GROW WITH SARAH GRACE

In Northern Europe, a country known for tulips, windmills and bikes is nestled just above Germany. The Netherlands is a charming country home to the popular capital, Amsterdam. This past weekend, my friends and I left Rome for a little while and visited Amsterdam for a few days. Here are the notable highlights and places of our short trip.

DAY ONE:

Ivy & Bros

This restaurant/store was just around the corner of our hostel and was the perfect way to start our trip. Ivy & Bros serves a variety of healthy takes on foods and also offers pastries like a classic coffee shop. You can make this place anything you want it to be. Want to meet up with an old friend and grab a cup of coffee? Ivy & Bros is perfect. Want to grab a lunch full of health benefits? Ivy & Bros is also the perfect place. I ordered the avocado toast to fulfill a craving I have had ever since I left the States and my friend got a vegan quesadilla while the others got a chicken sandwich with avocado. From the coffee and tea to the food, we had no complaints. In fact, we were silent while we were eating because it was just too good.

Site-seeing

Amsterdam has many sites to see but my friend’s old pal from grade school is studying abroad in Amsterdam so we met up with her to get a short personal little tour. We got to see the Royal Palace, the canals, the Red Light District and the Anne Frank House. Sadly, when we were booking our trip, tickets for the Anne Frank house were sold out so we had to give up on that excursion but after seeing the place, I wasn’t upset about missing out anymore. The outside of the historical house now looks like a metal apartment building as the museum decided to renovate the place to “attract the younger generation”. Well as someone a part of this generation, it’s not working.

Melly’s Cookie Bar

We discovered this place just near the Royal Palace and only entered because we needed some water and the waffle place next to it was closed. However, I am very glad we stumbled upon Melly’s Cookie Bar because I ended up trying a new delicious dessert! This small shop serves coffee and pastries but most importantly, cookies! In need of a recharge, my friends and I ordered some pastries and water but I was interested in the cookie-like desserts in the glass display with the name ‘Alfajore”. I asked what exactly it was and she explained that it is a shortcake kind of cookie sandwiched with caramel and dipped in different types of toppings. I chose the chocolate-covered one and was delighted. Upon eating, I have done some research and it’s an Argentinian cookie that this cafe is known for.

Magna Plaza

This shopping center is just behind the Royal Palace and Dam Square and is full of many notable stores like MANGO, a cheese and aroma store to name a few, and lots of history. It is the perfect mall to get some shopping done and the architecture on the outside is beautiful to admire even if you aren’t in the mood for shopping – but who isn’t? The building is a Neo-Gothic style and is an elegant building from the 19th century which started as a gallery but was turned into a shopping mall in the 1980s. 

Xtracold Ice Bar

I’m noticing that most touristy cities in Europe have one of these, I know there is one in Rome for sure but an Ice Bar is very popular in Amsterdam and is honestly an affordable price. For less than 30 euros, you can get into a pirate-themed bar that is negative degrees celsius. Three drinks are included in your ticket, one for the “regular” bar you sit at while you wait to enter the Ice Bar, and two for the Ice Bar itself. At the “regular” bar, you can get classic cocktails with an Amsterdam twist and within the Ice Barr, you get a shot glass made of ice and have your choice of a few flavored vodka shots like coconut or Nutella.

DAY TWO:

Van Gogh Museum 

If you’re visiting Amsterdam, and are a fan of art, the Van Gogh Museum is a must. The Van Gogh Museum is found in the southern part of Amsterdam and is surrounded by more open space than the city center. This museum is full of many famous art pieces from the iconic artist, Van Gogh like “Sunflowers”, “The Potato Eaters” and one of my personal favorites – “Almond Blossoms”. Sadly, arguably the most famous piece of his, “The Starry Night” is not in Amsterdam but rather in New York City. The museum is also home to many other notable artists that were colleagues of Van Gogh. 

Crispy King 

A classic Dutch food is french fries and mayonnaise that is most of the time served in a paper cone. My friends and I stumbled upon Crispy King while exploring the area around the Van Gogh Museum and we knew we had to try a Dutch classic. Just to be cautious, I ordered my fries with ketchup and mayonnaise to ensure I had a dipping sauce I knew I would enjoy but I am happy to say that the mayonnaise with fries is a rather tasty snack. This french fry chain in the Netherlands also allows you to pick from over ten toppings like garlic sauce and spicy mayonnaise.

Mama Pancakes 

After we devoured our french fries, we were in the mood to try another Dutch classic, waffles. We found Mama Pancakes along the canal near Dam Square and were pleasantly surprised when they brought out our tastefully decorated masterpieces. You order a plain Belgian style waffle and then add your desired toppings from there. I ordered chocolate sauce and strawberries to “mimic” chocolate-covered strawberries and it was mouth-watering. My friends got apple cinnamon and it looked divine so explore the choices and try something new!

Belushi’s 

After a jam-packed day, we weren’t in the mood to go far for dinner so we walked down our hostel stairs and decided to eat at the restaurant nestled under our place. Belushi’s is a great, affordable place for drinks and dinner which is exactly what my friends and I did. Their menu is diverse and if you are staying in the upstairs hostel, you get a discount on drinks and food. They offer great vegetarian options and even some gluten-free and vegan choices as well. I ordered another Dutch classic snack, Bitterballen but the vegan version and it was delicious. I heard nothing but good things about my friend’s meals also so it’s worth a look, especially if you are staying in the hostel above. 

