Reasons to go to Amsterdam

Amsterdam is one of my favourite cities ever (it helps to have family who live there, of course). We went in April to see the amazing Keukenhof Tulip Gardens and I recently booked tickets to go again in August. During our visit in April, we came up with a list of why Amsterdam is such a great tourist destination. Here are our top ten reasons to visit Amsterdam. 

1. The streets in Amsterdam are well kept. You don't have to always look down at the street to be sure you don't trip because the sidewalk is uneven or so you don't step in vomit or urine (I'm talking about you, London). 

2. When in Amsterdam I rarely see beggars or homeless people. The Netherlands is one of the few countries that exceed the UN's goal of GDP percentage allocated to development aid. 

3. Amsterdam is a pretty flat city which makes it great for walking or bike riding. Plus, the bikes in Amsterdam allow for a more casual and social ride than the road bikes in the US. 

4. The Museum Card is a great way to see Dutch museums without ruining your budget. The card costs around 60 Euros and provides free entry to 32 museums in Amsterdam including the Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and a discount at Rembrandt's House. The card is valid for one year so we were able to use it for multiple trips and saw 12 museums. 

Not pictured: Museum Van Loon, Geelvinck Hinlopen House, and Church in the Attic Museum

5. As an American, I have a great appreciation for fried foods. The Dutch make some amazing french fries, croquettes, oliebollen (similar to a doughnut), and just about anything from FEBO (a fast food vending machine restaurant). 

6. Everyone speaks English, and I mean everyone. Bus drivers, store clerks, random pedestrians, and market stall workers will all speak English.

7. The trams and buses in Amsterdam are easy to use and very efficient, which allows you to see so much more of the city than on foot. 

8. Toilets are clean and easy to find in restaurants, department stores, and urinals on the street for men. Toilets are hard to come by (free or paid) in most European cities, which is something I took for granted living in the US. In Amsterdam, you typically pay to use the toilet (around 30 cents) but they are usually clean and the store does not care if you buy something.

9. Sometimes when you travel you just want something familiar to eat but still feel like you are experiencing a new culture. Amsterdam is perfect for this. They have amazing things to try that are different but somewhat similar to American foods such as pancakes, cookies, stroopwafel, and apple tart. 

10. There are loads of public places to sit throughout the city, so when you've walked a lot that day you can just sit and watch people go by. It is a delightful way to enjoy the city. 

These are just a few of the things about Amsterdam that stick out to me compared to other cities we've visited. It is hard to not fall in love with this amazing city after just one visit.

Matilda and More

My mom and I went to two shows when she was here. The first was Matilda, which came highly recommended by some friends. We both really enjoyed it and I immediately wanted to see it again!

The stage is surrounded by books with letters on the cover spelling different words. It was really colourful and fun. The actors were amazing, especially the man who played Miss Trunchbull. 

The halls leading to the theatre had advertisements that went along with the plot to the musical. My favourite musical is typically the last one I saw and Matilda was no exception. 

We also went to the play, American Buffalo, that was showing in Leicester Square. My mom loves Damien Lewis so that was a big motivation for us to get tickets. It also starred John Goodman and Tom Sturridge. 

American Buffalo is not the kind of play I typically see but I was blown away by these amazing actors. We were really glad that we went and the plot was a topic of our conversations for quite some time afterwards. 

I love taking advantage of the many incredible shows in London. So many of them I hadn't even heard of before moving here, like American Buffalo. 

Food, Glorious Food

I haven't posted a compilation of food photos in a while but it isn't because I haven't been trying new foods and restaurants. Here are some things I've tried over the last few months.

Rola Wala is a food truck that sells Indian street food. I tried them at Street Feast (a large and amazing gathering of food trucks on summer weekends) last month with my mom. We tried the barbeque chicken tikka, beetroot channa dal, and goan pulled pork naan sliders. The naan was crispy and the toppings were delicious and well thought out. Our favourite was the pulled pork one. We also tried their mango, lime, and turmeric soda which was also delicious.

Another day my mom and I went to Pull'd near St Paul's Cathedral for pulled pork sandwiches. They were pretty good, and would definitely fulfil a craving for pulled pork but I wouldn't seek them out. 

A few weeks ago I went to Dishoom for an Indian feast with my friends, Danielle and Ron, who were visiting from New York. We tried the black house daal, chicken berry britannia biryani, gunpowder potatoes, and naan. This was my second time at Dishoom and it was just as good as the first time. 

