Amsterdam - it's an extraordinarily unique city
Okay, so after 7 days in The Hague, The Complete Package and I jumped a train back to Amsterdam for a weekend of sightseeing. I was excited. I’ve seen photos of Amsterdam with its gorgeous architecture and its stunning canals and houseboats. I expected to love it. I mean
really love it. Instead, I’d have to say I found it interesting. After some thought, I think a good example would be to compare it to Manhattan. If The Hague is comparable to the upper east side, then Amsterdam would be Times Square. It was crowded, vibrant, always open, and a little seedy. Where The Hague was peaceful, professional and dignified, Amsterdam was a party. And not just any party. It was more like a bachelor party in Las Vegas. It’s been many, many years since I’ve been exposed to that much beer and weed. Really. Like the early ’80s. When I wore layered Polo shirts and boat shoes and cut my hair to look like Lady Di. **
nostalgic sigh**
Coffeeshops in Amsterdam don't sell coffee. Seriously. Did you know that?
We stayed in a hotel near Dam Square, which is probably why I’m comparing it to Times Square. It’s a large, open square surrounded by shopping, restaurants and bars crisscrossed by a myriad of trains, trams and buses and sprinkled with a gorgeous old church, a Madame Tussaud’s, a royal palace and this guy.
Neptune at Amsterdam's Dam Square - it's certainly one of a kind!
I think I experienced sensory overload standing in Dam Square. I’m not joking when I say we had a “coffee shop” right across from our hotel. For those who haven’t heard, a coffee shop in Amsterdam is a place to purchase and smoke marijuana. It’s not legal, mind you, it’s just tolerated. If you want that machiatto or latte, you’d better ask for a cafe. As for the weed, you don’t really need to buy it to enjoy it. I think I inhaled enough second-hand smoke around town to enjoy an unintentional two-day contact high. No wonder I was craving McDonald’s. Especially the fries. And pancakes. Oooo…Dutch pancakes are divine.
Amsterdam's canals and neighborhoods are lovely
Once you get away from Dam Square, you find peaceful neighborhoods with stunning canals, traditional architecture, street markets, quaint squares, gorgeous old churches and fabulous museums. We were lucky enough to be there just as the Winter Wonderland markets set up across town. We particularly enjoyed the one at Rembrandt Square. The food is the main draw (after the quaint holiday decorations). Our first experience was a mind-blowing waffle swimming in melted milk chocolate. Oh, my. Still brings tears to my eyes.
You're lucky we got a photo before we destroyed this thing
Waffles are a popular sweet treat here. And they cover them in everything known to man…chocolate, nuts, fruit, whipped cream, candy coatings…I could go on and on. I think we ate at least two over the weekend. Maybe more. There were so many awesome vendors. I’ll let the photos tell the story:
Waffles...oh, sweet waffles. You are so delicious!
Okay, this koffee shop actually sells coffee (with booze, no less)
Churros and popcorn being sold from a giant Santa stall
A typical sweet shop at the winter market (notice the olliebollen on the right?)
That's an 18" bratwurst on that grill. Just thought you should see it.
In addition to the winter wonderland markets, there were also great street markets in Amsterdam. From clothes to antiques to cheese and produce, you can find just about anything in a street market here. It’s a great shopping city. Here’s a peek at some of the market vendors we loved, and a look at Amsterdam’s famous flower market:
A woman on TV once said that good cheese "smells like the feet of angels". Ewww.
I can't identify some of these mushrooms, so I'll just call them delicious
There's something for everyone at Amsterdam's street markets
An example of a flower stall in Amsterdam's Bloemen Market
Amaryllis for sale at the flower market - gorgeous!
And now you know how to say DON'T TOUCH in five languages!
Cyclamen are beautiful in every country. These are stunning.
If there’s one thing in particular that Amsterdam is famous for, it has to be their canal system. It’s what keeps the city humming. Boats are everywhere, from sightseeing boats to delivery boats, houseboats to floating museums and bed-and-breakfasts. Water and controlling it are vital to Amsterdam’s existence. It also makes for some beautiful real estate (and vacation photos). Take a look:
Four main canals ring the city of Amsterdam.
A gridwork of bridges cross the canals to connect each ring.
A charming collection of houseboats line each canal.
And a handful of tour boat companies ferry visitors around the city.
And now, here’s a little collection of various photos I took from around Amsterdam. They don’t fit any specific category, but they’re still worth sharing.
I just can't get enough of this architectural style. So very charming.
A cheese cave? Holy crap! It's a cheese cave!
