I landed at about 11am and due to delays related to COVID protocols and airport staffing issues, it took 2 hours before my luggage showed up on the conveyor belt. Fortunately, I did not need to go through immigration as I had flown in from Portugal, which is also a Schengen country.*
My dumb ass was so tired that I decided to take an airport taxi however, once I saw that my bill had gone up to €40 and counting, I told him to literally drop me off on the side of the road then I took an Uber for the rest of the way. My Uber driver, like 3 others on this trip, turned out to be Moroccan and we spoke some Darija while reminiscing about Moroccan culture and food.
My Airbnb was in the Oosterparkstraat neighborhood which is walkable and has a lot of attractions. I walked to Sinbad for a Turkish kebab and had a mixed plate with lamb, chicken and fries. It was a delicious, filling start to a long evening.
Afterwards, I got an hour GVB pass for €3.20 (which allowed me unlimited travel by bus, tram and metro) and took a bus to Dam Square, the historic center of Amsterdam. The square has Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam (Royal Palace Amsterdam), the National Monument (put up in memory of victims of World War II), the 15th Century Gothic Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), and somehow, Madame Tussauds Amsterdam Wax Museum.
I then walked up towards Centraal Station as the entire area is quite captivating with people on bicycles passing by on one side, stalls and shops on another and some parts of the canal, boats and beautiful buildings on the other.
I stopped at Stones for a drink then went to Jordaan, a picturesque neighborhood around the canals with cute houses, boutique stores, bars and restaurants on the other.
A local had recommended a bar and restaurant (unfortunately don't remember what it's called) for me to check out and though I wasn't hungry, I went there to satisfy my curiosity - it's always fun to see what locals prefer. I like to try the local beer wherever I travel but I actually hate beer so imagine my excitement when I discovered they have a cider called Bear Cider. I nicknamed it Beer Cider and genuinely enjoyed it. I also got a basket of fries topped with Dutch beef stew that had me literally licking my fingers.
I made a friend at the bar and we walked some more around Jordaan as he told me about the area and offered recommendations on things to do over my next 2 days.
Day 2, 07/12/2023
I went to Oosterpark to enjoy being in nature and people watch then walked about 16 minutes to Bij Paul for breakfast. It is a small, hippie, local restaurant that came heavily recommended by several people. I had scrambled eggs, bacon bread and ginger tea for €15.
I love it when I order herbal tea and get real herbs, I knew my already great morning was setting me up for a wonderful day.
I then walked another 15 minutes towards my meeting point for a canal tour. I had planned on checking out the majestic Rijksmuseum after the tour but I was running early and it turned out to be on the way so I was thrilled to kill 2 birds with one stone.
Rijksmuseum is the national museum of Netherlands and holds over 800 years of Dutch history. The museum and it's grounds are so pretty and I highly recommend a stop, even if you don't go in.
It's a great place for a picnic, reading, walking, talking or just being.
After faffing about for 30 minutes, I walked a short distance to the meeting point of the canal tour. It lasted an hour and half, cost $36 (because of the extras) and was absolutely worth it!
We got free drinks (wine, beer, soda, juices and water) , snacks (cheese, nuts, crackers, meats) that we enjoyed as we learnt about a lot of the houses by the canal, Amsterdam and the Netherlands in general.
I made yet another new friend, Dorothy, on the tour and we went to Back to Black for coffee - I had Chai. We had started talking and were not quite ready to part yet so we went there, talked, laughed and laughed. One of my favorite things about traveling is all the wonderful people I get to meet. Life is hard and the world is unjust but the average person just wants to connect, see and be seen. It feels so good meeting like-minded people on my journeys and supporting local businesses.
Dorothy and I made plans to meet up at the Red Light District later in the evening as we had both yet to go and didn't want to go alone.
After a quick nap at home, I went to Centraal Station because I wanted try Hollandse Nieuwe from a food stand seen yesterday. It is a local snack made of raw, soused herring, served with onions and pickles.
I then walked down to Chinatown and walked around for a long bit, taking in the sights, sounds and smells.
I had lunch at Bird Thais Restaurant and though I accidentally ordered 2 similar meals, they were both delicious. I would like to go back and try other something else though.
From there, I took the tram to Mezrab and watched a play, The Whistler of Dreams, with Juan. I have a huge appreciation for performance arts and the show was really good. Everyone was pretty nice and welcoming, I wish I had more time in Amsterdam to watch more shows. I have linked their website and recommend checking out one of their shows if you make it over there. You can get drinks to have during the plays.
Afterwards, we walked to Shopping Center Brazilie for some snacks and drinks - stuffed mushroom, peppers and ginger ale. We had a great time talking about our lives, politics, food and every topic under the sun. It was such a good time.
From there, he took me on his bicycle to the Red Light District to meet up with Dorothy.
We started off with drinks at Rosalio's Menagerie and I could have sworn we were life long besties with how much we were vibing. The bar is a Speakeasy that also has a storybook menu called Fables and of course, you can tell the bartender about yourself to get a bespoke drink made. The staff were so fun, the place is cute and I would love to go back there. 10/10 recommend!
Juan showed us around and we ended the night with a show at Moulin Rouge. The photo below is the only one I have of Red Light District. I didn't think it would be polite to take more.
Day 3, 07/13/2023
My initial plan on this day had been to go to the Anne Frank House, Van Gogh Museum and Amsterdam Noord but poor planning had left me with a free day so I decided to leave it open and wing it when I got there. Based on recommendations, I decided to hop over to Utrecth for a few hours.
The train there was €17.80 and the station is very confusing to exit but Google maps and strangers helped out.
I spent the morning and some of the afternoon walking through the Square and Old Town, taking photos and talking to strangers.
I had lunch at Graaf Floris, located in the Old Town, and absolutely enjoyed it. I opted to eat outdoors so I could people watch and enjoy the view of their canal as the weather was quite nice.
I got Dutch Beef Stew (prepared with Debbel beer, ginger bread and apple syrup) for €19.70. It was served with fries and a salad. I also got warm appelbol for €4.80 as dessert. I didn't care for the dessert but the stew and fries hit all the right spots.
On the walk back to the station to return to Amsterdam, a guy walking towards me bent down, cut a wild flower (spiked speedwell) , smiled as he gave it to me and walked away without saying a word. It made my heart so happy! A few minutes earlier, I had gotten an upsetting phone call and was having a moment but the kindness and beauty of the exchange really uplifted my spirits.
I met with Juan that evening at Oosterpak and we chatted a bit. The park has trails, ponds, lots of trees, luscious grass for picnics, games and the likes as well as park benches. I then went home for a chill night in because I had an early train to catch to Belgium.
My visit to Amsterdam was short and very pleasing. I had a fantastic time and cannot recommend visiting enough. While I don't regret making it over to Utrecht, the only thing I would do differently is planning better so I could see/do more things in Amsterdam. Depending on how long you're there, I recommend doing a Canal Tour, walking around Dam Square, Jordaan, Red Light District and visiting Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House and Amsterdam Noord. Here are a few more photos.
*Did you that once you're in Europe, you don't need to go through immigration services if you are traveling within Schengen countries? I had no idea! I flew into Amsterdam from Porto, Portugal and was shocked when it seemed like I was about to walk out of the secure area without going through immigration. I asked an Officer to be sure I hadn't taken a wrong turn somewhere in the airport and he verified that only flights into and out of Schengen countries go through immigration... flights within the region are regarded as you would local flights. Wow!