DAY 2, April 20
Reflection by Ryan O’Malley ’25

“Exhilarating.” “Eye-opening.” “Sacred.” “Unifying.” It is infrequent that one has the opportunity to attend Easter mass in Lisbon, to immerse in the stunning architecture of an 1850 neoclassical cathedral or to receive communion while the smell of burning incense lingers. It is even more infrequent that one is able to sing during said mass, to gather on high balconies while song echoes off the baroque-styled coved ceilings. Today, however, the BC High choir had the privilege of doing both.

With an early wake up time and a brief 7:30 am breakfast, the group enjoyed a delicious array of eggs, bacon, and other pastries before hurriedly getting ready. Dressed in formal attire (practically disguised as hotel severs) the choir began rehearsal—singing liturgical songs, “Panis Angelicus,” and everyone’s favorite “Coffee” for all passing through the lobby. 

After warming up, the group boarded the bus and headed off for St. Nicolau Church, catching glimpses of the historical abundance bursting throughout Baixa: the Monument of the Restorers (restorers of independence), the 1843 “white seas” tiles marking walkways, and the gothic medieval structure of Rossio Train Station.

Once inside St. Nicolau and after a quick fiddling with the organ and repertoire, the 12 o’clock procession began. Full of beautiful resonance, the choir coalesced with the service, enlivening the atmosphere through skillful navigation of music from “Gloria” to “Crucem Tuam” to “Love is Love” with local mass attendees. Despite the language barrier, the warm invitation of all present was overwhelming and students were able to experience something only capable of being described  as “magical.”

With the conclusion of mass and each student now carrying bags full of Easter treats courtesy of the priest, the group returned to Lisbon Center where students had the opportunity to split off in groups for lunch. Circling the lower portion of the city, a region marked with rich imagery from the pre earthquake period (1775) to the abolishment of the Portuguese Monarchy in 1910, students ate cuisine ranging from pastel de nata to McDonald’s and fled in and out of gift shops (even buying a new pair of shoes).

After a late lunch, the group began their ascent to the São Jorge Castle, traversing the hilly landscape of Lisbon through elevator lifts, strolls through old shopping centers, and leaps over uneven cobblestone roads. Upon arrival at the 8th century BC fortress, Gilberto guided students through the ancient structure where they—besides temporarily stopping for the astonishing sight of a peacock dance display—observed the Alfama area from the highest walls. In particular, the group got a full view of Panteão Nacional, a Baroque styled national monument housing the tombs of some of Portugal’s most distinguished figures (e.g. Amália Rodrigues).

Slowly descending the 300 foot elevation, the choir returned to the bus and, after a quick stop at the Tower of Belem—built between 1514 and 1519 as a defensive structure against imposing pirates on Portuguese trading posts—headed to dinner. At Ristorante Pizzeria Gelateria, located right on the Tagus River, students enjoyed unlimited drinks, savory pizza, and creamy gelato before a lively (juxtaposition to the night prior) bus ride back to the hotel to prepare for the early morning travel to Sintra.

¡Feliz Páscoa from Portugal!

DAY 1: April 18-19
Reflection by Ryan O’Malley ’25

¡Olá! from Portugal. 

BC High Choir has experienced a tiring and busy past 24 hours—from travel to waiting in never-ending customs lines to bus rides to and from the hotel—yet an exciting and adventurous first day in Portugal. From the dazzling sights of Lisbon to delectable, authentic Portuguese cuisine, the choir has enjoyed a range of unique activities and cannot wait for what is to come.

Beginning Friday night, the group sailed through Logan Airport check-in, security, and gate arrival, leaving plenty of time for students to disperse and savor a pre-flight dinner (mostly Wahlburgers). At the gate, students unwinded on their phones, competed in card games, and diligently caught up on school work until boarding around 10 pm.

