I uploaded a bunch of photos onto Picasaweb. I don't want to waste time reposting them here so I'm just going to link to them and you can browse them at your leisure. It has all of the old posts and then all the new ones up through Amsterdam. Liz left yesterday for Scotland. I'm on my own now and it's been rainy and cold. I think I might head south after this where it's warm. I went to a science and technology museum today, but it was mostly targeted at little kids. There were only a few exhibits that were for adults, so it was kind of a waste of 12.50 euro. They did have a hydrogen fuel cell. It was kind of funny because you had to crank this lever a whole bunch to make it work and the end result was that this little toy train went around in a circle. I couldn't help but think it would be way easier to simply push the train around with my hand. There was this one exhibit with all these old animals and bones and things in formaldehyde that some Dutch biologist had collected in the 1800's. I saw a siamese pig baby. I'm taking refuge from the cold and rain in the Amsterdam library. It's actually a really cool place. They have a multimedia center (where I uploaded all my picture) and free internet access. They also have a radio station that does a bunch of live music to broadcast out of the library. So I'm sitting here listening to a live performance and messing around on the internet. Not too bad. I head for Utrecht tomorrow. It'll actually be sunny, so it should be a nice bike ride.

We stayed at two hostels while we were here in Amsterdam. The first was the Flying Pig, which I thought was terrible. It was under renovation so they didn't have a lot of the amenities that are included in the cost. Except, they didn't discout the cost of staying there at all. Also, the people staying in our hostel weren't that cool. They had this spring break mentality and just wanted to get trashed. I mean sure, pot is legal here, but that doesn't mean it's the only thing to do. The second night we stayed at a more well-organized hostel. I pretty much hate staying in hostels because there is always someone snoring and I'm a light sleeper, especially when it comes to light or sound disturbances. I actually sleep better outside on the quiet ground than inside on a mattress when someone is snoring. The third night we stayed on a boat in the harbor area. It was cheaper than the hostels and way cooler. We had our own room, bathroom, and a shower. The owners made a big, delicious breakfast in the morning, and we got to smoke on the top deck of the boat and look out at the lights of the city. They also had cheap (relatively) beer in the fridge that you could pay for on the honor system. The last night we spent at this cool campground. There are a bunch of young people/hippie types staying there. They've got free range chickens clucking about, scavenging ducks and cats, and some cute goats that will let you pet them. One of the things I've noticed about Europe is how many farm animals you see around. Even in cities, it's not that uncommon to see farm animals as long as you aren't downtown. I'm getting me some goats when I come back.

http://picasaweb.google.com/jas.sellers/BikeandaTent?authkey=Gv1sRgCM-YkP-CkLKw-QE&feat=directlink