去阿姆斯特丹吧，好吧? 好吧.

During the Fall 2018 semester, I 在阿利坎特留学西班牙，与CEA合作. Living in Europe gave me the opportunity to travel to several different countries and experience so many different cultures. On my last weekend trip of the semester, I spent a wet and windy weekend in one of my new favorite cities in Europe: 阿姆斯特丹.

阿姆斯特丹 Centraal: The train station on the IJ River

Despite the early December weather, I spent more time walking around 阿姆斯特丹 than any other city. My friends and I stayed in a hostel on the north side of the River IJ, across from the train station. 每天，我们骑 Buiksloterweg ferry to 阿姆斯特丹 Centraal – a short ride that the city provides for free for pedestrians, 骑自行车, 和骑摩托车的人. Once you are on the other side of the canal, the city is shaped like a giant “C.” I could navigate by using the train station as my center point and following the canals down into the heart of the city.

The many canals of 阿姆斯特丹 -- also known as the "Venice of the North"

阿姆斯特丹 has the charm of a small down with the hustle of a large city. In December, the sun sets very early – around 3 p.m. 然而, Dam Square and other streets in the city were illuminated with Christmas lights; with the city still bustling with people, I never felt like I was walking in the dark. Flower markets still flooded the streets in the early winter month, and 骑自行车 rode cheerily through the rain. There’s never a bad time to visit 阿姆斯特丹, because no matter the weather, the city maintains an unwavering style and aesthetic that I could not find anywhere else in Europe.

I loved exploring the city and learning about the history and culture of the 荷兰. If you are a museum junkie like me, then you’ll love the Anne Frank House, 梵高博物馆, 以及荷兰国立博物馆. If you like to take in the sights of the city, then you should look into taking a boat tour or renting a bike. **公共服务 Announcement: in 阿姆斯特丹, bikes 总是 have the right of way on the streets before pedestrians and cars. There are almost as many bikes as there are people in the city – almost 850,000!**

回来 to our regularly scheduled programming: 阿姆斯特丹 is amazing. From ice skating in Rembrandt Square to admiring 19^th century art, 阿姆斯特丹 has something to offer for everyone. I highly recommend that students studying abroad in Europe add this beautiful city to their travel plans.

I’m so excited for the students who get to 阿姆斯特丹留学 with CEA starting Fall 2019 – make sure you guys write some blogs and post lots of photos tagged with #CEAabroad. 好吧? 好吧.