Amsterdam

Friday, August 22, 2014 

Ah Amsterdam. This is my second time visiting in the past year and I can say that it is a great tourist attraction for anyone! It is preconceived that Amsterdam is only a hub for drugs, drinking, and sex. I find that it has a lot more to offer... walking through the city is breathtaking. All the buildings have something of their own from the vibrant colors to the different structures and perspectives. As many other European cities, Amsterdam gives any visitor a great grasp of culture through the plethora of churches and museums. The amount of museums in the city is truly amazing. For example, just walking through for a few short hours we saw The Heineken Factory,  The Anne Frank Haus, The Amsterdam Cheese Museum, The Amsterdam Flower Museum, and The Amsterdam Torture Museum (just to name a very small handful). There is endless history on those streets if you take the time to have a closer look. The buildings and museums are a wonderful aesthetic and cultural aspect of the city but what really blows me away is the bridges and canals that follow you through the streets. There are houseboats, constant canal tours, and various birds floating through the water that keep the city alive at all hours of the day and night.  

As great as all of the tourist attractions are, thats what they are, tourist attractions. To really discover the city I prefer to 'wander' I suppose. You see more and take in the culture as a local would, rather than a tourist. 

It is easy to find yourself lost in Amsterdam due to the similarity of the streets and canals but not many know that the canals act as guide through the city. You have four main canals that layer each other from the inside out in half-circles. If you know how to follow them and the order of the canals you can always make your way back to Amsterdam Central Station (Ivika & I's trusty local tour guide gave us this bit of info). From there you can hop on a train, bus, or even catch the free ferry to a few different ports that lie on the outskirts of the center. On a sunny day it can be a wonderful way to enjoy the city, water, and weather while getting from once place to another.

When day turns to night is when Amsterdam truly shines its all its tourist-y glory. The sun goes down, the lights turn on, and the fun begins! While you don’t have to necessarily participate in the night-time activities it is still fun to stroll through the Red-Light District in its peak hours and even have a drink and a ‘pastry’ in one of the famous coffeeshops that you can find on pretty much every corner of the city. The nightlife when it comes to bars and clubs is FUN. This side of Amsterdam doesn’t necessarily appeal to everyone but it is a culture shock that is fun to check out whether you decide to indulge or just relax and watch tourists and locals alike. P.S. you can do all of these ‘activities’ during the day as well but the Red-Light at night is a whole other experience.

P.P.S. While you are in town grab a freshly made stroopwaffel, don’t ask... just get one and let your taste buds thank me later.