On a whim, I went to Amsterdam this weekend. I had never really imagined going to Holland, but I’m glad I did. Traveling in Europe is so easy – there are trains, planes, and buses that leave at least once a day with reasonably priced tickets, and hostels in every major city. We opted for the train, so we had three hours to see the countryside of northern France, Belgium, and the Netherlands (it looked pretty similar to central Pennsylvania, but maybe a little greener, a little older).

Amsterdam is a beautiful city. Meandering over the canals, dodging the bicyclists, and walking through the small streets was amazing. We got to see the Van Gogh Museum, with an exhibition on naturalism in painting and photography, and an outdoor market at Albert Cuypstraat. The public transportation system was efficient and easy to figure out, even though I don’t speak a word of Dutch. The food was great too, although the only real “Dutch” dishes that we could find were pancakes (in an adorable tiny restaurant decorated with teapots hanging from the ceiling), fries with mayonnaise, and stroopwafles (my new favorite food). We also tried some delicious Indonesian fare, since there are quite a few Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam because it was once a Dutch colony. 

It was difficult to pinpoint what was specific to the Netherlands in Amsterdam, beyond the coffeeshops, Red Light District, white and blue porcelain, and wooden shoes. As the city’s tourism website claimed, everyone speaks English (although I can see why, with how difficult Dutch is). Amsterdam is incredibly multicultural, which is great and also inevitable in the era of globalization. I was just curious to learn more about the culture of the Netherlands, since I didn’t know much about it. But the city’s atmosphere of tolerance and friendliness was refreshing, and I feel much more confident about living and traveling abroad after getting around so easily there. Here are a few pictures; enjoy!

Location: Centraal Station, Amsterdam, The Netherlands