Hello!Sorry we haven't updated in a while.The internet connections in the hostels are very slow and lots of people use them so it's hard to get much done.We've put a few pictures up, which maybe you've seen, but we hope to get more up just as soon as we get a decent internet connection.Our last entry ended half way through Paris, so that is where I will pick up!We really enjoyed staying at St. Christopher's hostel in Paris.It's very secure and the staff is friendly, and there's a restaurant and bar on the first floor so there are lots of people to meet and talk to.Paris mostly consisted of the tourist attractions.There's just so much to see and do that we didn't find much time to just explore.We bought a 2 day museum pass that definitely paid for itself after only 3 museums.We visited the Louvre, of course, and went to the top of the Arc de Triomphe.It was exhausting walking to the top, but the view was spectacular.We walked up, and down, the Champs-Elysees and went to this smaller art museum, Musee de l'Orangerie.We also visited Sacre Coeur, which was more stairs and more beautiful views, and walked around the red light district, where Moulin Rouge is, and Montemartre, which is a beautiful area of Paris.Kyle and I both loved it there, and actually found a hostel in the area for our last night in Paris.(Krista)

I loved the Montemartre area the most, but there were so many stairs!There is a tram that can take tourists to the top of Montemartre to see Sacre Coeur, but since Krista and Iare broke college students, we elected to take the stairs parallel to the tram.Needless to say, climbing a mountain of stairs while watching everyone else zip right to the top on a tram is a bit discouraging.None the less, Montemartre was exceedingly beautiful.So our fourth day in Paris Krista and I went to even more museums and sights.We started with the sewers of Paris, which was a small museum located in one of the sewers of Paris where they explain where Paris gets its water, and water purification in general.It was a museum suited more for kids than anything else.It was dark, it stunk and Krista seemed pretty bored, but I enjoyed it.After the sewers we went to see Napoleon's Tomb and the Musee Rodin.Napoleon's Tomb is huge!How else can I explain it?The sarcophagus itself is taller than I am without the podium it sits on.It was a short walk to the Musee Rodin from there.Rodin was the sculptor who created Le Penseur, or The Thinker.His home and its adjoining garden display many more of his works.There was another museum called the Musee des Arts et Meteors.Basically it's a museum that displays technology through the ages.I love museums like this but I particularly wanted to go to this museum because I thought it had an invention by Leonardo DaVinci.Turns out they don't have any inventions by DaVinci.I was disappointed.We started walking towards the Eiffel Tower next.On our way, Krista and I discovered these bikes that the city rents out.We had seen them before but had never really taken them seriously.It ended up being a great way to get across the city.Funny thing is the bike lanes are part of the bus and taxi lanes so competing with vehicles and other bikers was a bit stressful.The Eiffel Tower was beautiful and has an extraordinary view of Paris.It was awfully cold at the top though.By the time we got back to the hostel, we were exhausted.We got to bed so that we could get to the train station early the next morning for our trip to Cologne.(Kyle)

Getting to Cologne was a catastrophe.I guess that's to be expected since every other time on this trip we've used any means of transportation it has been a catastrophe.We got to the train station in Paris early in the morning so that we could get a train to Cologne easily.Apparently we should have been there about a week before, because they had nothing available.We ended up taking 6 different trains to get from Paris to Cologne, stopping in various cities in France, Belgium and Germany.3 of our 5 connections were less than 10 minutes long, so that meant more sprinting to catch a departure.Only this time we had out big backpacks, not just our carry-ons that we had in the airport.We missed one of our connections, but we had been forced to quickly figure out the departures board, and therefore we didn't have much of a problem getting back on track, and we still made it to Cologne.We checked into our hostel, and went to the supermarket (it was an Aldi, believe it or not) to get some groceries.We spent 6 euro to get 2 steaks, seasoning, frozen veggies, and frozen French fries.Cheapest and most filling meal yet.Figuring out how to cook these things was interesting, since we don't know how to read German, but it was simple enough food.Can you really go wrong with frozen veggies?We stayed two nights in Cologne so that meant we had a full day to explore.We went to the Lindt chocolate factory/museum where we got to see how the chocolate is made and got samples fresh from the factory.It was delicious!We mostly just explored the city though, walking through shops and by the river.We got back to the hostel somewhat early and got packed up, again, so we could leave the next morning for Amsterdam.I had caught a cold and was just recovering, as Kyle was starting to show the same symptoms.It made for a few slower-paced days, but we're both doing better now.The train ride to Amsterdam was uneventful, finally!We made it to our hostel, called The Flying Pig, and passed out for a few hours.We were so exhausted from being sick.We soon figured out though, that naps are common things in Amsterdam.Everybody gets up early (breakfast is only served until about 10 in the hostels, and it's free so everyone gets up for it), goes out for a bit, takes an afternoon nap, and then stays up late.Not a bad schedule.We spent three whole days in Amsterdam, and it doesn't really feel like we did or saw anything.I guess we have some good stories to take away from it though…(Krista)

Our days weren't very eventful, so I'll tell more stories and less chronological order.I'll start with an overview of how Amsterdam is situated and how the people are.The city is built on an old swamp.The canals run in an arcing form centering around the central train station.It wasn't till the third day that I was able to develop any sense of direction.The two main forms of transportation in Amsterdam are first, bicycle, and second, walking.Mass transit and cars are much less desired.Krista and I met some people from our hostel and we ended up exploring the city with them.After renting a few bikes we heard about a market on the other side of town.Getting there was interesting to say the least.Keep in mind I was still getting over being sick, and I really had no idea where we were going, so I followed Krista and our friends.We all eventually made it, even after I was almost hit by a tram.Just to explain how many people bike in Amsterdam, there are bike lanes in the middle or on the sides of sidewalks.When crossing the road, I had to look both ways for bikes, and then cars; and the bikes were more fierce than the cars.On a tour Krista and I had taken, we saw some guy get run into by an elderly woman on a bike.He apologized but then she lectured him on listen for the bells of her bike and then asked if he was deaf.I then watched this young man and elderly woman scream at each other for about five minutes, ending in him spitting on her and shouting all sorts of profanities.It was actually kind of funny to watch.The tour was a free walking tour, and Krista and I had an excellent tour guide, Kendra.She was incredibly enthusiastic and knowledgeable.These same tours are offered in many of the other cities Krista and I have yet to visit.Not a bad value for a few euro tip.We're definitely going to do these more often.Amsterdam was overall a bit of a downer for us.There aren't as many things to do as there are in Paris or London and what little there was to do was very expensive.We did hit up a few museums like the Van Gogh Museum and the Heiniken Experience, where we got to sample some straight-from-the-brewery beer.The best thing that Krista and I are taking away from Amsterdam is the people we met.We met some great people (along with some interesting and shady ones) in our hostels and on the tour.It's really fun to sit down with a group of kids from some other part of the world and exchange stories.We've met lots of kids from Australia and Canada, along with other Americans and only the occasional European.Anyway, now we're off to Berlin!(Kyle)