Amsterdam: In A Nutshell

"Some tourists think Amsterdam is a city of sin, but in truth it is a city of freedom. And in freedom, most people find sin."

 -John Green

I read this quote in a travel magazine this week and thought it quite appropriate. It seems to perfectly embody the concept of a city like Amsterdam to those who've never experienced it. Amsterdam has a notorious reputation, being well-known for its Red Light District and legalized marijuana, but as I mentioned in my previous post, there's another side to Amsterdam. One that's sophisticated and historic, with a extensive collection of fine art museums and picturesque canals. A side that celebrates Amsterdam's diversification and bicycle friendly streets. A side that evokes a romantic aura that doesn't necessarily have to be X-rated. While you may be curious about the clandestine attractions, don't forget to make time to explore Amsterdam's more refined sights. You'll find they're a tourists delight.

Our first stop of the day was at the Heineken Experience. Truth be told, not a single soul in our group cares for the taste of Heineken. If you've ever tasted a real German Hefeweizen, you'd understand why. No beer compares (in my book, at least). But we'd read some reviews that said this brewery tour should not be missed. Thankfully, I'd say they were right.  We spent over 2 hours exploring Heineken's first brewing facility and tasting their claim to fame made with their patented "A-yeast". Something about drinking the beer fresh from the brewery's tap made the formerly undesirable beer taste quite good. Excellent, in fact. And with having 3 glasses of it included in the price of the tour, you'd be a fool not to enjoy it.

After getting our fill of the famous Dutch beer, we began making our way through the canal lined streets in search of the historic Anne Frank House.

Ever since reading the memoirs recounting her family's time in hiding during the Nazi occupation of The Netherlands in 1942, I've been fascinated with Anne Frank and her passion for words and her Jewish heritage. She was obviously wise beyond her years. Her story is so moving, so profound that it still gives me chills to this day. Seeing where she spent 2 years of her young life trapped in fear and torment, all in the name of anti-Semitism, was an absolute must during our tour of Amsterdam. Although we waited almost 2 hours to get inside (go early or buy advanced tickets from this site), the wait was well worth it. What we saw in that house, the place they called "The Annex," completely humbled us all.

After our time spent with Anne, we continued our walk through the streets of Amsterdam. We had spent so much time standing in lines that most museums were starting to close for the day. So, we pulled out our map and attempted to make our way to a quiet square where we could enjoy a relaxing dinner. But somehow we ended up lost (for the 2nd time) and from the time we got lost to finally finding our destination we:

1) Almost got hit by a line of bicyclers who apparently always have the right of way.

2) Got to experience the Red Light District and all its X-rated glory (sorry, I've got no photos to prove it). And...

3) Found ourselves a Dutch cheese shop and sampled the most delicious Gouda I've ever tasted in my life. 

Moral of the story is, even the best laid travel plans can go awry, but often end up surprising you! Just go with the flow and enjoy!

{I brought these bad boys back with me. In order of deliciousness: Manchego, Blueberry Stilton,  Goat's Milk Pesto Gouda, Baby Gouda, and Herbed Edam. You have my permission to drool.}

As our day in Amsterdam was coming to an end, we FINALLY found the square we were looking for and were rewarded with a dinner of epic proportions. All-you-can-eat SUSHI! I literally couldn't get in the door of that restaurant fast enough. We've yet to find a good sushi restaurant in Germany, so this place was a godsend! And we gorged ourselves silly. If you ever get a hankering for sushi while visiting Amsterdam, Sumo Sushi Grill & Restaurant is the place to go.

 So, there you have it. One whirlwind day in eclectic Amsterdam. Will we ever go back? Eh...there are still so many places on our Euro bucket list we've yet to see, so we're leaning towards no. But one can never say never, so we will see! 

Up next on our tour of The Netherlands is the town of Lisse where we spent our Easter Sunday among the tulips in the Keukenhof Gardens! Happy Friday, friends!

A Cloud of Smoke: The Amsterdam Mishap

Funny story. 

The Netherlands is a place of full of cultural delights. Dutch cheese and tulips, windmills and wooden shoes...all of which are things I undoubtedly adore. But when I think of Amsterdam, Holland's largest, most prominent city, I don't think of tulips and windmills. 

Quite frankly, I think of weed. Prostitutes and weed. 