With an on-time departure, the choir was off and away to Lisbon. Though bumpy at points, the flight was relatively smooth. During the 6 hours and 13-minute journey into Saturday morning, students slept, continued to chip away at JTP writing, and enjoyed a complimentary meal (if they were awake to order it).

Once touched down in Aéroport International de Lisbonne, the travel time only extended, with navigation of custom lines spanning what felt like the same time as the flight, but standing as opposed to sitting (2 hours and 29 minutes to be specific, but who’s counting?).

After inching through customs, the group met with tour guides Pablo and Gilberto and boarded the bus. On their ride to the hotel, students had the opportunity to observe the stunning landscape of the Lisbon metropolitan area (e.g. 1741 aqueduct, Jardim de Estrela, and Sanctuary of Christ the King) and learn about the region’s rich and ever-evolving history.

Upon arriving at the hotel, the choir briefly checked in and then headed to lunch, enjoying a buffet of diverse dishes: soup, rice, whiting fish, and desserts such as jello and sponge cake.

After lunch, students embarked on a comprehensive tour of the surrounding area. For starters, the group headed to the Sanctuary of Christ the King in Almada—a 361-foot-tall structure erected in 1959 as a form of gratitude for the Portuguese being spared from the destructive effects of WWII. Though temporarily berated by a brief rainstorm, students ascended the sculpture and experienced an incomparable, breathtaking view of Lisbon, Mar de Palha, and Ponte 25 de Abril from the sky. Of course, everyone bought some souvenirs along the way. Next, the tour shifted to bring the group back to Lisbon, spending time in the Park of Edward the Seventh, glancing at Castle Hill, and learning about the city’s reconstruction after the earthquake of 1755. Lastly, after a closer look at the statue of Pombal on the Avenue of Liberty, the choir headed to dinner.  

Tucked away in the city’s heart, the restaurant of Santa Marta offered a vibrant, lively, and delicious conclusion to the day. Students enjoyed dishes from meatballs to flan to endless slices of bread before returning to the hotel and falling asleep (if they had not already been on the bus ride from dinner).

Friday, April 19

One does not know true bliss until they have visited Europe, or until they have sung with Dr. Rozenberg in Europe. A wise Polish man told me on my way to the Netherlands, “Whenever I come back from Europe, I feel re-energized. You should use that when you come back.” We all had different experiences on this trip: whether we spent most of our time in the moment, savoring the local cuisine, appreciating the unending natural and artistic beauty of Holland, or snapping as many photos as we could.

Some immediately passed out on the bus rides while others took numerous selfies (many with said passed-out people). Some absorbed the infinite lush and picturesque scenery of the windmill-dotted Dutch landscape. Some of us relaxed on the flight home or were kept up by my endless conversation with a stranger (if you were, then I deeply apologize.) But in the end, two things are for certain…we immersed ourselves in a new and inviting culture and we sang and performed incredibly well. The BC High Choir left its mark on the Netherlands and the Netherlands most definitely left an indelible mark on the BC High Choir.

Ben Campolongo ’26

Friday, April 19

7:04 a.m. CET (Central European Time)
’Twas the morning before leaving
when all through the lobby
not a student was stirring
not even my friend Bobby.
The suitcases were stuffed
in the hotel with care,
in hopes that the room checkers would not be there…

In the dreary and rainy morning, only the teachers and a few coffee-enthusiast students were to be seen in the lobby. The rest were either still blissful in their sweet dreams or experiencing the nightmare of packing. Those who ventured down to the lobby were destined to be met with the question, “Have you finished packing yet?” Before 7:00, this answer was a definite “No”. Only one brave soul shilly-shallied in the lobby, subjecting himself to the possibility of the ever-present interrogations of Dr. Rozenberg. And no, he did not eat breakfast; his stomach was on a union coffee break.

7:15 a.m.
Finally, at around 7:20, some early risers drudged downstairs for the usual monotonous, but satisfyingly hearty breakfast. Unfortunately, Bill was still nowhere to be found.