I went to Mildred's, a vegetarian restaurant with my vegetarian friend, Lisa. We split the chocolate and peanut butter brownie and it was amazing! I couldn't even tell it was vegan.

I've mentioned Rock and Sole Plaice before, but I took my mom here because they are my favourite fish and chips in London. It is really close to the theatre district so it is a great place to get dinner before or after a show. 

I finally tried Nandos, a chain that sells Portuguese style chicken. We got the mango and lime sauce on our chicken because I don't like spicy food and it was really flavourful. But the best part about Nandos is the free soda refills and crushed ice! It felt like I was back in America. 

When my friends Danielle and Ron were visiting we also took them to The Elgin, a pub in Maida Vale near our flat. We tried the cheese and garden peas with flatbread and ham croquettes. Their menu changes based on the season so I'm sure it will be different next time I go, but it is still nice to have a quality pub within walking distance. 

A friend of mine recommended the milkshakes at Byron and I finally tried one. I got the Oreo milkshake and I think it was even better than the milkshakes at Gourmet Burger Kitchen, which is saying a lot. 

I think the access to amazing food is the best part of living in London. I thought Omaha had great food (it does) but London has a great variety of food to match any budget. 

Rome

This last weekend Warren had a work conference in Rome. Of course I tagged along and we made it a long weekend in this amazing city. We spent Friday discovering the ancient Roman sites, starting with the Colosseum. 

There were typically several phases starting with animals fighting animals, gladiators fighting animals, and lastly gladiators fighting each other to the death. Entry to see the fights was free, sponsored by the government as a way to show their power, keep the masses entertained, and establish a sense of patriotism. 

Included in our ticket was a visit to Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. Everywhere we looked throughout the city were ruins, but this site had some of the best. 

The Romans invented the archway and used it often in their construction. This one was built by slaves who were forced to carve across the arch the story of their people being conquered by the Romans. 

The Pantheon (now a Christian church) was originally a temple to the Roman gods. It has an oculus (hole in the center of the dome) that allows light to stream in. There are small holes in the floor to allow for drainage when it rains. The Romans thought of everything.

Midway through our walking tour, we stopped at Alberto Pica for gelato. This place is known for a special type of gelato with rice in it. Somehow the rice stays crunchy and delicious. I got pistachio and rice with cinnamon, an excellent combination. 

We then headed to Saint Peter in Chains church where we saw the chains known as the ones used on Peter when he was brought to Rome as a prisoner. The relic is featured in the glass case within another glass case in the photo below.

This church is also known for a statue of Moses by Michelangelo. It is distinct because of the horns on Moses' head which comes from a misuse of the word "horned" rather than "radiant". Michelangelo knew of the misinterpretation but deliberately created his statue with horns.  

Our first few meals in Rome were quite disappointing, so we asked our Airbnb host for some recommendations. They suggested this seafood restaurant near our flat called La Caletta! I got the risotto with mixed seafood and we also tried the calamari with zucchini. Both were amazing!

We spent most of the day Saturday touring Vatican City. We started at the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. I wasn't super into the museums but I did love this map room. The entire museum was so crowded and hot that it made it much less enjoyable. 

The Sistine Chapel was incredible to see in person. The Creation of Adam section, which it is famous for, is impressive but I was even more impressed by the entire painted ceiling and walls as a whole. I can't imagine the backbreaking work involved over the four years it took to create this amazing work of art. 

This door (aka "The Holy Door") to Saint Peter's Basilica is cemented shut from the inside and is only opened by the Pope during Jubilee years for pilgrims to enter through.

Saint Peter's Basilica is the largest church in the world. Saint Paul's Cathedral in London would actually fit inside it. Our access throughout the church was limited because chairs and barricades were set up for a special event the following day. But we were still able to stand in awe at what we could see. 

We had lunch at Giggi's, another recommendation from our Airbnb host, and were delighted to finally have some decent pasta! I got spaghetti carbonara and it was so good I went back the following day for the same dish. 

Our walking tour ended at the bridge outside the Castel St Angelo. Statues of angels with various weaponry line this bridge.

