AMSTERDAM | Euro Trip Part 5
Stop 5: Amsterdam
16th August 2018
After the flower carpet in Brussels we quickly got back to the central station to get on our train to Amsterdam. This was the only train journey we had pre-booked. The other train journey from Brussels to Bruges and back was initially planned as a road trip, but we decided to enjoy the view of those landscapes sans google maps and ended up buying train ticket at Brussels station instead.
Our hotel in Amsterdam: Holiday Inn Express Arena Towers http://www.booking.com/Share-RjKFj4
A few hours in, we finally got to the city which we planned the whole trip around – Amsterdam (our Schengen visa was from Netherlands). We got out of the main station and made our way towards the metro where we bought our 4 day unlimited travel pass and head over toward the South of Amsterdam to our lovely and pleasantly welcoming Holiday Inn Express. There are a bunch of HIE hotels around A’dam, and the one we chose was around 20 minutes from the center at Arena Towers. The hotel and the room was so much better than the Ibis Budgets we encountered before. It almost felt like an oasis in a desert of budget hotels. And most importantly, the bathroom was simply wow!
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Like usual, we don’t want to waste time chilling at the hotel when the entire city was waiting for us. So we quickly changed and took a metro back to the central part of A’dam. A good thing to point out here is that the metro and trains are quite easy to figure out in most of the European cities. Once you get the hang of it, it really becomes a cakewalk.
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Super lively, super happening and super chilled, this is probably the only city where shops are open until late in the evening, at least on the famous Damrak street. Our first day was mainly about walking around, exploring the central town and getting our tours for the next couple of days booked. We walked by the river, by the shops and restaurants, through the tiny streets and caught a glimpse of all those gorgeous buildings we had only seen in movies until then. We were sure we had a lot of exciting things coming up over the next three days. After all, I was not just another tourist on the streets of Amsterdam. I was there to add pages of memories to the book of my life.
Amsterdam is a city for cycling lovers. Almost everybody in the city owns a cycle and rides it everywhere around town. We came across a lot of riders on the way, and one thing I really liked was how there were exclusive lanes dedicated for these people who chose to keep the city pollution free.
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Tired from all that running around all day, plus a lot of walking on Damrak street, we decided to treat ourselves to an indulgent steak and pasta dinner with hops at All Star Steakhouse. Located on Damrak street, this little restaurant offers a good mix of steaks, pasta, burgers, salads and grills, and the drinks of course. Honestly I was really craving for pizza that night, but I figured that would have to wait for another day.
17th August 2018
Hotel breakfasts, oh how I love them, and how much I missed them all those days in the budget hotels. Thankfully, our Amsterdam hotel was inclusive of breakfast, so at least my main meal of the day was sorted. The breakfast buffet wasn’t what I was used to from back home, but well it was good enough to keep me satiated for a long touristy day.
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One thing you will almost instantly notice about A’dam is how this city is filled with so much life, it’s hard to not feel the energy you get by just being in the centre of it all. This one was quite a touristy day for us. We started off with the Heineken Experience learning all about the history of the brewery and tasting a lot of it, of course in ‘The Best ‘Dam Bar’!
Then we stopped by for a quick slice of pizza for lunch and continued to the river for a 100 highlights canal cruise across the slim waterways of the city. We got such beautiful views of the city and its buildings from there (and pictures), so make sure you add this to your list, since this cruise is a must in Amsterdam. Finally we walked to the Madame Tussauds museum at Dam Square and got our moment in the spotlight with some stars and well known personalities. On the way back we stopped by to watch a street performer and then stood in a long never ending queue to get a cone of Vlaamse Friet – Holland’s number 1 fries.
While the Heineken experience and canal cruise was among the tours we booked the previous evening, we bought tickets to few of the other attractions – like Madame Tussauds and This is Holland – using the heavy discounts we got for city attractions from www.booking.com since we booked our hotels on the website. We used it quite extensively in Paris as well, but I’ll talk about that in the next post.
Here’s a view of Amsterdam’s Damrak street from Madame Tussauds.
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We still had a week to go, but my legs were already giving way. But we decided it was best to take one day at a time!
