a break from reality

Last week my dear friend Emily came to visit! Emily is someone that I have been close with since I was about 7 years old, and having her come visit was not only exciting because I've missed her dearly since moving half way across thew world, but it was also really fun to have a good friend here to show around Edinburgh and travel with!

She arrived last Monday, and after a short afternoon of settling in we hopped on a bus and headed back to the airport to fly off to the Netherlands! After a short flight we arrived in Amsterdam and spent the first night just walking around and experiencing some of the shops/night life. Tuesday we left the hostel around 10am and didn't get back until dinner time! We covered a lot of ground, stopping in some amazing shops to sample cheese, chocolates and fresh breads and taking in the beautiful views of the canals. We spent a good deal of the afternoon in the Rijksmuseum wandering around the amazing exhibits and taking in the beautiful art - not only was there a lot to look at for pure aesthetic enjoyment, but there was also a ton to learn about Dutch history and culture.

After taking a quick rest, we got dressed and headed to a different part of the city and stumbled upon a small Peruvian restaurant for a late dinner. We had an AMAZING meal - I mean, really really good - starting with appetizers of goats cheese, bacon and honey on slices of french bread and a Spanish omelet, we then each had a delicious main dish and shared a jug of fresh sangria. After our indulgent meal we went back to our hostel and got to bed early. Wednesday we went to the Anne Frank House Museum and walked around a beautiful area of Amsterdam called De Negen Straatjes, or "the Nine Streets" where we stopped in adorable boutiques and unique shops. The Anne Frank House was a great experience - it drew completely from the facts of Anne's life and the experience of her family and used them to guide the visitor through the events of the Holocaust and not the other way around. It was interesting seeing real artifacts from the time and getting an important history lesson through an accessible, personal story.

Before heading back to pack up for the airport, we stopped at a nice Dutch restaurant in a quaint square where we sat in a covered outdoor patio and people watched while enjoying some wine and a light lunch. Overall, it was a great trip - a busy two days, but it was great spending some time traveling just the two of us and especially in such a fun and interesting city!

Once back in Edinburgh we spent Emily's last few days across the Atlantic catching the major tourist sites and wandering around the city and the University campus. Emily brought with her an amazing stretch of nice weather and we were able to make the most of the sunny and warm days before she left! A few high points - Thursday we celebrated St. Patrick's day with the vast Irish population in Edinburgh in a local Irish restaurant/pub, Emily had a great time Friday on a bus tour of Edinburgh getting an educational and fun taste of the city while I was in class, and Saturday we climbed Arthur's Seat together!

Sunday afternoon I saw Emily off to the airport and was totally exhausted from our crazy week. It has been a bit of a struggle to get back into studying but I am finally back in the groove. I have also been baking a lot of breads lately - I've made banana bread a few weeks ago, a blueberry loaf to bring as a snack to Amsterdam, and today I made a carrot bread! Baking is very relaxing and also a delicious snack to help me get through long days with my head in my books, and all my friends also appreciate my little baking endeavors since sharing what I make is half the fun. Ok, confession, if I didn't share I would not be able to resist just eating the entire loaf of warm bread the second it came out of the oven or there is no chance it would last the entire first day.