I love this place.

The month of April flew by. I don't know where it went, but I do know that it involved lots of sunshine, park visiting, and bringing the couch out onto the balcony. The weather has been mostly in the high 60s to mid 80s. Blythe came to visit the 13th-15th. She is another Mac student who studies in Maastricht. We had a really good time. The first night there was a costume potluck. The next day we went to the Noordermarkt where I bought tulips and a braadworst with sauerkraut. Two incredibly satisfying purchases. After that we biked around Amsterdam. We went to the American Book Center because Blythe misses English language books. She has been studying abroad all year. In the fall she was in Argentina. Then we biked through Vondelpark which was full of Amsterdam residents enjoying the AMAZING weather. Afterwards we met up with Ryan at an Indonesian restaurant so that Blythe could experience a rijstafel (a style of Indonesian meal) - an experience pretty unique to Amsterdam.

That Monday we biked to the beach. We didn't realize how far of a ride it was. It was hot and sunny and we thought that it would be fun. Little did we realize that it was a 20 mile ride in each direction. It was also a lot colder near the water, and we were all wearing shorts and tank tops!

The next Friday, the 20th, a few of us went to Alkmaar. It's a really cute little town and on Fridays they have an old-fashioned "Cheese Market." It was pretty goofy with these guys in colored straw hats running around with huge wheels of cheese on sleigh-like things suspended from their shoulders. More than anything it was full of tourists. Not too exciting.

On the 25th we went to a concert at the Concertgebouw. It's a beautiful old concert house near all of the museums. It was a lot of fun. We had Indonesian before hand at a great little restaurant next to a canal. It was a really good night.

On Saturday the 28th I went to the south to visit my long lost relatives, or "The Cousins," as my mom, grandma, and aunts refer to them! I had such a great time. They were so friendly and warm. It was surreal to be in a real house again! I have been in aparments for the past month. The first day Jack, Thea's husband, picked me up from the train station and we drove around Limburg, the province they live in. It is so different from northern Holland; there are hills! It was beautiful and a lot of fun. We got ice cream on the way too! That night we barbecued. So much good food! Afterwards I went to Belgium and got ice cream with Linda, Thea's 18 year old daughter, and her boyfriend. We had a really good time. Although they don't agree with my taste in music. I think they think it is too happy. Oh well, they are teenagers. Ha ha, I said that a few times this weekend and Linda thought it was pretty ridiculous because I'm not even three years older than her. On Sunday, Thea, Marlies, Jack and I drove more around Limburg. We stopped at a castle and climbed the tallest mountain in Holland. Most people wouldn't call it a mountain, but I guess it's all relative! That night we had more good food and then I went home. It was Koninginnenacht after all, but that will be described in a later post. I have to do homework now.