Recently my cohort and I took off for a 3 week (minus a day) trip to Europe. We landed in Amsterdam early afternoon and actually had a bit of pep to go explore a wee bit. We checked into the Notting Hill Hotel before heading out to explore a bit. Highly recommend this as a place to stay in Amsterdam. There are 71 rooms, a bar and a restaurant, and if so inclined a meeting room and an exercise area. It is a couple of minutes walk to the Albert Cuyp Market, only 10-15 minutes easy walk along the canal to the museums, and although we never made it a mere 5 minutes to the Utrechtsestraat that is a restaurant and shopping mecca. Too tired to walk? The tram stops right in front of the building and it will take you to Dam Square and the Central Station that is your gateway to everything.
Cute walls in the reception area. Cute kid checking us in too, with the most gorgeous full head of ginger hair. Made me want to give him a "grandma hug". Anyway the whole back wall was created with suitcase fronts. It took a minute to see what you were looking at. Someone had a good idea! As you can see the street was quiet (the Dutch National Gold Reserve or some such was right across the street), the nightlife action was a five minute walk away.
Next to the hotel was the Singelgracht Canal with full time residents living in houseboats (as they were on most or all the other canals).
With a little bit of energy left after the long trans-Atlantic flight we headed to the Albert Cuyp Market, a couple of blocks away. Open air vendors with merchandise for everyone whether you wanted clothes, cosmetics, cheap souvenirs or jewelry. The tantalizing food stalls sold everything from produce to good Gouda to smoked eel or anything else your tummy was hungry for. We even went into an antique store, and after careful deliberation Pat decided she couldn't get the gigantic octopus in her suitcase to bring home so we left it. All five of our senses were assaulted as we walked through only a small portion of the market. The flight caught up with us (who can sleep on a plane when the pilot could need you at any minute?) so we started back to the hotel. We passed a small hole in the wall place with table and chairs set up out on a patio. Spotting a menu we stopped to see what they had to offer and a man sitting on a bench got real animated and urged us to go in "ahh you need to go in and see what the have, at least for a drink, go in go in..." So we went in to have a drink. So glad we did, the place was filled with local regulars that knew the waitresses and each other, were coming home from work and stopping for a quick pick me up before heading home to kids and housework and the real world. Think we were the only two tourists in there despite being so close to the market.
Local craft beer for me and a glass of French wine for Pat...we loved the wine glasses. When we planned this trip we hit Pinterest and Google like fiends. One thing we decided was we would eat anything put in front of us (except peas) and would go out of our way to eat local foods when possible. One of the items mentioned in all our research was to eat Bitterballen in Amsterdam. Bitterballen was on the menu so Bitterballen we ordered....and loved it!
Very similar to a hushpuppy in looks and texture until you bite into the creamy middle. Then it is a whole new ball game. There are plenty of recipes on the net if you want to try. Once my life gets a bit back in focus I'm going to give it a whirl. Serve with a small bowl of mustard, just plain ole mustard, to dip them in and you will like it, said Mikey. Since we liked it so much we asked the young waitress what the filling was...it was sort of non-descript. She was young with a good English vocabulary but you could see her translating as she went not only from Dutch to English but coming up with the correct culinary terms. Finally she had it figured out "it is mashed pig and mashed cow". From those recipes on the net, I think she meant it was ground pork and beef...LOL. Best mashed pig I have ever had! So good in fact, we chose a couple more items from the menu and made that supper. Chicken yakitori and a beautiful creamy Camembert with fig bread and dates.
After a good nights sleep we headed off for the Keukenhof tour (those beautiful flowers are in their own post). A short tram ride got us to the Central Station and a quick walk past St. Nicholas Church got us to the tour meeting place.
The train station was designed by Pierre Cuypers, who also designed the Riks Museum. The station was officially opened in 1889. According to Wikipedia (who is my good friend along with Google) "Cuypers' station reflects the romantic nationalistic mood in the late nineteenth-century Netherlands, with its many decorative elements glorifying the nation's economic and colonial power at the time".
St. Nicolas Basilica was built in the cruciform style between 1884 and 1887. It is the only basilica in Amsterdam. The interior is a showcase of works from famous Flemish painters and scultors as well as the life work of Jan Dunselman famous for his Stations of the Cross. We didn't have time to go in on this trip, but the next trip we will be sure to visit.
Talk about sophisticated world travelers...that would be Pat and I. Every trip we make, whether driving, flying or hitchhiking (down Jim, just kidding) we start the trip with a stop at McDonalds for a sausage biscuit. The first day of our European Vacation was no different. While she got the tickets I ducked into McDonalds and got breakfast. Two sausage biscuits and two cups of coffee....we were ready to take on the world. They are cheap, good, and quick...what more could you ask for?