What? You're a liar if you say your mind doesn't go straight there, too. I blame America and its fascination with all things taboo and illegal, so naturally it would be the place Americans go to freely do what has been banned in their own country for years (although apparently not for long...check out this article...guess you can take your business elsewhere people!). Now just for the record, neither D nor I have ever partaken in such a substance (or prostitution, just for the sake of being clear). Call me a prude, but it's not our cup of tea. Wine...now wine's my cup of tea...but that's for another story. All that being said, there was still no way in hell I was going to miss out on visiting Amsterdam. Weed or no weed, a trip was to be planned. Now, on to the story.

Before leaving for Amsterdam, D's commander politely reminded him that he's an Officer in the United States Air Force and certain organic substances...ahem...were to remain untouched by his hands...or mouth, rather. It's a total career killer (and a brain cell killer), mind you. He also mentioned that these "organic substances" were normally found in coffee shops. So, basically, "STAY AWAY FROM THE COFFEE SHOPS." Sounds easy enough, right?

Heh yeah, one would think.

So, we're walking and talking, enjoying the sights and sounds of Amsterdam. We'd just finished our Heineken Brewery tour and tasting (photos to come) and we were making our way towards the Anne Frank House to explore one of the most historic gems of the city. Now, if you've never been to Amsterdam, you wouldn't know that the city is like a crazy labyrinth of row houses and canals...but I'm here to tell you it is. It's a crazy labyrinth of row houses and canals. It's the only city I've ever traveled to that I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to orient myself on a map. You were hard pressed to find a street sign (if they were there, they were cleverly hidden on the side wall of a building) and everywhere I turned, all the canals looked the same. A canal, a row house. A canal, a row house. A true and embarrassing story. Because of our disorientation, we somehow ended up in a less than desirable part of town. And of course, without fail, this is when I decided that I wanted...NAY, needed...a hot cup of coffee.

Why is it that the moment you need a Starbucks to be on every street corner, there just isn't one Starbucks to be had? It's some messed up coffee phenomenon I'll never understand. Every coffee shop we passed did not exude the sweet smell of cinnamon and coffee beans. Nope, not coffee beans...but the pungent, off-putting aroma of reefer, weed, Mary Jane, POT...oh yeah...was everywhere. Seriously. I couldn't believe my nose. How anyone walking down that particular street avoids an uninvited contact high, I'll never know.

After a few minutes of walking and unabashedly reveling in the freeness of Amsterdamians (is that a word? I'm making it a word), we stumbled upon a coffee shop that looked harmless. It was called the Coffeeshop Rockland and it had cute little jukeboxes and records in the windows. Jukeboxes and records...very American (in my head). I blame that for drawing us in.

What we all failed to notice was the giant Bob Marley mural spray painted on the building (the chairs were in the way...it could happen). Matt, a very good friend, decided to man up, go in, and check it out. What a brave, brave man he is. Just as our boy reaches his hand for the doorknob I notice a small, yellow sign plastered to the door..."No patrons under the age of 18 allowed!" I knew what that meant. Umm, duh. Big problem. Immediately my body couldn't control itself and I lunged towards Matt to grab the back of his shirt in an attempt to pull him away. I let out a freakishly loud "NOOOOOOOOOO" as the world seemed to move in slow motion...but my squeal was in vain. It was already too late. Matt had pried open the door and was met with a thick wall of white smoke. Marijuana smoke. 

It was just like in the cartoons. The smoke left a little Matt outline in its wake as it pushed its way outside the cafe. Matt turns around with a look of terror and astonishment on his face. All I kept thinking was, "DON'T BREATHE IN, MATT...DON'T BREATHE IN!" (Granted, he totally should have. Might have been the only chance he'd get. But, I digress.) Matt, still astonished, hustled over to where we were standing, and without missing a beat and as fast as he could speak said, "Nope, not a good one. Totally called that wrong. Casey, it's your fault. That was fun. Let's keep walking!"

We all burst out laughing...tears streaming down our faces! I could have died. Right there on the street, died from laughing. The Lt. Col had put the fear of God in us about these darn coffee shops that our reactions to a person-shaped cloud of smoke, I'm sure, were a sight to behold. Ahhh, silly Americans. Needless to say, we never did get any coffee that day. Guess it's just as well. But we sure got a great memory. A very Amsterdam worthy one, at that.

{I should also mention that there is MUCH more to Amsterdam than just weed and prostitutes. Much, much more! :) So, stay tuned for more photos showing a different side of the city and our Easter Sunday visit to the Keukenhof Gardens!}


{ OH and how do you guys like the new look?! I'm kind of in love. I'm also kind of biased. ;) }