Well, I finally lost it. It has been 22 years now, but it is gone. It was taken away like so many others. It happened during the day, on the corner of 17th & K St., in the view of everyone, under a shady tree. It was hot, sweet, and sloppy. But, I did fine lose that card, to a yellow truck that specializes in meaty sandwiches. Yes, I lost my food-truck virginity. And I lost it to THE BEST brisket has ever sat between two white buns.
 The day was typical. Hot, sweaty, steamy, and the sidewalks were crowded. However, on a trip back from a meeting, I thought it was time to lose it. So, it happened, right there among interns, businessmen, and people asking for change, to a bright yellow truck (DCBBQ)serving up BBQ Brisket with #5 Sauce (a rich, creamy, heavenly BBQ sauce that was smoky and mmmmmhhhhhhmmmmmm so good). Of course, my love for beans was also fixed, as I also ate a side of their BBQ beans, and let me say, it was thick, juicy, not too fatty, and made me completely doubt the usefulness and feasibility of sit-down restaurants......oh yea.....they are air conditioned and you don't have to sit on the ground where every homeless person calls "bed." But with such possibilities, with the endless Chinese and Kabob trucks, one even serving up Afghani fare (I guess we should at least try the cuisine of the countries we invade...), and a fanatical love for tacos. Now see here is where I arrive at a massive dilemma. To eat or not to eat? It is no secret that anything, and I mean practically anything, to me, is quite delightful between, in, on top of, or around a pita/soft shell tortilla/naan. But the real problem lies in the fact that I can eat so much of it. I like my tacos fully loaded, meat, beans, sour cream, lettuce, onion, salsa, guacamole, cheese, and well, I am unsure as to whether I would have to go bankrupt to actually get full from a truck, I question whether those little trucks have enough resources to satisfy my insatiable "below the Rio Grande" hunger for meat and beans on a tortilla.
 (<<<<<Where I lost it!) So, even though one truck looks extremely promising, where there is always a line, I believe I may have to digress, and go to a restaurant down the road for $0.50 taco night. I'll gladly slap down a ten dollar bill and see what happens, which, if I go through my history of taco ingesting, is a full belly, sloppy hands, and an absolute look of disgust by all those around me. Heck as long as I am happy!
Another thing that this town absolutely is head over heals for besides tacos and cupcakes (see previous posts), are crepes. Now I can already cook up a mean crepe and my pancake making skills are pretty epic and adventurous. Bacon pancakes? Please. Almond/nutella/oatmeal with apple-honey syrup? C'mon, that's child's play. I've made German, Dutch, and American pancakes and recently got into the business of crepes. But, I usually plop some banana and nutella in mine and call it a day. Why screw with perfection? But, when I am hungry and it is midday, and coming from a event that had enough pastries and sticky buns to give the FDA a heart attack, I went for savory.
 Prosciutto, cheese, basil, cappicola, and some other "S" word meat that was thinly sliced. It was the best midday meal since the day before with the brisket. This particular one came from Crepeaway, a supposed DC staple. It has lots of awards, the Prez. goes there, and with exhaustive lists of savory and sweet, plus those beautiful flat plates and little crepe-stick things, these guys know what is going on.
See, even though last week's blog was written a little late, and there is a very small gap in between, I am not messing around here. If you don't eat well, then hell, why even exist? And with so many trucks everywhere, one is never far from something delicious and funky. I love it, and I look forward to be munching on truck food for many more lunches to come.
The other day was quite interesting, it stormed and almost every piece of trash, sign, and untethered thing was flying about the air. 80mph gusts with constant lightning strikes for about an hour and a half made up our Friday night. Looking outside, and living adjacent to a humongous construction site that has a cement hole dug about 50 feet into the earth was kind of funny. All we could hear in our apartment was the sound of construction materials, signs, and metal barrels plummeting to their demise. And it was very reassuring that the huge crane just so happened to be right over our window, and watching it sway in the wind just sent shivers of reassurance and hope that the people who put that thing up didn't come drunk to work. Apparently they were quite sober, or at least accurate drunks, because I am still alive and our building made it through unscathed. Of course, my favorite part of the entire night was hearing and watching those poor souls who decided to go out on the town with an imminent "severe thunderstorm warning.....80mph gusts expected" en route. Listening to their screams of trying to fitfully fight Mother Nature was great. I guess between getting hit with the pelting rain and dodging bottles, signs, and god knows what else that the winds can pick up in DC will make you learn to at least look at the radar before you go out.
[Below: Me having a Success! Moment briefly after that above picture......then, the huge tree in Georgetown that decided to take a nap on a little blue BMW.]
Let me just say I ran around 18 miles today, give or take this or that. And let me also say that people need to learn how to WALK ON SIDEWALKS WITHOUT TAKING UP THE ENTIRE 8 FEET OF CONCRETE. I mean, I know America is going through a health crisis and sidewalks were meant for lesser, more meager people, but please, stick to one side of the sidewalk and don't swing your grocery bag like school just let out.
