Our place
Rach in her 'rain gear'. Hey, at least it's Holland's favourite colour!
We went across the street for dinner at Cafe Kale where we received an unusually warm welcome. Coming from a week in Paris where people take a bit longer to warm up to, our server that night was a true intro into a much different culture and very friendly people. He shared a few of his favourite things to do in the area such as a few markets nearby and a local brewery. Despite our best effort, Dutch very quickly proved to be a very difficult language to read and understand, and so he helped us with the menu. We split the mussels served with fries and a large portion of mayo and a few glasses of the local beer. We weren't sure if our server brought us two orders of the mussels or not but the bucket that came to our table was huge. There was easily 2kg of steaming mussels. We tried our best to finish them, but surrendered, leaving a few.
Mitchell at Cafe Kale
The next morning we got up bright and early and walked to the Jordaan area to grab coffee and a quick bite. It was a beautiful 30 minute walk along the canals from where we were staying. We were recommended a local spot called Winkel, known for it's apple taarts. They definitely nailed it and we drooled over a fresh taart with a dollop of real whip cream.
Canal walk to Jordaan
Apple taart from Winkel
We strolled through narrow streets along the canals and very soon got jealous of everyone on bikes. You really can't believe it until you see for yourself just how many bikes there are in Amsterdam. Locals don't walk much and it's a difficult city to drive in with all the canals, so absolutely everyone bikes. Except of course the swarms of summer tourists with cameras, they walked and dodged getting run over by oncoming bikes. There are bikes for every need; bikes for two, bikes for families with small children with a compartment built in the front, bikes for adults and kids to pedal together, bikes for carting stuff around. We did a bit of window shopping in the 9 streets area and then stopped for lunch at La Moustache back in our neighbourhood. It was a great modern Dutch restaurant that turns into a fun drinking spot at night.
A typical Amsterdam parking lot
In the afternoon we took the tram a few blocks east from our place to Brouwerij 't Ij Amsterdam brewery which had been recommended to us. It was a small brewery filled right up with a mix of locals getting off work and some tourists looking for a couple tasty pints. We ordered a flight of 5 beers so we could try a few different ones on tap. They were all great, a few using the Belgian style of brewing beer that gave them lots of flavour and higher alcohol content. Made for a fun happy hour!
Beer menu at the brewery
That evening we went for a stroll through the infamous Red Light District. We didn't really know what to expect but it definitely lives up to its reputation. We did a circle through the main area with the hundreds of other gawking tourists, witnessed a quick 2euro peepshow (let's just say it was accurately priced) and headed back to our area for some late night drinks.
Red Light District
At every bar we popped in to in Amsterdam it felt like we were busting in on a private party. Everyone seems to know each other and they are all tall and good looking. The bars are cool without trying and have a fun and positive vibe going on. We had a couple shots (on the house!) at midnight for an early birthday celebration and then called it a night.
The next morning we rented some bicycles and headed out of the city along the Amstel river to Ouderkerk. It's a small town on the river about 10km southeast of the big city. It felt like a weekend getaway destination with quaint restaurants, accommodations and shops. The restaurant we stopped at, Loetje, was occupied by either local regulars or the lucky few tourists that ventured out of Amsterdam to find it. A friend had recommended this spot to us, saying it was famous for steaks and that it was definitely worth checking out. With help on the all Dutch menu we ordered the Biefstuk ossenhaas "De Roode Waard". Luckily we split it because this was a serious indulgence (heart attack on a plate!). It was a delicious tenderloin steak covered in chicken liver, bacon, onions and jus. Definitely nothing like we've ever eaten before but we loved every bite of it!
The bike "MENU"
In our new bikes!
Loetje restaurant in Ouderkerk
Biefstuk ossenhaas "De Roode Waard"
After our mountain of tenderloin/bacon/onion/liver delight, the server brought a special birthday ice cream, complete with a candle at Rach's request. The candle was closer to a firecracker--pretty much the kind that kids are warned against for fear of blowing their hands off. The photo does not do it justice! The best part about this flame-throwing celebratory display was the warning printed on the firecracker. We think something got lost in translation there (see photo).
Flame throwing birthday candle
We're pretty sure something got lost in translation on the candle warning!
It was a beautiful bike ride back along the river to Amsterdam and the sun finally decided to come out by the time we returned. We spent the afternoon in the old centre watching a free concert in a plaza and stopped into a local "coffeeshop" before dinner. "When in Rome!"
Old windmill along the Amstel
For Mitchell's birthday dinner we went to Sama Sebo on recommendation from a friend to try one of Dutch's most famous styles of food, Rijsttafel (literally translated to "rice table"). Rice is served with 20+ small portions of Indonesian dishes, varying from sweet to spicy and everything in the middle. It was very tasty but way too much food, as we had been warned. We ended up zig-zagging around the canals for the rest of the night to walk off our dinner.
Rijsttafel at Sama Sebo
We didn't get a chance to fit in any museum visits while in Amsterdam, but perhaps on another visit at another time. Amsterdam is a beautiful city and especially enjoyable when you navigate away from the tourist hot spots. The bikes and canals, and the distinctive warmth of the Dutch people make it very unique. Proast!
Here's a link to all of our Amsterdam photos:
More Photos - Amsterdam
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