Amsterdam, Schmamsterdam. And by that I mean: what an incredible city. I am SO happy we stopped here!

The first thing I did when we got off the train was stop at Stubbe’s Haring stand for a fresh fish sandwich. I was starving, and it was across the canal from Centraal Station. It was tasty – pickles, onions, and, well – fish. Welcome to Amsterdam!

Our apartment was located in the Jordaan neighborhood, a trendy area on the city’s west side. We traveled the entire city by foot, though bicycling is clearly the city’s choice mode of transport.

Although Belgian beer seems highly superior to Dutch beer (sorry, Netherlands), we chose to explore the world of Dutch beer at Arendsnest, Amsterdam’s beer-geek destination. Their extensive selection of drafts and bottles is overwhelming (in a good way) – all from Dutch breweries. We tried our first Jenever here – a spirit derived from juniper berries that is native to Belgium and the Netherlands. Think of the best-tasting Malort you’ve ever had (I know, I know)… and now imagine that it’s a delight to sip on. That’s Jenever. (Thanks, Jenever.)

Actually, some of the best foods we ate while in Europe were in Amsterdam, which came as a pleasant surprise. There is no shortage of Indonesian restaurants – we treated ourself to a meal at Indrapura on Rembrandt Square our first night in town. Another favorite was Jordaan’s Café Restaurant de Reiger. The food here was hands-down phenomenal, and the ribs were almost as good as yours, Mom.

We did more than eat and drink in Amsterdam, really! Since we couldn’t possibly visit all of the museums we wanted to, we spent an entire afternoon at the Rijksmuseum. Some highlights are pictured (I got a lot of fashion ideas). We also stopped into the Cheese Museum, the Tulip Museum, and may or may not have wandered into another “more risqué” museum which shall remain nameless.

We did get a chance to visit the Anne Frank House, which was not originally on our itinerary. Honestly, I think every human should go into that place. I still can not put the experience into words. It will change you.

On our last night in town we rode the ferry across IJ River to check out the festival at EYE Film Institute. The building itself was such a work of art, and the film we saw was – well, an art film. Wanna get weird? Watch Lucille Hadžihalilović’s Évolution.

In all, Amsterdam is a city I will never forget, with its own unique history and culture. And food. I would happily return.

Next up: Cologne, Germany!