Amsterdam, Netherlands, 9th-10th November 2019
Despite having already gone to Amsterdam twice over the past year, this weekend trip to Amsterdam was one that I definitely do not regret.
Day 1
We landed in Amsterdam airport only to be greeted with really poor weather. After purchasing a 2 day travel pass, we first headed over to Albert kuip market, which bore great similarities to the farmers market in UK, and the street markets of Prague. We had our first taste of stroopen waffles, one of the Dutch specialities. Being an extra large waffle, we saw how skilfully the Dutch were able to slice the already thin waffle into two, before putting in the stroop spread. Needless to say, it was delicious and definitely worth another taste.
Giant Stroopwafel
To avoid being caught in the rain and the cold, we seeked refuge at De Pijp, which served us some much needed warm beverages. The latte they served was really rich and smooth, and it served as good intermittence whilst waiting for the rain to stop.
Nice warm latte
After brunch, we made our way to Amsterdam centrum, and tasted one of the best fries we've ever had at Manneken Pis. Serving huge portions of fries with over 24 flavours, it was definitely one of the must haves for anyone visiting Amsterdam.
Delicious fries!
With more stomach capacity to spare, we strolled around Amsterdam centrum before heading to the pancake bakery, which served some really unique pancakes that were thin yet quite appetizing. Having had our fill, as well as a clear apparent lack of sleep, we decided to head back to our Airbnb for a short nap before we begun on the main highlight of Amsterdam centrum, the red light districts.
We left our apartment at about 8pm, taking the metro (which were really amazing and comparable to Singapore's MRT) towards Amsterdam Centrum. The red light district was a familiar scene, with the same workers and the same shows. However, for the first timers to Amsterdam, it was quite an eye opener as the liberal mindsets and attitudes of the Dutch was not something you could easily find, especially in Singapore.
Amsterdam Red Light District
Following a late dinner at an Italian restaurant, we headed back to our apartment at Diemen to catch up on some much needed sleep.
11PM Dinner
Day 2
We woke up to be greeted by clear blue skies and the warmth of the morning sun. It was a perfect day to head out of Amsterdam, and thus we paid a visit to Zaanse Schans, which was north of Amsterdam. Zaanse Schans possessed a really beautiful backdrop, consisting of a lake as well as numerous windmills. In addition, there were many cheese shops within that mini village which provided free samples of a huge variety of cheese (which we were more than happy to taste).
Zaanse Schans
We stopped for brunch at a small cafe, where I had some hot chocolate, and one of their specialities, Amandestaaf, a pastry with its insides completely filled with almond. We snapped several amazing photos of the windmills, before deciding to head back to Amsterdam centrum. Upon arriving at Amsterdam centrum, we decided to head straight to winkle 43, which apparently served the best apple pies in Netherlands. With a crusty outside, and fillings made up of real crunchy apples, the apple pies they had were definitely one of the best I've ever had. Before we knew it, the sun had set, and it was time for us to part ways, with me heading to Amsterdam airport, and Kirstie and Yan Yi heading to Brussels via bus.
All in all, despite the high prices, we were grateful for the amazing weather and the hospitality of the Dutch. Wouldn't be surprised if I end up visiting Amsterdam for the 4th time.
Amsterdam!