 Now that I have properly vented, which is probably just the runners high that I am still on, I must say that it has been quite the week in DC. I have learned that wearing a suit in over 100 degree weather will quickly put hair on your chest, and that Whole Foods does not clearly distinguish between bagged coffee that is either "pre-ground" or "haha, we made it feel like it was ground, but what you really paid $13 for were beans, and you don't even have a coffee grinder." Did I go caveman and just plop those beans in a plastic bag and smash them with a saucepan? You bet. Did I do it at 8am on a Monday? You bet your lucky stars I did. Did it work? Well, lets just say that I might as well go to Starbucks all week because it would be cheaper than my homemade concoction. Somehow locally sourced Maryland coffee bean guys: 1 ; Aaron: .5 (just because no one else would of smashed those suckers with a saucepan.)
 Let see, what happened this week, oh yea, it was the most glorious week of the year. When a certain man who is the author of this Oranje Blog was born. A yearly ceremonial procession of all things me. So, we went out to a little place called Busboys & Poets. It was a trendy spot, all sorts of hipster vibes (not necessarily a good thing, but it was pretty toned down and no outward hipsters around to ruin a decent time). Good down home cooking. That is what they have here. For starters we got some good old sweet potato fries, a staple of my college diet, and a wonderful plate of plum sauce covered coconut fried tofu. It tasted like what a vegan might think bacon tastes like, heaven. Nice for an appetizer, but Aaron likes real food. So, I decided on the shrimp and basil grit cake. As you can see above, it came in a red sauce, covered with asparagus and, as a friend said, "he gets silent when he likes what he's eating." Indeed I was quite quiet during this meal. Now after this, and my phone losing battery life and not being able to take any more pics, my bday group went to one of two breweries in DC, Capitol City Brewing. It was crowded, it was hectic, but the Kolsch and Bourben Barrel Aged Stout were soooo worth the hassle. The Kolsch was nice and light, though still missing that essential Koln taste (awwww I can taste that city now..... :( ). {Mark this---First emoticon used in this blogging apparatus}. The Stout was heavy, and it smelled like coffee liquor. But my oh my it had a dry coffee taste (something, because of Whole Foods, I am lacking right now) with the strong overtones of chocolate and whiskey. Anything aged in bourbon barrels is going to be good, hell someone should try pickles....
 Outside of work I can say I have been partaking in a pretty high-standard of living. I peruse the markets on the weekend (or should I say, EAT my way through markets...this week- Rugelach and Indirolls from Eastern Market, both = success). I do a lot of lounging, whether this is what real people do in the real world, I am not sure, but at least I am doing it outside, and getting a rockin' tan and reading like a fiend. I can say that my time here is incomplete......I have not witnessed the glory that are the DC Food Trucks.....this will be remedied within the coming days, to be fulfilled with such elation that I won't mind roasting in a suit to do so. Showarma, cupcakes, tacos, burritos, sushi, what is one to do? I mean sampling all is just too much, and I hate carrying around cash, but "thy will of the food truck gods must be done." I will try it out, and with an almost 99.99999% confidence, I will thoroughly enjoy every waking moment of it.
Now, if I can figure out how Whole Foods works, I will be set, and the search for pre-ground coffee will commence. I like you Whole Foods, your produce is good, your buffet thing is awesome, and you provided me with the best chocolate chip muffin of my life, but please give me a break man!
 This is a question that I won't soon be able to answer. Small, cake like beings topped with a gooey top layers and sometimes filled with a mystery flavor. Hmm, maybe the cupcake is the personification of a bureaucrat or lobbyist. Well, any how, all I can say is that with the plethora of cupcake trucks, cupcake-show oriented shops, and little holes in the wall (like Georgetown's Sprinkles) I can say that one of my least favorite pastries is quickly rising the ranks. Want a double chocolate cupcake? How about a cherry lime? Or does something with beer in it do? Little snacks for fancy suits, that's how this town rolls.
 One would think in this town of busy bodies that there would be no salvageable area worth laying down at and concentrating. Well, luckily, the good city of DC has laid out a wonderful area on the Potomac with fully fountain, grassy areas, and enough space to have two dogs, five crazy kids, and many cigar smoking old guys to just relax for a few hours. Between the crazy running that I have been up to, seeing sites, dodging bikes, getting hissed at by geese, almost running over small children, I've really had some great time to explore and see the other, non-people packed side of DC. Let me tell you first hand, it is there, there is quiet, and you can semi-ignore tourists for about a whole 5 minutes. Not to mention, that is city is home to some of the best things between two slices of bread that I have ever encountered. And, coming from Pittsburgh, I believe that garners DC a level of legitimacy.