After hiding from the sun for a few hours in our flat, we headed out to the Trastevere neighborhood for dinner and another walking tour. We got pizza at Dar Poeta. It was another excellent recommendation and something we wouldn't have been able to find on our own. Warren's pizza had ham and potatoes and was definitely the better pizza of the two. Mine had eggplant and parmesan and was still very tasty.

Sunday morning we went to the super crowded Saint Peter's Square to hear the Pope's message that he gives when he is in town. Sadly, my good camera died but we were at a great angle to see him and we got a few photos on our phones. I am really glad we went because this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the Pope. I just wish we knew Italian so we could understand what he said. 

Our final meal in Rome was a banana split at Giolitti's. I mainly got this sundae for the amarena cherry on top. I love those things and was disappointed when I couldn't find a jar to bring home. Oh, and the gelato was good, too. 

Since Warren was in a conference for the first part of our trip, I was able to spend some time in the city by myself. Since I love churches (and Warren maxes out at 3 per trip) I went to five churches in different parts of the city. All of them were beautiful but I really liked San Maria Maggiore. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but the inside is incredible. 

On my way back from San Sabina church, I noticed a line of people looking through a hole in a locked door. I waited my turn and was really impressed by the perfect alignment of Saint Peter's Basilica dome. There was even a red carpet leading up to it (not pictured...it proved to be a difficult photo to take, especially with a line of people behind me). 

I loved how all the tourist shops were selling these bobbleheads of Pope Francis. I was tempted to get one for a friend but they were 15 Euro! A bit pricey for a gag gift. 

I also walked through Piazza Navona, which had several really interesting fountains. Rome has loads of amazing plazas and Piazza Navona is one of the more famous ones. 

Besides having insanely hot weather the entire weekend, we really enjoyed Rome. We were able to walk to all the big sites (which was nice since the public transport workers strike 3 out of 4 Fridays a month). Even though we spent several solid days there I still left feeling like there was so much more to do. I hope we are able to go back again to see more of the amazing churches and eat more gelato!

York

Last month during my mom's visit we took a day trip to York. The weather was overcast and rainy but we still managed to have a great time in this historic city. We started off at Clifford's Tower, where in 1190 an angry anti-Jewish mob forced 150 Jews to be locked inside the tower and the victims chose to die at the hands of each other rather than be killed or renounce their faith. That tower was actually destroyed during the riots and the current tower was built in its place. 

Next we headed to the Merchant Adventurers' Hall and toured the inside to keep out of the downpour. It was built between 1357 and 1361 and was the guildhall that controlled all foreign trade in and out of York until 1830. 

It is one of the largest timber-framed buildings still standing in the UK and is still used regularly for meetings by the Merchant Adventurers. The roof of the hall is held together only with wooden pegs. 

The main attraction of this adorable town is the York Minster. The title "minster" was given to churches established during the Anglo-Saxon period as missionary teaching churches but is now only an honorary title.

The York Minster is the largest medieval cathedral in all of Northern Europe. Construction began in 1220 and was finished in 1480 so the cathedral encompasses several major stages of Gothic architecture. 

The Five Sisters Window has five lancets each almost 50 feet high and is the minster's oldest complete window dating from 1250.

The 15th-century choir screen depicts the 15 kings from William I to Henry VI. The cathedral has suffered from several fires throughout its existence and the organ was damaged heavily in the fire of 1829 and again in 1984. 

The minster was built on the site of a former Roman basilica. This statue marks the site where Constantine the Great was proclaimed emperor in AD 306 after the death of his father. 

York is surrounded by the original Roman city walls and medieval gates. Monk Bar is the most preserved medieval gate in York and still has a working portcullis (vertical opening gate). 

The Shambles is a cobbled lane lined with 15th-century Tudor buildings. It is too narrow for cars so it is a nice pedestrian shopping area. It is the most visited street in Europe and gives a glimpse of what a medieval street may have looked like (although I assume it had fewer souvenir shops). 

I came to York the first time while on holiday in 2011 where we ate at this amazing restaurant called Akbar's. It was the best Indian food I'd ever had. Since then I've always wanted to go back to see if it was as good as I'd remembered. Let me assure you...it was. My mom and I split chicken korma and naan. Both were amazing. Now I want to return to York just for more Indian food. 

York is one of my favourite of the small towns in England (smaller than London, that is). It has interesting historic sites and delicious food. I'm glad I was able to go there with my mom for her last day trip in England during her visit.