I had no idea what to expect from Amsterdam as far as the people and culture went.
All I really had to associate it with were
1. Legal marijuana
and 2. Legal prostitution/Red Light District
Oh, and tulips.
The architecture and canals were quite charming, and the cheese was outstanding. The tulips certainly did not disappoint.
Our last day was spent with zero plans or intentions of things to see, so we simply wandered. This turned out to be one of my favorite days of the trip.
We happened upon a farmers market, a GIANT flower market, and a Christmas market. I also found a cheese shop where I purchased authentic Gouda and sampled about 5 million different types of cheeses. Heaven.
When hunger struck, we picked out random cafes that seemed cute and were always happy with our meals.
But still.
I just couldn't get past the "pot culture" and the things I saw in the Red Light District. I'm an incredibly open minded person, but this was just beyond what I've ever seen. I know these two things do not embody the whole spirit of the city, but it seemed to be around every corner.
Should I return to The Netherlands one day, I'd be most interested in seeing other cities like Rotterdam and The Hague.
And most importantly....WINDMILLS!
Ok, sorry for the diatribe. Here are some pictures.
Not pictured: The Anne Frank house. It was a moving experience and something I'm really glad we were able to see.
So, winter Eurotrip was quite a success.
I must say, I'll be ready for another one soon :)
10 comments:
LOVE that last shot! Hubby's favorite flowers are tulips, so I promised him we'd go one day to Amsterdam.
That is so cool. A few days ago I was wondering if you went to Amsterdam, and you answered my questions on the pot and red light district thing. They freak me out haha but I am glad you enjoyed your trip. yay!! Where are the food posts? haha jk
Is that a cat on the dinner table? Ew.
a german co-worker of mine who was a real (ahem) peach, once told me americans were fat because they eat mayonnaise with everything. i wanted to ask why i'd never seen mayonnaise heaped onto french fries UNTIL i moved to germany (and in the surrounding countries).
but yeah, americans are fatter so i guess she still wins.
adore these photos! i loved amsterdam when i visited it was such an awesome experience! But I agree with you pretty much every corner we turned we saw exactly what you saw. nonetheless, it was still a fun place to visit! I'm itching for a euro trip asap!!
gorgeous photos (finallllly getting caught up on your blog!)
french fries with mayo...like Jenni said, is something i never saw in the US, but only in europe. and it disgusts me. french fries with ranch on the other hand...... :)
i think amsterdam is cool. its not one of my fav cities, but not one i dislike. it just has a cool vibe to it. i think for northern european cities it is definitely more individualistic than other places (ahemmmm NORWAY). i love the vibe there :)
They also have great art work too.... But for some reason I can't remember any of it..lol!
Aw... you found your wine shop!
Aw... you found your wine shop!
This looks amazing! I would have loved to see the Anne Frank house.
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