicate balance between nature and ourselves. Many volunteers and adventure travelers are trying to remain in areas that waste less and promote use of renewable energy, also tend to honor and preserve natural places or at least to do no harm. For campers the saying is to"leave not a trace". The goal progressively becomes to be"of service" and to have a greater purpose in adventure travel: you of appreciating and maintaining the green around you. The greater purpose for your trip can expand to any number of particular regions of adventure and potential learning:, the arts, outdoor recreation, re-building following a hurricane,, team-building, ie is any action for which you have a fire and can become a part of your experience travel. The purpose is to produce an effect in you or in your environment that's useful and has importance.

7. Well-being, health and safety locate a location and be with individuals fostering a feeling"well-being" or health. . After all, our regular routine is frequently full of work, obligations and, honestly, stress. Have you ever made space for"healing arts" or what some call"health" in your trip program? Ensure you have enough time and knowledge to not just travel safely, but to catch your breath and to regenerate. Assessing Your Brand of Magic in Adventure Travel You're the adventurer, jury and judge. The experience and feeling of the"Magic" is yours and it could be a different experience for your companion(s), but a good guideline is to ask yourself whether you have some memories and stories and even video or pictures that capture some of the juice, energy and excitement of the magic you created during your trip. Spread this soul of magic on your return home and the magic will last.

[chaletnz]

Slovenia Day One: Metelkova City, Lake Bled and Slovenian Sausages

Somehow I dragged myself out of the most comfortable bed I've slept in in months and got ready for the day at 4.30am. Since my last flight from Schiphol in the early morning (to Albania) where I cut it too fine I wanted to be as early as possible taking the first train! This time of course I was too early and didn't even need to pass through the immigration which seems to be the big delay. The flight was great, a window seat and a row all to myself plus the snow capped mountain views were amazing! I waited with all the Dutch tourists at the bus stop for the driver to show up about 20 minutes late and then I was en route to the city of Ljubljana through scenic country roads. The landscapes were all so crisp and colourful and with so much greenery around it didn't feel like autumn at all. But the scenery wasn't the only beautiful thing, as I sat on the bus and more Slovenians boarded I couldn't believe how good looking they all were! It was like being in Latvia all over again! From the bus window I caught sight of some interesting looking graffiti just before we stopped at the central bus station so I headed back in that direction and stumbled upon the coolest graffiti-filled garden court ever - Metelkova City! It must be lively in the evenings when all the pubs and clubs open but early morning was the perfect time to take a look around at the huge variety of art. The graffiti was one thing but I was so impressed by it as a whole, everywhere I looked I found a new mural, a unique sculpture or a sign. I wandered around the entire thing and enjoyed all the little surprises popping up along the way. I then walked back to my hostel, checked in and began the adventure to Lake Bled. I found where all the burnt orange and red trees were - lining the postcard perfect mountains on either side of the motorway to Bled! The bus dropped me on the town's main road but when I walked down a little further the lake came in to view in all its glory. Surrounded by green, red, orange and yellow trees there was the Bled Castle up above everything else, near the castle there was a church that demanded attention too. As I made my way around the lake's perimeter I discovered the tiny little Bled Island in the centre. I attempted to get some photos including failed selfies until I baited a couple trying to take a selfie, it's really very easy - you ask if you can take their photo and then they'll feel obliged to take one of you too! Back into the central city and I tried to see as many of the old town sights before the darkness really set in then I walked the liveliest streets and browsed in shop after shop of random knickknacks and unique souvenirs. I fell more and more in love with the originality of Ljubljana and the way the city seemed to have something waiting to impress me at every turn. I followed my map (which was honestly like a Bible) religiously and ended up at a popular local fast food restaurant for dinner. Klobasarna came highly recommended despite offering only Slovenian sausages and soup. When reading the menu - carniolian sausage with bread, mustard and horseradish, I had this image in my mind of a hot dog but the man at the counter sliced up the sausage into small pieces and then put everything separately onto a paper plate. It was an interesting meal to say the least! I sat inside on a small stool at the only table and ate silently as I read the full menu before me. It had been a full day and I was looking forward to a good sleep, and with my luck I had the entire 7 bed dorm to myself!

[caffeconkim-blog]

On Amsterdam

Young American tourists flock to Amsterdam because a certain type of herb is legal there....... Apart from counter culture being done incredibly well in this wonderfully clean and mesmerizing city, Amsterdam will leave you stunned and never wanting to leave *insert tears* . 

At least that is what it did for my best friend and I! 

Here is what we did and how we did it! 

