For the blogpost that correlates to these photos go here
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| The Cologne Cathedral |
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| Climbing to the top of the Belfry |
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| Lovely stained glass within |
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| The top of the belfry |
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| The bells within the tower |
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| Little messages left throughout the years |
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| Graffiti at the top of the tower |
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| This reminds me of Jacob's ladder |
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| Lovely vaulted ceilings |
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| This church is famous for its gargoyles |
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| The waves of pavement |
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| A concrete Ocean |
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| "Wow, he's soo cut and tall. What a chiseled physique." |
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| This guy was dedicated, his concentration didn't waver for a second. Never saw him lift it, but, geez, he was trying really hard. |
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| The making and wrapping of the fresh chocolates in the Schokoladenmuseum in Cologne! |
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| The one in the back had an allergic reaction to nuts... it wasn't pretty to watch. |
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| One of the gods of chocolate. The wolf on his noggin thirsts for cocoa |
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| Don't let the buck teeth, pig noses, and shifty eyes fool you; this one is serious about his chocolate. |
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| He's unhappy because the other gods wouldn't let him join in their games. |
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| What I think Jaba the Hut would look like if he were a Mayan Bowl |
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| Guybrush Threepwood! Monkey Island Lives on!!! |
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| The carnival across the river |
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| My personalized chocolate bar fresh from the presses. One of THE MOST DELICIOUS bits of chocolate I have ever had the privilege to taste! |
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| The Rhine |
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| And then the world went topsy-turvy at the Carnival across the river. |
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| Only 1 fahrt per person, please. Any more, and you'll be escorted off the premises. |
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| I believe I can fly! |
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| "Mom, I'm Flying!" |
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| "Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!" |
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| "Soaring through that open door!" |
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| Thinking, "I had better not drop this camera up here" |
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| Can you find us? |
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| Swinging life away in Amsterdam |
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| WhooHoo!! |
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| One of the most delicious pancakes I have ever had. Ham, cheese, and Pineapple. If ever I go to Amsterdam again, I will be eating here as often as possible. |
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| The Tulip Market. They can "Send your bulbs all over the world!" |
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| Coolest french braid I have ever seen |
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| And you thought only snails lived in conch shells |
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| Kathryn, please, you are so much more. |
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| Riding the trains |
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| Classic Amsterdam Photos |
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| I Am! |
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| "Yippee!" |
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| A church we wandered into in Amsterdam |
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| It was both quiet, and peaceful, as well as such a relief to our aching feet. |
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| A threat that would be fun to watch play out |
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| And we arrive in Brugges (pronounced "Broo-hah"), Belgium! |
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| The canals continue |
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| Tiny pitchfork, hungry face, she must be waiting for Belgian fries. |
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| The rather underwhelming Belgian Windmill |
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| The eye that never sleeps |
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| You best be watching yo' self, cause this camera be waking. |
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| The massive cathedral (?) in Brugges |
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| The closest we got to Brugges famous Madonna and Child by Michelangelo (there was no way we were going to pay 15 euros) |
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| Silly, the Van Gogh Museum is closed, of course (and it would open about a week after we left) |
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| We were there |
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| And needed to go there |
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| We had to get here |
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| And we would start there |
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| A rather festive statue we spotted along the way |
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| The only photo I was able to sneak in the heavily patrolled Van Gogh museum. Van Gogh, what a cheeky monkey, skeletons can't smoke, they don't have lungs, silly. |
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| That day, though it was raining mightily, we took a (covered) canal boat ride |
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| Notice how some of the houses lean. This is because the boards set as the foundation, to shore it up against the swampy ground beneath, have begun to rot allowing the houses to go crooked. |
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| People in Amsterdam are taxed based on the width of their house. Many houses , therefore, tend to be tall and skinny. But, when you see a mammoth like this one, you realize some deep pockets must be living in there. |
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| Picturesque, yes? |
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| This was an interesting boat. It is a replica of a ship that sunk on its maiden voyage to America. This replica was built by unemployed members of the community and can now be visited (I think for a small fee). I am not sure if the builders were paid, or if they built it pro bono, but there it is nonetheless. |
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| Belgian chocolates, delicious, cheap, heavenly. |
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| The inner sanctuary of the church of the Holy Vial |
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| This church was renowned for their vial of blood that they claim is Christ's. For a small fee you could line up, ascend a few stairs to a podium where a woman sat behind an illumined glass case that held the vial of blood. After you placed your hand on the top of the case, or kissed it, depending on your preference, you would walk away and the woman would (with a rather grim look on her face) vigorously wipe off the top and await the next person in line. |
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| Belgian Waffles! |
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| Leaving Amsterdam and on my way back to Bristol |