(see the post before this one for the Keukenhof tour)
Back from being dazzled by such beauty we walked across the canal and joined a canal cruise. Nice scenery and a lovely tour except the recorded tour guide was off a bit so we were either past the place she was talking about or still a bit away from it. While we were waiting to board, we were entertained by this little gal having some fast food. She got it cleaned and swam away, but while she was digging in she was getting after it!
We did see more houseboats that fascinate me with their ways to get around living on the water.
St. Nicolas Basilica was built in the cruciform style between 1884 and 1887. It is the only basilica in Amsterdam. The interior is a showcase of works from famous Flemish painters and scultors as well as the life work of Jan Dunselman famous for his Stations of the Cross. We didn't have time to go in on this trip, but the next trip we will be sure to visit.
Talk about sophisticated world travelers...that would be Pat and I. Every trip we make, whether driving, flying or hitchhiking (down Jim, just kidding) we start the trip with a stop at McDonalds for a sausage biscuit. The first day of our European Vacation was no different. While she got the tickets I ducked into McDonalds and got breakfast. Two sausage biscuits and two cups of coffee....we were ready to take on the world. They are cheap, good, and quick...what more could you ask for?
(see the post before this one for the Keukenhof tour)
Back from being dazzled by such beauty we walked across the canal and joined a canal cruise. Nice scenery and a lovely tour except the recorded tour guide was off a bit so we were either past the place she was talking about or still a bit away from it. While we were waiting to board, we were entertained by this little gal having some fast food. She got it cleaned and swam away, but while she was digging in she was getting after it!
We did see more houseboats that fascinate me with their ways to get around living on the water.
Gardener? No problem there is a way, even with an iron picket fence.
More gardeners and someone afraid of the creature from the black lagoon...um canal...? What is with the window bars?
I liked the corner window and the yellow window treatment on this one.
One was even named after my granddaughter.
Not quite sure what to say about this one...interesting comes to mind.
Above is the photo of a twin or double house in Amsterdam. Unfortunately, the recording told us about it too late to get a shot. Surprisingly it also looks just like the narrowest house in Amsterdam, also behind us when we heard about it. I did get a glimpse and it was narrow, but you will have to take my word for it....grrrrrr.
Above is the photo of a twin or double house in Amsterdam. Unfortunately, the recording told us about it too late to get a shot. Surprisingly it also looks just like the narrowest house in Amsterdam, also behind us when we heard about it. I did get a glimpse and it was narrow, but you will have to take my word for it....grrrrrr.
We did pass the three story very long (at least one city block) bicycle parking garage...unbelievable the amount of bicycles in this town. We even saw one father with a small child in the baby seat and an older child in roller skates hanging on to the back fender as he pedaled off into the sunset.
Nemo, above, is a hands on science museum for kids of all ages. The four floors are filled with exciting things to play with, to experiment with, and to learn with.
The structure on the right is ... something. I thought I knew and it turns out I don't. So I present a beautiful modern white building in Amsterdam. No thanks necessary, I enjoy educating the masses.
The seven bridges of Reguliersgracht which translates to English as Reguliersgacht.
Sunday morning we headed out to the Van Gogh Museum along the Singelgracht Canal on a pretty morning, a bit chilly but still nice.
We stopped to talk to the locals that were taking their children for a walk. Mama was shy but Daddy was proud of his youngin's and stopped to pose for us. Good lookin' folks are the Dutch!
SCORE!!!! The Heineken Brouwery. Another one for the next trip.
To get to the Van Gogh museum you need to walk through the tunnel walk way of the Riks Museum.
The Riks was designed by the same man that designed the Central Station. The ceilings and columns in the walk way were gorgeous. Then you came out to formal gardens on one side and water gardens in front of you.
I have long been a Van Gogh fan...of course his more famous works are the ones that I am most familiar with and "Sunflowers" is one of my favorites. I can't tell you the thrill it was to stand in front of the painting, THE painting. Right there!! Right in front of me!!!! Of course no photos allowed but you know the painting. The one painted in 1889? THE painting. OK, so it thrilled me.
But it was time to head back and catch our ride to the pier. We had to stop and take photos of some of the tulips, since Lord knows we didn't get enough photos yesterday at Keukenhof Gardens.
That purple one looks like it would like to eat fingers of anyone that tries to pick it.
By the time we got to the hotel I had to shake sleet out of my hair and brush it off my clothes before going in...so much for our pretty day, huh?
As you can see, by the time we got to the boat the skies had cleared and our home away from home was waiting for us....time to head to the Rhine River and the experiences ahead of us.
Goodbye Amsterdam...thanks for the memories.