DAY ONE: 

We flew AirEuropa for about 100 euros from Madrid to Amsterdam’s main airport, Schiphol. From the minute we set foot inside this airport we were amazed!!! (my best friend and I are easily entertained in general but WOW was this place FUN). The dutch aesthetics are very different, creative, and clean cut in comparison to what we are used to in the states and in Italy. There is a caffe called “Park Caffe” that is quite literally a PARK inside the AIRPORT. 

To save money on taking a cab and also to have a mini adventure we decided to shuttle/tram to a stop very close to our hostel, Ecomama. Here are the instructions: 

Public transport from Schiphol AMS Airport: Take any train to Amsterdam Central station. Travel time is 15 – 20 minutes. Tickets can be purchased from the ticket machines in the airport trainstation. One way tickets are 4.40 euro. From Amsterdam Central station follow directions as above. Public transport from Amsterdam Central Station: Walk out the front entrance of the station to the left until you see a blue sign with a big 'M', which stand for Metro. Walk down the stairs into the Metro Station. On the left you will see the check-in gates. Pass these with a valid ticket, that can be purchased in the station for Euro 2,80 (24-hours public transportation tickers are Euro 7,50). Walk down the stairs and take Metro number 51, 53 or 54 (don't worry about the direction). Get out of the metro at ' Waterlooplein'. When you get off the train, look for the blue direction signs and take the exit that leads to Waterlooplein. Walk up the escalator and pass the check-out gate. You will now see a snackbar in front of you. Turn right and take another escalator up to the exit of the station. On your right you will see a big square (during the day there is a market going on). Cross the street towards the square and head on straight (pass the market and cross another street) until you reach 'Valkenburgerstraat'. Walk down the street for about 4 minutes until you reach house number 124. Here you will see a coffee corner called 'Filter'. Walk in and go to the second desk. You have now reached Ecomama Hotel.

Ecomama hostel is a force to be reckoned with. 

Valkenburgerstraat 124, 1011 NA Amsterdam, Netherlands

This hostel knows what they are doing. They have an earthy aesthetic full of young people and extremely clean conditions that will satisfy even the most picky person. We found a good deal for our two beds in the same room for 30 a night. Definitely worth every single euro. The location is a 5 minute walk from Rembrandt Square and a 10 minute walk to the Rijksmuseum in one direction and the Red Light district in the other direction. The customer service was incredible as well. Except for the fact that I was sharing a room with 6 other people, I really felt like I was at a hotel instead of a hostel. 

Here are some pictures of the hostel: 

Our room 

The common space 

The indoor tent fort 

The stairwell 

Alrightttttttttt... enough of me fan-girling and praising this hostel, now on to our adventures throughout the city! 

We locked up our things at the hostel and aimlessly walked around until our stomachs called to a restaurant (it was lunch time).  Tasty burger won our hearts and stomach over!!!! This place wreaked of BBQ and creative, fun, and LARGE burgers. I had the “Hangover Burger” which consisted of a 10oz. patty, cheddar cheese, jalapenos, hot sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, mayo, and avocado. 

Here is my monstrosity of a lunch!

After fueling up........ we walked and walked and walked. The first place we stumbled upon was Rembrandt Square! Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn was a Dutch draughtsman, painter, and printmaker. This square is surrounded by caffe’s, restaurants, and bakeries. The center of the square has statutes of Rembrandt’s work. 

Here we are strutting a few poses! 

We then continued just WALKING. Amsterdam is definitely a walking city so pack your comfiest sneakers and a portable umbrella (also a very rainy city). You can get anywhere in this city in no longer than 30-40 minutes. LOOK BOTH WAYS FOR BIKES EVERYWHERE YOU GO !!!!! NOT JOKING!!!!! YOU CAN’T HEAR THEM COMING!! Amsterdam is home to over ONE MILLION bikes in use by its citizens alone! Not even counting the tourists on the bikes without a clue! 

Here are some pictures from just walking around the canals: 

Seriously, just explore! Every corner of this city is worth taking in. 

We then stopped for cake...lol.... the bakeries here are actually UNREAL and then I found the frozen yogurt shop franchise I worked at in high school in Miami!

Our cake: 

Yogen- Fruz!

Later that night we grabbed a quick and cheap bite from the caffe at our hostel and went out with a tour our hostel does on Monday nights for 10 euros of the local bar scene. This is a great way to meet people while abroad! We made a ton of friends that were also staying at our hostel and had a great time bar hopping places where the locals hit in Amsterdam. It was also nice to have a local with us that worked as the hostel’s guide of sorts (who was also around our age!) 

