A'Dam

About a month after our Rome trip, we took a trip to Amsterdam. One of the many perks of living here is that my husband occasionally travels for work and we often try to make it into a trip. So, B planned some work travel in Amsterdam and I flew over on a Friday and we made a weekend out of it. 

For many people, Amsterdam is synonymous with the coffee shop culture. While it may be a large part of the tourist attraction, there is much more to the city. One of the few cities referred to as "Venice of the North," Amsterdam is home to over 100km of canals! These canals, along with Dutch Renaissance architecture, intriguing museums, diverse cuisine, and laid-back culture, make this city one of my favorites.

 I met B at Schipol Airport and we took the train to Amsterdam Central Station. We split some Vlaamse Frites (fries!) in the bustling Dam Square, then wandered the canals in the Nieuwmarkt en Lastage and De Wallen neighborhoods. 

De Wallen is the infamous "Red Light District," where you'll find streets lined with scantily clad prostitutes (they're legal there) beckoning from windows, sex shops, and advertisements for "adult" shows. It's unlike anything I'd ever seen! Just a tip: don't try to take pictures of the prostitutes... they'll bang on the windows. Not speaking from experience or anything... Anyway, we got a beer and people-watched at dusk in Nieuwmarkt, then turned in for the evening.

de Dam / Dam Square

Red Light District

Canals at dusk / Central Station in the background

The next day, we walked around Jordaan (the charming neighborhood where we stayed), along Singel Canal for the Flower Market, and over to Museumplein (plein = square) and the Van Gogh Museum. Very cool!

We also met up with a coworker from B's office, who was extremely helpful and showed us around more of the city and invited us out to a party (it's always so nice to get the local perspective). In fact, she has since moved to Dublin and become a good friend!

Museumplein / Museum Square

That evening, we also went to an amazing Indonesian restaurant -- the tasty result of Indonesia having been a Dutch colony for more than 300 years. After checking out a local party, we made our way to Leidseplein for a fun night!

Leidseplein

Our final day, we saw the Anne Frank House... a somber, but very interesting experience. Then, we enjoyed the only sunshine on our trip (we brought Dublin rain with us!) and strolled through Vondelpark, Amsterdam's "Central Park."

It was a great trip and I'd love to convince my husband to book another work trip... until then, it's another check in our ever-growing European Bucket List!