Spring in Amsterdam

Trendy. Bold. Effortlessly stylish. Amsterdam is a level of European cool that I will always aspire to, but for now was content just to gaze in admiration at the Dutch way of life.

For years I've dreamed of seeing this city. To walk the streets where some of my favorite painters worked in the 17th century, and also where some of my favorite Instagram fashion bloggers currently reside is an awe-inspiring mix of modern and classic.

To get to experience it with two incredible friends made it that much better.

To reach Amsterdam we flew from Palma de Mallorca to London Standstead, then Standstead onto Eindhoven. From there a 2 hour train to Amsterdam proved our best (and cheapest) means of travel. No amount of surprise Covid tests could deter us. And thank goodness, because traveling now is possible only with a high degree of flexibility and compliance.

Reuniting with a dear friend that I studied with in France proved worth the journey...and so did the famous stroopwafles from Van Wonderen that we inhaled first thing. Warm, delightfully crunchy, and with a topping that could suit anyone's palette (I chose sugared hazelnut) these are an absolute must.

Dessert before dinner finished, it was time for our next mission- Asian street food at Happyhappyjoyjoy, a trendy underground spot. Their jack fruit bao buns are delicious.

To cap off our first night we got street fries and headed off to see the infamous red light district for ourselves. Initial thoughts from observing: The district is far larger than I expected, the women are professionals, there really are red lights everywhere, it's more interesting to watch the behavior of people as they peer into each window...and if the curtains closed? Keep walking.

Day 2 we woke to see the city bathed in light, a perfect day to stroll the canals. Coffee and brunch at a sweet spot called Pluck was right on our way and delightful.

We stopped at the Anne Frank house, since it was a spontaneous trip we didn't have tickets which book up months before.

The canals glistened, the tulips glowed in quaint window boxes, and our lives flashed before our eyes as we nearly got hit by every passing bike. Seeing coffeeshop after coffeeshop we soon realized there weren't lattes on these menus..any place under this name is actually a smoking club.

Amsterdam is dripping in curb appeal, and with innumerable boutiques and vintage shops our afternoon was swallowed up by some of the best shopping I've ever seen. Afterwords, we found our way to the Noordermarkt- aka the most posh place to be on a Saturday morning.

Accordion music reverberated past stalls of fresh baked bread and colorful produce, not to mention loads of interesting antiques. Next to the market lies Winkel 43, a place renown for their homemade apple pie so naturally it was our touristic duty to try a slice. And, oh, how blissful that first bite was.

Along the canals is a flower market, we strolled to find lots of cheesy cannabis souvenirs but also the most tulip bulbs I've ever seen in my life. A sweet reminder that Spring is soon to come.

The highlight of the trip for me was the Van Gogh museum. We spent hours inside, admiring each piece. Some of his most famous pieces were displayed. Seeing the golden sunflowers, faded blue irises, vibrant skull and soft almond blossoms up close was surreal.

We resumed our dessert tour of the city by getting a cookie from Van Stapele, it's the only thing they sell and waiting in an enormous queue proved worth it. Dark chocolate dough envelopes a gooey white chocolate center. Fab.

As the sun dipped and the cold settled in we ducked into the coziest of dinner spots. The Pancake Bakery, to try a traditional savory Dutch pancake. You name the flavor and they have it..I went with chicken and cheese and was amazed at the sheer diameter of it.

Of course we finished the trip on a sweet note with an apple and cinnamon pancake. We left the city with all our cultural and gastronomical cravings satiated.

Amsterdam, until I see you again.

For now, proost!