Some of the bars we hit were: 

1. OT301

2. Café The Minds

3. Roest

4. The Greenhouse Effect

These were all great! I would highly recommend them all! 

DAY TWO: 

We woke up early and hit the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum. We beat all the lines and were able to stroll in peace. We had a wonderful time taking in all the art around us and appreciating the museum’s architecture. 

Van Gogh Museum 17 euros a ticket:  

The Rijksmuseum 17.50 euros a ticket: 

and here we are on the Iamsterdam! 

We then had a rather sweet lunch at the Dutch Pancake House. This place is rated to have the Best Pancakes in all of Amsterdam and after one bite, I believed them. 

We had a food coma after those EXTRAORDINARY pancakes and relaxed in Vondelpark. The Vondelpark is a public urban park of 47 hectares in Amsterdam, Netherlands. We felt like we were surrounded by all the locals here while we laid down and just took in some sun. 

Next up, was dinner! We walked deep into Amsterdam to the Bazaar restaurant. This Moroccan restaurant was built inside of a remodeled church in a more cultural neighborhood in Amsterdam. We had a delicious meal and our surroundings were absolutely stunning. 

Later that night we took a stroll around the Red Light district. It was very clean, exactly how everyone had described it to be, and extremely interesting to just take it. A phenomenon like the legalization of prostitution in the United States would cause extreme public uproar and debate, and yet in Amsterdam is was amongst some of the most casual nightlife activities. 

Heres a photo I snapped on one of the bridges in the district. The lit up neon pig is a theatre called “Casa Rosso”. It is the district’s most famous live porn show theatre.The lines to get in wrap around multiple blocks.  

DAY THREE: 

We woke up early yet again because our flight to Munich was at 7pm. We packed all of our things and left them in the storage room in the hostel free of cost. We checked out by 9am and had a few hours left to explore before we shuttled back to the airport. 

We rented bikes for 9 euros for 4 hours. 

WARNING: if you do not consider yourself a pro biker I would not recommend renting bikes in this city. The bike riding scene on the streets is very intense, crowded, and something the locals should only partake it. It is so easy to fall off and get lost. We definitely decided we would never rent bikes here again! We did lose each other but had the common sense to return to where we rented the bikes and found each other again. 

Here I am on my bike! 

We returned our bikes and had the brunch of champions at Mr. Paprika which is right next to the floating flower market! It was only 10 euros for all this! 

Our final stroll was over to the Anne Frank house. We were slightly upset to find out that the lines to get into the museum were extremely long and could take anywhere between 4-5 hours to get through. When we tried booking tickets in advance they were also all sold-out for weeks at a time. We decided to go pay our homage anyways and at least see her home from the outside and where she roamed around. We were happy we did. Both my best friend and I identify as Jewish and were happy to be able to live to see today because of the sacrifices little girls like Anne faced during the evil of the Holocaust. 

Here are the doors to her home: 

So there you have it! All of the aforementioned gave me a much deeper and greater appreciation for the wonders of the Netherlands. I spent roughly 250 euros here as well between food, trams, and the hostel stay. 

[piarou-neelix]

Surviving VidCon Europe 2017

So, I am slowly getting back to being alive again. So far since crawling out of my bed (for the second time today) at one pm, I have only tripped twice, bumped my head thrice, and spilled/dropped stuff (drink/bread/butter/washing-powder) four times. So yay! :D Now to try and put these past days into words. In only one word is easy: AMAZING. But there is so much more to say than just that it was probably the best weekend I have had in years. So many feelings to describe, so many emotions to be conveyed. And so many people to thank.

