Amsterdam

13- 15 May 2011 -- just the 2 of us

Highlights:

• The vibrant color of the city, from the flowers to the shops to the way people dressed
• The canals & ease of cycling/walking through the various neighborhoods, particularly Jordaan
• Our ridiculous hotel room which was straight out of Vegas

Friday, 13 May 2011

An early flight from Heathrow meant a full day in Amsterdam on Friday. It was so easy to get from the airport straight to the center of town. Instantly, we got a sense of the cycling culture, as well as saw souvenirs capitalizing on its seedy reputation. We checked in to our room - which was delightfully upgraded to a suite. SILLY. The chandelier was about 8' in diameter, gold leaf! The room was massive--too bad there was so much to see in Amsterdam, we might have enjoyed the room even more! Peckish, we sought out a spot on one of the side canals and enjoyed a feast of fresh salads & tomato-coconut soup. We got some recommendations for our wander from the guy at our lunch spot, so picked up some meats & cheeses on our way back to the hotel. Later that evening, we toured the Anne Frank Huis - very emotional -- ate some Thai food --delicious-- and explored the Red Light District - raunchy and a bit sad

Saturday, 14 May 2011

Markets & Museums were the flavor of this day. Enjoying a Saturday lay-in, we grabbed a late cappuccino from the fabulous hotel reception and wandered down to the tulip market. Again, the colors; and prices on the tulips were enviable (40 stems for €5!)! We spent a lot of time admiring the flowers and taking photos. The sun continued to shine on us as we carried on to Albert Cupyermarkt. Todd was in search of his herring and he found it there! The second half of the afternoon was in the Van Gogh Museum -- not the only people with this idea on a Saturday. The museum is beautiful and it was good to see some of his masterpieces. We found Pizza in the Jordaan for dinner.

Sunday, 15 May 2011

Pancakes for breakfast- sweet & savory; a good addition to our menu. With a fully belly and a seemingly sunny day in hand, we hired a couple of bikes and toured around the Vondelpark & other main squares in the city. It was a big day in Amsterdam, as AJAX was playing Twente for the Holland Championship -- an electric atmosphere bordering on out-of-control. Everywhere people were in the streets cheering for AJAX & fortunately they won! We finished our bike ride with a celebratory beer and frites. An uneventful train ride to the airport & an hour flight, we were back in London. Great weekend!