One of the benefits of this program–besides the whole living in France part–is getting to meet other assistants. M and I grabbed breakfast and then started a free walking tour at 10:30, with a group of varied tourists and a great guide.
He took us through the Red Light District, which was…uncomfortable, to say the least. (My phone tried making me walk through there last night to get to my hostel. Um, no thanks, I’ll pass.) And then, because I have a terrible memory, I don’t remember where else he took us. I do recall a hidden church, the Dutch East India Company/white people ruining everything, the Amsterdam University (where M and I horrified Marius the guide by telling him about outrageous American tuition fees), and a café that made me laugh because it was named Quartier Putain.
Two hours later, we ended up back where we started, at Dam Square. M and I immediately embarked on a mission for lunch at Omelegg. Afterwards, we winged it and decided to flâner the city, absorbing its beauty and coughing madly whenever we got whiffs of pot. Highlights of our meandering included Marks & Spencer, where M introduced me to some oddly delicious gummies; Waterstones, where we had to tell ourselves we weren’t allowed to buy any books; and the Anne Frank House, where we snapped a picture of the building but decided the line wasn’t worth it.
To rest our sad feet, we treated ourselves at a cute café (shoutout to the stranger who dropped ten euros on the ground, which M used to pay for our tea and banana bread), and ended the day properly with delicious Thai food.
Wandering in France 