Weekend Wanderings: Amsterdam

I reached a point where I realized for all my lists of places I wanted to go, I hadn't booked anything or traveled in awhile. So I basically said, "here, hold my beer" to life and booked excursions for a month and a half. Tired of waiting around for "the right time" or someone to go with, just went for it. And surprise! Found people to come along for the ride. Because sometimes you just gotta go for it (that's what moving abroad was all about anyways).

I have long wanted to go to Amsterdam but as a top destination, most of my friends had already been so never booked it. Turns out there were still a few people in my boat and away we went! I had always wanted to visit the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh museum came highly recommended so those were the two big ticket items on my list.

Here are some suggestions:

1) Anne Frank House

I don't even know where to start, this is a must-see for so many reasons. So instead, here are some tips and facts. I read the Diary of Anne Frank long ago as a teenager and it inspired me to write more. I think I even addressed my journal as Kitty for awhile. I reread the Diary in anticipation of visiting and since it had been a long time. Evidently there are three versions of the diary: the original Anne wrote, the version she edited to be published and a revised version which had additional pages added that were discovered later. I think the version I read the first time was the edited version but it had been further edited by her father initially for publication out of respect for those who had died. But the version I read this time had passages I didn't recall. All in all, it's amazing how similar and relatable people can be across time and experiences. And now a tip: the museum is currently undergoing renovation so you must book online ahead of time. Tickets are released 2 months ahead and go quickly but if it's sold out, you can also pay slightly more for an introductory educational program which includes entry to the museum. Those are available 2 weeks before and we were able to book it but went to the wrong place so missed the program, which wasn't the end of the world as we were still able to visit the museum and Annex.

2) Van Gogh Museum

I think Van Gogh is best known for Starry Night and cutting off his ear but there is so much more to his life and work! He didn't dedicate himself to art until later in life and largely gained fame after his death (like most artists, it seems). But it was due to the efforts of his sister in-law that his work was recognized posthumously. She was married to Vincent's brother who also died around the same time as Vincent so she was left with hundreds of paintings which she exhibited herself. It was her son who founded the permanent museum in Amsterdam to house the works. Van Gogh was also very interested in Japanese art and styled some of his works on famous Japanese art. Who knew?? Apparently a lot of people.

3) Blushing

Just across the street from the Van Gogh museum was this great brunch place, very hipster, complete with smoothie bowls. But conveniently located with wonderful outdoor seating.


4) G's Brunch

This was a fantastic find, they also have a brunch cruise which sounds amazing! They have the standard brunch offerings as well as some great cocktails. Off the beaten path, it was easy to walk in and get seating but was busy without feeling like you had to rush like with a lot of brunch hotspots.

5) The Butcher 

Okay, I know, you should eat local foods but these burgers--divine.

6) Cheese Museum

Pretty small but loads of cheese samples and there's a photo booth downstairs where you can dress up in some great styles and email yourself the photo. Then share with the world for fun:

 

7) Vondelpark 

Don't cycle in Amsterdam. Just don't do it. We saw so many crashes and arguments break out over the rules of cycling and even as a pedestrian, it was terrifying. Locals vs. locals, tourists vs. locals. Just no. But the park was beautiful and massive! There's a restaurant there, apparently called Vondelpark3, that looks like something out of Tower of Terror (in a good way!) and has a huge outdoor seating area. They offer a platter of Amsterdam cheese and meat which I naturally went for.

8) Keukenhof

I regret we were unable to go to this but it's still going on! So if you're going to Amsterdam in April-May at any point, there's a giant tulip festival where there appear to be acres of flowers. We were only there for a weekend so unfortunately didn't make it out there but there are buses that leave from the central terminal and airport that will allow you a few hours among the flowers before returning you to the city.

We did some of the regular tourist things like a canal tour but skipped the Rijksmuseum as the weather was amazing and we just wanted to be outside as much as possible. ALSO--there's a Dunkin' Donuts so you know that happened!

Ps: A "coffee shop" is not a coffee shop....