There and Back Again
I am back in Oxford. My spring break travels are done and I am back in England for the last stretch. In two months I will have not only finished with Oxford, but with college in general. I will, for the first time since I was 5 years old, be out of school. That is pretty mind blowing. Being a student is all I have known really. Soon I will be a workin' man and my days of pouring over books will be done, or at least they will for a while, it is possible that I will go on to get my masters somewhere down the road, but for next year I will be working. I am pretty excited about next year. Being is spain for this past time whetted my appetite for next year. I am looking forward to going back. I have a feeling some good times are in store for me.
My travels were pretty good. The easiest way to share the pictures is just to direct you to this link: My Amsterdam, Brussels and Brugges pictures. My verdict on the different places is as follows:
Amsterdam: I wasnt a fan. People try to sell it as a tolerant city of freedom and "buen rollo" but in reality it is just a amoral place where frat boys go to try to fill their metaphysical voids with hedonistic frivolity. Yes, the canals were pretty, yes there were great restaurants and little streets and other things, but the overwhelming sense of human emptiness was the main thing I came away with from that city. Oh, and the dutch are friggin rats, they charge 10 euros for the Van Gogh Museum and 15 for another one. As much as I wanted to go into them (and I did), I could not justify the price, since 15 euros equals either one night in a hostel or 3-4 meals.
Brussels: I really liked Brussels. While it is true that the city is kind of dingy once you leave the center, it was a really nice place. The old section was just gorgeous and the sights were worth seeing. The Art museum was particularly good as it contained many of Bosch and the Bruggels most famous works. The city square was also great. There were great little taverns around the town as well, in which we sampled many a fine belgian brew, made with a degree of care that you rarely see given to beer in other parts of the world.
Brugges: It is a great little town filled with beautiful buildings and lazy canals. It was a welcome change of pace after the two other cities. My only complaint is that it is quite touristy, like a Toledo or Segovia. However, places that are touristy are usually that way for a reason and Brugges did not disappoint. It was a great place for strolling around at one's leisure.
All in all, it was a good trip, now I only lack italy and I have seen all of western europe.
My travels were pretty good. The easiest way to share the pictures is just to direct you to this link: My Amsterdam, Brussels and Brugges pictures. My verdict on the different places is as follows:
Amsterdam: I wasnt a fan. People try to sell it as a tolerant city of freedom and "buen rollo" but in reality it is just a amoral place where frat boys go to try to fill their metaphysical voids with hedonistic frivolity. Yes, the canals were pretty, yes there were great restaurants and little streets and other things, but the overwhelming sense of human emptiness was the main thing I came away with from that city. Oh, and the dutch are friggin rats, they charge 10 euros for the Van Gogh Museum and 15 for another one. As much as I wanted to go into them (and I did), I could not justify the price, since 15 euros equals either one night in a hostel or 3-4 meals.
Brussels: I really liked Brussels. While it is true that the city is kind of dingy once you leave the center, it was a really nice place. The old section was just gorgeous and the sights were worth seeing. The Art museum was particularly good as it contained many of Bosch and the Bruggels most famous works. The city square was also great. There were great little taverns around the town as well, in which we sampled many a fine belgian brew, made with a degree of care that you rarely see given to beer in other parts of the world.
Brugges: It is a great little town filled with beautiful buildings and lazy canals. It was a welcome change of pace after the two other cities. My only complaint is that it is quite touristy, like a Toledo or Segovia. However, places that are touristy are usually that way for a reason and Brugges did not disappoint. It was a great place for strolling around at one's leisure.
All in all, it was a good trip, now I only lack italy and I have seen all of western europe.
Comments
amsterdam: TOURISM has ruined it. it is actually a city with a great history and beautiful cultural sights... sigh. pisses me off.