By 8:08 a.m.
Bill finally arrived in the lobby. “Yes, I was doing both,” admitted Bill, when I asked him if he was “shilly-shallying” and “dilly-dallying” in his room. Also around this time, more students had arrived to make their final chocolate-drizzled waffles and to consume their last dry and flaky crumpets. Mr. Mackey and Mrs. Simonelli would also be conducting their final room checks today, room checks that will hopefully turn up nothing bad. Most of the students had returned to their rooms at around 8:20, likely to resume their last chance of monkey business in the Netherlands. The downpour and bleak weather of today resembled the mood of our group as we prepared to leave. While we do look forward to waking up in our own beds and not to be packed onto a bus this weekend, we will all dearly miss the Netherlands. The sights we saw were likely the most beautiful our eyes have had to behold in our youthful days, granting us an unforgettable experience. While most of us don’t look forward to returning to the monotonous everyday grind of school and homework, we can be grateful for what we have at BC High. When we visited the Jesuit public school on Tuesday, more than a few of us noticed how small it was, given that there were 2000 kids enrolled in Stanislas College. The lockers they had were footlockers, and a field they had for sports looked like an underdeveloped tennis court. So, hopefully our mood will be improved upon returning to BC High by appreciating how wonderfully big and full of opportunities our school is.

9:40 a.m.
Our choir gathered for the final performance in the hotel lobby, at the request of the hotel staff. We sang the National Anthem there, which delighted the staff to the point that they too were filming. We then began singing the gorgeous Hallelujah song, to tell the staff that we had indeed heard of a baby boy that came to earth to bring them joy. In the middle of it, Dr. insisted the staff join us, which they did. The singing by our young men and their young women was gorgeous, truly angelic. We then packed up and went on to the bus after waiting for a little while. When on the bus, I was truly blessed to have a surprise Happy Birthday sung to me by everyone (including Bill)! I wasn’t expecting this at all, and it made my day, and maybe my entire week. On our way to the airport, we kept our mood up by playing all the classics and singing along to them. The sleepy heads in the back missed out on a lot, but they had their moments early on in the trip. This time it was the moms’ turn. Since Mrs. Remley controlled the music and the speaker, she could play whatever she wanted. At first, it was all right since the music was well-liked by everyone, but then Mrs. Remley discovered a playlist on Spotify named “90s Mom’s Anthem.” This is something I must bury in the Mariana Trench so my Mom may never find out about it. To the present husbands’ dismay, as well as to most people on the bus, all of the moms naturally approved. The Coup De’Speaker had been staged. It was only due to the benevolence of Mrs. Remley that our choice of the timeless classic “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” was played, which a few students in the front sang along to. There was an exception of Adam, who had sadly lost his voice days ago. However, at the end of the trip, “When Doves Cry” by Prince played,  a banger that everyone could enjoy. Who doesn’t know Prince? 

12:00 p.m.
We arrived at the airport, where security took as long as it always does, but at least our flight wasn’t delayed.

5:33 p.m.
We are all on the plane now, as we got on a couple of hours ago. A young troublemaker was caught in the middle of his monkey business by Dr. Rozenberg. He was overusing the service button, calling the flight attendant and hiding, deserting her poor soul in the No Man’s Land of the Isle. “Unbelievable.” Dr. Rozenberg commented. Dr. threatened to JUG this whippersnapper for an entire week, but her merciful heart gave him one more chance.

6:53 p.m.
We are all relaxing on the plane. The flight departed on time delayed and was not as miserable as the previous one, which was delayed until around 11:00 p.m. The delay at the start of our trip left us all exhausted and riddled with headaches. Poor Dr. also had a migraine. At one point during our today’s flight, the adults got up and started talking with each other, a great improvement from our flight last week.

