There is a lot more to Amsterdam than meets the eye. Especially when those eyes aren't wandering around the red light district at the various windows or coffee shops. As one meanders around the several hundred year old canals that define not only Dutch history, but European history, a sense of calmness sets in.
Particularly when wandering on Harengracht in the Jordaan neighborhood, which we were fortunate to stay in a really cool canal-view room at The Times Hotel. This is the very tranquil area of the city, close enough to the center (just blocks away from the Anne Frank House) but in an area undiscovered by many, full of little shops, bars, and restaurants.
I had a few hours between working in the suburb which is where I was all week before Erin arrived so I wandered around the canals and took advantage of the beautiful weather and took plenty of pics. We had dinner at Oliva Pintxos in the Jordaan neighborhood and then had some hard-to-find Dutch beer at T' Arendsnest, also a block from our hotel. There are about 20 great beers on tap and over 60 more in bottles. Great vibe inside with a sleek copper tap, old stools and a relaxed vibe that would please even the Belgium beer fan who on the cover scoffs at Dutch beer.
The next morning we found a nice little breakfast spot in the nine streets area which got us off onto the right foot for a full day of exploring. It was too nice out to go into any museums so we just aimlessly wandered around town all day long, stopping for some soup on the south part of town and watching the countless local boats float by. They know how to do it right in Amsterdam...relaxed Saturdays with friends and family cruising the canals was definitely the remedy.
That night, we went to De Kas for dinner. This is a must visit in Amsterdam and just a few stops down tram number 9 that you can pick up at the train station.
The following day we woke up and rented bikes, going out to the museum quarter, some local neighborhoods and the vast Vondelpark. The park is really great as there are tons of people walking around, picnicking, biking, and even enjoying themselves at one of the many beer gardens bordering the park. Having the bikes was a great and relaxing way to enjoy the city, especially given the nice weather. We rented our bikes from Orange Bikes (200 block of Singel). They were only 6 euros for 3 hours, well worth the memories of biking the canals of Amsterdam.
The trip was great, it was wonderful to get away and get calmness before the storm being our move to London in the next week!
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