Traveling with Laura

I fell in love with Amsterdam today. And like Hazel falling in love with Gus in “The Fault in our Stars”, it happened slowly, and then all at once. 

I left my hotel this morning after a glorious 11 hours of sleep and walked toward the canal rings and my breakfast destination. Seeing the canals bathed in morning light, sans crowds, is what did it for me. The bicycles, the pots of tulips, the bridges… it was the Amsterdam I had imagined.

I partook in Easter breakfast at Greenwoods along the Singel Canal. Despite the cool 48 degree temperature, I opted for a seat outside, because why not? My plate of pancakes with white chocolate mascarpone, crushed meringue, and raspberry compote provided necessary fuel (and calories) for my day of exploring.

After breakfast I planned to take a canal boat tour. When I arrived, a boat was just leaving and there was only one other passenger, a woman from Boston. Perfect. I relaxed and enjoyed an almost-private tour of the Prinsengracht and Herengracht canals for about an hour. The sun was shining and it was a perfect morning to be out of the water.

After my tour, I just wandered. I stopped at the Amsterdam Tulip Museum to learn the history of the Netherlands’ most popular and famous flower, which actually had its origins in the Himalayas. Sadly, I forgot to take any pictures during my visit. Then I wandered along the canals, taking pictures, stopping at “The Fault in our Stars” bench (from the movie; hence the reference to it at the beginning of this blog), and eventually ending up at the Van Gogh Museum. 

If you know me, you know I’m not a museum person. But I enjoyed learning more about Van Gogh and seeing many of his paintings interspersed with other artists. I did not enjoy wrangling the crowds to see said artwork.

My ticket came with admission to the Stedelijk Museum, a museum of modern art right next door to the Van Gogh Museum. There was a special exhibition of works by Anselm Kiefer which was shared between the museums. It was too modern for my taste, but interesting to see.

Once I’d had my fill of museums, I headed to Café Katoen for a croque monsieur and Somersby cider. The Netherlands doesn’t seem to have any of its own ciders, but I’ll never pass up a good English cider!

After dinner, I walked back to my hotel and settled in for the night. I plan to watch a little YouTube and then perhaps indulge in another 11 hours of sleep… I have more highlights of Amsterdam to conquer tomorrow!