4:03 p.m. EST
We arrived back in Boston six hours into the past! We left Amsterdam around 2:30 p.m. and arrived home just after 4:00 p.m. After we trudged through the long security line, we at last were greeted by our loving parents! There, we bade farewell to Dr. Rozenberg, Mrs. Smyth, and the rest of our choir friends with whom we shared these priceless memories.

Ben Campolongo ’26

Note: Below are more pictures from Day 6 in the tulip gardens and in Volendam. Pictures from throughout the week will come tomorrow.

Thursday, April 18

Today was quite eventful for the BC High choir boys. We started the day, per usual, with breakfast at the hotel. It included the usual smorgasbord of unseasoned eggs, ham, waffles and many more options. Yummy! We all then trudged to the bus to begin our long and arduous journey to one of the main attractions of the day. The first place we went was to the Keukenhof, also known as the Garden of Europe, where we had the chance to roam and smell the tulips. Thousands of tulips bloomed as far as we could see in a variety of vibrant colors. There were other attractions that could be viewed and enjoyed as well. For example, the giant windmill. The windmill was powered by many wooden gears and instruments. What a mechanical marvel! The Keukenhof also has many good food spots where you can enjoy burgers, Belgian waffles, and cookie crumbles (which were just crushed up strop waffle pieces). It was all truly a sight to behold.

Later, we went to the town of Volendam. This particular outing was special because of the long amount of time we had to ourselves. We were allowed to explore the small town separately from our chaperones, during most of our stay. We visited the cheese factory and tasted the multitudes of cheeses that they made. We also visited the Volendam football stadium and watched the team’s practice. It was surreal to see these athletes actually play since most of them had existed to us only in the form of Wikipedia articles. The Volendam Football Club is ranked 17th in the league they play in! Although the added freedom was much appreciated, I did miss Bill’s wisdom and dry British wit.

Finally, the group boarded a ferry to Marken Island. I was especially lucky because my Mom bought me a Belgian waffle (I love you, Mom!). The boat ride was splendid. A wide, blue ocean surrounded us and hugged the boat. We arrived at the island of Marken about 30 minutes later. The picturesque time capsule of a town was defined by its great sky and “antique homes”. Taverne de Visscher was the restaurant of choice, and we had an amazing selection of food. It included a spread of tantalizing tomato soup, raw cuts of herring, and perfectly seasoned cutlets of chicken. What really defined this time, though, were the “Senior Speeches” to Dr. Rozenberg. The feeling of gratitude and camaraderie was only boosted with each speech. The speeches from the four Seniors truly encapsulated our special and individual experiences with Dr. Rozenberg as well as the love we have for her. In the end this was one to remember; it was the perfect ending to an amazing trip.

Jesse Ramos ’24 and Odera Chibueze ’24

Say tuned for more pics from today…

Wednesday, April 17

The fifth day of our grand tour was definitely the most intense and fast paced of any day. We all felt this from the moment we woke up this morning before 6:00. After waking up we had  breakfast and listened to some announcements before packing our bags with our formal attire, which is the attire we wore for our Christmas Concert last year. We hopped on the bus at 7:15 and set out for Antwerp, Belgium.

Our time in Antwerp began with a city tour. We saw a plethora of buildings and statues during this tour as well as learned about the history of Antwerp. Some of the coolest things we saw were the Our Lady of Antwerp Cathedral and the statue of Silvius Barbo, a mythical Roman soldier and founder of Antwerp. The statue I found most interesting was of the Belgian folklore character Lange Wapper.

After the tour we had lunch at De 7 Schaken where many of us tried black pudding for the first time. Sadly, our lunch was cut short due to our tight schedule, so we weren’t able to enjoy all the food to the fullest extent. After lunch, we changed into our formal attire and did a collaborative concert with the children’s choir of the Our Lady of Antwerp Cathedral. The concert went very well, and I must say, the children’s choir was outstanding.