 I give you, The Good Stuff Eatery. Phenomenal. Simply delicious. The burger had all sorts of weird asian dressings, sprouts, bamboo shoots, kim chi, but for the first time in my life, I feel in love with mayonnaise (obviously on this continent, as if you read prior Dutch posts I feel in love with Belegte Mayo). It was juicy, slightly burnt (a big win), and the bun was not that slimy thing that you frequently get at almost all other establishments. The mayo was simply to die for. Old Bay Mayo, chipotle mayo, and the one of the weirdest (and I thought impossible) combos, Pineapple Mayo. To say the least the pineapple mayo was slathered on everything; burger, fries, fingers, though not the shirt. But the star of the show were the fries, a greasy combo that was crunchy yet soft, with loads of rosemary, thyme and other spices that knocked my Congressionally heard head off its rocker. Unhealthy, you bet, but a few clogged arteries can get worked out over time. Just add, because it deserves it's due justice, a cold pastrami-avocado-mushroom monstrosity wrapped up in a kaiser roll from The Booeymonger in Gtown is the best way to cap a two hour run.
Germans. Deutsch. Spatzle. Futball. They are everywhere around here. And for my liking, it is a good thing too. With Germans come German food, and therefore, it makes me very happy. To add to my gastronomic week of adventure, a short Friday garnered a trip to the Biergarten Haus. Over spatzle, currywurst, und Kolsch, und ein bisschen ukraine-britain futball. Me and my fellow studentinarbeiteren went and gobbled up some deutsche-grub. Big barrels, big hall, and all wood paneling, my type of place.
Thus far, all is well. The city empties out on weekends because the bureaucrats see enough of it, I am slowly starting to understand the "American Fietser", and I have quite a good group of people (and restaurants) to keep me busy. Off to another week of DC life, meaning high 90s and lots of spontaneous protests!
 Before I start writing about anything, I must simply say this; that Old Ebbitt Grill a block from the White House exudes DC cuisine. Not expensive, yet a little daunting due to the mahogany everything, beast heads, and seemingly endless droves of pin-stripe suited offiziellen that come tromping through the door, only to find out that they still have to wait on their reserved table. Personally, I've been born again, and in the shape of lump crab. From the Bethesda Crab Shack, to singular, yet dense and expertly crabbed up tower sitting in between plain green beans and a potato (and a potato, I must say, which is astonishing crispy, old-bay seasoned potato). First official restaurant stop was a success, with, of course, many more to follow.
I"ve also can say that I've tasted DC. First because I got a (nasty) swig of it as I dunked my head in the Georgetown Waterfront Park giant squirting fountain. A task that I will now forever execute with more caution. (But hey, I was hot as I ran past, and no one was messing around, so what's one to do?). Second, I ingested a beer not necessarily to my liking.....I blame our Scandinavian (Swedish??) waitress who didn't know the beers and I believe screwed up what I want. But, anyhoo I ended up getting a hoppy monstrosity from DC Brau, some local guys up north. Not my favorite, but I can say I've been DC baptized (see 1st picture below)
(The 2nd pic is from the apt, the World Bank literally keeps me up at night because they leave all the lights on, I mean bailing out the world's developing countries is one thing, but be sustainable! ; And I was elated to find stroopwafels chilling in a grocery store...just in time for a 1-0 Denmark-Holland loss.....)
 I love running, and one thing I love more than moving fast is running on level terrain with minimal hazards. I have found that this city presents both. Much better than the hurried, annoying, "hey cars have the right-of-way-right? drivers of Pittsburgh. Oh and did I mention there are barely hills here? Nothing but straight lines, random memorial parks, and hidden monuments for me to get distracted by. I've ran Arlington, I've ran the Jefferson Tidal Basin, I've ran fast, I've ran slow, I've run past Karl Rove (twice, in different places). So about a week in, and I've founder runners heaven. Plus, I don't look like a tourist, I mean what overachievers would workout during a vacation? Another great thing is that if you catch the stoplights right, one can have almost a full day to cross them. I could practically lay down, and crab walk across the 6 laned Pennsylvania Avenue, and still have a ton of time left over for lunch. But, of course, you hit it wrong, and you have to start the whole running thing all over again. (Body goes, "Huh?").
Lastly, talk about a young city. And eine deustche Stadt. There are as many interns milling about as there are German restaurants. I'd have to say that if you come from DC, your ancestory goes something like, "Well I've got a little German, a little something else from somewhere in Europe, and about a quarter from Internistan." Literally, everywhere, The Hill, on the Mall, sipping at Starbucks, in the elevators, at the pizza places (oh no, those are people who don't work for the government, but do get a paycheck). I can say I am peachy-keen here. It's a young town full of people obsessed with running, and has about as a diverse culinary spread as you'll find. I think it'll be a great summer. Oh, and did I mention I had a chorizo-black bean-rice emapanada the size of a small rabbit?
