I'm back?

It is Sunday night and Dad just left for Switzerland. We had the nicest visit, and I am feeling quite a bit better for the good company and delivery of good American medicines.

Yesterday I met Dad at his hotel, which was right near the University actually, and we walked all the way across the city to the Noordrmarkt to try apple pie from a famous bakery called the Winkel Cafe. We walked around the open air produce market and heard traditional accordian and string harp music outside the local church, then fell asleep for a bit on a bench near the canal. Everyone was out enjoying the very atypical eighty degree weather and sun.

We made our way up to the Westerpark, passing lots of lovely residential sidestreets and boat houses, and then back down to the Prinsengracht area for a very traditional Dutch dinner at the Bistro Bij Ons. We had a stamppot and a chickenschnizel. But unfortunately they were out of "Flipped Bitches" for dessert. There were two bachelor parties going on in the restaurant, so we witnessed quite a sing along later in the night.

Today Dad and I went out for pancakes, and then explored the southeast of the city, from the floating flower markets to the Russian Hermitage Museum and the area near the Hortus Botanicus and the zoo. We also stopped into the University book shop and had soup near my house- it was incredible, one of my favorite meals so far. We ended the day with a long walk across the river to central station. We stopped by the beautiful Amsterdam public library, which I studied in later in the night with my roommate. It is like a library from the future and so so beautiful. It was hard to say goodbye but I am so happy that Dad got to visit. It made me even more excited for the big family visit in November!!

Anyway, rest assured that at least now I am sleeping well and on my way to full recovery. I miss you all so much and I love you lots. Thank you so much Mom for the medicine and the moral support over the skype. It really kept me going.