Holland, Michigan, is full of tulips and sprinkled with Dutch culture. This past weekend, I had the privilege of visiting the other Holland. I traveled to the Netherlands to explore Amsterdam!
Each city I visit shows me their unique personality. Amsterdam’s bridges and canals were beautiful. Although it is a major city, it is smaller and more residential. There was an intimate feel as there weren’t skyscrapers but small colorful buildings and parks lining the canals. Bikes filled the streets of Amsterdam, they outnumbered cars! Amsterdam is a city created to accommodate biking with large bike lanes on every street and sidewalk, equipped with ample bike parking. My friends and I wanted to experience this. We rented bikes and rode them in a local park for hours. It was a great way to see the city and the people.
The culture of the people of the Netherlands are very kind and welcoming. Warm and welcoming people filled every cafe and restaurant we visited. The food culture interested me in Amsterdam, it is very global. Amsterdam has a handful of authentic dutch restaurants and stroopwafel stands. However, the city is known for their abundance of international restaurants. My friends and I enjoyed Indonesian cuisine and a Hot Pot dinner. Getting to try a variety of authentic foods in the same city was a great experience.
Amsterdam is full of museums. My friends and I visited the Van Gogh museum and the Anne Frank House. I enjoyed seeing famous pieces made by Van Gogh in person. The Anne Frank house was so powerful. Seeing the museum was surreal as it was the actual place that held the Secret Annex which Anne Frank hid in. We climbed through all of the rooms and took it all in. This was a moving experience.
Amsterdam and the Netherlands were a great trip and an interesting new culture to experience. Until next time!
