2 Days in Amsterdam!

This was my first time going to Europe! My best friend recently moved to the Netherlands for school, so naturally, I had to visit! And who visits the Netherlands without seeing Amsterdam?! We had a limited amount of time to tour, so we sure made the most of it in September!

How did I get to the Netherlands?

I flew to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) with Icelandair from Thunder Bay, Ontario (YQT). My first flight was just under 2 hours from YQT to Toronto Pearson (YYZ) with the sister airline WestJet. From YYZ I flew Icelandair to Keflavik, Iceland (KEF) for a layover – the flight was just under 6 hours long. From KEF to AMS the flight was just over 3 hours long.

Day 1 in Amsterdam!

When I arrived at the Schiphol Airport, my best friend was waiting for me. It was so good to see her again! Although I was quite tired after a red eye flight, and felt greasy from travelling (do you know what I mean?), my energy bounced back the second I saw her! The Covid-19 pandemic travel restrictions were super difficult as I was living in Ontario for school and work and she was living in Nova Scotia for school and work. This reunion was pretty sweet.

But no matter how sweet the reunion felt, we had a train to catch! We rushed from the airport and hopped on the train (Nederlandse Spoorwegen) and made our way to Amsterdam Centraal Station which was absolutely beautiful. I don’t have any photos from the train station unfortunately as I was carrying my big backpack with me and didn’t have my camera accessible.

Coming from Northern Canada, I was blown away with the infamous European train system as we don’t have that luxury – what an efficient way to travel! The only tricky thing about the Nederlandse Spoorwegen train system for me was that everything from their app (called NS) to the voice commands once on the train, is in the Dutch language. It’s a good thing my friend is Dutch herself and fluent in the language.

The first thing we did when we arrived in Amsterdam was dump my bag in a storage locker which was super easy and contactless and then hit the town! I’d recommend this to anyone travelling with more than a fanny pack or purse. It made the whole experience worry free and easy in Europe.

The Netherlands uses the Euro (EUR) currency which is a little more expensive than the Canadian dollar (CAD), so be prepared for that. 1.00 EUR equals about 1.45 CAD. I was able to use my Apple Pay Visa everywhere I went except for one small bakery outside of Amsterdam. When using cash, the coins were a little confusing for me, but the bills that I ended up with were similar to Canadian dollar bills.

Bikes, bikes and more bikes!

It’s true, there are bikes absolutely everywhere! I am very grateful that in order to prepare for my trip to the Netherlands I included cycling at the gym – my butt would’ve been SORE!

The parkades above aren’t for cars, they’re for hosting thousands of bicycles. How Dutch people ever find their bikes will forever be a mystery to me. Imagine coming home from a long day at work at night and you have to sift through bikes that look like yours while you forgot your bike’s location?? Does the Apple app, Maps, save your location of bike parking like it does when I park my vehicle?

Did you know that there are “boy bikes” and “girl bikes”?? I sure didn’t! From my understanding, the photo on the left is a “boy bike” with the bar straight across the frame and the photo on the right is a “girl bike” with the bar dipping down the frame to allow skirts and dresses to flow while cycling. I saw bicycles of all kinds EVERYWHERE!

Some culture shocks for me that I observed were:

• “Girl bikes” and “boy bikes”.
• Bike lanes dominated city roads with traffic lights specifically for cyclists.
• Most bikes had bells on them to alert pedestrians of oncoming traffic.
• Bikes had the right of way over pedestrians.
• No one was wearing helmets.
• Bikes had lights for night time cycling that turned on while peddling.
• Almost every bike had a basket, splash guards, and seats for passengers.
• Some bikes had bassinets that carried babies!
• Bikes required double bike locks to prevent theft.
• Food delivery services like Skip the Dishes is by bike!
• Bridges and staircases had ramps to carry bikes on.
• Stairs were shallow which allowed people to cycle down them.
• Coming from Canada, I found it difficult to steer “girl bikes” because the balance points while turning were a little different. My bikes at home could all be considered “boy bikes”.

