3 Days in The Netherlands
We flew to Amsterdam for a quick trip at the end of November last year to meet my in-laws at the end of their vacation.
Despite only having three days we were able to cover a lot of ground (and water!) during our time there.
I’d spent a few days in Amsterdam with my friend Alex and Wiktoria during my semester in Vienna, but this was my first time back in 12 years!
Tuesday Arrival:
We flew Tuesday after work and had a late arrival. A 25 minute taxi ride later we arrived at our hotel The NH Collection Amsterdam Schiller and had dinner at the adjoining restaurant, Cafe Kuyl.
The drive
Seeing a city at night gives you a different perspective. The artificial light highlights different elements of the city than what you see during the day. I was struck by what I saw in the residential areas - large windows in the apartments and from those which I could see, clean, sparse, Scandinavian feeling decor, though I am sure it was truly Dutch in its own right.
The Hotel
We’ve stayed at a few different NH hotels in the past year and none of them have disappointed. The “Collection” hotels are a bit more upscale and have an artistic feel.
The Restaurant
Cafe Kuyl is run separately but physically connected to the hotel and keeps the quirky artistic vibe going. They had a mix of fun art on the walls.
Wednesday
Wednesday was action packed as we took a tour which visited multiple destinations in the areas surrounding Amsterdam. Here’s the link to the Viator experience.
We took the tour in Spanish which was fun and funny. It was an opportunity to improve my comprehension but also just to soak in the areas themselves since I couldn’t understand everything. Our guide was very nice and when she had extra time would chat with me and translate any bits I was interested in to understand better.
Zaanse Schans
First up was Zaanse Schans, a small traditional village home to several historic windmills and a clog factory.
We got to see a block of wood transformed into a clog and then had roughly an hour to explore the village and shops where I bought an old cross stitch pillow from the Antiques shop and some stroopwafels, a local confection. We even saw snow falling on the windmills!
The cutest of the 141 houses in the village!
The hand held and automated clog factory machinery
The pillow that I bought for 30 euro! On theme!
Edam
Next stop, Edam! We took a group stroll through a quaint neighborhood, much of which lines a canal. Talk about real estate goals. We weren’t there for a long time, but it was a good time.
Volendam
We headed to Volendam for lunch and an hour to explore this harbor town. First we sat for lunch, and luckily we did as the sky opened up and dumped a decent bit of snow, which was nice to watch - from inside the restaurant.
In Volendam I found a plethora of gift shops with sock selections and bought several pairs of Dutch themed socks. I love a good graphic sock!
Marken
The final stop was Marken which is located roughly a 20 minute drive or water taxi from Volendam. So, why drive when you can cruise? We took the aqueous options which was a nice ride across the open water.
Marken itself was nice; the charm of Edam and the waterfront views of Volendam. We didn’t have time to explore and the sun was starting to set, so the group walked through the town to meet the bus on the other side and head back to Amsterdam.
Back to Amsterdam
The drive back was lovely as the sun set and we ate at an Italian restaurant near the hotel at Rembrandt Plaza. I got a kick out of the menu art.
There is something real special about a city on the water at night. The buildings come to life in a new way at night and show off double in the reflections of the water.
Hard to beat Lasagne, especially when with Mary’s blessing!
Thursday
We took another tour on Thursday, but this time a private tour just for our group. This trip was to Giethoorn, which is described as the “Venice of the Netherlands.”
It was a lovely little place but I am starting a personal petition to have people stop calling places “Venice of the X.” There is a Little Venice in London as well, and these names set really incorrect expectations in visitor’s mind!
Venice is truly unmatched, so let’s call these nice little places that have canals for transport.
A farm on the way
I love grocery stores and fresh produce! I was super happy when on the way to Giethoorn we had the opportunity to stop in to a small local farm to taste, and buy, some of their fruit.
It was fresh and delicious and the people who worked there were so nice! I would have been just fine if I was left there all day and picked up on the way home :)
30 eggs for 6.25 euro!
Fresh and beautful
Departing with an arm full
Giethoorn
Giethoorn itself was a cute little village. The homes themselves are only accessible by the canals and there are 176 small bridges which connect the tiny community. Here’s a great Travel + Leisure article on the town.
We took the canal tour which was roughly an hour and wound around the houses and out onto the open lake. It was super foggy most of the day, but that made for some really beautiful/eery photos of the lake.
We ended with lunch at a local restaurant which was delicious, then headed back to Amsterdam.
The trees reflected on the lake reminded me of soundwaves
Friday
Our last day in the Netherlands was our first and only day in Amsterdam itself. We started with a coffee and walked from our hotel to the Rijksmuseum, home to paintings of the Dutch Masters.
The walk is roughly 20 minutes but we departed so that we could take our time before the ticket reservation time.
Amsterdam has such a distinct character. The architecture alone sets it apart, but then you add the concentric U-shaped layout of the buildings along the canals and it starts to carve out its own particular feeling. Next layer in the bicycles. They outnumber the cars in the city center (by design) and seem to come endlessly from any direction. As an outsider it almost feels dangerous and tricky to navigate, but they operate seamlessly, winding about the city.
The following two photos are my best representation of Amsterdam. It takes an adept cyclist to navigate the streets with an open Diet Coke can!
It was a fairly speedy trip through the museum itself, but I found a few pieces that I enjoyed!
Here are two of my favorite ladies from paintings. The first is from Jacob Cornelisz van Oostsanen’s The Crucifixion and the second The Holy Kinship from Geertgen tot Sint Jans’s workshop.
After the museum we took a little walk, stopped for lunch and then grabbed our bags and headed to the airport!
Luckily the flights were on time and there were no train issues upon arrival.