 I can honestly say that the past month has gone by remarkably fast. In fact, fast may be the wrong adjective to use. I'm headed off to a brand new city doing quite important, exciting work with regard to two very interesting and mutually intertwined institutions. It's awesome, both degrees get to be used, I get to espouse and put to use all those hours learning about international theory and terms, and can actually throw those words around in meaningful settings. Next, I get to talk a lot, perform some outreach, and such. All around a good deal. But my employment is one thing, and this blog it will not be announced on. Rather, this blog will perform its same duty as it did a continent away (does the Internets know miles?). I'll be eating, traveling, running, and exploring Washington DC. Talk about monument, museum, young-centered, and happening place! To say the least, I'll be right back at it, and not one moment too soon, as I am about three feet under with transplanting trees and carrying out flowers to people's cars. Bagging mulch, SEE YOU LATER! (Hopefully never, because a) I'll be looking for more 'degree' oriented jobs and b) I freaking hate mulch, both as it sits there and what it is.)
Now, about that above-seen picture. It's from Pittsburgh's foremost Waffle-shop, Waffleonia. Decadent...Yes...Gooey Denseness...Sure...Nutella Ice Cream with Speculoos Pasta...Affirmative. It easily rivaled my past experiences met Wafels in Maastricht. Whomever, or wherever this place got it's recipe, whether it is from personal experience or savvy Googling, they hit it right on. Wafels van Luik with no local additions or crazy Pittsburgh injections....nice. Now, if I could only get back there to have one in the proper setting.....
 I can say I truly went "dahntahn" for one of my last week's here. I 'et' and did some 'walkin',' had an 'ahn' and perused the 'Strip' and 'Sawside.' With extraterrestrial-like weather, why not? I loaded up on a sandwich with way to much on it, but more importantly, went to Wholey's, by far the best place to get fried sea-critters. I had a deep-fried softshell crab sandwich that was itching my palate since last summer. To say it was like a lost desert hiker finally getting a cold water after two weeks would be an understatement. The city of bridges and steel to the city of white columns and suits & ties. I like to say that I'll be enjoying running around our nation's monuments, and most likely hitting a few Smithsonian's along the way, not too mention most probable (100% assured, but I like that hint of improbability) trips to DC's best libations and edible fare spots. Exciting times in Aaron-high. All I can say is I'm ready for this n'at!
(And, because of this change, I will, as my title suggests, making a radical change from an ambivalent, frustrated, and never-set Pirate watcher [NOT A FAN--at least since they got rid of Freddy Sanchez] into a new, fresh, Strasburg intrigued and Harper rooting fiend. Finally, a legitimate way to shrug them Buccos off!)
Well, due to my busy semester, my application filled spring semester, and general inability to stay updated here, I'll simply explain the last 15 weeks in one-word sentences (or proper nouns). Go!
Reorientation. Finality. Commuting. Bomb-Threats. Disruptions. Pitt. Speech. Beach. Brewing. Umberger. Boston. Conferences. Hot Dogs. Syracuse. George Washington. Abroad. Hope. Communications. Jon Stewart. Bookstore. Flower Flats. Commencement. Sparkles. Balochistan. 95%. Deutsch. Rum. Oakmont Bakery. Georgetown. American. Running. Loans. Falafel. Honey Hefeweizens. Scoville. Oakmont. EPLO. Church Beer. Obama. Pakistan. Victor. Chicago Style. UPG. Nationalism. Belgium. Ledeganck. Salem's. Denver. International Security. Dino's. Guns. Real-Life. Dozen. Burnt Almond Torte. Nutella. Web-Threats. Graduation. KDKA. Economist. The Porch. Jewish Sandwiches. Poland. Punta Cana. Candied Bacon. Our IPA. Altmire. Biking. Bacevich. Washington DC. Money. Busing. Dominican Republic. Books. Military-Industrial-Complex. Busy. Booked. Musical. Red Velvet Donut. Breakfast Stouts. Rochester. GRE's. Trees. Dirt. Liaisons. Intern. BBQ. Ricotta. Flemish Poetry. Waffles. Thrown Forward. Taibo. Final. Ending. Done. LIFE.
So, after a little over a month removed from my most wonderful trip abroad, school is almost in its fifth week! It is about as typical as a commuter's semester can get, and well, even with only three classes, I'm as busy as ever. Drive to Uni-Gym-Class-Work-Homework-Drive Home. That is my life at least 4 days a week. Sometimes, it just change with the most pleasant scheduling abrogations. So, friends at home, friends abroad, I think that this "Orange Excursion' shall now journey forth, only this one focusing on the closing thought of a Senior college student looking to close out this chapter in his life. More pics and
All good things must come to an end. Transitions must happen, and people must move on. But the things I did, the people I met, the sights I saw will forever by with me. I did things that before, I had only read about in school and at Pitt. On this experience I stood where Charlamagne paid respects at, where JFK gave a speech to the other side of the world, and where the Queen gets her chocolate cake. I believe that at the end, I am very satisfied with my work here, my travels, and what I've done. If done things that I only dreamed of every doing, I went to the first advent mass at the Notre Dame, interacted with politics in the EU HQ, and had the best curry wurst in all of Deutschland.
