Some rain, more rain and some more more rain and the hail one afternoon in Siena. O sole mio, dov’e sei? Otherwise, lots of fun, good food, chianti, lots of art and medieval history 🙂 So besides the sun that I haven’t found, Tuscany is best known for its rolling hills, which are populated by […]
Some large city in a hilly region in North Rhine-Westphalia, Wuppertal is a constellation of smaller towns on the high banks of the Wupper River. In the early days of industrialisation the Wupper Valley was a hotbed of nascent industry in a landscape of textile mills and coal mines. The wealth that these businesses brought […]
What’s the first image that springs to mind when you think of Switzerland? If it’s cheese, chocolate, banking, or mountains, then you have the same impression of the country as most people. To the reality of these stereotypes, I am adding some more. Stereotype number 1: You know how they say that Switzerland is super […]
Regensburg Best visiting is the golden hour visiting – every corner seems enlightened, every rooftop has its moment, every facade shows its magic pulled out from the history of being. And indeed, when strolling through Regensburg, you encounter evidence of the city’s magnificent history every step of the way. Regensburg is a city in eastern Bavaria, […]
A girl who spent most of her life next to the border with Slovenia, it is hard to explain what this country is about. To me, the country of Slovenia was a place to do the shopping, the place where people speak my dialect but not my official language, a country that always complicates the […]
It was the capital of the Duchy of Lorraine. Following its rise to prominence in the Age of Enlightenment, it was nicknamed the “capital of Eastern France” in the late 19th century. The motto of the city is Non inultus premor, latin for ‘”I am not injured unavenged”, a reference to the thistle, which is a symbol of Lorraine. The exiled […]
There is a post on my blog already dedicated to Flemish cities of Belgium . But I have decided that this city deserves one single post for itself. Even more, as I have been to Brugge many times, and as always, there is a place to discover something new. With its cobbled streets, crooked bridges, […]
The two cousins that like to compete. Prague is obviously the capital, and Brno a second biggest city in Czech Republic. It is quite clear that Prague is beautiful, great historical city and a capital which means way more opportunities, foreigners, tourists, businesses.On the other hand, Brno is a very compact city, with great atmosphere, […]
If you are not familiar with Madeira, it is a Portuguese island sitting in the Atlantic Ocean between Portugal and Morocco. It is an archipelago in region known as Macaronesia (group of volcanic islands: Azores, Madeira, Canary Island and Tenerife and Cabo Verde). History by Greeks claims this might be Atlantida. Plutarch writes the impressions of founding […]
Visiting the Burg Eltz it was inevitable to stroll down the hills of Rhineland-Palatinate and explore. To be honest, the navigation was not up to date as bringing us to the closed local roads or reserved only for the local agricultural vehicles. But there is a beauty in getting lost like that! 🙂 Koblenz is […]
Eltz Castle (German: Burg Eltz) is a medieval castle nestled in the hills above the Moselle between Koblenz and Trier, Germany. It is still owned by a branch of the same family (the Eltz family) that lived there in the 12th century, 33 generations ago. Hidden in the western Germany, in the hills above river Mosel, deep deep in the Rhineland […]
Guess what’s new? – Corona. Guess how long it will last? – China. Never mind. The travel ban is still on for Belgium, so explorations within the country continues. This weekend was reserved for Tournai. A beautiful city on the west of Belgium. Kinda looks like Lille at the first sight. Although, being part of […]
Not so many cities have amaze me as this one. Visiting it at least 5 times so far with almost all possible means of transport, and with different purposes (touristic, leisure, business, shopping, visiting a friend….) gave me deeper introspective of Amsterdam. So let’s start first with the cityscape! The favourite thing of this city […]
Not so many cities have amaze me as this one. Visiting it at least 5 times so far with almost all possible means of transport, and with different purposes (touristic, leisure, business, shopping, visiting a friend….) gave me deeper introspective of Amsterdam.
So let’s start first with the cityscape! The favourite thing of this city as unique and quire romantic! Amsterdam’s Old Town is a mix of canals that go round and round making you being confused and hard to orientate especially since the cars are forbiden there.
If you look at the map carefully, you will understand where from the cities name derive: the dam of the river Amstel.