We then proceeded to go to the Chocolate Nation Museum. While there, we learned about how chocolate is made and sampled some of the chocolate flavors they had. My favorite was the fruity Ruby Chocolate, the unique fourth form of chocolate (after dark, milk, and white) which was only discovered in 2017. After our sampling session, we all purchased our fair share of Belgian chocolate, and in one case, an accidental purchase of chocolate scented soap. We all left Chocolate Nation very happy and boarded the bus back to our hotel in Delft, Netherlands.

We arrived back in Delft around 8:00 p.m. and finally had time to get dinner. Dinner tonight was more freeform, with all of us breaking off into different groups and restaurants around Delft. My group headed for ramen but got to the restaurant too late and ended up at McDonalds. The other group got Italian. Two of our students went on a double date with two of the girls from the Stanislas College that we visited yesterday. This was a fun and relaxing night and a great way to end a very busy day.

William Remley ’25

Tuesday, April 16

The fourth day of our expedition was jam-packed with events. The group fought off a communal sense of exhaustion from the activities on Monday. Our day began at 7:00 a.m. for breakfast and announcements. We were instructed to be ready in our choir dress which includes a white button down shirt, Lands’ End khaki-khaki-color pants, a black belt, black dress socks, black shoes, a navy blue blazer, and a fitting maroon and gold tie; fortunately, today the choir had no issues with the dress code.

This morning there was no time for dilly-dallying or shilly-shallying, as Bill likes to say. As the clock struck 8:20 we rushed out the door to our bus. We heard from Bill about Stanislas College, a Jesuit, Catholic public school with about 2000 students in grades 6-12. Today we performed a “friendship concert” with the school and took a tour around the campus with our student guides. The school was described by students as big, vibrant, and full of character. As we got settled into Stanislas College, we found our way to the chapel, where we had a brief yet beautiful concert in front of students from the school. As the concert concluded we met up again with our guides and shadowed one of their classes – I had the privilege of learning derivatives in Dutch for my hour. After class we embarked on a tour around the school, seeing different classes, labs, music rooms, and the gymnasium. The school was very interesting to say the least, and the students were certainly amused by our visit. We later gathered back into our groups and had a platter of sandwiches waiting for us in a classroom. As we were finishing up our lunches, we were instructed to put our walking shoes on, as we would be walking back to the luxurious Ibis Styles Hotel.

We returned to the hotel and had about an hour to relax before our journey to The Hague, the “government” capital city of the Netherlands. Everyone lazily made their way to the lobby, as many of us were still experiencing the effects of jet lag and the events from Monday. Our tour guide, Dick Stammes, greeted us in the lobby to share some insightful information about The Hague as an introduction to what we would be doing later. The bus right to The Hague was spent listening to music, napping, and hearing from Bill and Dick about the history of the city. We wasted no time getting off of the bus and walking straight to the statue of Willem of Orange, known to many as the “father of democracy”. As we were leaving the statue, the heavy rain of the Netherlands started to fall. The group swiftly made their way to the Binnenhof of Den Haag, where the prime minister of The Netherlands rides his bike to work every day. Despite the deluge of rain, we learned about the roles of the prime minister and the king of the Netherlands. However, due to that same driving rain, our tour of Den Haag was unfortunately cut short, a true tragedy.

Bill later told us on the bus about our plans for dinner, which would be a pumpkin soup, a buttered fish, and a churro, custard, and cinnamon ice cream dish for dessert. Upon the return to the hotel from The Hague, we got changed into dry clothes and walked to the restaurant. The dinner was delicious and marked the conclusion of a long yet adventurous day.

Note: When we say there are a lot of bikes in the Netherlands, we mean…there are A LOT of bikes in the Netherlands. What you’ll see below is the bike parking lot at Stanislas College.

Reade O’Hara ’25

Monday, April 15

It’s day three, and we all feel the burden of jet lag upon us, but we equally have some ground under our feet after our choir sang in Church. But today was something special. It meant a journey back to Amsterdam for artful education and a little canal action.

