Goodrick Summer Adventure Part 2 in Amsterdam
This summer Mike and I spent a few weeks visiting family and traveling throughout Europe. Today’s post is part 2 in a 5 part blog series. Check out part 1 about our time in Finland here!
After spending 1 week in Finland visiting family and sightseeing in Helsinki, we met my brother-in-law, Jon Jon, in Amsterdam! We were super lucky to schedule our flights close together and easily found another at the airport. We picked up our city passes, found a local bus, and headed to our Airbnb.
Throughout our time in Europe, we stayed in Airbnb’s in each city. In Amsterdam, we stayed near Vondel Park in a quaint residential neighborhood. During our first evening in Amsterdam, we walked the canals and found a local favorite for dinner, Cannibal Royale. It was here we experienced Dutch “Bitterballen,” a local doughy, meat-based snack. It was the perfect Dutch beginning of our time in Amsterdam!
We had many museums, restaurants, and experiences on our “must do” list for Amsterdam. At the very top of the list was the Anne Frank House. On the morning of our Anne Frank Tour, we enjoyed a quick coffee and breakfast at a local cafe before heading to our tour. The Anne Frank House was an incredible experience. There aren’t words to adequately express our time there, what we learned, and the emotions we felt during the tour. We weren’t able to take photos inside her home or during the tour, but if you ever find yourself in Amsterdam, it’s definitely worth the experience.
Have you noticed that food has been a top priority during our trip? Well, it only gets better. 😉 While in Amsterdam, we were excited to try many different kinds of cheese. We visited a cheese museum, but it was basically an excuse to sample all of their cheese. 👆🏽
I was very excited to see one of my favorite childhood snacks in the aisles of a Dutch grocery store, SPRINKLES. And this photo 👇🏽 is living proof that I’m not the only one who loves sprinkles. It’s a breakfast and general delicious snack my dad grew up with. He passed down his love for a sprinkles sandwich to my sister and I (toast with butter and sprinkles) and I was beyond thrilled to see an entire section at a local grocery store dedicated to various kinds of sprinkles. If you’re curious, they can be bought here on Amazon. 😉
During our time in Amsterdam (and in Europe in general), we took public transportation everywhere. Amsterdam’s local tram system is super easy to navigate and they even have a transit employee onboard to specifically help tourists purchase tickets and find their way around. It was super helpful!
Amongst the many museums we visited during our 5 days in Amsterdam were a Pipe Museum, the Van Gogh Exhibit, Rijksmuseum, Banksy, and the Heineken Experience. Each one had a different audience and purpose and they were all interesting to visit! My personal favorite was the Banksy Exhibit. Banksy is an anonymous artist from England who creates satirical street art with politically charged messages. Banksy is a thought-provoking artist who makes incredible pieces. Experiencing this exhibit was a highlight for me!
Just a few weeks before we left for Europe, we found out our friends David and Holly would be in Amsterdam at the same time as us! We met up for a day trip to Haarlem to visit the Corrie Ten Boom House, a safe house and underground railroad for Jews during WWII. During the Second World War, the Ten Boom Family helped over 800 Jews find safety and refuge. At any given time, about seven people could be found hiding in their home. They built a false wall in an upstairs bedroom and created a hiding space behind the wall. The hiding space is just barely large enough to stand up in (see our photo in the hiding place below). Our time at The Corrie Ten Boom House was sobering and emotional. It’s a beautiful example of how one family can make a deep impact on the world. I can’t recommend the Ten Boom House enough. (Shout out to our friend Christopher for recommending it!)
After a great day in Haarlem, we took a train back to Amsterdam. This train ride was definitely not the highlight of our trip. It was reminiscent of our time in India: hot, humid, and full of stagnant air. But nevertheless, we survived but have vowed never to speak of it again. Except on this blog. 😂
We enjoyed a final meal in Amsterdam together and had one of my favorite Dutch staples for dessert, the stroopwaffle! Stroopwaffles are thinly baked crackers with a caramel syrup filling. They can also be found fresh at local bakeries with toppings. This is a game changer, friends. DELICIOUS.
We loved our time in Amsterdam, but after the warm and humid weather, we were ready for Paris. Spoiler alert, we didn’t get the weather relief we were looking for! Stay tuned for my post about Paris!
