Cory and Mike's Visit!

After returning from Croatia, we had a very busy week involved in the thing that I can't talk about for 6 months. As fun as that was, I was so excited when it wrapped because my college friend Cory and her boyfriend, Mike arrived the next day! Normally, I spend weeks anticipating and getting excited for visitors, but there wasn't a second to think about it in the last few weeks. So the excitement hit me Friday night and they were there the next day!

They arrived by train from Paris where they had spent the week with Mike's ex-pat brother who lives outside the city. Jude took an instant liking to Mike, which was so sweet to see! He's got a number of nieces and nephews and is a total natural.

We drove to Oudekerk ann de Amstel and ran into 2 different sets of friends there! Amsterdam is a really small place. 

Over the Amstel River

We had a big day out in Amsterdam, where I failed to take any pictures :( We went to Dam square and attempted to take Jude to a new man-made beach/park while Cory and Mike toured the Royal Palace and Nieuwe Kerk, but Jude fell asleep! We ate lunch in the Joordan and walked to Vondelpark. 

The next day we road tripped to Rotterdam, the Netherland's "second city" as it is called. We had yet to go and were excited to check it out. Don't expect pictures of cutesy canals and buildings below. After the city was bombed flat in WWII, they decided to rebuild in a totally modern way. The city is known for its unique architecture. It also boasts the country's tallest building. 

We aren't in (insert cutesy Dutch town name here) anymore.

Oude Haven (Old Port) 

I could not wrap my head around how people lived in these cube apartments. When you look in the windows, all of the furniture appears to be slanted! Crazy town! 

New Market Hall. Ground floor is food vendors and the surrounding "rainbow" is apartments. Projected on the ceiling is really graphic, bold flower and food prints. 

Cory and Mike with some of the unique buildings behind.

I was really excited the see Hotel New York. This was the place where all of the Dutch immigrants left from to head to New York. And the rest is history. The city that we love was founded by the Dutch. From New Amsterdam to Old Amsterdam. Full circle!

The Netherland's Tallest Buidling. The Mast Building, home to Deloitte apparently!

Ok, so as it turns out, Rotterdam does have (at least) one section of cutesy canals and buildings, in Delfthaven, a village within the city. I was glad Cory and Mike got to see some of the old with the new.

Back home, we all went out to our local restaurant in a windmill. It was our first time eating in their outside courtyard so you could look up and see the windmill. Not our best meal food-wise there, but excellent company and an awesome setting :)

Cory and I went to a cheese tasting at Reypenaer in the center of Amsterdam. Unlimited cheese paired with wine. Yes, please! 

Before their departure to the airport, we visited the pancake house in the bos. We had to force at least one of the Dutch local treats on them :)