DAY THREE: 

Pluk Amsterdam 

Wanting to explore a newer area of the city, my friends and I were attracted to Pluk Amsterdam as it had Valentine’s Day decor and looked pretty busy. This cafe-style restaurant offers a wide variety of needs – sort of like Ivy & Bros but Pluk offers smoothie bowls and poke bowls as well. The pastries offered at Pluk are slightly more than those at Ivy & Bros as well. I ordered the “Unicorn Smoothie Bowl” and Valentine’s Day decorated cinnamon roll. Both were rather delicious and again, I heard no complaints from the group on their smoothie bowls or avocado toast.  

Flower Market in Amsterdam

Found in the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, a flower market also known as “The Floating Flower Market” sits along the street selling many house plants, flowers, bulbs, seeds and much more. Although, due to customs and travel, we weren’t able to buy any flower products but along the street where this market sits, there is a print store that is worth a look. Antique & Prints is a great place to find vintage Vogue magazine covers, watercolor paintings of the city for souvenirs and anything you can imagine. The man who runs this store has the kindest soul and was so helpful in packaging our goods the right way for travel.

Van Wonderen Stroopwafels

Another Dutch classic you have to try while in Amsterdam in a stroopwafel. These thin waffle crisps are sandwiched together with a thin layer of caramel to act like “glue” then they can be decorated however you want! We found one of the most popular places to get this delicious treat, Van Wonderen Stroopwafels, and were so pleased with it. I ordered mine with chocolate and brownie pieces but the options were many like M&M’s, white chocolate and even Dutch cookie crumbles. You can even buy some prepackaged ones if you want to get a treat for someone at home. 

FINAL COMMENTS: 

Red Light District 

The Red Light District doesn’t need much explaining but just know that Amsterdam has one and if you stay in the same hostel I did, you are within one minute walk from the district so beware. We never experienced any horrible things with the district as we avoided it as much as we could but just be careful if traveling with children.

Language 

Although the Netherlands’ native language is Dutch, most if not all schools in the country require English to be taught so everyone knows English. I believe only once I was approached with Dutch and it was when I fell and someone was checking on me. Other than that, everyone spoke English first and the only Dutch I heard was of older couples at cafes or walking around. The airport is also very English friendly in regards to signs and such so don’t worry too much about being fluent in Dutch because you won’t need it. 

Weed and “Coffee Shops”

Amsterdam is known for a few things, canals, bikes and hash weed. I must warn you that while walking around, you will smell weed around some corners. Although most Dutch citizens admit they don’t smoke and the legalized weed is used more by tourists, the smell can follow you. Around every corner, you will also find places called “Coffee Shops”. This is most likely not where you can grab a cup of coffee and catch up with some homework. Instead, this is where you can get a joint and sit with friends to smoke.

Canal Tour

My friends and I were not able to do a canal tour due to a lack of time but from what I have read, this is a must. If you come to Amsterdam and end up doing a canal tour, let me know how it goes! You can find a majority of the canal tours right in front of the central train station and they can average from an hour to longer and from what I could see, if fairly affordable.

Explore

If I could recommend one thing for every place you visit, it’s to explore. When you just walk around without a plan, you can find the best-hidden gems known to man. If you are in the mood to explore Amsterdam, find an area that isn’t as crowded as the city center like near the Van Gogh Museum, you can find a Farmer’s Market and a quiet environment for past the Royal Palace, you can find amazing restaurants away from the tourists. Just keep walking and try some new things!

Antique Stores 

Almost on every street, you will find an antique store or thrift store of some sort. I’m unsure if antique stores are known in Amsterdam but any and all of them are worth a look. We found a thrift store and an antique jewelry/china store very interesting so do some research and find what you want.

IMPORTANT DETAILS:

Hostel

Although you can stay in an Airbnb or hotel, we found that a Hostel was the cheapest option available in Amsterdam. St. Christopher’s Inn Hostel is a great location and price. You can find a room that is private for you and your friends and have your own bathroom. There is a locker rental (for only around 5 euros) that you can keep your luggage in when you are waiting to check-in or out. An added bonus, below the hostel, is the restaurant and bar Belushi’s! 

Transportation

To fly from Rome to Amsterdam, we flew on KLM Airlines. We were able to fly out at 6 A.M. on Friday and return to Rome on Sunday evening for around 160 or so euros. 

In regards to getting to and from the airport in Amsterdam, it isn’t too difficult. My friends and I took a taxi one way and the train the other. The train is the cheaper option and is fairly easy so I recommend doing this. A taxi was around 60-70 euros while a train ticket was around 6 euros from Central Station to the airport and only took 20 minutes to get us there. 

Once in the city, everything is within walking distance but if you want to opt-out of walking, Uber is an option and as most locals do, biking is also an option. I found that there are very few cars on the road unless they are Ubers or Taxis and the Tram takes up most of the streets. We never took the tram and opted for walking everywhere but the system looks relevantly easy. 

So there you have it, a long list of highlights in Amsterdam from a short trip. Whatever you do in this charming city, you will not be disappointed so feel free to venture out of your comfort zone and do some exploring!