Regrets? None. I would pick no other city in no other land. I consider myself an eternal Amsterdammer. I talked politics over advocaat, learned the finer points of Sinterklaas over kopstott, and ate fried ragout as though it was going out of style. This culture is so open, so free, and encourages one to chart their own path. This city gave me four months of experiences and happenings that I will carry to the end of days. This also brought me together with some of the finest people that I could ever hoped to meet. Fellow students all dedicated to learning and living, and it became apparent that borders don't matter to our generation. We are truly the first world family, and we are together, even if we are so far apart.
I may be an ocean away, I may journey through my days at Pittsburgh, and plunge head-first into a new era of my life. But there will be not one moment that I will forever forget what I did here. Amsterdam gave me a new base to model my life from, to go the next great journey onto something bigger than what I was before. This journey set into motion a changes that may not be immediate, whose effects are not yet known, which are lying untouched in corners not yet built, and sending eternal ripples through our beachless memories. This gave me something special, and something that I will always cherish.
Zo dank je Amsterdam, waarvoor is gebeurd en voor die gebeurd niet. Dank je voor alles, voor de tijd van stilte en voor de mensen. Ik zal niet vergeten. To those I have met, thank you, for things unsaid and said, for things done and that never happened. We will never be apart, maybe away, yes, but never so far that we shall forget.
In actuality, I do not believe that all good things end. Nee, denk ik that we can perpetuate that which is good. It may not be in the same form or sense, but we can bend it to our future. My time in Amsterdam has ended; in four months I accomplished so much, traveled so far, and affected many. Things change, but their foundations never shift. This is ending, but only serving as a base to new things. I will be able to go to the top and see an entire new world, but will be able to take the stairs back down to what keeps its up. Amsterdam is unique, Amsterdam is happening, Amsterdam is now apart of my life, acts and experiences that I will carry sun up and sun down, and that will shape my unknown future.
So goodbye Amsterdam. It has been positive, fun, at times rainy, and magical. No regrets, countless memories, and four months that will be hard to surpass.
_“Not I, nor anyone else can travel that road for you.
You must travel it by yourself.
It is not far. It is within reach.
Perhaps you have been on it since you were born, and did not know.
Perhaps it is everywhere - on water and land.”
--Walt Whitman
Well, I see that its been quite some time since I last updated. And yes it is entirely my fault, too much traveling, too much work, and well, when I go away, I leave my computer behind me. Its just me, my camera, and my walking shoes. So, lets see, since the last post I've been to Paris (ughhh not anything to amazing, let me sum it up in one statement: dirty, mean people, the French language, the Eiffel tower and that painting of that lady which is very, very anti-climactic). Then, it was a glorious 3 days in Koln/Cologne. It was wonderful. All decked out in its Christmas attire, full of Roman ruins, Wursts, and gluhwein. Let's just say I spent a lot of time Xmas marketing, eating, drinking, and living the December German lifestyle (Caution: Kolsche Kavier, aka Black Pudding is not what you think it is in any sense). My favorites about Koln are on the main display page, the Brothers Grimm themed Altermarkt, the ancient and massively ornate Kolner Dom (which I attended mass at, though not as nice as the Notre Dame the week before in Paris, still very breathtaking, or course WWII can kind of take the original historical stuff from it a little). The locks are all locked on the Steenbrucke and is typically in remembrance of dead people, or marriages. Overall a very touching experience, and felt like if I had the money to latch one on, I would of done it, but gluhwein doesn't pay for itself.
However, I'd like spend this post talking about my last trip. It was a total of 6 days, probably around 18 hours on trains, entailing the taking of 7 different trains encompassing 3 cities. Advantageous, yes, tiring, most definitely, but completely worth. Let's start with the first first, and that would be....
BERLIN (BERLIJN)
 My goals here were plain and simple. And I must cite my good German friend Christen as a source of some of these great things. First: More Xmas markets, Second: Museums, Third: to get a good Wurst and verify that Leeman's Doner in A'dam beats Berlin's doner bests. So, let me just begin by saying that every Spaniard and Italian were taking vacation this weekend. The ratio of German to Spanish had to be close to 1:5. So, I saw the sights, the Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, East Side Gallery, Berliner Dom, and Victory Pillar. For the Reichstag, I reserved tickets to climb to the large glass container on top and get a great view of Berlin. It is their seat of legislative body, the Bundestag, where Merkel yells at people and decide how next to move Europe. It was really sunny and bright that day, so I could see the entire surrounding area.
