Netherlands - Maastricht, Amsterdam, Rotterdam

**I have packed so much traveling into the last few weeks that I was perhaps not able to give the Netherlands the attention it deserved. I was extremely happy to make it to Maastricht, a very picturesque town with great shopping, and meet up with Jen and Christian – another welcome connection to home. But when I took the train to Amsterdam for the day on Monday, it occurred to me that my desire to get to know yet another gorgeous European city has waned. It’s just simply too much to absorb at this point. Despite that, I’m still glad I got the opportunity to see the Van Gogh museum and the Anne Frank hideout – the latter deeply affected me. I would love to go back sometime when I have more time to really explore and soak up the city. (And no, I did not see the red light district – it would have been easy to stroll through it for a bit, and I suppose it would have been somewhat educational, but I just couldn’t stomach the idea of seeing all of those women turned into objects).

**Originally I had planned a day in Rotterdam for both work and fun – I have a freelance assignment to write about a new Charlie Chaplin exhibit at the art museum there, and I thought I would combine that with some other sightseeing. But by the time I got there I was just too pooped, so the art museum and a brief walk down a central street were all I could manage (at least the Chaplin exhibit was interesting). It’s a shame, because Rotterdam was dramatically different from most of the other cities I’ve seen during this time – it’s got modern skyscrapers like Frankfurt’s, combined with the canal and waterfront features that distinguish the Netherlands. Again, a place I will have to return to at a better time.

**And now I’m back in Frankfurt for two days before my final return to the U.S., enjoying a welcome respite from the pressure to sightsee. It will be good to spend some final time with some of the friends I’ve made here (especially the banker) and say goodbye to the city that was my home for two months.