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| House boats along a canal in Amsterdam. Notice the leaning houses. |
Since the last time I wrote, I spent a week between Munich and Amsterdam, two of the most amazing cities someone could ever spend time in. Whether it was hanging out in the Marienplatz, having a beer at the Haufbrauhaus or fumbling through the little German I know to try and strike up a conversation with a local at the 089 Club in Munich, or checking out street performers at Dam Square and the leaning 'merchant mansions' along the canals or cruising the downtown area and red light district with my buddy Dave in Amsterdam, I took everything in.
After leaving both behind, I told myself that I'd like to return to both cities before returning to the US, hopefully to Amsterdam for a baseball tournament we're looking to enter in July and definitely to Munich for Octoberfest, which is held each year during September. Neither city can be maxed out in just a couple days, and both would be even more enjoyable, I've been told repeatedly, during the warmer months.
The train ride between the two cities was incredible as well, the route taking me through the Rhine River valley from Stuttgart through Cologne and Dusseldorf before entering The Netherlands. Not to turn the blog into a history lesson, but I've been able to spend the majority of my time on or near the Danube and Rhine rivers while in Europe, the two main waterlines through the old Roman Empire during the middle ages. It's no surprise that many of the old castles and fortifications of that time are along those rivers as well, as they formed natural defensive measures and borders.
That all being said, I was ready to get settled into my new apartment, give my shoulders some relief by dropping my bags, sleep in a bed for more than two consecutive nights and get started as the new coach of the Tempo Titans Praha, who I'll write more about in my next blog.
In the meantime, here's a couple links to photos from the last two stops on my trip...
Amsterdam
Munich