After just four days in Amsterdam I am starting to question just where Vegas gets off calling itself sin city. I've been to Vegas a few times and I don't recall seeing strippers and hookers inside the snow globes in souvenir shops, or hash cookies in the corner store. I also don't recall their being marijuana plant seedlings at the flower market or acceptable use of drugs policies posted at McDonalds! Move aside Las Vegas (it is ok, I still love you).
I quickly worked out the difference between a coffee shop and a cafe (the former usually is pumping out the Doors or Hendrix and you usually feel like you might fall in the canal if you inhale as you walk past, the latter will serve you a cappuccino). Others are a little harder to confuse.
I decided to heed the warnings and hit the Anne Frank museum first thing in the morning to avoid the crowds (inside is tiny and they limit numbers at any one time). Despite the cold and the rain every other tourist in Amsterdam had the same idea.
Next up was the flower market. Confusingly there wasn't a lot of actual flowers at the flower market, it was more bulbs and seeds. Tulips and marijuana plants seemed to be the biggest sellers.
I went to a cheese shop. Or two. Okay it was more like 5, but I wanted to try the samples, so I had to go on a cheese shop crawl so I didn't look like I had been inhaling the plants at the flower market and have everyone think I had the munchies (when in fact I just love cheese).
I went for a wonder around the canals, which are oh so pretty, and oh so disorientating. Have never gotten so lost, so often. Thank god for Google maps "find me" function.
I did a few other museums as well. I hit the Rijksmuseum and saw a few Rembrandt's. I visited the Van Gough museum and saw both "sunflowers" and "irises". I made it to the Amsterdam Hermitage (which was cool as they had a Peter the Great exhibit and I could see all the pieces that were missing in St Petersburg) and the Museum of Handbags and Purses. Sadly, I sent the longest amount of time at the latter.
A lot of the buildings I saw were on a lean. I was assured it wasn't the weird smelling coffee shops making the buildings lean. Some, those that lean forward, are on purpose. They were done that way so that in the 1600's goods could be pulled up to the attic without hitting the first few floors of the building. Those that lean to the side however are losing their foundations to the marshy like land below.
One of the highlights however was a walking tour of Dutch food. First up, there was French fries. With satay sauce!
Next up, there was Dutch pancakes!
We had fresh mint tea along with them.
Then there was herring (I am developing a hatred of herring this trip...).
To get rid of the taste of the herring we went to an old bar that makes their own alcohol. I had chocolate peppermint schnapps.
We also did a little tour of a supermarket. Two things I learned. 1) urban Dutch are lazy in the kitchen, and 2) they love potatoes. This was just a portion of the pre peeled and cut potatoes you could get in the fruit and veg section.
They like weird milk. Like cherry milk.
They eat ham, made from horse!!!!
And you can have your chocolate bar in a liquid form.
To top off all the food. I went to the Magnum store. Here, you design your own ice cream. You start with a vanilla magnum. You pick the chocolate it gets dipped in (milk, dark or white) and three toppings. Never let me design one. I picked rose petals, sea salt and caramel toffees. It was bad. Really bad. I managed only half of it before it ended up in the nearest rubbish bin.
Tomorrow, I am off to Mother England for a few days :) bring on a West End bender!
I quickly worked out the difference between a coffee shop and a cafe (the former usually is pumping out the Doors or Hendrix and you usually feel like you might fall in the canal if you inhale as you walk past, the latter will serve you a cappuccino). Others are a little harder to confuse.
I decided to heed the warnings and hit the Anne Frank museum first thing in the morning to avoid the crowds (inside is tiny and they limit numbers at any one time). Despite the cold and the rain every other tourist in Amsterdam had the same idea.
Next up was the flower market. Confusingly there wasn't a lot of actual flowers at the flower market, it was more bulbs and seeds. Tulips and marijuana plants seemed to be the biggest sellers.
I went to a cheese shop. Or two. Okay it was more like 5, but I wanted to try the samples, so I had to go on a cheese shop crawl so I didn't look like I had been inhaling the plants at the flower market and have everyone think I had the munchies (when in fact I just love cheese).
I went for a wonder around the canals, which are oh so pretty, and oh so disorientating. Have never gotten so lost, so often. Thank god for Google maps "find me" function.
I did a few other museums as well. I hit the Rijksmuseum and saw a few Rembrandt's. I visited the Van Gough museum and saw both "sunflowers" and "irises". I made it to the Amsterdam Hermitage (which was cool as they had a Peter the Great exhibit and I could see all the pieces that were missing in St Petersburg) and the Museum of Handbags and Purses. Sadly, I sent the longest amount of time at the latter.
A lot of the buildings I saw were on a lean. I was assured it wasn't the weird smelling coffee shops making the buildings lean. Some, those that lean forward, are on purpose. They were done that way so that in the 1600's goods could be pulled up to the attic without hitting the first few floors of the building. Those that lean to the side however are losing their foundations to the marshy like land below.
One of the highlights however was a walking tour of Dutch food. First up, there was French fries. With satay sauce!
Next up, there was Dutch pancakes!
We had fresh mint tea along with them.
Then there was herring (I am developing a hatred of herring this trip...).
To get rid of the taste of the herring we went to an old bar that makes their own alcohol. I had chocolate peppermint schnapps.
We also did a little tour of a supermarket. Two things I learned. 1) urban Dutch are lazy in the kitchen, and 2) they love potatoes. This was just a portion of the pre peeled and cut potatoes you could get in the fruit and veg section.
They like weird milk. Like cherry milk.
They eat ham, made from horse!!!!
And you can have your chocolate bar in a liquid form.
To top off all the food. I went to the Magnum store. Here, you design your own ice cream. You start with a vanilla magnum. You pick the chocolate it gets dipped in (milk, dark or white) and three toppings. Never let me design one. I picked rose petals, sea salt and caramel toffees. It was bad. Really bad. I managed only half of it before it ended up in the nearest rubbish bin.
Tomorrow, I am off to Mother England for a few days :) bring on a West End bender!
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