Brugge-a-Rific,

Well, I am going to start this blog entry with a quote, because if I don't, I will forget. It may not make any sense, but whatever...

"Don't Get Elimigated" - Kalman

Okay, now on to the good stuff. I am in Brugge right now, sipping on Leffe from a real Leffe glass enjoying Tenacious D at the hostel bar. The hostel is called the St. Christopher's Inn at Bauhaus and it is sorta just outside te city centre in Brugge. This is a wonderful place, one we will explore at great length later, but from one quick walk through, I am loving it. It is old, has fantastic architecture, is clean and quiet. There are two chip stands outside the main square in town, which we discovered get auctioned off every three years to the highest bidder. After buying chips (and mayo) from one of them, we had a discussion with the proprietor and learned that the three-year auction system was hard on the owner, because you had to buy all the equipment upfront and pay taxes and rent, so once you developed your business, it had to be auctioned off it seems, so you had to outbid everyone to keep your business going. Weird system. More about this later.

I guess I left off the last entrance in Amsterdam. Kalman and Lance have since left us, unfortunately, and we have moved on to Belgium. The last thing we did in Amsterdam was laundry, which was anti-climactic, and this morning we went to a traditional crepe/pancake place for breakfast, and I went to school for a bit. Nothing much to report; it didn't rain, which was nice.

The few days previous was spent enjoying the beauty and culture of my soon to be called home. After switching hostels, the five of us went on a long walk that saw us pass by the long line at the Anne Frank Huis and get horribly lost, on my account, and end up luckily at Vondelpark after asking for directions. The rest of the day was thoroughly uneventful, as Amsterdam often initiates; filled with walking, getting lost, going to coffee shops and cafes and just enjoying the gorgeous surroundings. We went through the Red Light District during the day, just so the guys could have a reference point for when we returned at night, and walked around more. I wish I could wax poetic about the craziness that ensued, but nothing much happened. It was relaxed, quiet and introspective... always a good way to go in Amsterdam.

Our second day began with a trip to the Heineken Brewery. After meeting up at the hostel, as Kalman and I were staying with my friend Amanda, we walked all the way up to Museumplein to go to the Van Gogh, but the line was too long and it was raining so we opted for beer. The tour was actually quite fun. We got to be our own beer bottle and delivery horse/cart (I wish I could explain it further, but it was interactive) and drink three *free* half-pints of lager. It was a lovely time, no doubt. After that, we went for food and had a horrible falafel (Kalman's first ever - he is getting cultured) and spent the night chilling out for the most part. We walked through the Red Light District at night, as promised and ended up at McDonalds for cheap Ice Cream. At 2AM, we unfortunately said goodbye to the guys and went to bed.

More stuff; we went for lunch which saw Kalman bitching like no other, because the sandwiches that were served were open faced. They werent cheap, but were absolutely delicious, but because he did not receive that top piece of bread, his mouth went off like a sailor's and he went to town. It was quite funny, but temporally funny, so I guess you had to be there.

Tomorrow we hope to explore the city and indulge in more Belgian ale. We will be off to Brussles, Cologne and then Berlin in the coming days, so keep notice. I miss Kalman and Lance. I wish they were around. It is interesting that in twelve days of travelling together, you get to know someone so much that they are as close to your best friend as anyone else. It was sad to see them head off and I am excited to welcome them in Amsterdam next year. I also want to give my condolances to Lance and his family for the passing of his grandmother. RIP.

Well, I should not leave this post on a sad note, so I will tell you that I found out today that I will be in the same town as my amazing friend Alicia at the end of June. I will be meeting her in Paris. That is awesome. I love her to death and am excited for that. I am also excited to see my sister back in Canada next week, and my girlfriend. It is going to be a busy week.

Best-

love you....

Sanity Music - Tenacious D (in the bar)

Kalman (aka Wiggles) and Lance... - we miss you guys.. you are still killing our livers as we speak...... YEAH DUDE!!!!