Travel-me-do 2009: start 'er up

[rebness]

Chris and I have just booked to go to Amsterdam for my 28th birthday. Originally, we were aiming for Latvia, but the prices had gone up crazily and it was just too much trouble to get there from Barcelona - I would have had to go via Brussels and Venice en-route and that's too tiresome for a long weekend.

Not to be disparaging about a place I've never visited, but Amsterdam has never really caught my attention. I don't know if it's because it's too close to the UK, but then France excites me. Maybe it's the pathetic braying of teenagers and young adults about OMGZ how many drugs they're going to take when they're there, but I dunno. It's one of those places I should have seen years ago and there is at least the Van Gogh museum, so yay.

For my birthday itself, I think I'll take a trip to Andorra. I know very little about the place, so that'll be exciting enough and less hassle than getting to Toulouse or Madrid, so why not? 

I've been very bad today; meaning to write and failing. Meaning to read and failing. I tidied up, then messed the flat up again. Perhaps it's this depressing damned novel I've just finished, but that can wait for the reading catch-up post. Hmph. Ennui, I has it.

Comments

[mothergoddamn.livejournal.com]

YOU'RE GOING TO THE SEX SHOPS!?

[rebness.livejournal.com]

HELL YES

APPARENTLY THEY ARE SOUL-DESTROYING AND BANAL BUT I DON'T CARE

[mothergoddamn.livejournal.com]

Also...

FOUND CASABLANCA SLASH!

[rebness.livejournal.com]

WHERE WHERE IS IT LOUIS AND RICK COS I'M THERE

[mothergoddamn.livejournal.com]

http://sleveen.livejournal.com/tag/casablanca

"Louis, listen to me: we’ll always have Paris."

[rebness.livejournal.com]

"I am shocked, SHOCKED at the size of..."

[mothergoddamn.livejournal.com]

"Lube up the usual suspects".

[rebness.livejournal.com]

Ooh, good one!

...bb? We should write one of these, y/y?

[mothergoddamn.livejournal.com]

I had a skid mark one of "here's looking at you" but it wasn't terribly classy, bb.

Y. Sounds Hot.

[mothergoddamn.livejournal.com]

"Ricky, Ricky..." Renault leaned close. "You really do talk too much." He claimed Rick’s mouth in a bruising kiss, pulling the American close with his one good arm. "Now shut up," he hissed, "and take me to bed."

[rebness.livejournal.com]

HAHAAA. I actually really like that. Though how Shorty McShort pulled Rick close in a bruising grasp, I'd like to know!

[mothergoddamn.livejournal.com]

Do you not think they've dialed Louis up to annoying? I wanted to put it in Bad Fic LJ but she's quite good. The bitch.

[rebness.livejournal.com]

You can't go wrong with Louis! Unless you're Strasser, I guess.

[mothergoddamn.livejournal.com]

"You know Louis..." Rick Blaine tilted his head and gazed at the other man with affection. "Naked, you look a lot younger."

Sadly I went EWEWEWEWEWEEWEWEW at this. Was not ready for naked Claude Raines.

[rebness.livejournal.com]

Eegads, NOOOOOOOOOOOooo D:

[mcgarrygirl78.livejournal.com]

Amsterdam for your birthday sounds amazing. I would love to finally get to Europe for my birthday but still lingering in one week vacation world at my job, alas it was not meant to be.

I failed today too. I didnt clean or read or watch a movie. I did order my laptop though, so that's something to smile about : )

[rebness.livejournal.com]

At least you got that done! Heehee!

One-week vacation? I'd go crazy. D:

[airiddh1.livejournal.com]

Amsterdam is great!!! I was there a few years ago andtotally lobed it - just different to anywhere else I've been! (tho I suppose it helped that I was staying with a local!)

You HAVE to visit Anne Frank's house - and there are so many gallerys and museums - you'll love it!

[pandorasblog]

Amsterdam is great! We weren't there for long enough to go to museums and stuff (though we did spend a brilliant day wandering around Artis Zoo - but that's only because friends are members and had free tickets; I'm told it's expensive otherwise), and unfortunately there was a football match on and the fans were asshats (there are statues representing The Night Watch on the Rembrandtsplein and they HAD FOOTBALL SHIRTS ON), but it's a nice city to walk around.

I enjoyed one evening when we just walked from pub to pub and drank iced tea and looked at people and canals and stuff. Obviously if you do have time to look around places like the Anne Frank house and the Rijksmuseum then things will be awesome. We did go and stand outside Rembrandt's house and that was really strange; I stood on the doorstep (I stood on Rembrandt's doorstep!) and tried to imagine the city as it looked through his eyes. When we can go there with more time and money, we'll actually get to go in.

One warning: the market on the Waterlooplein (if they even have it this time of year?) is pretty crap - same novelty t-shirts, beads and clothes-hippies-like as in every other open-air market and alternative shop in the Western world, and just as overpriced. We did find a good bookstall though, with incredibly cheap Dutch comic albums, so yay that...

[pandorasblog]

Also, ask Rem for the name of the really beautiful cinema he and I looked inside - you really should check that out. We didn't have time to see a film there but the architecture and interiors are the last thing you'd expect when you've been used to crappy multiplexes...

[rebness.livejournal.com]

Cool! Thanks for the recs, Ang! I entirely forgot about Rem... d'oh! Any hints and tips very much appreciated. :D

[jaffacakequeen.livejournal.com]

ive just read all the popular Van Gogh paintings have gone on tour around Europe and only paintings left are endless pencil studies of the ratten chair and sunflowers.

have a good time , im quite envious. watch our for bikes!

[rebness.livejournal.com]

It's pretty annoying. You know how my very, very favourite painting is Starry Night? And how I've always wanted to see it, but it's housed in New York?

Well, the good news is the first stop on the European tour is Amsterdam.

The bad news? It doesn't begin till mid-February. >:

[wickedmanifesto.livejournal.com]

It's still worth going. I was quite surprised at the place, thinking it would be all young stoned hairy guys (and they are about). I was shocked to find the people were incredibly friendly, the streets clean, and the scenery alone worth the trip. We had a wonderful time there- the Jordaan is lovely and we ate lots of yummy food like Indonesian and dutch cheese (lots and lots of cheese). Oh, and they make their own gin and it is yummy. I would go back in a heartbeat. Whereabouts are you staying? We found a perfect studio apartment with kitchenette and a full shower in the Jordaan for 75 dollars (euros?) a night.