So you know how in my last post I said something about being really, really, really, really, really excited for my next trip? Well, that's because it was to Amsterdam, and I love Amsterdam. Or at least I do now. On top of that I got to enjoy it with some great new friends, so what more could I really ask for?
To start out the trip we were actually in a bit of a predicament; our flight left Tuesday morning around 6 AM, meaning we needed to get to the airport at 5 AM at the latest. Turns out public transport doesn't run that early, and since no one wanted to split a 90 euro cab to get there, we opted to take the last tram out on Monday night, landing us at the airport at midnight. While this definitely was not ideal, we managed to find a hotel nearby that allowed us to chill in the lobby and eat their food all night, which beat sitting in the dirty airport. I even managed to get some studying done, in between the drinking games that we used in an attempt to pass the time. (One of the games was called "If you know what I mean", which basically consisted of adding this phrase to the end of our sentences to make inappropriate innuendos, which I also intend to do in this blog post, just FYI.)
A few hours later we made it to the Amsterdam airport, where we discovered that there was a Starbucks, which was even more exciting than the one in Zurich because, for one, we were running on zero hours of sleep, and two, it didn't cost an arm and a leg. After recharging on coffee we immediately set out for our house so that we could drop off our bags, and since we couldn't technically check in for a few more hours, we got breakfast nearby.
At this point I'm pretty sure we were running on pure adrenaline and not actual energy, but regardless we set out to explore the city. Needless to say, I fell in love. There is something about quaint European town homes situated on canals that makes me never want to leave here. On top of that, the people were so freakin' nice, which was a nice refresher from dealing with the Milanese (they're assholes, sorry not sorry). Anyway, we walked for a while until we found one of the more touristy plazas, where we took some pictures before heading to a nearby coffee shop. We were told that the coffee was really strong so we decided to split one, if you know what I mean. (I really hope you know what I mean or this isn't going to be nearly as funny as it is in my head).
After our quick stop it was finally time to check into our house, and when we got back we napped for a few hours before heading back out for a night on the town. We got dinner at a restaurant called Cau, and it was amazing. I highly recommend it if you are ever in Amsterdam. The menu mostly consisted of beef dishes (hence the name of the restaurant; Cau = Cow) so I took it as an opportunity to order a burger. We also got fries, grilled corn on the cob, and macaroni and cheese, and it was all devastatingly good. It was one of those meals where the food was so amazing, we didn't want it to end, but since it had to, we followed up with some dessert. I opted for a waffle dipped in chocolate with strawberries on top, which was one of the best desserts I've had to date.
At this point we were pretty full, so we walked off our calories by heading to the Red Light District. This was definitely an interesting experience, to say the least; I didn't really know what to expect, as my only experience with prostitution is what I've seen on SVU (obviously). The area was definitely extremely sex-oriented. As if the prostitutes standing practically naked in the windows weren't enough, they also offered a wide arrange of sex shops, museums, and, uh, live theater. While I personally wasn't about to partake in any of these activities, I'm glad that I can say I've been there. It's something to experience at least once in your life.
To end the night we decided to head to another coffee shop where we split a coffee cake, if you know what I mean. Although the environment was great, we were all dead tired and opted to end the night early (by early I mean 1 AM), but only after grabbing some street food to snack on.
On Wednesday we intended to wake up early to get a start on the day, but ended up sleeping through all of our alarms and didn't actually get going until around 10. For breakfast we took advantage of the Starbucks presence in the Netherlands and picked up some coffee (not if you know what I mean) on our way to do some touristy things in the city, which I documented well with pictures. We then set out for a nearby restaurant, Omelegg, which was highly rated for its eggs. Once again, the food was amazing, and I recommend eating there if you ever find yourself in Amsterdam.
After eating we decided to check out another coffee shop, where we shared two more coffee cakes, if you know what I mean. We then moved on to get some cappuccinos to perk ourselves up before heading to the Anne Frank House. We were advised to go at dinner time to avoid long lines, which can easily take hours to get through. It turns out that we were informed right, as we only had to wait in line for about half an hour. Unfortunately pictures weren't allowed, but I can tell you that it was a really sobering experience, pun not intended. The house was left completely unfurnished, which really forced you to look at the conditions that the Franks lived in, and it was just unreal to stand in the same places that they did. Again, if you are ever in Amsterdam, do not miss this. The idea of standing in line can be deterring, but in my opinion it is worth waiting hours for.
By the time we finished touring the house we were starving, so we went to dinner at a nearby restaurant that served typical Dutch food. I ordered chicken schnitzel with farmer fries and a salad, and it was delicious, just like everything else. The restaurant also offered mulled wine, which is one of my favorite drinks back home, and we each got a glass. The weather was cold and rainy, so it definitely hit the spot. Afterward we decided to hit up one last coffee shop, where we split yet another coffee, if you know what I mean. After shutting the shop down (literally, they kicked us out) we splurged on a taxi back to the house where we slept for all of three hours before having to wake up to catch our flight home, but not before grabbing Starbucks one last time. I guess you could say that we ended our trip just as tired as we started it, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.