We started off a little groggy from a late night. It was 7:30 a.m., and we had overslept a bit. Fortunately, an enjoyable bite downstairs and an hour to spare gave us ample time to prepare our spirits. We ate scrambled eggs, waffles, sausages, and doughy pastries. At 8:50 we finished the meal successfully and were ready to embark on our journey. We brought backpacks, rain jackets, and hoodies, cognizant of the impending weather that lay ahead. Then, after being rounded up by Dr. Rozenberg and taking a head count a few times, we went on the bus to begin the day’s adventure.

On the bus, we all dealt with the exhaustion differently. Some slept, some twiddled their thumbs, while some energetic choir kids provided music at the back of the bus. In fact, the music was a “Careless Whisper” that followed us the whole ride.

After the hour bus ride, we arrived at the Rijksmuseum, a place that, according to Bill (our half American, half British tour guide), housed one million works of art but displayed only 8,000 of them. We took selfies with Rembrandt van Rijn’s famous “Night Watch” painting. The three floors gave us a lot to talk about afterward. So, we met at noon and Bill wanted us to go on an hour-long walk to Anne Frank’s house. There, he gave a short summary on who Anne Frank was, followed by Dr. Rozenberg’s rousing remarks. Then the rain began to pour, supported by strong gusts of wind. Every inch had to be fought for. We were split into groups to get lunch then meet up again for a canal tour. Those three hours of lunch and free time were spent exploring the train station where I bought a nice hat, ate at BrewDog, and took in the sights.

When we met afterward, Bill led us to the Lovers Canal Tour where we learned about how Amsterdam how it was founded in the 13th century and about its architecture. The canal had many twists and turns, leading us around the whole of Amsterdam in a mere hour. Following that, we ate dinner a few blocks away. The meat was savory, and the pudding melted in our mouths. After dinner, God’s hail started to rain down upon us again, but this time a rainbow appeared.

Teo Reyes ’24

Sunday, April 14

Day 2 in the Netherlands! Today, we spent the day exploring the traditional town of Delft, where we are staying for the week. Delft was founded in 1075, which is a lot older than what we have in America. We woke up after a long day on Saturday and had a nice breakfast in our hotel. Once we had all eaten, we took a tour of Delft. We were split up into two groups so we could see things a bit easier. When traveling, one learns a bit of the local language one way or another. Today, our tour guide, Yvette, taught us another word to add to our Dutch vocabulary, fiets (bike) – this is an extremely important word to know! Yvette used this as a way to warn us if any bikes were coming and for us to move out of the way. It is safe to say that that word has become a favorite amongst the students, and even the faculty. During the tour, we saw houses of the rich, some of the oldest churches around, and even the spot where the founder of the Netherlands, William of Orange, was Murdered in 1584. I think it is safe to say that this town has a deep, rich history. Not only did we learn about the murder of William of Orange, but we also learned that he is buried in the new church of Delft, which is where all the royals of the Netherlands have been buried ever since.

After finishing our tour, we ended up in the Market Square in Delft. There was an outdoor market today, so we had an hour and a half to eat, and even do a bit of shopping. There were rows and rows of people selling textiles, pieces of art, and even old maps. We walked through all of these shops to get to the “food court” on the opposite side of the square. We were all split up into groups, so we had a bit of freedom in choosing lunch. I was able to have some nice chicken empanadas and some fries.

After having lunch and doing some shopping at the Market, we started walking towards the Royal Delft Museum. Delft is famous for a type of pottery called “Delft Blue”. When looking at the pieces of artwork, you might mistake them for Chinese porcelain. Well, these pieces were made to mimic the work of Chinese artisans. Back in the days of the Dutch East India Company, a big ship would come into Delft annually (when it was a harbor city) bringing exotic things to the Dutch like coffee, tea, and Porcelain. When a Chinese civil was cut off the supply, local artisans, who were losing the competition to these Chinese artisans, decided to mimic the porcelain to the best of their ability. They were incredibly successful, as we saw in the museum. The museum was filled with everything from vases to plates to porcelain tile paintings. We were also able to see some of the artisans making the pottery, which was very interesting.