Walking Around the City

Following finding a locker to store my belongings in, we walked around the city for a little while taking in the beauty. There were such unique and tall buildings right off of water in canals, cheese shops on every corner, fry stands and waffle houses on every street, and coffeeshops in every alley (don’t mistake coffeeshops for cafes in Amsterdam, or you’ll find yourself in a cannabis shop). In most places in downtown Amsterdam, the workers spoke English which made going to restaurants and shops easy for me.

After my first little taste of Europe, I needed food. My friend found a super cute café called The Craftsmen Kitchen in an alley. The Craftsmen Kitchen had the most delicious fresh bread and squeezed juice that I have ever consumed! The Craftsmen Kitchen made me a vegan version of the hummus avo salad into a sandwich and the Juice N.2 (apple, pineapple, celery, and spinach) and my friend got the spicy chicken sandwich. The bread I consumed in Holland was next level!

Some things to note in the city that were foreign to me as a Canadian were:

• There were very petite cars.
• Pride flags hung on innumerous buildings.
• Same sex couples were freely holding hands and showing affection in public which seemed to be the norm, male loving male couples even! As a queer person, this is something that pleasantly surprised me; as someone coming from Canada where being openly perceived as non-cisgender and non-heterosexual is still not as comfortably advertised as it should be in 2022.
• Water at restaurants was not free. This was also strange for me to experience as cups of water are freely given in Canada.
• There were no railings on canal edges.
• Coffees come in tiny cups that are always accompanied by baking or chocolate (that’s free of charge). No Tim Horton’s extra large double doubles here!
• Using washrooms in public costs money.
• There are no screens on windows. It must be nice to live mosquito free!
• Many of the streets were made of stone instead of asphalt.
• Umbrella racks can be found in the doorways of stores.
• If you’re grocery shopping and change your mind about purchasing an item, the cashiers do not accept the grocery item, you put it back yourself.
• Buildings have tall and skinny doors.
• The windows on tall buildings open all of the way and do not have safe guards that prevent them from opening.
• No one wore purses or backpacks, tote bags ruled the streets. Once I got home I purchased a tote bag so I would be prepared for the next time I visit!
• You wear your shoes into other people’s homes.
• Grocery store workers could sit on stools or chairs while working.
• There were open candles on restaurant tables everywhere. It felt very romantic!
• Windows were very large which let in tons of natural light which I loved.
• The water pressure wherever I was using sinks was A1.
• Groceries have transparent packaging for food items. I am very used to solid colour packaging on food items with pictures of the item for sale on the packaging itself.
• Many restaurants did not accept tips – it’s included in the price.
• Sex work is a legitimized profession.
• You can purchase and smoke marijuana inside of coffeeshops.
• Everyone wears a lot of perfume or cologne.

KattenKabinet – The Cat Museum!

If you know me, you probably know how excited I was to visit this cat museum. I purchased our tickets a month in advance in anticipation of visiting this place. I fricken love cats! (For those of you who are team dog, don’t worry, I love dogs too. Especially my partner’s silly little dog). This place even sold post cards!

This entire multi-floor museum was completely dedicated to felines and had a quaint coffee shop vibe that I very much enjoyed. The tickets only cost  €10 each. There were statues, photos, portraits, articles, nick nacks, and everything else kitty that you could possibly think of in this place, including live cats that reside within the Cat Cabinet. You can even pet the cats! We sure spent a lot of time playing with some of the residents of the place! I loved this museum. A double thumbs up for this place from me.

Coffee & Coffeeshops

After the KattenKabinet, we needed a pick me up. We walked to the restaurant, Bravi Ragazzi to grab a cup of coffee (with chocolates!) and use the washroom. Post coffee, our next stop was my very first coffeeshop. My friend made fun of me for being “such a tourist” taking a photo inside the coffeeshop, but coming from a country that only recently legalized marijuana, I couldn’t believe you can just go inside a shop, buy a joint, and smoke it INDOORS.

Xtracold Icebar Amsterdam

This bar was so cool…literally! Admission cost  €26.50 and included 3 drinks, a fun pirate experience before entering the cold part of the bar, and a jacket and gloves to wear once inside.

When you enter the bar, you’re greeted by a bar tender who asks you what you want to drink. I asked for a surprise and ended up with a tasty ‘sex on the beach’ and I can’t remember what my friend was served.