As the entire city is concentrical, it is piled with many canals over which boats are passing by with many toursts (quite drunk and stoned if I may say) that are partying for bachelor’s or bachelorettes. There are many bridges over these canals with flower pots and typically hipsterish bycyles leaned at the fence of the bridges.
Canals of the river AmstelMum and me in Od Town ❤
The very other thing likeable so much in the Old town of Amsterdam are the houses and facades. Literally, some houses are from the 15th century, still alive and yeah, without the curtains (calvinists believed they have nothing to hide in front of others).
Most of those houses are leaning (no, you are not stoned from the smoke of the nearby coffee shop – the are really leaning to get more space in the upper parts, but some houses are just failed based as it is all built on water). These houses are often slim, high and deep. Because of the danger of flooding the front door is sometimes higher up and only reachable via stairs
Oh yeah, and bicycles!
Leaning houses and bicyclesLeaning houses over the canalLeaning houses over the charming canals
Talking about duth charm, last time I visted Amsterdam, I visited with my mother. We rented a car from Brussels and drove through the Netherlands. My mother was ipressed by the villages, landscape, green meadowes and farms, number of cows, polders as an irrigation system of Netherlands and the windmills.
Landscape of Netherlands
Thanks to this lifestyle, the traiditional footwear are clogs. These were wearn by farmers when going to to a garden or into a barn. Clogs are made of wood but they are quite comfortable shoes.
When I visited Amsterdam with my brother, we went to Heineken Experience. This was my second time but I needed to re-visit as Martin is being a fan. The entire experience is educational, showing the production of beer, bottelling as well as the entreprenurial and marketing spirit of Alfred H. Heineken.
At the entrance of Heineken ExperienceSome marketing movesHistory of Heineken company How to make a beerHeineken’s Logos so far
In the end of our tour/ experience we ended at the rooftop, with a great DJ, beautiful view on the city and good beer in our hands. The world was ours. 🙂
Partying in the rooftops of Amsterdam with the view on RijksmuseumHeineken Experience at its very best
And for the first time I tried dark Heineken. Should I comment it? 🙂
I actually did not know that this kind of beer exist. But it was a worth to try it as after all, I do prefer darker beers than light lager as they say the darker beer is smoother than the regular one.
If your Heineken makes you happy… 🙂
But I have to admit, it was the only time I tried it as it is so hard to find this type of beer in Amsterdam or elsewhere.
When talking about beer of Amsterdam, the other very popular one is Amstel beer. My favourite moment is when I sit at the Rembrandt square and enjoy all the small moments one could have with lovely ones. Small things bring big happiness.
So here we go to a bit of a cultural part of the city. Rembrandt was the famous painter of 17th century Amsterdam when the city was flowering together with Holland, Flanders and entire regione of the North sea accesses. Reimbrandt is, according to the historians, belonging to the Dutch Golden Age. His most famous peace of art is the Night Guard which can be found in Rijksmuseum, dutch King’s Museum.
Rijksmuseum
Night Watch by Rembrandt
Rembrandt and the characters of his Night Watch painting
Vincent van Gogh once said about him: “Rembrandt goes so deep into the mysterious that he says things for which there are no words in any language. It is with justice that they call Rembrandt—magician—that’s no easy occupation.”
As they both lived in Amsterdam, only Van Gogh lived in late 19th century in the era of post-impressionism and had less envying life (at least for me). Apparently, he cut his own ear as he was using absenth in this almost-all-legal city.
His most famous painting are The Sunflowers which can be found in Van Gogh Museum.
Van Gogh Museum
Sun flowers – the most famous painting of Van Gogh
Self portrait of Van Gogh
Holland is the region of Netherlands famous by tulips and many other flowers. Tulips actually came from Ottoman Empire but somehow remained as trade mark of Netherlands. Having this in mind, everytime I buy a sack of tulip bowls. But last time with my mother in Amsterdam, we went to the Flower market and bought many different type of flowers and bulbs and garden decorates 🙂
The entire flower market is floating in the water, and is one of the most fragrant places of interest of Amsterdam – in all seasons. This unique market exists since 19th century. The flower stalls stand on the houseboats and evoke the old days when the market was daily supplied by boat.
