3 Days Amsterdam

Trip to Amsterdam

Who would have thought how quickly time flies! It's been a year since we traveled together in Spain. Now our grandson felt drawn north – to Amsterdam. The love of my life studied here, and I played badminton here an eternity ago with my flatmates from Bremen.

The journey was shorter than to the Baltic Sea and there was not so much traffic on the highway. After a good 6 hours, we arrived at the hotel and after a little breather, we made our way to the city center. First took the free ferry to the Hauptbahnhof side and then just strolled through the less hip part of the old town – just like that, without a goal.

There was also quite a lot of activity in the side alleys. Cyclists and pedestrians had time to stroll and enjoy. Many street cafes (that's what the pubs are called here) and Koffiehuisjes set out chairs on the very narrow sidewalk, making the stroll a bit trickier. It wasn't always wise to step out onto the street, as there were plenty of cyclists about. But there was never any haste and everyone was relaxed. We could explore many beautiful houses and alleys, and a breeze swept through the streets, keeping it from getting too warm.

Against hunger, the grandson's phone found MAMAS & TAPAS. The menu was almost like in Spain, full of delicious little bites and cool drinks.

On the way back, we looked for where the ANNE FRANK HOUSE was located, then crossed through the main train station to the ferry dock. The ferry was also very full at that time, around 7 PM.

At the northern shore of the Ij, we made a stop at a food truck named PONT NEUF: water and Bitterballen (croquettes made from meat and potatoes) with a view of the water. It was tasty!

Then instead of VAN DER PEKSTRAAT, we strolled along the canal. There were so many houseboats moored at the shore that we were truly impressed. Bamboo and grapevines in the front yard already gave the impression of a home. There were even two-story houseboats with a carport for a cargo bike. A nice walk back to the hotel. There we had a beer from here, for the young man completely non-alcoholic.

See you soon.