Cindy

Love love LOVED Florence. More laid back than Rome, just as pretty, and it’s cheaper too! (0.70 euro for an espresso…gotta love it) I really wish I’d spent more time there….we focused more on Rome and Venice when we planned the trip, and little did we know that Florence would be a total gem in Italy.

• Unless you’re in an area filled with families with their children in tow, or you see other tourists snapping pictures without getting any bad consequences, PUTYOURCAMERAAWAY. No one likes a beating from a prostitute with a Heineken can. :P
• Dutch bakeries are just as heavenly as the French ones. We stopped by this bakery called Holtkamp, where I ordered a petit four with a chocolate covered strawberry on top of it, dusted with chocolate powder….when we made our purchases, the woman at the counter smiled and say “thank you, and enjoy it….that’s the important part…that you enjoy it!”…very sweet lady, selling equally sweet pastries. :)
• The Red Light District! I’d never seen so much boobage in one place in my life, haha.
• The drugs….I know drugs are well-tolerated in Amsterdam, but it was still a shock seeing it in action. I walked into a cannabis/mushroom shop out of curiosity, and it was filled with all sorts of devices and different forms of drugs that I didn’t even know existed. Apparently you can snort ’shrooms….who knew?
• I saw mainly two types of people in Amsterdam….the really friendly, laid-back locals, and the crazier ones that were DEFINITELY high on something. Either way, it makes people-watching that much more entertaining in Amsterdam, haha.

• Vienna has by far the nicest people I’ve ever met in Europe. They’re friendly, they’re more than willing to help you when you need something, and they always greet you with a bright smile. I’d go back to Vienna again solely for the people.
• I snickered at first when I saw the word “wiener” everywhere…then I realized that “wiener” is actually German for “Viennese”, and that “wurst” is actually the word for sausage, haha.
• Mozart, Mozart, Mozart…..if you get lost in Austria, and you see “Mozart” written EVERYWHERE, chances are you’re in Vienna.
• The Haus der Musik is ridiculously fun. It’s a museum dedicated to music and the science of sound, and it’s got all sorts of gadgets and machines to play with, including a virtual baton where you can conduct the Viennese Philharmonic….and if you suck, the orchestra will heckle you, haha.