As part of Mum’s 30th birthday celebrations, we went for a short break to Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. Dad had been before about 20 years ago, but it was Mum and my first time there, so we were super excited. Just like most big European cities it is ridiculously cheap and easy to get from the airport to the centre, literally 20 minutes on the airport express train and for just over 5 euros! We had taken an evening flight, so arrived at the Central Station at about 10pm. One of the first things we saw stepping out of the station was the LED “Jesus Loves You” sign (see below) adorned to one of the buildings opposite the main entrance 😂
Luckily for us, as well as the welcome confirmation that Jesus loved us, our hotel was really close to the station, so we had found it and checked in in no time at all. If you’re looking for a relatively inexpensive place to stay in Amsterdam, then look no further than Hotel Old Nickel. The rooms were pleasant and clean and the staff really friendly. The hotel reception is actually a bar and the rooms are upstairs (or in another building a few doors down), the only downside is no lift which makes the walk up and down the stairs interesting, especially if you’re under the influence 😉
The humans decided we would stay in the bar for the evening, the wheat beer was flowing quickly and the owner was playing some cool music on his turntable, so we were way too comfy to move! We spent the rest of evening making plans for the next few days, then it was bed time… I was one very tired bear!
We woke up early and after a quick breakfast, we headed towards the museums. Amsterdam has a myriad of museums portraying the importance of its role in history. First we visited the Moco Museum, which showed works of Banksy and Roy Lichtenstein in their current exhibitions. Banksy is one of Mum’s favourite artists, so we really had to go see this while we had the chance. If you like Banksy and are planning a trip to the city, the exhibition is running until January 2019. Next up was the Van Gogh Museum, we couldn’t come to the Netherlands and not go see this either! On the way back we tried to get a good photo of the iamsterdam sign, but Mum doesn’t really like people and there were people climbing all over that sign as you can imagine! No photo then 😭
Culture done, it was time for a quick drink. For a true Amsterdam vibe, go to Cafe Heuvel on the Prinsengracht, which was on the way back from the museums. This tiny bar is one of Amsterdam’s oldest cafes. The staff and customers were friendly and the atmosphere just perfect. Add that to the very very nice Amstel Bock that the humans were drinking and a quick drink became several… we actually ended up staying for a good few hours! When we finally decided to move, we were pretty hungry. One thing Amsterdam is very very good at is fast food. We had an awesome burger and fries on the way back to the hotel, but I can’t remember the name of the place or I would definitely recommend it!
One last place I need to mention and that’s where we ate breakfast the following day. If you like to eat eggs, you really need to try out Omelegg. There were normally people queuing outside as they don’t take reservations, but we timed it just right and didn’t need to wait. Very scrummy and well worth waiting for if you have to though. Just time for a walk around the city alongside the bridges and canals that weave through it. Amsterdam definitely delivered the goods when it comes to memorable experiences. Bye Bye Amsterdam, I’m sure we’ll be back soon 😘