Day 6 in Amsterdam was our last full day until we leave for Berlin. It was amazing how time flew by towards the end of the week, because it felt like things were a little slower earlier in the week. I was also excited for this day because I knew that I needed to get some tasks completed and still fulfill some activities while here in Amsterdam. Today the plan was to go to an early morning interview, to do laundry, go city touring, and watch the gay pride festival.
First, I started out my day with my normal routine of waking up early and going to breakfast. While at the cafeteria, I was surprised that it was very empty. I believe this was because it was Saturday, and many guests probably wanted to sleep-in on the weekend. I even had a brief conversation with the chef, and we discussed about traveling. He actually mentioned that he has been to Berlin many times and that it is a beautiful city, which made me look forward to travel day.
After breakfast, I attended my interview and I was so happy that I was able to meet the owner. There was literally no one else there, which made me think that this is a great opportunity to really engage in this interview and receive some valuable information. The owner even informed me that he has been to United States multiple times which showed me that he had an idea of the market in America. With that being said, we had a great interview, and I received an extensive amount of content from the owner.
Then, I met with my group and we spent some leisure time around the city. It was quite interesting because today we ended up seeing a lot more souvenir shops than what we saw during the week. Most tourism shops had items such as Amsterdam’s flag, key rings, glasses, and posters. I noticed how all the shops looked very similar to each other, and it was very easy to spot one.
Lastly, we stopped at the gay pride festival in Vondel Park. I did not know what to expect because this was my first time, but I was interested to see what festivals are like in Amsterdam. This festival did not disappoint. Many people dressed up; some were singing; and some were playing music. It seemed like a wonderful event for Amsterdam to celebrate, and I learned that the festivities actually continue for another two weeks. I was a little surprised because most festivals are one day long, but apparently this one was planned for the long-haul.
Towards the end of the day, we took a stop at the local grocery store to pick up some items for the long train ride to Berlin. After that we went back to the hostel and prepared for travel day tomorrow.