 (Left is the glass casing that you climb up, very trendy, and also helps to heat the building and project light into the debating chamber). The most interesting aspect of the entire trip to Berlin was the brick line that lay in the pavement. It was laid down after the Wall fell, and is a constant reminder that what I did frequently during the trip was NOT possible 25 years ago. And standing behind the Brandenburg Gate I got this real hard sense that 2 presidents gave monumentous speeches here, and that it was the symbol of one of the most dangerous, harrowing, and important periods of human history. Right next to those Asian tourists and that guy pretending he's a toy soldier, yea, if you blank all that out it can get pretty powerful.
 Now Berlin is by far a Musea Stadt. There is an ample amount of intellectually stimulating things. In fact, there is an entire island in the East of the city that is called "Museum Island," which is a UNESCO Heritage site and has some really neat natural/human/art museums that are both intriguing and hold some of the rarest pieces of human history. But, eh I can hold off on that. Instead, I saw the Kennedy Museum, which, to a Kennedyophile, was supremely exciting. I spent a good 2.5 hours there, looking at never before pics, standing within inches of his PT 109 pin, his black leather crocodile briefcase, and a notecard that he wrote in Berlin. Geeky, for sure, but my oh my was it fulfilling. Then, I went to the DDR Museum, an entire museum dedicated to life in the East German Republic. Everything was hands on, and was the most fun museum, you could be interrogated, dress like an Eastern German, and as I found out, make a great Trabi plant manager who "has a future place in building world Socialism," I really just call it having good employee relationships and an eye for how hard to push them. Then I went to the Jewish Museum, learned about the first Jewish populations in Worms, the intricacies into their religion, and ended up spending 3.5 hours in a very well done exhibit. Lastly, I went to the Communication Museum, but lets just say seeing old mailboxes, TV sets, ancient postcards, and war-communication devices only really appeals to us Comm majors (though Berlin is home to the first postal system, and the first pneumatic-air mail delivery system).
 And of course, it wouldn't be complete without bumming around Germany's famous Xmas markets. They ranged from the extremely small (Gendarmenmarkt) to the remarkably huge (Alexanderplatz). They were all full of Wursts und Gluhwein, but more importantly, random musicians and artists. It was a very magical experience, and I will say that Koln only barely beats Berlin. Koln had themes, which are very important in today's branded world. But Gendarmenmarkt was beautifully placed between some government Roman-facaded building and two Domen (one a French-Protestant church, the other a Berlin-political museum). It was 1Euro to get in, but kept all those pesky underagers from enjoying the finer points of heated and cinnamon flavored Christmas alcohol. But really, it was rated as one of the best in Europe, and truly rivaled Koln. The location, music, and smell of sugary nuts and fried dough is just the perfect place to get into the holiday spirit (officially put on the ChRiStMaS 2o11 playlist on the Zune). So, Berlin was great, full of random walkings, historically important structures, and the verification that Leeman's Doner Shop in De Pijp is the best in at least 2 countries. Below the favorites out of the 800 pics I took over 6 days.
TEIL TWEE: MAASTRICHT (MESTREECH)
So it was off to the southern most big city of Holland. The place where you'll hear Dutch, German, French, Vlaams, and a touch off Mestreech, the local dialect that sounds like Dutch, spelled in French, and has the nasely sound of German. To say the least I didn't even attempt my Dutch. It worked in Belgium, but not here, nope, not once. I spent about 2 days here, and it was very walkable. It was easy to get around, easily manageable, with ancient, 300AD buildings and ancient Romanesque leftovers. You know, people just live in these old things, no big deal, I would imaginge their conversations go like this:
Maastricher 1: "Hey, you want to come over for dinner and a coffee tonight?"
Maastricher 2: "Yea sure, where do you live?"
M 1: "You know that 13the Century wall that is next to that even older Roman bath house?"
M 2: "Oh yea that place, okay can I bring chips?"
Yea I think that's reasonable to say the least. I went into Maastricht with no ideas of what to expect. Funny linguistics, old city, yea, but was blown away. It was clean, the people were loud, and the entire city shut down after 5pm. Only a few snack bars and bars stayed opened (which, were filled with middle-aged people singing and dancing, a thing that would be NOT ACCEPTABLE in any A'dam bar, but that's why their called the 'City of Joyful Singers').