And that is all for now. As of right now I don't have any big plans this weekend, so hopefully this blog was entertaining enough to cover two weeks. Once again, I hope you enjoyed!
Hayli
To start out the trip we were actually in a bit of a predicament; our flight left Tuesday morning around 6 AM, meaning we needed to get to the airport at 5 AM at the latest. Turns out public transport doesn't run that early, and since no one wanted to split a 90 euro cab to get there, we opted to take the last tram out on Monday night, landing us at the airport at midnight. While this definitely was not ideal, we managed to find a hotel nearby that allowed us to chill in the lobby and eat their food all night, which beat sitting in the dirty airport. I even managed to get some studying done, in between the drinking games that we used in an attempt to pass the time. (One of the games was called "If you know what I mean", which basically consisted of adding this phrase to the end of our sentences to make inappropriate innuendos, which I also intend to do in this blog post, just FYI.)
A few hours later we made it to the Amsterdam airport, where we discovered that there was a Starbucks, which was even more exciting than the one in Zurich because, for one, we were running on zero hours of sleep, and two, it didn't cost an arm and a leg. After recharging on coffee we immediately set out for our house so that we could drop off our bags, and since we couldn't technically check in for a few more hours, we got breakfast nearby.
At this point I'm pretty sure we were running on pure adrenaline and not actual energy, but regardless we set out to explore the city. Needless to say, I fell in love. There is something about quaint European town homes situated on canals that makes me never want to leave here. On top of that, the people were so freakin' nice, which was a nice refresher from dealing with the Milanese (they're assholes, sorry not sorry). Anyway, we walked for a while until we found one of the more touristy plazas, where we took some pictures before heading to a nearby coffee shop. We were told that the coffee was really strong so we decided to split one, if you know what I mean. (I really hope you know what I mean or this isn't going to be nearly as funny as it is in my head).
After our quick stop it was finally time to check into our house, and when we got back we napped for a few hours before heading back out for a night on the town. We got dinner at a restaurant called Cau, and it was amazing. I highly recommend it if you are ever in Amsterdam. The menu mostly consisted of beef dishes (hence the name of the restaurant; Cau = Cow) so I took it as an opportunity to order a burger. We also got fries, grilled corn on the cob, and macaroni and cheese, and it was all devastatingly good. It was one of those meals where the food was so amazing, we didn't want it to end, but since it had to, we followed up with some dessert. I opted for a waffle dipped in chocolate with strawberries on top, which was one of the best desserts I've had to date.
At this point we were pretty full, so we walked off our calories by heading to the Red Light District. This was definitely an interesting experience, to say the least; I didn't really know what to expect, as my only experience with prostitution is what I've seen on SVU (obviously). The area was definitely extremely sex-oriented. As if the prostitutes standing practically naked in the windows weren't enough, they also offered a wide arrange of sex shops, museums, and, uh, live theater. While I personally wasn't about to partake in any of these activities, I'm glad that I can say I've been there. It's something to experience at least once in your life.
To end the night we decided to head to another coffee shop where we split a coffee cake, if you know what I mean. Although the environment was great, we were all dead tired and opted to end the night early (by early I mean 1 AM), but only after grabbing some street food to snack on.
On Wednesday we intended to wake up early to get a start on the day, but ended up sleeping through all of our alarms and didn't actually get going until around 10. For breakfast we took advantage of the Starbucks presence in the Netherlands and picked up some coffee (not if you know what I mean) on our way to do some touristy things in the city, which I documented well with pictures. We then set out for a nearby restaurant, Omelegg, which was highly rated for its eggs. Once again, the food was amazing, and I recommend eating there if you ever find yourself in Amsterdam.
After eating we decided to check out another coffee shop, where we shared two more coffee cakes, if you know what I mean. We then moved on to get some cappuccinos to perk ourselves up before heading to the Anne Frank House. We were advised to go at dinner time to avoid long lines, which can easily take hours to get through. It turns out that we were informed right, as we only had to wait in line for about half an hour. Unfortunately pictures weren't allowed, but I can tell you that it was a really sobering experience, pun not intended. The house was left completely unfurnished, which really forced you to look at the conditions that the Franks lived in, and it was just unreal to stand in the same places that they did. Again, if you are ever in Amsterdam, do not miss this. The idea of standing in line can be deterring, but in my opinion it is worth waiting hours for.
By the time we finished touring the house we were starving, so we went to dinner at a nearby restaurant that served typical Dutch food. I ordered chicken schnitzel with farmer fries and a salad, and it was delicious, just like everything else. The restaurant also offered mulled wine, which is one of my favorite drinks back home, and we each got a glass. The weather was cold and rainy, so it definitely hit the spot. Afterward we decided to hit up one last coffee shop, where we split yet another coffee, if you know what I mean. After shutting the shop down (literally, they kicked us out) we splurged on a taxi back to the house where we slept for all of three hours before having to wake up to catch our flight home, but not before grabbing Starbucks one last time. I guess you could say that we ended our trip just as tired as we started it, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.
And that is all for now. As of right now I don't have any big plans this weekend, so hopefully this blog was entertaining enough to cover two weeks. Once again, I hope you enjoyed!
Hayli