Ezra
5.03
Hey
Justin
5.05
Hi Ezra, how's it going?
Ezra
5.05
good, how're you?
5.05
how'd you know it me?
Justin
5.05
hehe
5.05
i'm great! thank you.
Ezra
5.05
glad to hear it
Justin
5.06
so... would you like me to jump right into it?
Ezra
5.07
let's do it
Justin
5.07
let's see... what's the first thing you did when you got to amsterdam?
Ezra
5.08
slept
5.08
soundly
5.09
after that, though, I just wandered. It was windy day, with intermittent rain, and I just strolled through the streets, ostensibly trying to locate breakfast, but really just enjoying the architecture and winding alleyways
Justin
5.09
so you got to the hotel in alright? comfy sleep?
5.10
oh yes, dutch weather!
5.10
did the weather effect your trip?
Ezra
5.11
I was worried it would, I even went out and got a raincoat before arriving. But Amsterdam politiely rejected its own weather forecast and, save for the first and last days, offered fine climate. And that's coming from a Californian.
5.11
got there fine, gorgeous hotel, great sleep.
Justin
5.12
oh nice, it actually snowed one day when i was there.
5.12
that definitely threw me for a loop.
Ezra
5.12
the hotel was nearly my favorite part, actually
Justin
5.12
what hotel was it?
Ezra
5.12
they had a bottom cafe that looked out the World War II memorial square. Sitting there with a coffee service and a book was incredible.
5.12
Grand Krasnapolsky
Justin
5.13
oh yeah, that's a great location too.
5.14
what did you end up doing -- museums, wandering around...?
5.14
when you weren't having coffee, of course
Ezra
5.15
a lot of wandering around. Met up with some ex-pats, went for some long bike rides
5.15
didn't do much in the way of museums, but the Van Gogh center is as impressive and comprehensive as everyone said.
5.15
but then, i'm not a sightseer particularly
5.15
I like to wander, to relax in comfortable environs, to sit on a bench, or beach, and read.
Justin
5.15
did you get one of the macbikes?
Ezra
5.17
I did -- worked great. Clever, duel-part locking system, too.
Justin
5.18
i think that's one of my favorite parts of amsterdam, everyone biking everywhere.
Ezra
5.18
definitely. Just watch out for the tram grroves.
Justin
5.19
was this your first time in amsterdam?
Ezra
5.20
yeah, first time in Europe at all
Justin
5.20
oh wow
5.20
did it measure up to your expectations?
Ezra
5.22
I'm not certain what my expectations were. It was certainly grey and blustery and cobble-stoned and compact and charming. It felt, to me, like a European city should, which means it neatly fit into whatever cultural expectations I had of the places.
Justin
5.24
how were the dutch?
5.25
did you get to meet any, or did you end up talking mostly with expats?
Ezra
5.25
no, we got to meet a variety of dutch, and they were quite nice.
5.26
can't say we hung out that much though. They seemed like folks anywhere, and they spoke good English, further keeping me from categorizing them differently.
Justin
5.26
very true, they all seem to speak perfect english.
5.28
any recommendations or suggestions to people going over to a'dam for their first time?
Ezra
5.29
yeah -- buy a lot of cheese. It's remarkably cheap and exactly as delicious as you've been led to believe. That I didn't bring more back is my great regret from the trip.
Justin
5.31
haha, great!
5.31
(what's your favorite kind?)
Ezra
5.32
a truly impossible question that I wouldn't even attempt to answer. I'm too much of a novice to have a favorite.
Justin
5.32
heh, alright.
5.32
thanks for your time ezra!
Ezra
5.33
no prob, thank you Justin
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