Amsterdam

Amsterdam is also a top 10 European city on our list. If we only return to a city every few years, we find that our experience of the city is quite different each time.Travel is so dynamic, it's wonderful. Cities evolve but so do we. People often say about places, even whole countires, "It's not what it used to be!" but I like to embrace the change and discover the place all over again. Amsterdam is great for walking but you need to have eyes in the back of your head to avoid being knocked over by bicycles, trams, cars or refuse trucks. Just stroll all the shopping areas, markets and suburbs, stopping for a coffee here or a beer there. The street cafes are lovely in summer and it stays light untill 11pm at this time of year. Sample the stroopwaffels or crokettes or something stronger from the Coffee Shops and take lots of pics of the canals and the bicycles and the crooked buildings.

Fast Food Vending Machine

SLEEPING

Camping Zeeburg is a well located, well run and friendly campsite in Amsterdam that has made it onto our top campsites in Europe list. 

EATING

Historic Hotel Le Europa has a 2 Michelin starred restaurant called Bord De Eau but if you eat in the Bistro you get food from the same kitchen, a view of the canal, no dress code and cosy tables that encourage conversation with your neighbors, in our case a friendly couple from Louisville, Kentucky. 

Envy Holland has never been known for it's cuisine but there seems to be so many new exciting restaurants in Amsterdam now. Our set menu dinner with wine pairing at Envy was world class.

Here's a list of restaurants we didn't get to but are saving for next time..

Bluespoon - in Nege Straatjies area

Jansz -  for the lunch set menu

Tujuh Marent -  best rijstafel in town

Foodhallen - for Michelin starred Bitteballen

...if you go, let us know how you enjoyed them.. 

DRINKING

Cafe Emmelot - traditional old bar in Red light District  - indoor tables with a great view of the canal and passers by if the weather turns bad (which happens a lot) Not a lot else going for it...

There are a lot of way more traditonal, atmospheric and historic bars in the Zeedijk/Damrak area where you have to stop in for a Genevers (dutch schnapps) though.

Cafe Alto -Jazz bar for late night drinks and live music.

Bourbon Street - Blues bar with live music every night.

Cafe Alto

Bourbon Street

DOING

Canal Tour- Skip the terribly touristy glass-roofed canal boat trips and hop onto a Friendship boat. Cushions to loll on, drinks for sale and the young Simon, skipper from SA and only about 12 other guests. Luckily for us it was a sunny, warm evening.

Moco Museum - We saw an excellent Banksy exhibition here this time.

The must-do stuff for tourists...

Rijks Museum

Van Gogh Musuem

Heineken Experience

Red Light District

Friendship Canal Tour

Heineken Experience

Rijks Museum

Banksy on Neil