Amsterdam!
Our friends decided not to join us in Amsterdam as planned. They were having too much fun in Malaga. That’s understandable but we were ready for a change of scenery. So off we went to this beautiful city. I should mention that on our last night in Malaga, we enjoyed a jacuzzi. Afterwards, we walked down the uneven steps and missed one… result? Broken foot. The remainder of the trip will be spent hobbling!
When our friends decided to remain in Malaga, I had to cancel the Amsterdam hotel reservations. The two rooms were linked. So, we kept our Sheraton reservation for the final night but opted for a hotel by the Amsterdam Flower Mart. We chose it mainly because of a nearby restaurant we thought we’d be visit to meet friends for dinner. The room was nice… and quiet.
Just across the street, was an Italian restaurant. A little research showed this was the spot that had gluten free options. Barry had a pizza and I had a gorgonzola pasta. We had a booth but there was plenty of high top seating.
Though the street below could be lively, our room remained silent. In talking to people around the area, we found that this particular area didn’t even wake up until midnight! We were definitely sound asleep by that time!
First sight of the day? Clear skies! Heavy rain was predicted… we tried to figure out how we were going to see the sights on a rainy day. Thankfully, we didn’t have to worry about that! So off we went…
As we do every day, we started at a nearby coffee shop. Just on the corner outside our hotel, we found a very cozy spot. The owner was so welcoming… he treated us as though we were guests visiting in his home. Of course we ordered two cups… like every other day since we left home. It was fun people watching out the window.
There are so many things I love about Amsterdam… the canals, the flats that are accessed by stepping down and most definitely, I love the cobbled walkways lined with green doors, lined with ivy. So charming!
We chose our hotel because just around the corner we have enjoyed with our friends from Amsterdam. Located at Rembrandt Square, we walked over to see it thinking we would be eating there that night. Surprisingly, the venue was shut down for remodeling. We walked across the street to check out all of the sculptures in the Plaza area… Instantly shocked, there was only one sculpture. So confusing… did we just think we saw them? Did our memories trick us? We will ask our friends at dinner…
Continuing to wander through the canal area… we came upon this interesting eatery. Not exactly an eatery, more like a fast food spot. Each spot had a fresh, heated sandwich… so easy… no waiting…
Sights around town… funny window signs, so many cheese shops. Such a stark difference between Malaga and Amsterdam… Spain is earth tone colors, Amsterdam grays and greens. Spain warm weather, Amsterdam chilly and misty. Spain alleyways are lined with cafes and restaurants. Amsterdam has more shops than food.
Just outside the hotel, running along the canal… a, or rather THE… flower mart. Blocks long of tulips, tulip bulbs, calla lilies. If we didn’t have over ten feet of snow on the ground, I would have been more motivated to purchase bulbs.
So many colors! Surprisingly beautiful is the black tulip and calla lily. You wouldn’t expect for black to be pretty as a flower but it really is. In the flower booths, we saw cacti, bulbs and even wooden, decorative flowers.
Straight across from the Flower Market we found the other side of the walkway was lined with restaurants and cheese factories. Happily, we noticed a pancake house with gluten free pancakes. OMG! So, so, soooo good. A cross between a pancake and a crepe, this strawberry and chocolate breakfast put a giant smile on my face! We sat outside because indoors was tight quarters and very full. It was festive but I needed a little fresh air. The flower view was the perfect setting. We figured it was just warm enough to eat outside and we best take advantage of it… in case the predicted weather hit.
Bikes… the most popular mode of transportation. Foot walking is pleasant as there is so much to see but having to watch for cars AND bikes made it a bit challenging at times. We noticed many of the brick walls were tagged with graffiti. Though some of the artwork is quite good, it still seems sad to deface such old buildings.