Our hotel room - a step down from the Hague Hilton, but that bed was comfy!
Walk these streets for long, and you'll call them hobblestones, too!
Yup. That's a public urinal, and men really use them.
Oude Church, Amsterdam - my winner for best organ pipes. Ever.
The Bulldog bills itself as Amsterdam's original coffeeshop. Coffeeshop = no coffee
I never thought the words "beautiful" & "train station" went together until now.
I would have loved to include photos from the Rijksmuseum (Dutch masters) and the Van Gogh museum, but they don’t allow any photos to be taken. I did get to see some great Van Goghs including some sunflowers, and I got to see a great collection of Rembrandts at the Rijksmuseum, including The Nightwatchmen. That painting was HUGE, and it was awesome! I love art museums. Okay, kids. That’s it for Amsterdam. Thanks for reading along. Coming up next, my holiday dream trip to Germany (thank you, TCP, for making it come true). Stay tuned!
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Inside NanaBread's Head 
Okay, what??? A public urinal? Unbelieveable!
I can see why you experienced sensory overload but what gorgeous scenery and THE FOOD! That waffle picture made me want to cry a little. ;)
Yeah, waffles do that to me, too. But olliebollen? Now that’s a food that makes me weep. I wish I could describe just how wonderful they were, but words fail me. I think I may post a story of just food photos from the trip. That would be fun!
I think that just about anything would be lovely if smothered in melted milk chocolate. But an 18 inch bratwurst? Be afraid of that. ;) What beautiful photos.
Hahaha…true, so true. Thanks for the compliment on the photos. I owe it all to my new Canon EOS Rebel T2i. It’s the perfect “big girl” camera for dummies. I love it.
No wonder they have so many fabulous foods there. Everyone has the continuous munchies from just breathing. LOL Once again, your pics are gorgeous. That new camera does a great job, and the photographer ain’t too shabby either!
Why, thank you! It’s just hard to take bad photos with that camera. It really is.
Fantastic photos, love Amsterdam. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Nana! How wonderful to see the cities of my own country through your eyes and camera. And knowing every one of those cities by heart, I have to say you did them justice, all three of them. I loved your pictures and your observations were spot-on. And yes… our oliebollen… aren’t they something? If you’d like, I could send you a recipe so you can try making them at home. It’s actually quite simple!
I found two recipes on the web recently, but haven’t made them yet. If you’d like to send your recipe, I’d love to try it. My e-mail address is listed on my “About NanaBread” tab. Thanks for offering to share it with me! I fell deeply in love with the Netherlands on my trip. I’d love to go back and see more. And the oliebollen? They just cemented the deal. They were glorious! Thanks, Claudia.
Beautiful pictures! My husband and I were there in 2008 we stayed in Makkum for 5 nights (that’s where my parents grew up in) and then we stayed in Amsterdam for 7 nights. We were able to see 26 different towns while we were there, I have a Nikon 300, but when we were there, I had Nikon D70. Right now I’m making books online of our vacation there, and would love to go back, its a beautiful country. Thanks for sharing your pictures!
When you go back, try to make it to Deft (beautiful!), Dan Haag and Scheveningin. We had the best time in those 3 cities. It’s just so beautiful there. We hit Delft on a day when the entire square was covered in a street market. And the seashore at Scheveningin was lovely, especially the Kurhaus Hotel. I have other posts in my travel section that talk about our trip to the Netherlands, and they week we tacked on for German Christmas markets is in there, too, if you’d like to see more. In all, we were there 18 days, and it was a fabulous trip!
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inspiring….. ^_^ thank you for sharing
I absolutely agree with your opinion of the Hague vs Amsterdam. When I went, I was actually really looking forward to visiting the Van Gogh museum, but spent most of my time lost in one side exhibit. Totally weird. But I liked the Hague better :). I couldn’t ever articulate why until reading your post. You hit the nail on the head!
You took me to Amsterdam through your photos! For a girl who has never even been on an airplane that’s a big deal. Thanks for sharing. I’m here from Share the Shot. (I was going along great until that shot of the public urinal. Really? Made me gag a little.)
Sorry about that urinal shot, but it’s such a novelty to Americans to see outdoor urinals like that. I was stunned when I saw my first. Especially given that it was occupied. I’m really glad you enjoyed the tour of Amsterdam. You should check out the photos from the German Christmas markets and also last fall’s trip to Prague and Istanbul. Incredible trips. We’re so fortunate to be at a place in our lives where we can finally makes some travel dreams come true.