Imagine: you’re sitting at a giant wooden bar that is pirate themed with a backstory to the ice bar playing on big screens around the building – what a vibe! Your server then hops up on a platform and leads you into the ice bar once you’ve finished your initial beverage (gold coin). The server has the crowd of you chanting and then you’re given a blue coat and small gloves as seen in the photos above.

Once inside the chilly portion of the bar, you have two drink options (silver coins) that are served to you in either a beer mug or shot glass made of ice. The vodka cream and vodka coconut drinks were SO tasty! We were both super surprised when we took them. This bar was a recommended experience from me if you’ve never been inside a bar made of ice.

The Red Light District

My friend and I stopped at a little restaurant while walking to the Red Light District and dined outside. I wish I remembered the name of this place, but I do not unfortunately. This was my first time trying the famous Dutch mayonnaise, and even the vegan mayo option was pretty amazing. It’s a great fry dip in my opinion and it’s worth the hype.

It’s true, there is a part of Amsterdam called the Red Light District that is lined with tall glass windows with red lights illuminating beautiful women who are selling sex. Respectfully, I didn’t take any photos of any of the women working in the Red Light District, but it was a really neat experience. Working as a registered nurse in a hospital has completely desensitized me to nudity, but I was still completely surprised the women were nude in public. I was shocked at how casual the nudity was, no one was ogling the women, and how confident the women were while sitting in high stools or dancing completely exposed.

My friend and I toured the Red Light Secrets: Museum of Prostitution and I learned a lot! The tickets were €14.50 each. I would really recommend checking a museum out in the Red Light District if you have time. It was cheap and a relatively quick tour. We got to see the inside of a retired brothel and listen to real stories of women working in the Red Light District. The stories described sex work like any other job – with ups, downs, pride, and hard work. In this museum, I learned that the Red Light United is a union for “window prostitutes” in the area. The Dutch use the word prostitute to define the profession. I learned that prostitution and brothels are legal, taxed, and regulated in the country. Sex tourism is a popular sort of tourism in Amsterdam and individuals who are working as prostitutes on average can make between 200 and 600 plus euros per night. Sex is considered so taboo in Canada, I had no idea that sex work like this existed. The museum was really interesting. The museum concluded our first day in the big city.

After nearly 20 000 steps with tired feet, we picked up my backpack from the locker and we boarded a train to my friend’s dorm to crash for the night. The only mix up of the day was a missed canal cruise. The GetYourGuide tickets we had purchased were not compatible with the canal cruise company that we had signed up with. This has been the only mix up I’ve encountered with GetYourGuide and the company refunded the tickets. Although it was disappointing, we still had a very fun day!

Day 2 in Amsterdam!

On day 2 in Amsterdam I got to meet my best friend’s two law school friends who live in the same dorm as her. After a good night’s sleep, the best water pressure shower of my life, and some much needed water, the group of four of us hopped on a bus to the train station and made our way to Amsterdam Centraal Station. I had an absolute blast making new friends and exploring the city for a second time. I unfortunately did not take photos of the train station for a second time due to forgetfulness, but it was still beautiful nonetheless.

Snack Stop

First stop was food since Amsterdam decided to pour on us. We dove into Bravi Ragazzi for some snacks and to keep dry. I got the salad above, fries, and a daquiri which were all delicious. My friends split fries, the Sandwich Caprese, and beer.

Canal Cruise

We made it onto a canal cruise! This tour was a very inexpensive €16 and about an hour long. The cruise went through downtown Amsterdam with a history-audio we could listen to with complimentary earphones we got to keep at the end of the tour – I was grateful for these on the flights home as my earphones I brought with me were wireless and I couldn’t listen to the TV on the flights to Europe. Rookie travel mistake I suppose…

We accidentally got on the boat 15 minutes prior to the boarding time so had the whole place to ourselves and got to choose where to sit. We chose the back of the boat which was open to the air with a small canopy over us; however, you could choose to sit inside the boat if you wished. I’m glad we boarded the boat early because it was packed by the time everyone made it on for the tour time.

The cruise was a nice way to relax between all of the walking we did! The beautiful architecture against the moody sky was awesome. I learned a lot about the city of Amsterdam and it’s rich history – the audio was very informative and it was easy to follow along.