Goodrick Summer Adventure Part 2 in Amsterdam
This summer Mike and I spent a few weeks visiting family and traveling throughout Europe. Today’s post is part 2 in a 5 part blog series. Check out part 1 about our time in Finland here!
After spending 1 week in Finland visiting family and sightseeing in Helsinki, we met my brother-in-law, Jon Jon, in Amsterdam! We were super lucky to schedule our flights close together and easily found another at the airport. We picked up our city passes, found a local bus, and headed to our Airbnb.
Throughout our time in Europe, we stayed in Airbnb’s in each city. In Amsterdam, we stayed near Vondel Park in a quaint residential neighborhood. During our first evening in Amsterdam, we walked the canals and found a local favorite for dinner, Cannibal Royale. It was here we experienced Dutch “Bitterballen,” a local doughy, meat-based snack. It was the perfect Dutch beginning of our time in Amsterdam!
We had many museums, restaurants, and experiences on our “must do” list for Amsterdam. At the very top of the list was the Anne Frank House. On the morning of our Anne Frank Tour, we enjoyed a quick coffee and breakfast at a local cafe before heading to our tour. The Anne Frank House was an incredible experience. There aren’t words to adequately express our time there, what we learned, and the emotions we felt during the tour. We weren’t able to take photos inside her home or during the tour, but if you ever find yourself in Amsterdam, it’s definitely worth the experience.
Have you noticed that food has been a top priority during our trip? Well, it only gets better. 😉 While in Amsterdam, we were excited to try many different kinds of cheese. We visited a cheese museum, but it was basically an excuse to sample all of their cheese. 👆🏽
I was very excited to see one of my favorite childhood snacks in the aisles of a Dutch grocery store, SPRINKLES. And this photo 👇🏽 is living proof that I’m not the only one who loves sprinkles. It’s a breakfast and general delicious snack my dad grew up with. He passed down his love for a sprinkles sandwich to my sister and I (toast with butter and sprinkles) and I was beyond thrilled to see an entire section at a local grocery store dedicated to various kinds of sprinkles. If you’re curious, they can be bought here on Amazon. 😉
During our time in Amsterdam (and in Europe in general), we took public transportation everywhere. Amsterdam’s local tram system is super easy to navigate and they even have a transit employee onboard to specifically help tourists purchase tickets and find their way around. It was super helpful!
Amongst the many museums we visited during our 5 days in Amsterdam were a Pipe Museum, the Van Gogh Exhibit, Rijksmuseum, Banksy, and the Heineken Experience. Each one had a different audience and purpose and they were all interesting to visit! My personal favorite was the Banksy Exhibit. Banksy is an anonymous artist from England who creates satirical street art with politically charged messages. Banksy is a thought-provoking artist who makes incredible pieces. Experiencing this exhibit was a highlight for me!
Just a few weeks before we left for Europe, we found out our friends David and Holly would be in Amsterdam at the same time as us! We met up for a day trip to Haarlem to visit the Corrie Ten Boom House, a safe house and underground railroad for Jews during WWII. During the Second World War, the Ten Boom Family helped over 800 Jews find safety and refuge. At any given time, about seven people could be found hiding in their home. They built a false wall in an upstairs bedroom and created a hiding space behind the wall. The hiding space is just barely large enough to stand up in (see our photo in the hiding place below). Our time at The Corrie Ten Boom House was sobering and emotional. It’s a beautiful example of how one family can make a deep impact on the world. I can’t recommend the Ten Boom House enough. (Shout out to our friend Christopher for recommending it!)
After a great day in Haarlem, we took a train back to Amsterdam. This train ride was definitely not the highlight of our trip. It was reminiscent of our time in India: hot, humid, and full of stagnant air. But nevertheless, we survived but have vowed never to speak of it again. Except on this blog. 😂
We enjoyed a final meal in Amsterdam together and had one of my favorite Dutch staples for dessert, the stroopwaffle! Stroopwaffles are thinly baked crackers with a caramel syrup filling. They can also be found fresh at local bakeries with toppings. This is a game changer, friends. DELICIOUS.
We loved our time in Amsterdam, but after the warm and humid weather, we were ready for Paris. Spoiler alert, we didn’t get the weather relief we were looking for! Stay tuned for my post about Paris!