Let's start this tale at last Thursday, April 6th, 2017. Under an indecisive sky I waited for Johanna, the fellow Vidcon-volunteer, whom I had only talked to through Skype for an awkward half hour before that day, that was going to stay at my place for the coming nights. With a delay of five hours her bus from Vienna finally arrived at Sloterdijk, and I got to meet her at last in real life. And what luck I had in having her for a guest. Johanna is a young woman with a base state of happiness that is so heart-warming and mind-soothing to undergo and be around, it is almost unreal. That being coupled with a sharp mind and a smart wit made her one of my favorite people I know through the power of the internet almost immediately. The lively and intriguing conversation we had during our short walk through the woods in Castricum after dropping off her bags at my place was a confirmation of my first instincts. After the walk we cooked together, ate our prize, and then played two rounds of Kahuna before going to bed early-ish. Friday we got up at what felt early for me then, but was to become a blessed long sleep compared to the days after. ;) Following a typical Dutch breakfast with bread with 'hagelslag' we took the train to Amsterdam. We started the day with a tour of the more typical touristy locations so Johanna could check them off of her list, after which we went to the Vondelpark where an International Nerdfighter Meeting was organized by good soul Richard. It was the first time in years that I was at a Nerdfighter meeting where I knew less than seventy-five percent of the people. The sun was a bit unsure about it all (though managed to burn me nonetheless), but I think all had a great time. There was songs being sung, games being played, and friends being gained. Johanna, me, and several others had to leave the gathering for a while, because there was a volunteer-training scheduled at the RAI. Other than finally meeting Nick who was our coordinator, I didn't learn much there and then. But I did get to meet more of my fellow volunteers, which was cool. A whole bunch of them joined us at the pizza-place that evening, which made us a group of over 60 for a reservation of 20, but after splitting in two we still had food for all, spread out over two restaurants. All in all, a good day, filled with loads of nice people. Okay, I felt a bit tired from the somewhat too much walking I had done, and my forehead almost gave light from the sunburn, but I figured I would manage. Then again, Vidcon hadn't even started for real yet, for me. :D That happened on Saturday. And oh wow, did it start. So many people eager for an event they had been waiting for for months, if not years. Lines of fans waiting for a chance to meet, touch and take pictures with their heroes, whom they had so far only seen in digital form. And that sea of enthusiasm was compressed to a stream of roiling emotions in the meet-and-greet-wristband-distribution-line. My original shift was a bit over-staffed compared to the understaffed situation at this bottleneck of the first morning, so I was transferred to help out there. And thus I got a first glimpse of what this weekend would entail for me. Hard work, and loads of smiling faces filled with anticipation and joy. In an attempt to entertain the masses while they waited, and to keep myself awake as well, I did some frolicking and goofing around, doing impromptu little dances and pirouettes whenever I had the chance. But as time moved on, it became clear that the lines were filling way faster than we were clearing them, so an extra line was created, and the time for whimsical folly was over. I know for a fact that I was by far the worst wristband-attacher of all times, but looking down and me are not the best of friends. ;) As my shift ended, my neck and eyes were hurting, as well as my fingers. But still, I was filled with an overflowing sense of warmth and happiness just because I was helping people get the best days of their lives. After a short break, and catching the first half of The Vlogbrothers' Q&A, I started what eventually became my favorite shift of the weekend: The Vidcon Booth. Seriously, I was born to stamp passports-of-joy. Enticing people to just go that one more step to get not five, but ten stamps was such fun. Coming up with creative reasons why/how people earned the stamp for “Awesomeness” was the most energy-giving thing I have done in ages. Being on various selfies I had 'forced' people to take for yet another stamp, or just seeing the weird/cute/tender/beautiful selfies being taken right in front of me to earn that precious red blob of ink. Encouraging people to write or draw something on the wall, and then later realizing they had made a little piece of art. All that and more made it the best few hours of 'work' I have ever had. I went across the street for a quick Dirk-van-den-Broek sandwhich for dinner, and then it was time for the Saturday-evening featured-creator-show. Being blown away by the facial expressions and amazing voice of Carrie Hope Fletcher and the wonderful poetry of Savannah Brown made up for the somewhat cringe-worthy Max and Harvey performance. Matthew Patrick closed the night with words of power and honesty that made me want to hug him to make him feel better, and thank him for making so many others feel better. And then it was time for the trip home. The NS had decided to work on the tunnel between Amsterdam and home, so we (Johanna and I) were fearing a replacement bus-service was to be our lot, but luckily the whole weekend we managed to time our travels thus perfect that we could catch the rerouted intercity home. Five hours of sleep is a lot more than four-and-a-half, so we were quite happy with that, indeed. :D My Sunday shifts were a lot less exciting to me. I was room-monitor in the morning, and auditorium monitor in the afternoon. But to be fair, I don't know if I could have handled much else after I started the Vidcon-day with a tumble on the concrete floor. Both my knee and my shoulder were scuffed, and turned stiff quite rapidly. But hey, the show must go on, so I kept doing my utmost best to make everyone around me have the bestest of times at this first ever Vidcon Europe. The morning-shift I decided to be the outside-monitor, as that ensured me to have a quiet start of the day, and meant less walking around with the microphone. But the auditorium was too big to be handled by one mic-walker. And at that point my energy had been adequately replenished by the many awesome fellow volunteers. So I happily went were the panels wanted me to go. The two panels during which I had my shift were very interesting and I will certainly take some of their words with me. In between all of this, there were of course the meet&Greets I myself had the opportunity to have. On Saturday I got to hug Emma Blackery, and give her a bag of fizzy peaches, proving that not all forty year old followers of her are creepy af. Sunday in the afternoon I hugged Hank Green (@edwardspoonhands.tumblr.com this is what I meant when I said I still blame you: http://piarou-neelix.tumblr.com/post/153356577720/i-blame-you), and between my last shift and the volunteer-thank-you-party, I met Hannah Witton, whom I had already met almost exactly two years earlier in Amsterdam. After hugging her, it was straight to the Nedfighter-special event, but that was a bit too noisy for me, so I retreated to the volunteers' little safe-haven of calm and quiet next to registration, where I doled out my ever-present new addiction, Verkade Bites (seriously, don't eat them, or don't blame me). Then it was time for the aforementioned volunteer-thank-you-party, where I managed to grab a bite of food as well. I was amazed to realize I hadn't even met all volunteers yet that were in the room. And all were amazing, seriously. So much friendliness and warmth in one room was invigorating to the soul, and strengthened my already high trust and belief in humanity. A (not completely) surprise-visit by Hank Green, where we caught him in a circle of high-fives, and some completely unexpected gifts were nice unneeded bonuses to an already awesome event. It all ended with the logical end, the Sunday-evening featured-creator-show. We had missed the beginning due to our 'private' party, but saw most of it anyways. Dodie and Jon Cozart were, in my humble opinion, the stars of the evening, and Kwebbelkop surprised me with the way he filled his time on stage in a positive way, but all on stage were amazing this evening. Except maybe for the herring. ;) But as with all things, even the best of the best events have to end some time, and so it went here as well. After hugs and farewells Johanna and I took our leave of the Rai to once again travel to Castricum, and our much needed beds...

