Day 7, Friday - Amsterdam

*Sorry about the delay, I have been having some internet trouble.*

I got caught up on my rest again this morning. Around mid-day Cora and I went out to do a little shopping and then to the park again for lunch. Here is a little video for you:

 

Also, I promised some interesting facts about Amsterdam architecture, so here they are: What do you notice that is common about all of the buildings in this picture?

 

They all have hooks attached to their roofs! Since the staircases in these houses are so narrow, these hooks were/are used to move large furniture in through the windows. Another fun fact is that many of the buildings are leaning. Unfortunately, I never got a good picture, but it is funny to see a house that has begun to lean and has then been repaired so that there is an additional pie-piece of brick-work to fill in the gap between it and its neighboring building. (Thanks to Aunt Julie for the fun facts about Amsterdam!)

Finally, people in Amsterdam know how to ride bikes. Here are some examples:

Guy with umbrella

You and 3 kids? No problem. (Can you find all the seats?)

The "suburban" model, very popular.

Girl with lots of stuff.

Guy with his dog, in this arm...

The instrument is bigger than he is!

This is my last full day in Europe and I have very much enjoyed my time here. After having been to the continent a few times, I am quite comfortable here and while it has been a busy week, it has been also oddly relaxing. It has been really nice to walk around the different cities with old and new friends and as much as I am excited to be heading to the Middle East, I will miss being here. Thank you to all my hosts: Uncle Mark, Aunt Julie, Cora, Carolin, and Rachel. You have all been truly wonderful and I hope to see all of you again soon!