Amsterdam — Blue Trainer Travels

See

Every time I have been to Amsterdam, people always ask me the same thing … “Are you going to the coffeeshops ?” And the answer is still no because there is so much more to this vibrant city than their legal use of narcotics.

So what should you see when you come to Amsterdam Well, without a doubt, visit as many museums and art galleries as you can. I have found the art scene here in Amsterdam vast and can cater to all needs, from your traditional art gallery located in Rijksmuseum to your modern art in the Stedelijk Museum. If you’re looking for something a little concentrated on one artist, then the Van Gough Museum is the place to be. Every time I visit this museum, there is always a different exhibit on which showcases his work. Don’t miss an opportunity to see one of the famous sunflower painting as you will never see it anywhere else - it’s too fragile to be transported now. The Moco had a remarkable, impressive collection of Banksy and is probably taken the spot of the best art gallery that I have seen.

The Red Light District. Yes, I’ve been there, and it’s pretty amazing. I have a lot of respect for the women that make an income here, so please be respectful as well to them when you go there. Don’t take unwanted pictures. Walk as much as you can or cycle, but I can’t cycle so I can’t tell you about that. But walking along the canals is quite therapeutic, or maybe it’s the Pisces in me speaking.

In the spring, DO NOT MISS KEUKENHOF. This place is the reason I return to Amsterdam over and over again. A short bus journey from the airport will take you to what I call Tulip Haven. You can easily spend the whole day here if you don’t bring a picnic there are many restaurants that you can visit, but the queues can be long, and the prices are quite high. If Keukenhof is closed, but you are still looking for an open space, then Vondelpark is the place to be.

Make sure you take a trip on the canal. If you get the IAmsterdam Card, then you can find one which is essentially a tour on the canal. I hope you find the one which my sister and I found where they told you all the photo-taking opportunities. All I can say is make sure you are sitting on the left-hand side of the boat and look out for the many bridges shot :)

STAY

Obviously with the number of times I have been here, I have stayed in a wide range of accommodation but one of them takes the spot and if you were to visit Amsterdam, I’d say stay at the Pillows Anna van den Vondel. This boutique hotel is close to Vondelpark and is not too far from the main areas in Amsterdam. You can easily get the tram to everywhere you want to if you are not up for walking. Apart from the the big comfy bed that you get, the service itself is pretty amazing. We didn’t get tickets to go to the Ann Frank Museum, they were willing to try and book these for us which was really nice of them. They weren’t successful, but I appreciated the fact that they were willing to find them for us.

Sir Albert was another great place where we stayed at, well mainly because of their wine hour. I mean you can’t beat a place that gives you free wine ! It’s close proximity to De Pijp made it my top hotel to stay at as from here, it’s pretty easy to go to Museumkwartier which is where all the museums are. Well worth a stay.

Munch & drink

Seafood Bar - if I’m with J and we don’t come here, there will be hell to pay without a doubt
Bakers and Roasters - a very nice Kiwi restaurant which we always make sure we visit. Their brunch is well worth the wait
Bocca, arguably the best coffee (actual coffee) in town.
Tulip Indian Restaurant if you are up for a curry
Moak Pancakes - I loved that they had some interesting combinations for recipes but it was a beautiful gem to find

As always, this is a guide, meant to give you ideas but please please go out and explore as well and come back and share where your travels have taken you.