...for four hours of sleep. :( Johanna, adventurer as she is, had to go to her next big memory-in-the-making, and had to be at Schiphol at six in the morning. So after a short night, and a very weirdly quiet train-ride, it was time for me to say goodbye to my new friend (for now). She took the one train, that being her first step on the road to India and a new adventure, and I took the other back to Castricum again, and to another couple of hours of sleep. And then, it was all really over. But in my mind, the event will never end. My heart, head, and soul has been changed by all the wonderful people I have met during these past four days, the new friends I made, and the words I heard. Especially the awesome group of volunteers I will not soon forget. Once again I have seen the proof that the world of the interwebs is a powerful world indeed, and that it can do the most beautiful things, and knit the most awesome communities out of yarn from many different types of stories.

[silverscalephotos]

The easy way out by ChristopheStaelens

[streetartmuseumamsterdam]

ORTICANOODLES “6000 STROKES”

During the week of 3rd April, SAMA hosted a return of the ver special guests from Milano: ORTICANOODLES. Indeed a little part of Orticanoodles’ Family was at the Street Art Museum Amsterdam for a new project, following the success of the 'Tulips', an artwork from 2016.

In this occasion Orticanoodles gave me an opportunity to interview them. Here’s the result!

IH: First tell me more about Orticanoodles, it’s more than a duo? It’s a family…

WW: Today Orticanoodles is just like a big family, we are a dozen, all with the same goal: to paint large walls in public contexts and fun together.

IH: Your artworks : You switch from spray to acrylic whilst remaining faithful to stencil technique, why ? And what does it entail or mean for you?WW: Our murals are trying to recover from our tradition those classic techniques that were always used in the course of Art history, we work primarily with the technique of dusting dating back to 1500, we prefer to work with brushes because it's much more relaxing and less toxic sprays. IH: Does teaching urban design makes an impact on your work on the street?

WW: Relate with the students has definitely helped me to be able to coordinate projects shared with many people, my job as a teacher blends perfectly with the role of "social artist", moreover, each of us is the the sum of own experiences! IH: When did you meet Anna? What do you remember about it? 

WW: We met Anna for the first time about 10 years ago, we made many projects together, never a problem! Anna is very careful about planning and production, every time she has a wall to paint we are happy to develop the project together.

IH: In the last 4 months you have completed two monumental artworks : 'Tulips" in Geuzenveld and "6000 STROKES" in Schiphol. What are you thoughts about these?

WW: Both artworks have dealt with the floral theme, in Tulips we did a tribute to these flower, symbol of Amsterdam city and Turkish neighbourhood of Geuzenveld, and they are represented as almost an abstract to the area. The theme includes symbolic references to Bauhaus and De STIJL.