After the museum, we walked back to our hotel to prepare for our evening performance. After getting into our formal choir dress, we started heading to the church where we performed. We sang at 6:00 mass at the Maria Van Jesse church here in Delft. The church is quite old, dating back to the late 19th century. It is a beautiful church with a lot of character to it. Being Europe, we saw many ornate side altars and paintings in the church, as well as beautifully set up main altar. We sang well and the congregation seemed to love hearing us. We also had a very special Guest in our midst this evening. Many of you may not know this, but Dr. Rozenberg used to have a choir in Russia before she came to the United States. One of her students from 20+ years ago, Yulia, came to see us sing. Yulia is a very good musician and singer who lives here in the Netherlands. After mass, we sang a few more songs, ending with a Russian favorite of Dr. Rozenberg’s and Yulia’s, “Ya vas loo Biel” or “I loved you once” in English. Yulia was moved to tears and loved to hear us sing.

Following mass, we walked back to our hotel to quickly change for dinner. We ate at a lovely restaurant called “Da Baarbar” here in Delft. We had a burger buffet, which seemed to be a fan favorite among the boys. This was shown when they promptly put their jackets down on the chairs and went straight for the buffet, we were as hungry as ever. Once we all ate some nice burgers and salad, we were served some nice yogurt and berries for dessert. After this lovely meal, we walked back to our hotel. As you may have noticed, we have not once taken the bus anywhere today. We have been walking all around Delft. I think it is safe to say that we all got well over our 10,000 steps for the day.

Note: The picture of the donuts is from Dunkin’ Donuts – this is what Dunks looks like in Delft! Also, the bikes you’ll see below were rescued from the bottom of the canal – over 500 bikes were pulled from the canals in Delft last year…and one piano!

Joachim Arokiaraj ’25

Saturday, April 13

The 2024 BC High Choir Trip to the Netherlands started off with some of us boarding the plane via the stairs after a two hour delay and a malfunctioning gate bridge. After our overnight flight, we arrived in Amsterdam around 11:30 a.m. local time and what felt like 5:30 a.m. to us.

Once we got off the plane, we went through the relatively short customs and baggage claim line and met our tour guide, Bill, for this week-long journey. We then took the bus to Amsterdam and met up with the other part of the group that had to take an earlier flight to Amsterdam via Detroit (due to a deeply unfortunate mishap with the airline). While in the city, we split up into groups to have lunch. My group walked around the Albert Cuyp Market and bought some local chicken on skewers for us to eat. I found the food lovely, but as we were walking around, we were surprised by the sheer number of bikes that we came across along our journey. When crossing the street, we found it much easier to avoid the cars than the bike riders who were reluctant to stop since many of the bikes in the Netherlands do not have handbrakes.

After lunch, we went on a tour of Amsterdam’s inner city. On the tour, we learned about how the city is built on mostly reclaimed land, and we learned the history of Amsterdam’s canals and dikes that demonstrate the city’s connection between architecture and nature and why many of the buildings are leaning since their foundations are wooden tree trunks. I also found it very interesting to explore the boat houses by the canals, to see the Dutch Royal Palace, and to watch Amsterdam’s trams roll on by.

Once the tour was finished, we took the bus to our hotel in the small town of Delft, which is about 45 minutes outside of Amsterdam. We then walked to dinner at a Boterhuis where we enjoyed an exquisite meal that included fresh bread, chicken breasts, well-seasoned fries, chocolate mousse, and even ice cream. Dr. Rozenberg let us break the “NO ICE CREAM” rule, just this once. It was a great way to end an exhausting day. We eagerly headed back to the hotel to rest our weary heads.

Michael Kester ’24