 The coolest aspect of Maastricht is this: it has existed since when Alexander expanded the Empire into the northern reaches of the Franks. Yes, Roman bath houses, sports houses, and aquaducts galore. In fact, the most intriguing part of the whole trip is the city-wide devotion to St. Servatius. The guy is literally everywhere, on bridges, in churches, on restaurant menus. He was an important guy in the 300s-400s, attended some councils, figured out how modern Christianity should be portrayed, and negotiated peace with the Huns in the Northeast, then he did something miraculous (I think he had some vision, got bestowed the power to forgive sins, and to foresee the future, all that stuff you can easily purchase on Amazon.com nowadays). And I saw his tomb, chilling in a remarkable church that Popes dating from Charlemagne have visited. Pretty neat, though I didn't have any visions though, maybe next time I' standing next to a dead saint's body from the 300s.
 The most peculiar thing in the entire city, besides all the dead saint parts, miraculous statues, ancient fountains, and 1800s bastions, was the fact that they converted a 1000AD church into a bookstore. You can sip coffee, read Harry Potter, on an old alter underneath 13th Century frescoes. You know, no big deal. You can look in the biography section on the 3rd floor and be mere feet from a roof that hasn't been touched in almost 800 years. Eh no big deal. Only in The Netherlands could this happen, and it was too cool to just sit there, sip my coffee, read my travel book, indulge in a glorious Limburg Waffle, and look up at ancient, genuine gothic architecture.
 Maastricht was low-key, and a very easy city to relax for a few days. After the sheer enormity of Berlin, it was very nice to wake up and be able to walk across town in about 30 mins. By and large the best waffles I've had to date (they somehow keep the middle soft, slightly burn the edges, but get it caramelly inside), and I had a very Limburgian dinner at Slinkerij 't Bobbel where the waiter played along with my funky Dutch. I had a Maastrich winter specialty, a Brand Imperator beer (tripel) with a slow roasted chicken smothered in black prune sauce. Sounds disgusting, but do you put cranberries on your Thanksgivign Turkey? Yea it was great, totally different, and accompanied by some Limburgsche Vlaai (essentially a cherry or cheese filled pie with a brown volkloren crust) made it my totally Limburgse for a night. So worth a quick trip, unfortunately they haven't acquisced to the a-religiousity of Amsterdam, and close up shop early, so going on a Sunday and Monday (a traditional Dutch day to have off) wasn't the best idea. But, I did it, saw some real old stuff, and can mark that one off the list. Pics below.
UTRECHT
Well, let's say, old, vol van grachten and a great univeristy town. About 20 mins via train, and is a fun city. If you want to see pics, please see me sometime, cause this blogpost is weighed down with too much text and pics. But I guess that is what happens when you have an enliving weekend. Well, traveling is done, now to finish some papers, take a test, and wrap this up. Happy, no, ready to be done with school, yes, time to load up on European beer, eat my kroketten, and eat as many stroopwafels that my stomach can fit. Het is tijd deze ding om te ronden!
I love Belgium. No doubt about it. It's my second time there, and after spending 2 days in Brugge (at the end of October), 2 days in Antwerp, and 3 days in Brussels, I must say it suits me. The land of chocolate, beer, waffles, and EU bureaucrats, I'd say all my personal interests are covered there. So that is why I love it, and that's why I spent a half week there. There is simply too much to write about, as I am a pretty efficient and no-holds-barred traveler, I get places, and see stuff. So I'll just pick some of my favorite pics and explain. First we'll start with Brussels, then I'll move on to Antwerp.
Pic number 1 is the Arc de Triomphie or Triomfboog depending on whether you're Walloon or Flemish. (Belgium is actually physically and politically divided into the Vlaamsche speaking north and the French speaking south; everything in Brussels. EVERYTHING is in 2 languages, streets, road signs, chocolate names, EVERYTHING). The Triomfboog is a massive, overly sized structure that you see from the end of Wetstraat. You see the green statues on top, and the shiny gold medallion from well over 2 kms away. Its quite cool because to get there, you have to walk through the entire EU superstructure--Council, Commission, Regions--and the eclectic robustness of all the buildings, they really evoke that Schumanplein is the center of Europe. The buildings are all glass, all massive, and invoke the sense of "So, this is the place that runs a continent?" Behind the Arc is Autoworld, with a special Volkswagen exhibit, and a National Belgian Military museum.
 The next one is unique to Het Schelde Dal and one can only truly get it in Brussels. Its call Gueuze, Lambic, en Kriek. It's a "spontaneously fermented" beer that tastes like a mix between wine and beer. After some processing, it sits in a tub, where natural yeasts blow in from the countryside, ferment the mixture, and produce probably the most interesting beverage. At Cantillon, its the last place in the world that brews it to the real process---and takes up to at least 3 years to produce one cask of Lambic. When in Brussels, you have to drink Brussels. The last picture there was the by far the most interesting, intimidating, and awe-inspiring structures I have ever seen. It is the Paleis van Justitie and has more space in it than St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and is built where they used to hang people. It was started in 1866, and well, it still ain't finished. To say how awesome and mind-boggling this is is an understatement. You see it no matter where you're at, with that gold cap always telling you that justice is there.