In Schiphol we have represented a biodiversity, and in this specially case we painted Calle flowers, a symbol of elegance, and Rose flowers, symbol of love and passion. Thank you to them. The artwork denote from the city and the landscape, it’s fresh and natural. 

Text and Interview by Ilona Horvath

[finleymbct]

Pixar in a Box - The Art of Storytelling

We are all storytellers

Exercise 1: Expressing memories

The days before I left Europe, around one month ago, were a little emotional, but in some ways I was glad to finally be in the home stretch of my lengthy stay. I went with a close friend Emmi to Munich, and had one hell of a night out, right before one hell of a hungover day of exploration. Soon we left for his hometown of Tettnang, which is right by Lake Constance - from there I was able to see my second homeland, Switzerland. It was a shame that I was unable to go there again before I left. I spent a pleasant couple of days at Emmi’s, and was able to practice my first language a little. But all good things had to come to an end, and I had to say my goodbyes.

From there, I took a train to Brussels, to once more meet with my Flatmate and closest friend in Tilburg, Augustin. We’d said goodbye two weeks before, as we were uncertain if there’d be time to catch up before that flight home - that time, after I left, was the first time I cried in those whole six months. There wasn’t any crying this time on my part. I had dinner with Gus and and stayed the night at his place, once again meeting his family, who were some of the most welcoming people I’ve ever met, even if their English was very limited. Early the next morning I left Brussels for what I most certainly hope is not the last time.

From there, I traveled back to Tilburg, the city where I’d spent six months making friends from the world over and having a good time. The place felt different from when I’d left it - the people I’d met from around the world were mostly gone. It’s streets were familiar, but the place didn’t feel like home without the dozens of people I’d met, or the constant WhatsApp notifications from said friends. I retrieved the two suitcases full of stuff I’d acquired over my stay, and headed to the train station with Frennie, meeting with a friend from my class, Julie when we arrived. I said my goodbyes to Julie, but felt somewhat optimistic - I’m sure that’s not the last I’ve seen over her, or Tilburg for that matter.

Frennie and I took a crowded train from there to Amsterdam Schiphol airport. I didn’t know how to feel: last time it was her leaving my country, not the other way around. Before too long it was time to say goodbye, and I headed through security to encounter the typical long line of tired passengers. What better time to ues those headphones that had served me so well throughout the trip -

*Snap*

Oh.

Exercise 2: Your three favorite films

Were I trapped on a desert Island with some means of watching only three movies of my choice, I guess I’d be wondering how such a situation would come about on a desert island. But to pick some favourites...

Blade Runner - I just can’t get over the philosophical drama, the rain soaked neon, and the quintessential cyberpunk-ness of this film.

Star Wars Episode V - No escaping my favourite franchise. The original trilogy as a whole is a story about redemption and - you know what, I’m not really sure what the deep connection I have with Star Wars is. I think I’m just a nerd.

It’s cheating, but the book the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - a story about approaching any situation with humour, and being able to have a positive outlook as a whole.

The similarities:

They’re obviously all scifi.

All of them are about the protagonist going through some pretty trying circumstances.

They’re all from some time before I was born.

Exercise 3: What if...

The films above could be described as:

What if the your greatest enemy was your own father?

What if Machines could think with a mind like a human’s?

What if earth really just was an experiment in a perplexing universe?

The “what if” ideas I’ve had are:

What if weapons could think - how would they feel about their purpose?

What if there is no greater truth?

What if humans truly became one civilisation?

pretentious questions I guess...

Exercise 4: Characters & Worlds

A -Returning to the three “films”

Who are the main characters?

Is there a character you identify with most?

Where does the movie take place? Is it one world or multiple worlds?

Blade Runner - Deckard, Rachel, Roy

I’m not sure if there is really a character I identify with...

It takes place in one world, that of dystopian Los Angeles.

Star Wars V - Luke, Leia, Han, Vader

In some ways I identify as Luke’s frustration that he doesn’t feel like he’s learning fast enough.

Literally speaking, it does take place on multiple planets so...

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Arthur, Ford, Trillian, Zaphod, Marvin

I find Arthur relatable, as he navigates a universe that makes less and less sense as time goes on.

Again, multiple “worlds.” (planets) Maybe I’m being a bit literal here.

B - I feel like the characters here aren’t especially compatible with those from other films (or books), as each has a distinct tone - tragic philosophy, faith and redemption, and that the world doesn’t make much sense, might as well roll with it respectively.