Tulip bulbs at flower marketFlower market
Amsterdam is full of coffee shops where you get a menu with cannabis joints and prices. Usually the smell of weed spreads around so no need to go there and get a muffin, mushroom or a joint… 🙂 Here how the typical coffee shop looks like:
Coffee shopMenu in the coffee shop
Ofcourse, for those with a broader experience, there are broader options:
Bank of cannabis seeds
The other weird side of Amsterdam is the Red Light District. Since the prostitution has been legalized in 1960’s, this has been a quite booming touristic branch. The entire neighbourhood appears red thanks to red led lamps, women dancing in the windows and many sex shops, erotic shows too… Ofcourse taking photo is highly forbidden and risky as usually the security comes, takes your camera and hits it in the canal.
Red Light District
We even managed to find a Sex Museum. I was not impressed at all even though there were historical traces of sex, sexual education pornogrpahy etc.
Mediaval methode of masturbation prevention
Bench in Sex Museum
Oh Amsterdam, do charming yet so challenging 🙂
So, as the night was falling down, the city became crazier. Parading youngsters in costumes, some of them already having enough of everything I would say, but still continuing on…
The morning after the city looks like it has been cheewed couple of times and just spit out. Clutched would be a better word.
That morning we went on a Cheese market to try Gouda cheese!
Different types of Gouda
Gouda cheese
Cheese house
Degustation
We passed by the mein square the Dam square where is the King’s Palace located and the New church.
King’s Palace at the Dam square
Famous resident of Amsterdam city was Anne Frank, as well – a Jewish girl who was running with her family from the Nazis and hiding in the attick of some dutch house at Prinsengracht 263 in Amsterdam. After more than two years in hiding they are discovered and deported to concentration camps. Anne’s father, is the only one of the eight people that survived. After her death, Anne becomes world famous because of the diary she wrote while in hiding.
Amsterdam is one of my top favorite cities! Wow. How is it being able to experience the place? I’m bookmarking this one for future travel references. Amsterdam is really one of the best places there is!
This design is incredible! You certainly know how to
keep a reader amused. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Fantastic job.
I really loved what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented
it. Too cool!
Admiring the persistence you put into your website and detailed information you provide.
It’s great to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same unwanted rehashed material.
Fantastic read! I’ve saved your site and I’m including your
RSS feeds to my Google account.
It looks like you had amazing time in Amsterdam! Can’t wait to go there 🙂
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It looks like you had a great time! Amsterdam is on my bucket list 🙂 Sharing to my travel board on Pinterest as well!
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beautiful pictures and i love those cute shoes!
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I’ve never been but it’s definitely on my list. The rooftop view looks amazing!
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Travel blogs make me so wistful! Amsterdam has been on my list forever and this just makes me want to buy a ticket now. Beautiful pics!
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Such a cool travel guide, this is awesome dear.
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I went there a couple of years ago with my parents. We had such an amazing time. Saw much of what you shared. I’d go back in a heartbeat.
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I love your pictures! I have heard that Amsterdam was beautiful but never really looked at pictures. It looks like a great trip!
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Added to my bucket list! Such a beautiful place to explore!
Pammy – joyfulsource.com
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You have made me miss Amsterdam! I have been so many years ago, 9 years already. But it’s definitely a place to check again.
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Reading this post makes me so happy 😁
Coz m just booking Tkts to Europe and Amsterdam is on the cards
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Looks like you managed to visit much of what Amsterdam has to offer, nice pics!
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I have been looking into Amsterdam. I did not think it looks this way. I am even more interested in visiting and seeing it in person.
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Exceptional post by an exceptional blogger on an exceptional city! 😊
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Images tell the story. Can’t wait to visit beautiful places like this.
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Amsterdam is one of my top favorite cities! Wow. How is it being able to experience the place? I’m bookmarking this one for future travel references. Amsterdam is really one of the best places there is!
LikeLike
This design is incredible! You certainly know how to
keep a reader amused. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Fantastic job.
I really loved what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented
it. Too cool!
LikeLike
Admiring the persistence you put into your website and detailed information you provide.
It’s great to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same unwanted rehashed material.
Fantastic read! I’ve saved your site and I’m including your
RSS feeds to my Google account.
LikeLike