Day 1: Cheese & Tulips
Our alarms went off at 3:00 a.m. and we caught the shuttle to Dublin Airport for our flight to Amsterdam via Aer Lingus. We made quick work of the transit system and dropped our luggage at the our hotel, The G Experience. We enjoyed breakfast at Bagels & Beans.
Wandering closer to downtown, we stumbled upon the Tulip Museum! It was a cute little spot that sold tulips, trinkets and admission to the exhibit for just €5.
Our favorite stop of the day: Musée du Fromage! For you English speakers, the cheese museum! We sampled aged Gouda, bunker, garlic cheese, chili cheese, jalapeño cheese, old goat cheese, pesto cheese, and pepper cheese to name a few. We walked out with a block of aged Gouda and a pack of cheese biscuits!
What pairs well with cheese, you ask? Wine! Across the street we enjoyed a glass at Café ‘t Smalle. For dinner we visited Foodhallen: a massive food hall with over 20 vendors and every kind of cuisine you could ask for!
To end our evening we took a stroll through Vondelpark before heading back to the hotel.
Day 2: She is Victory!
Our morning started at Pancakes Amsterdam. I finally got to try poffertjes: a traditional Dutch batter treat resembling fluffy, mini pancakes. I ordered the strawberry & powdered sugar and they did not disappoint!
Our Heineken Experience started at noon. We learned about the history of Heineken and toured the brewing room. Jeff and I won limited edition Heineken pins by beating everyone in the group in trivia. The most unique part of the tour was the bottling room. Our group entered a chamber where we experienced what it would be like to be bottled as Heineken beers. Next up: the tasting room! We sampled the golden lager and continued on our journey. Proost!
The end of the experience lead us through photo booths to the bar. There, we had the opportunity to compete to see who could pour the best Heineken. “Victoria, she is Victory!” Our guide said as I won my second beer pouring competition of the trip!
Following the tour, we made our way to the dock and got swooped up by a green Heineken boat. We cruised the canals under the shining sun while we learned about the city of Amsterdam.
I was so excited to go to Bloemenmarkt, or “flower market.” Although tulip season had passed, we enjoyed the array of colorful flowers and trinkets. Along our walk, we visited Van Holland for a sweet, Dutch treat – Stroopwaffles!
Next on the list was A’dam Lookout: Europe’s highest swing! We traveled up 100m for a 360° view of the city. A special thank you goes to Jeff for conquering his fear of heights and getting on the swing with me!
For dinner we stopped at the Pasta Factory. I ordered the penne cuatro formaggio (four cheese) to which, alarmingly, our waitress replied, “Mama Mia!” This was debatably the best pasta I’ve had in my life. With our bellies full, we rolled our way back to the hotel for the night.
Day 3: Red Light District
We had one thing left to see: De Wallen, or more commonly known as the Red Light District. In 2000, the Netherlands became the first European country to legalize prostitution. Lining the streets of De Wallen you’ll find over 300 windows with beautiful women looking to offer their services. The name “Red Light District” comes from the red fluorescent lighting outside each window to attract potential clients. When a woman is working, the light is turned off to eliminate disturbances. The district is open 24/7.
The Sex Museum was our only exhibit today. We learned about the history of recreational sex and how it became such a huge part of the Dutch culture. Trying to keep it PG13 here!
We walked through the maze of streets filled with adult stores, strip clubs, bars and “coffee shops” (cannabis is legal over here). It is strictly prohibited to take photos within the district, as they strive to protect their women.
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