Anne Frank House

There were no photos allowed within the Anne Frank House, understandably. If you’ve seen the scene from The Fault in Our Stars movie here, you haven’t seen the Anne Frank House. There was so much more to it than the scene of Hazel Grace (Shailene Woodley) walking around inside.

Tickets were  €16 each and more than worth the price. I am not super familiar with the story of Anne Frank, but I remember her book being in my elementary school library. Only a brief history of World War II was taught in my Canadian high school and the only book I’ve read about the war was The Zookeeper’s Wife. I didn’t really feel the magnitude of the second World War’s impact until visiting this museum. It really hit me how recent the war really was. I was beyond moved and humbled. Prior to walking through the Secret Annex, the world war felt so far removed from my life over in Canada. This experience is a must-do recommendation from me if you’re in Amsterdam. On the tour you’re provided with an audio device that you listen to throughout the house.

Be prepared for your heart to be wrenched as you step inside the hiding space of the 8 individuals who survived inside the house during the Holocaust for two years – the Franks, the van Pels, and Mr. Pfeffer. The things left behind from the people residing in the Secret Annex were preserved and on display. I had no idea that Anne Frank’s father, Otto, survived everyone and that Anne, Edith, and Margot Frank, Hermann and Auguste van Pel, and Fitz Pfeffer were only days from surviving the war. Coming back to home I am more motivated to learn and understand more of the world’s histories.

As a side note, the washrooms inside of the museum are gender neutral and the gift shop sells postcards if you care about those sorts of things like me. Be prepared to walk up steep sets of stairs as well – mind your footwear.

Walking Around Amsterdam

To decompress from the Anne Frank House, my friends and I walked around the city mindlessly for a while. The city is so busy with something to see at every corner!

There were lots of houseboats in the canals!

I’ll never forget walking around the city aimlessly with no real destination.

I’m super grateful I could enjoy this company in this place. Practicing with my camera was great too!

Cannabis and Coffeeshops!

I found it interesting that you can purchase marijuana in a store and bring it into a coffeeshop. And that’s exactly what we did as per the recommendation of a coffeeshop server. I bought something “mild”. Although cannabis is legal in Canada, I am quite naïve to the effects of it. It was different experience for me to walk into a store with no ID and order weed that is out on display. In Canada, even the cigarettes are hidden behind cabinets, and in Amsterdam, you can just walk-in and choose the cannabis of your choice off of a menu! Like a restaurant!

I figured smoking in Amsterdam was part of the experience. As you can probably tell from my expression in the photo above I thought that this was the most wild thing in the world! So foreign to me. It felt illegal and exciting, but in reality it was legal and the norm. Even posting about this experience feels risqué, but how could I not share the entire trip? We all had a few puffs of the joint and melted into the environment. There were lots of giggles.

Upon entrance into the coffeeshop, we had to pay upfront as we ordered. The server explained that patrons of the coffeeshop often forget to pay once they consume their orders. I thought “that’s strange.” To be completely candid, the joint had the opposite effect on me…I am laughing while writing this – I went to pay a second time at the end of our visit because I forgot that we had prepaid haha! The server kindly reminded me that I had already paid.

I’m glad my friend wasn’t so naïve to marijuana and made sure the rest of us made it onto the train home later seamlessly.

Please enjoy a photo of me very happy and stoned while experiencing the munchies! Once we left the coffeeshop we picked up food for the trek home. I ordered the famous Dutch fries in a cone and a very scrumptious falafel wrap – the falafel wraps in the Netherlands were so good and became a quick favourite of mine! Back to the fries though, did you know in restaurants there are little wire cone stands so you don’t have to hold the fries that you order?! I think that’s neat.

To conclude two busy days in Amsterdam was the train ride home from Amsterdam Centraal Station. The ride home was a happy one with a full tummy and friends to talk with. Overall, I liked Amsterdam. It was a little too crowded for me though. To wrap things up, the city smelled like waffles, urine, and weed!

Thank you to my best friend Bobbi Strople, and new friends Sofie Bautista and Sarah Donley for the photos of me and all of the memorable times abroad!