Stephen's First Free Weekend: Amsterdam, Netherlands
On one of several free weekends, I would highly recommend visiting Amsterdam. It is less than 2 hours from Antwerp by either bus or train, making it a cheap and convenient city to see. Despite its “sinful” reputation, Amsterdam is a beautiful city for many reasons, none of which are illegal in the United States. It is home to many famous museums including Van Gogh and the Anne Frank House, but if you want to see as much as humanly possible (and avoid some of the lines), the boat tours along the many canals give you a great feel for the city’s layout and left me smitten with the local culture. 

If you’re prone to motion sickness or boats aren’t your thing, a better alternative would be the guided bike tours which take you to some inland monuments including the famous Rembrandt House. After seeing some of the sites, if you want to grab a beer and go souvenir shopping, Leidseplein is the place, located at the heart of Amsterdam, with innumerable bars and shops along the streets. There we watched the Champions League soccer final in a standing-room-only Heineken bar, surrounded by enthusiastic locals cheering for their teams. The next day we went back, heard some live music outside in the square bought some inexpensive trinkets so I can always remember my weekend in Amsterdam. 

Stephen at the statue in the Rembrandtplein