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Thought I’d try to will away the  winter blues by posting some more pictures from last summer’s trip.  Like I mentioned in my previous post about this vacation Chelsey and I basically used Glasgow as a recharging break before heading out to Edinburgh via train.  Every August Edinburgh hosts the Fringe Festival (http://www.edfringe.com/) which is this HUGE festival where performers from all over the world descend on this fairly small city for days upon days of constant street performance, theater, music, comedy, dance (and I’m sure other kinds of performances that I’m forgetting).  Really anything you can think of they have it.  Wikipedia says that it’s the world’s largest arts festival.  There are people out on the streets passing out handbills for this n that and you can stop in and see free shows as well as paid performance.  It was pretty amazing actually.  Because this festival is so popular and the city’s population just explodes during this time, the prices for the hotels just go through the roof.  I had no idea that the time when I wanted to visit that this would be going on and I was so disappointed to learn that Chelsey and I were probably not going to be able to visit Edinburgh because of our limited finances.  But, that’s where derby stepped in and saved the day for me.  Crotch Lightning from the Auld Reekie Rollergirls was such a doll and offered to let us stay at her mum’s place with her lovely cat as she tends to go do her traveling during the Fringe.  And we also got to drop in at their derby practice too:)  Crotch, if you are reading this THANK YOU AGAIN!  And if you ever want to come and stay in Denver you are obviously more than welcome to stay with me:)

After Edinburgh, we flew into Amsterdam where my good friend Buffy met us at the airport. Buffy is one of the smartest and most hard working gals I know and that’s why she gets paid to move to other countries for work;)  And then people like me get to visit!  It’s a little hard for me to put into words how I feel about Amsterdam.  I think I spent maybe 1 hour there before I knew that I would definitely be back.  It’s a strange place where the streets are as crowded as NYC, but there is not the same hustle and bustle feel so it’s not quite as overwhelming.  And the canals?  Let’s just say that it would take about zero effort to convince me to just sell everything I own and move onto a houseboat and ride around on the canals every weekend.  If I had taken a picture of the people on those boats you would know what true happiness looks like.

After spending the weekend in Amsterdam we followed Buffy back to Gouda where she lives.  Gouda is this little fairytale city complete with the three C’s; picturesque canals, cobblestones, and cafes where you can just sit and spend an afternoon enjoying your life.  We also took the train out to the Hague and spent a day by the North Sea.  Buffy, thank you to you and Josh for opening up your cute lil house to us and taking the time to show us your new home:)  Hopefully I’ll be back with G in tow.

And now for the pictures…………….

This was our flatmate in Edinburgh:)

Edinburgh Castle

The Ross Fountain in Princes Street Garden

Stopped for a couple of photo ops on our way up the hill

A view of the Sir Walter Scott Memorial from the Edinburgh Castle Hillside

Just a quick shot of the Royal Mile before we went into the Castle

Another tourist view of the entrance to the castle

Edinburgh from the inside

Chelsey rockin’ her Tiger Bay Brawlers tshirt all over the world;)

Mons Meg Cannon

Just outside of St. Margaret’s Chapel

Pretty stained glass at St. Margaret’s Chapel at the Edinburgh Castle

Just outside of the Scottish National War Memorial

He’s serious, Chelsey’s not.

Another cool plus to being friends with derby girls? They invite you to secret Fringe Festival shows featuring Amanda Palmer that you would have never known about on your own. Margaret Cho was there as well and sang a song too.

Chels and I had a picnic and read all afternoon at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Scotland.

Chelsey at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh

First place we went to after stopping by the hotel. Yumm!

Chelsey at the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam

Heineken Experience was so touristy and we obviously just went with it.

DJ ChelsO performing at Heineken

She’s having way too much fun with that. (That’s what happens when you drink before going)

Buffy learning how to pour the perfect beer at the Heineken Experience

I wish I had taken more street photos of Amsterdam, but I was busy soaking it all in.

Sigh…so pretty!

I want this bike.

This was taken quite close to our hotel

Another version of that same place

This was confusing. So I took a photo of it. Why is there a ladder?

The last sidewalk cafe we went to before heading on to Gouda

Before we left, I had to get some shots of the largest amount of bikes ever seen in my life!

I thought Denver was into bikes, but we don’t hold a candle to Amsterdam

Seriously? So many! Is that guy giving a bike ticket?

One last bike shot

View from the Gouda town courtyard center

This is right outside of Buffy’s house and she says the tourists are always coming around to take pictures of this. So I did too;)

Btw, this town is pronounced “How-Duh”

I feel bad saying this, but it’s like Disney…but real! Gouda Town Hall

Just lovely.

Love the light here. North Sea near the Hague

Hi friend!

Chelsey and Buffy on the pier

My fave photo of Chelsey and I together on this trip:) The Hague Hotel is in the background.

Saved one of my favorites for last. Nighttime view of a canal in Gouda.

Check out the first portion of this trip HERE!