A spring weekend in Amsterdam

A few weekends ago, we jetted to Amsterdam for a quick 48 hours. I had always wanted to visit Amsterdam in the spring when their famous tulips were in season.

We arrived early Saturday morning into the city and quick sought out breakfast. We were pleasantly surprised to find a multitude of brunch options in the city.  We hadn't realized what a fantastic food destination Amsterdam was.  Living in Geneva can sometimes feel a bit limiting in the food department because our options are fondue, steak,  Italian, and more fondue, and while I certainly love a good ol' pot of fondue, finding different varieties of food when traveling makes trips all the more exciting.  Over the course of the weekend we enjoyed cuisines such as Indonesian, Vietnamese, Tibetan, and of course the required national dish of the Netherlands, french fries with mayo.

After breakfast, we made our way to the Rijksmuseum, a national museum dedicated to arts and history in the Netherlands.  The museum was just reopened in 2013 after a 10 year, EUR375 million renovation!  The museum offered a free audio walking tour via its App, so we downloaded it and spent a few hours exploring the museum and refreshing my memory on famous Dutch painters such as Rembrandt, Hals, and Vermeer.  My favorite piece was "the Milkmaid" as my grandmother has had a replica of this painting hanging in her kitchen ever since I can remember.  After you've viewed a photo or replica of something your entire life, there's just something indescribably special about seeing the "real thing" in person, whether it be a painting or a monument or a place.

The Milkmaid by Vermeer

The Night Watch by Rembrandt

The beautiful library in the museum 

Intimidating statue in the museum's Asia collection

Outside of the museum

After the museum, we did a podcast audio walking tour of the Red Light District.  Amsterdam of course has a reputation of drugs, prostitution, and debauchery, but it was fascinating to hear the history behind why this is the case (essentially Amsterdam has always been a safe haven of free expression, whether it be religion, speech, prostitution, or marijuana) and to learn about how the government regulates its "seedier" industries.  This was a prime example where a tour (whether it be via podcast, audio, or guided) significantly enhanced my understanding of a destination.

Thousands of bikes parked outside the train station - there are minimal cars in the city but thousands of bikes

Church in the middle of the Red Light District (ironic…) 

Some of the PG-rated sights in the Red Light District

On Sunday we started the day with another podcast audio walking tour of the historical part of the city. It brought us through each of the canal "rings" of the city, past famous monuments and also hidden, less-touristy parts of the city.  Amsterdam is bound together by a series of canals that beautifully connect the city.

The Royal Palace of Amsterdam

Flower market with tulip bulbs

The city of Amsterdam is built on land reclaimed from the canals, so you can tell that some of the older houses are sinking into the ground or leaning against each other for support

A hidden garden in the middle of the city

In the afternoon, we took a series of buses WAY outside of the city to the Keukenhof, a massive spring garden that is famous for its tulips.  While the journey to the Keukenhof was long, the gardens provided an idyllic Dutch tulip experience.  Pardon the multitude of flower photos, I just can't resist when it comes to flowers...

An indoor greenhouse full of orchids! 

Indoor greenhouse full of tulips

Outside of the Keukenhof you can see fields of tulips being grown

Overall, we really enjoyed Amsterdam.  It has a fascinating mix of architecture and canals, history, beautiful sights (and flowers!), excellent food, and a quirky counter culture.

EAT: Saigon Cafe (Indonesian food), Kerkstraat 59 (huevos rancheros(!) and breakfast), Ramen-ya (Ramen, obviously), Vlaams Friteshuis Vleminckx (fries)
STAY: Ibis Styles was cheap, clean, and conveniently located near the train station
PLAY: See all of the above! Also, we didn't have time to go to the Anne Frank museum but I have heard it is a must-see