C - A favourite “what if”

What if weapons could think - how would they feel about their purpose?

It’s the distant future, and humanity is living in a world they did not create, but most certainly did destroy. Corporations rule supreme, and the teeming billions of humanity live in a world rife with injustice and corruption.

Terminal illnesses are more and more frequent, but one corporation offers a second chance - have your consciousness severed from you body, and live in their service for 25 years.

Cyborgs exist in many different forms, but for those who rebel, their consciousness is made to serve only one purpose - operating a weapon to crush any resistance.

Cheesy I know. I need to get this cyberpunk out of my system...

[countrysideamsterdam385-blog]

Amsterdam City Breaks

An Amsterdam city break is only the holiday ticket for all age groups and all preferences. Whether it's cultural high from its world-class museums or another type of high from the city's notorious 'coffeeshops', Amsterdam can be a city you can't help but enjoy. Amsterdam is normally one of Europe's best city break holiday places thanks to an exclusive combination of high artwork and low lifestyle, from social capital to cannabis capital it has so very much heading for it, it's hard to understand where to begin.

 First is the ease of getting now there. Schiphol Airport had been voted one of the finest in Europe and its high-speed trains will whisk you the 14 km into the city center every 15 mins. Then there is the convenience of getting around. Amsterdam has excellent bus and tram services, not to talk about the canal cruises that check out in all the social vacation hotspots as well as the amazing byways. Above all Amsterdam city center can be actually little and fairly peaceful, with many streets-traffic free and bicycles the transportation of choice for most Amsterdammers.

 It's a great place to wander around and so easy to take in the best cultural sights and what treasures there are. This is certainly the house of both Rembrandt and Van Gogh two giants of the artwork globe, with museums dedicated to both. Opera, theatre, dance, street theater Amsterdam has it in buckets.

 But high art is not all that's in the frame in this cosmopolitan bowl of multicultural delights. There's the famous Red Light District where scantily clothed girls parade for custom behind neon-lit windows. And there are well-known coffee shops where cannabis is normally openly sold and smoked as clients drink their cappuccinos. There is usually road theater in Dam Block, open up surroundings events in the pretty city center Vondelpark and, on the outskirts, among the best zoos in Western Europe.  Also Read: - Amsterdam City Breaks

  Experiencing an Amsterdam town break has never been simpler. There is definitely a great choice of inexpensive plane tickets to Amsterdam from many UK airports and a wide selection of resorts from high end to budget lodging. You can also reserve a space at a floating resort or a canal boat. Reserve online and open up the gates to low-cost airfares and low-cost plane tickets plus many holiday resort deals that provide inexpensive breaks in Amsterdam.

 Amsterdam Countryside Tours also is specialized in private tours in the countryside of Amsterdam. We have a selection of private tours available. We conduct our tours outside the city of Amsterdam. The beautiful and scenic landscape shows allot of our country. Enjoy your day trip without any hassle. We offer all-inclusive private tours. We have a selection of three standard tours on our page. For special requests, you can contact us. Our number one private tour is the Amsterdam countryside tour. To know more about amsterdam tour guide, Visit us now!

[erfigh]

PAÍSES BAJOS: 50 POSTS QUE AYUDAN PARA VIAJAR [2]

Foto: Pixabay

Las 5 mejores excursiones desde Ámsterdam. Tours de 1 día | La Guía Viajera

Todo lo que debes saber para viajar a Ámsterdam | El Blog de Viajes

Boeederij’t Geertje, una preciosa granja holandesa | Hasta la luna y más allá

Giethoorn, un pueblo de cuento. ¿Qué ver y visitar? | Touristear

Excursión cerca de Ámsterdam - Zaanse-Edam-Volendam-Marken | El viaje de Sofi

2 días en Amsterdam | Hasta la luna y más allá

Cómo preparar una escapada de fin de año a Amsterdam y Bruselas | Travelling Dijuca

Ámsterdam en 3 días, qué ver y hacer | Los viajes de Margalliver

Ruta de un día en Amsterdam | Lovely Planet

Il mercato del formaggio di Alkmaar: tutto quello che devi sapere | VoloGratis.org

Thalys Train from Amsterdam to Paris: 12 things no one tells you | probe around the globe

25 curiosidades de Ámsterdam que te sorprenderán | Los Traveleros

14 days in the Netherlands itinerary with kids {Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht & more} | Globalmouse Travels

