Amsterdam

Warren and I spent a long weekend visiting my sister and her husband in Amsterdam. 

Stairs in Amsterdam are super steep. These are the stairs up to my sister's apartment. They are also super narrow so it is easier to walk down sideways. 

We went to the Portuguese Synagogue in the old Jewish Quarter. There is no electric lighting or heating in the building. It was very cold inside but also very beautiful. 

One of my favorite foods to eat in Amsterdam is french fries. This place has the best fries and tons of different sauces to try. Vleminckx is cash only, and be prepared to wait in line even if it is raining! Check out the super long list of different sauces you can get on the menu below. I've never even heard of some of these sauces!

They fry the chips twice, making them extra crisp on the outside but still fluffy on the inside.  I like a mix of ketchup and mayo, Jackie likes applesauce, Warren likes andalousesaus (a mix of mayo, tomato paste, and peppers), Zach likes tartaarsauce (really similar to tartar sauce from back home).

One of my other favourite foods in Amsterdam are these amazing chocolate cookies with white chocolate in the middle from Van Stapele. They serve them hot and are super good! It is a short walk from the fry place so I had those two for lunch several times on our trip.

Last year when we visited my sister we went to this expat grocery store. Warren and I were appalled at how expensive things were that were so cheap back home. This year we went and commented on how much cheaper expat foods are in Amsterdam compared to London. If I had room in my suitcase I would have stocked up!

      

This time of year oliebollen appears in stands all around the city. It is really similar to a doughnut without a hole in the middle. They have plain ones, apple, pineapple, banana, raisins, and other flavors. 

They also sell other doughnuts like the berliner, which is shown below. It is filled with a really rich custard. 

Below is a photo of an original oliebollen (left), and an applebollen (right). The applebollen is typically an entire apple that is breaded and fried. Oliebollen starts in November and is only available until New Year's Day. It is a tradition to eat one on New Year's Day so there are tons of shops that set up for the occasion. 

One of the days we took a boat tour through the city. It was a really great way to see the city from a different perspective.

Below is a photo from the canal of Westerkerk, which is the church whose bells Anne Frank mentions hearing in her diary. It is very close to the Anne Frank museum, which is the house where she hid during World War II. We toured the Anne Frank museum on our last visit to Amsterdam and it was really sobering and powerful. 

This is the Basilica of Saint Nicholas, which is the first Catholic church that was built when Catholicism became legal in Amsterdam in the 1800s.

On our boat tour we passed by the seven bridges of Reguliersgracht. It is the only place in Amsterdam where seven bridges line up together. 

Below are a few examples of bicycle parking in Amsterdam. There are also tons of places to park your bike near the main train stations and all throughout the city. 

Warren and Zach tried kapsalon on this trip. It is french fries loaded with shawarma meat, gouda cheese (broiled on top), garlic sauce, lettuce, olives, onion, and tomatoes.  

Another amazing food in Amsterdam is appletaart and the best one is at Winkel. It isn't listed on their menu but every person eating there had a slice. 

One of my favourite things that we did this trip was to go to the Six Collection. It is the family collection of art, furniture, and artifacts of the Six family in Amsterdam and can only be seen by request. One thing that was amazing about seeing a family art collection is that they have the items that people are seen holding in paintings. They had a painting of a woman wearing a feather and pearl clip in her hair. She was also holding a small painting of her child and there is a harp in the background. We saw the original painting, the clip, the painting of the child, and the harp! Photos aren't allowed inside so all I have is a photo of the outside of the building.

In Rembrandt Square they have this sculpture version of Rembrandt's famous painting, "The Night Watch." 

Below is a photo of FEBO. They sell hot fast food out of vending machines!

We also went to the Museum of Bags and Purses. We had free admission since we have a museum card. I don't think I would recommend it otherwise. But they did have a few rooms that were incredible, like the one below. 

I also love this amazing pear juice that we bought at Albert Heijn (a grocery store near my sister's place). If I could get one that is 3 ounces or less and fits in my liquids bag, I would have brought some home with me!