Amsterdam was a whirlwind of a trip. I had been wanting to go there for SO LONG and as my study abroad was nearing an end, Sheamanti and I bit the bullet and just went. We took the bus from Paris on a Friday morning (yes, it's a 7 hr bus drive - it wasn't that bad actually, and for 25 euros you really can't beat it) and got there around 2PM. We took the tram into the city and I was immediately drawn into its' charm. Since Sheamanti and I have mastered the art of booze-trotting around Europe, it was only right for us to start the night at the Heineken Experience.
It was really interesting to see how the beers' logo had changed so much over the years and this was the most interactive brewery that we went to - lots of games and photo ops - if that's your thing! (P.S. if you do go here buy tickets somewhere else to save you a few euros! We bought ours through our hostel but there are tons of offices that sell tickets to things at a discount near the Leidseplein area where the tram runs.)
After Heineken we wandered over to the Van Gogh Museum and learned about his life and saw many of his famous works. I enjoyed this museum because it focuses on one artist and gives you the full story of his life and death. I'm not an art expert so this really helped me put together the time line of things that happened during his life.
The next day we started out at the Albert Cuyp Market. This is a MUST on my list!!!! You must go to visit the stroopwaffle guy, grab a smoothie and stop at some of the shops in the area. This was one of my favorite things that we did. I love going to fresh markets in different places. I feel like it gives you a feel for the city and the people that live there, and it usually gives you the chance to try some fresh, local fare. Here's the photo barf...
As we were walking through we saw this guy cranking out these little pancake looking things. We were standing there and this woman was like - they are like pancakes you should try them. Don't have to tell us twice! I have no idea how to pronounce that word but Poffertjes is what they are called. They're made in a pan that has little wells in it and he flips them over then puts a big pat of butter on a plate and sprinkles them with powdered sugar. Heaven.
But the icing on the cake was this giant stroopwaffle...
Supposedly, this is the guy who uses the old family stroopwafel recipe. They are to DIE FOR. He was incredibly nice and gave us tips on how to heat them up. Go visit him if you are ever there! Seriously. I ate that giant one while I was there and brought back 3 packs to Paris (and only 2 made it home with great restraint). Even my picky roommate loved them ;)
Amsterdam totally beats Paris in cutesy shops (that aren't incredibly expensive!!). Don't get me wrong, I love Paris but everything is kind of the same. Amsterdam was very refreshing with the streets upon streets of cute boutiques. It's also where I discovered & Other Stories, which has some great pieces!
The rest of the day was spent wandering around the canals and the different districts.
The Jordaan district was one of the areas that we didn't really have time to explore but I would love to back and see more of that area.
That night we had tickets to go to the Anne Frank House. It was really incredible to see how the Franks' hid for so long above that business! This was something I had wanted to see for a very long time and I'm glad I did. My tip: get tickets online! The line is a joke when you go there but you can reserve a time online and skip the line.
The next morning we sadly hopped on a train back to Paris. To be honest, I had reservations about going to Amsterdam. There are a lot of things you hear about the Red Light district and the fact that marijuana is legal but I truly feel you can visit the city and not have anything to do with those things if you choose not to. I felt safe the entire time I was there and the locals are very friendly. I can't wait to go back!
Some things that I didn't get to do that are on my list for next time:
Take a canal cruise - everyone I talked to recommended this, I just didn't have enough time
Eat at Pancakes! - I really wanted to try this and we tried to go the morning before we left but, again, not enough time.
Thanks for reading!
