When Justin and I arrived in Amsterdam around 7:30 p.m.ish on Thursday, March 20th it was cold and raining very hard. We managed to figure out which tram to take to our hotel AND got our trip for free because the tramdriver was not trying to deal with my ignorance. Our hotel was nice enough. Nothing special, save great American television programming with which I quickly became obsessed. When Stephen and Aisling arrived, we wandered into Leidseplein Square (two-second walk from our hotel) and ate at a pancake bakery/all-you-care-to-eat rib place. And of course by 'pancake' the Dutch mean 'crepe with tons of delicious stuff on it.' I got a spicy Thai chicken pancake that was hot-hot-hot. And great-great-great. Justin of course got all-you-can-eat ribs. Also good. AWalked around the Leidseplein area and then called it a night.
Leidseplein Square during the daytime.
Leidseplein.
Pancake/Rib dinner.
Friday morning we set off to find a bike rental shop and stumbled upon Bloenmarkt, a big flower market, along the Singel canal. It was all tulips and painted clogs until it started raining /again/, which then turned into snow. We kind of ended up hopping from coffee shop to coffee shop just to avoid the awful weather. One of the coffee shops, Tularia (I think is the name?), was really neat and served a bunch of delicious food. They also had games but we didn't play them. At some point on Friday (while it was still light out), we walked through the Red Light District, which was ... a sight, albeit far less frightening than the Parisian one. There are girls in lingerie that stand in store front windows looking extremely bored. A lot of them were pretty haggard. That's a no-sir. We never made it back to the RLD at night because it was very far from where we were staying and, I don't know if I've mentioned this yet, but the weather was freezing and awful. So at night we went to a coffee shop called The Dolphin instead, which apparently Nick Wolff also visited during his spring break in Amsterdam. It was a pretty cool place with, you know, an underwater theme and nice couches.
Pretty houses along a canal.
Bloenmarkt tulips.
More Bloenmarkt.
Some statues.
First coffee shop on Friday.
Map-gazing in Dam Square.
Dam Square again.
Canal.
Tram!
The roads function as tram rails, bike paths, pedestrian walkways, and roadways all at the same time, and with no division whatsoever.
Saturday morning I went out for a little adventure on my own because no one would wake up. Just walked around Leidseplein and back to Bloenmarkt. Upon my return to the hotel everyone was awake and waiting for me (oops), and so we made our way out to Albert Cuypmarkt, a big flea market. On the way we saw Vondelpark and Rijksmuseum. I got a sweet kercheif for 1 euro at Cuypmarkt! Soon after we left the market, the weather turned awful again and we ducked into a dessert & coffee place decorated, as Aisling pointed out, exactly how you'd image Madame Puddifoot's tea salon would be. (I just had the most intense pang of saddness for Harry Potter 7 having come out and it all being over. !! Oh, well.) We fortified ourselves against the crap weather with sweets and coffee. I had a salmon quiche that was GREAT. (I just had the most intense pang of hunger for salmon.) At some point later in the day, we ended up back at the Dolphin again, and that night we went to a huge dinner at what is called an Indonesian rice bar. The four of us basically split something like 12 portions of beautifully-prepared meats and vegetables. So, so good. So, so filling. Thought I was going to burst. Afterwards, went to a really big coffee shop called Rookies, after which we were sleepy and cold and went back to the hotel.
In my solo adventures on Saturday morning, I found this sweet hammock store.
Cute Dutch things.
Cacti.
Otra vez.
Yes.
Typical.
Reminded me of dearest Marjorie. Paper dolls and funny masks.
Yes.
Big Bananas Nightshop! Best store ever. Open all night and so clean and full of produce and snacks and wine.
I mean, of course you always hear about there being SO MANY bikes in Amsterdam, but it really is more that you would ever think. And I'm obsessed with it.
Albert Cuypmarkt flea market.
Coffee house.
I was a little in love with this coffee house.
This cat was a little in love with Justin.
Sike, a lot in love. Aisling looks like she's allergic.
Madame Puddifoot's.
Again.
Feathers!
Service counter.
Nerds.
Sunday morning Justin and I woke up early to fly back to Barcelona, y eso es!
Light coat of snow on the docks outside of Centraal Station.
Seriously astounding numbers of bikes.
Love affair in the airport.
You are here.
Thiiiiiis far from home.
There are so many things that I can't place chronologically about our trip: At one point Stephen, Aisling and Justin were introduced to the glory that is Maoz falafel places; there was street food (like stroopwaffels [sic] and goffres) and a few other sights. But I can't remember it clearly. I wish we would've seen more, but the weather was just such shit.
Still, I think we were exposed to the culture enough. Amsterdammers are basically the cutest, most progressive people on the face of the earth. They are world-champion bike riders (they can ride bikes while holding hands! and with multiple children precariously balanced on the handlebars and cargo rack! and so close to each other without hitting! and all in the midst of such, such awful weather!), they are blonde and tall, and they don't like it when you talk on your cellphone in restaurants and coffee shops.
I want to go back some time in the summer and rent bikes. It was the greatest lastima of all time that Justin and I didn't ever get to ride bikes in Amsterdam! (Stephen and Aisling biked on Sunday after we'd already left.) Plus I have yet to learn all the Dutch bike riding secrets to success.
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