Monday, September 30, 2013

Euro Trip 2013: Amsterdam Part 1

Before I came to Amsterdam, my impression of The Netherlands was only what I saw on "It's a Small World" at Disneyland, including the tulips, wooden shoes and windmills. What I imagined of Amsterdam was "Sin City" of Europe. I imagined a dizzying fog of debauchery and partying. I was admittedly worried that I wasn't going to have a good time. I could not have been more wrong on all fronts. 

After an early morning arrival at the Hook of Holland port, we took a few trains and finally arrived at Amsterdam Central train station. A short 15 minute walk to our hotel shortly turned into a somewhat difficult trek thanks to the cobblestone roads and carry on roller bags. Once we checked into the hotel and dropped off our possessions, we got to breathe in the cool crisp air and absorb all of the wonders of Amsterdam.

To my delight, Amsterdam is a gorgeous, relatively quiet city where the locals are friendly, the atmosphere contains a quiet elegance and the busiest parts are the bike lanes. Amsterdam is a beautiful city of pleasures, literally. The center of the city consist of canals, small homes, house boats, simple restaurants, boutique hotels, and every kind museum you can think of. The major businesses are on the outskirts of the city, leaving the quaint lovely city to embrace the simple beauties of life. 

Huge bike parking lot




Breakfast at Pancakes Amsterdam



Flower market



My new kicks


Anne Frank House

Canal cruise










Moo


The walk to our hotel

Ice cream before dinner



Dinner time

Asparagus, goat cheese and strawberry salad

Boyfriend's beef tongue

Lamb stew

Fish with garlic red wine sauce

Homemade chocolate cake

Mint "thee"

Chocolate raspberry tiramisu

Heart-shaped mint





Moonlit stroll

Whenever we visit a new city, Boyfriend always says, "I could totally live here." This was the first time I actually kind of agreed with him. It's no wonder Amsterdam is grossly overpopulated. Well, that and the ground is soft so buildings can be only so tall. After a few hours, I knew we were going to love it here. At the same time, we only had one more day in Amsterdam before continuing our mini tour of Europe. More Amsterdam, next.

-Akemi-chan

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