 You feel miniscule, and King Leopold's structure does quite that. All I can say here is that the eventual building killed its creator, as the architect who designed the place eventually went insane and committed suicide. I would never want to have to go there other than for tourist related activities, and found myself weirdly drawn to the building. I think it's just my Pitt-fixation with anything stone and tall! I must explain that, as a side because there's some space here, that the waffles and fries are awesome. They do something special here, and just a plain, suiker wafel is just tremendously delicious. There is a hint of maple syrup (but it's definitely NOT that). Going and getting about 2 lbs of double fried potatoes smothered in Belgium mayo is an act of unhealthfulness that I can say I indulged in. Was the cone of fries only 3 Euros? Yes; Was the cone the size of the Fiat's tire next to me? Yes; Did I see a paradox as I walked through the park eating my fries as kids did PE class next to me? Yes; But boy was I happy.
 I love pulpits. I have not been in a kerk yet in Europe where the pulpit wasn't completely unreal. But the gothic themed St. Goedele Kathedraal was fantastic. The pulpit had a battle between heaven and hell, some random farm animals on the bottom, and a carved dark cherry stair case that mimicked climbing ivy and leaves. This one takes the cake though, because not only is it an entire story in one wooden masterpiece, but it was built on ancient Roman ruins. Also, this kerk was full of dead saints. Tooth here, skull fragment there, even though a lot were taken back from the Crusades, and a lot of blood and gore were flooding the streets of Palestine at that time, its neat to see it even if its some random guy's dead skin tissue in that golden tabernacle outlined in diamonds.
Next pic is Grotemarkt. It's Brussel's main civic square. And, as you can see, was just getting ready for Christmas. All the surrounding buildings are glittered with gold statues and ecclesiastical statues, and is one main destination for all of one's mains trysts. It is really nice to actually be able to guide by monuments in Brussels. Because there are these things called "hills" (heuvels) you can navigate without having to memorize concentric streets and grachten. The occasional visual is wondeful. Lastly, I must discuss my favorite let-down. The Manneken Pis. It is truly the one reason why people come to Brussels, and people flock to it like crazy. It is simply this, a small "cherub" looking figure who is urinating(What's the big deal? In Belgium there's an open bottle law, so public drunkenness is tolerated, and I saw many a people urinating in places that I could clearly see everything happening). The entire statue would fit into a shoe box, and Asian people love it. Luckily I was there to see him in a sombrero looking outfit, which made it kind of more enjoyable. All I can say is that there is a bar right by there that has the same figure, only inside with really great beer (De Poechenellekelder). Below are a few extra Brussel's pics, like before, too much to say, but a few pics can sum it up.
If Brussels is the place to work, then Antwerp is the place to reside. I personally find Antwerp to be perfect. It's not French-itized like Brussels, is solidly Belgian, and is old, a little less old, and really old in some respects. Once the financial capital of the world, it is now simply the diamond capital of the world. And if I had to choose, it would be my home. Brussels is too modern, Brugge too tiny and too far removed. But here are some sites I hope to see again.
My favorite gothic/Art Noveau building this point in my life is Onze Lieve Vrouwekathedraal. It's tall, pointy, and the outside is just plastered with all sorts of statues, skulls, and neat columns. The thing is the tallest building around, and besides having a really nice open space in front, has Henry Consciousplein right behind it (pic 3). It has this nice green tree that opens up into a sandstone style Spanish courtyard. It is a great place to trot through and listen to the guy on the guitar playing for beer money (last time I was there I watched him wrap up the night, then enter the bar right next door). Then there is Het Steen with its castlely figure. It is techically my second adventure around a castle in Europe, and it's always exhilarating to come up from it to see the big river on the other side. Pic 6 there is of Het Schilderstraat, or where they used to exclusively paint ships (hence the boat jutting out of the side of someone's house). It was so quiet on the Sunday we were there. Everyone was taking it easy, and with tourist season for Northern Europe finished, a leisurely stroll was all that was needed (besides the brisk jog to catch our train, which we caught with no more than 4 seconds to spare).
 Of course, a trip to Antwerp would not be complete if you didn't go to 't Elfde Gebod, an ecclesiastically themed restaurant where you eat next to the Virgin Mary and sip your Koninck next to St. Peter. With a completely ivied exterior, literally 15 feet from Vrouwekathedraal and great Abdij brews on tap, you feel very medieval. The city is nothing but the 1300s all over again, and if the city looked as it did then (I would imagine the cement and stop lights are about all that have been added) I wouldn't of minded much. Of course I would of only lived to be about 35, but eh, enjoy life while you got it right? I mean the plague wasn't that bad......So I will say that I've been to the BENE of BENELUX (with LUX to come, I got to go for the trifecta at this point). And those two countries couldn't be better for me.
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