I mulini lungo il fiume Zaan ~ Viaggiamocela Travel blog

Cómo llegar a Amsterdam desde el aeropuerto de Eindhoven » Sinohasviajado

Amsterdam en famille : le guide ! | Les Pauline

20 curiosidades de Ámsterdam | Mochileando por el mundo

Un paseo por la Malinas borgoñona: la antigua capital de los Países Bajos en Flandes | Salta Conmigo

10 COSAS QUE HACER EN AMSTERDAM, HOLANDA | RUBÉN Y EL MUNDO

15 cosas que hacer en Amsterdam en 3 días | Sinohasviajado

72 ore ad Amsterdam | bambiniconlavaligia.com

How to get from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to the city centre | Nomadic Boys

DinkyViajeros: Excursión a Zaanse Schans desde Amsterdam: los famosos molinos de Holanda

Los 15 lugares imprescindibles de Amsterdam | Blog de los Yuyis

8 curiosidades sobre Amsterdam | Traveleando por el mundo

Cómo funciona la "I amsterdam City Card" de descuentos en Amsterdam | Viajablog

Mi lista de los 7 pueblos más bonitos de Holanda | El Viaje de Sofi

Cosa vedere a Rotterdam: street art Museum imperdibile | Mi prendo e mi porto via

Mes bonnes adresses à Rotterdam | Voyager en photos

Nos vamos de visita al barrio rojo de Ámsterdam | Mi Viaje

Visiter le musée Van Gogh d'Amsterdam - Tous les Billets Coupe-File | Vizeo.net

19 of the best places to go in Amsterdam | Adventures of a London Kiwi

Qué ver cerca de Amsterdam, Holanda | Los viajes de Margalliver

Qué ver en Amsterdam en dos días con niños | Latitudes Infinitas

15 mejores excursiones desde Ámsterdam | Los Traveleros

Things to do in The Hague Netherlands on a short getaway | wonderful wanderings

Que ver y que hacer en Amsterdam en 3 días | Lecciones de Viaje

Madurodam, los Países Bajos en miniatura | Mi Viaje

¿QUE VER EN UTRECHT Y EINDHOVEN, HOLANDA? | Rubén y el mundo

Lugares de Holanda que no debes perderte en tu viaje | Mi Viaje

Visitar la Casa de Anna Frank, duro pero necesario | El Viaje de Sofi

Where to Stay in Rotterdam - The Best Places to Find Accommodation | The Fairytale traveler

What to see in one day in Rotterdam: attractions, food and fun | Love & Road

Museo Van Gogh ad Amsterdam: orari, costo del biglietto, come arrivare | Vologratis.org

Comment aller à Amsterdam pas cher : explications détaillées | Road Calls

Visita a la Casa de Rubens en Amberes | el pachinko

What to see in Rotterdam in one day. Our family day trip with Stena Line UK | the Pigeon Pair and Me

Come organizzare un weekend perfetto ad Amsterdam | La Simo in viaggio

Visiter Rijksmuseum à Amsterdam avec Billet Coupe-File et Audio Guide | Vizeo.net

Qué hacer en Rotterdam | Tips De Viaje | Lecciones de Viaje

[jasonpacheco]

Friday train ride from London to Amsterdam CS. Back in NL but instead of staying in the capital it’s off to Utrecht where the Airbnb comes with fiets. Nice welcome from Maika who’s originally from Jakarta and the world of marketing and advertising by way of Unilever and JWT. Bike ride to the local brouwerij and haringhandel and it’s village living. Gezellig. Weekend trips to Utrecht centraal by train and fiets. An appreciation of the cozy cafes, street art and canal. Shopping for kaas, snoepjes and haring at the food markt. Sunday brunch of pannenkoeken in town and a run in maxima park the country’s biggest. Monday and it’s back to nyc. Bid the host and trawangan huisje terima kasih and tot ziens. On the train to Schiphol, news of the Utrecht tram shooting. Godverdomme. Such a peaceful city at that. Aboard the Norwegian air on exit row aisle seats and once back in nyc welcomed by a cabbie who fucked up and drove into the city instead of BK. Stopped the meter anyway and apologized profusely. Where am I. Welcomed back to the billyburg spot to hugs and really good sushi finally. Ohayo BK | Utrecht, NL #latepost #holland #selectivecolor #utrecht #netherlands #pancakes #travel #fiets #blackandwhite #bicycle #🚲 #eurotrip #herring #🇳🇱 #dutch #bar #airport #food #streetphotography #cafe #running #park #nature #restaurant #streetart #365days2019jp [74-77/365] (at Utrecht, Netherlands) https://www.instagram.com/p/BvtwtuvFx61/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=aax70o40aoxj