The best kind of holidays require the most comfortable clothing. Don’t you agree? For this holiday, I made sure to pack a little bit of everything that would not only make me look fab, but also feel comfortable and easy to move. From shorts and jeans to dresses and skirts, I mixed them all. Even my footwear had both sandals and sneakers! But one thing I didn’t get enough of was jackets. Well, I did check the temperatures before flying and there was supposedly a heat wave going on in Amsterdam, but after getting to the place we realized the temperatures can go as low as 18° during the day. And for a desert kid, that is jacket season. I had one sweater like thing which I wore during my inter-country travels and I also managed to buy a couple of stoles from Belgium just as a last minute respite, but here’s a tip: always carry a coat.
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18th August 2018
This one was by far the most exciting day of all for me. On the evening we booked our tours, we also booked a half day trip to one of Amsterdam’s beautiful windmill villages – Zaanse Schans. Taking a ferry from the rear side of Amsterdam Central station we arrived at Adam Lookout. Since it was a tour, we had to get on a bus with a tour guide and all. And even though I prefer private tours instead of groups, this was not too bad.
Look at this, this is not a painting. Located about 20 minutes from Amsterdam central, this very touristy windmill village is a highly recommended visit, mainly for its picturesque views and traditional houses. Thick scent of rich cocoa and honey syrup filled the air as soon as we stepped in and lingered around as we walked throughout the village. In the 3 hours we spent there in that windy and chilly weather, we saw how the locals make wooden shoes that are commonly known as clogs, we learnt about the different elements of cheese farming, tasted and shopped for some cheese and took some landscape worthy pictures of the windmills against the beautiful dark clouds as the backdrop. Wouldn’t you want to just live here forever?!
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I dressed up in this denim number for that countryside look. The idea iwas to replicate one of the looks from Simran in DDLJ, but that movie is decades old now and no one makes those outfits anymore. Plus I really didn’t have the time before travelling to scout for the perfect dress, so I just kept it original. Although to be honest, I did hope I find my Raj who likes me the way I am 😉
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And of course, we couldn’t really step out of the Zaanse Schans village without trying something from their street market, could we? These Dutch waffles are 💯 legit! Covered in powdered sugar, topped with fresh raspberries and nutella, and served with a side of whipped cream, there was nothing to not love about these traditional waffles. Tip: get one for each person in your party. You’ll not want to share them
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Our tour to the village included a visit to the top floor of Adam Lookout. This is the point from where you can see almost all of Central Amsterdam, plus they have an exciting swing ride at the top that gives you the feeling of falling off the edge of the tower. We definitely went all the way up but as much as I would’ve liked it, I didn’t get on the swing because it was way too windy and I was wearing a dress.
That evening we decided to go back to the hotel for a quick break and head back to the city after sunset. The dim lit walkways by the river, streets bustling with locals and tourists, and the chilled out vibes made this city just as beautiful in the night. We walked and walked through each and every lane before we finally decided to call it a night with some comforting Chinese food and a late night metro ride back to the hotel.
19th August 2018
This city and its canals don’t cease to impress. This one was a rather relaxed day and we spent it doing things we wanted to at leisure. The morning kicked off with a tram ride to spend some time playing with cats at the Kopjes cat cafe, after which we stopped by at the Hard Rock Cafe to buy some tees and souvenirs, followed by a 5D flight experience of Netherlands at This is Holland. The ride is a great one for both adults and kids, and I highly recommend trying that.
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Later in the evening we walked to the I AMSTERDAM sign and enjoyed a Sunday market just as it was wrapping up, barely managing to get hold of the last batch of Poffertjes! These tiny Dutch pancakes are such a delight, a small portion can never be enough. Made with pancake batter, these fluffy poffertjes were covered in powdered sugar, topped with a slab of butter and served as is or with a choice of sauces. I am just glad we got to the stall in time before they were all sold out!
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Finally we headed back to the central area and took in some wonderful after sunset views of this gorgeous city before saying goodbye. Is it even possible to get bored of this view? It was our last day in Amsterdam, the city we had been waiting to visit since so many months, and I knew I was going to miss this place like crazy.
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While that was all for A’dam, we still had 4 days in one last city left for our trip.
Next morning we were all set to take the longest bus ride (7 hours) on a Flixbus. Click here to read about City 6 PARIS
