The Journey to, Amsterdam, The Nethelands (09/2010)

They say the best time to visit Amsterdam is mid-March, when you pay shit loads of money to see this:

Hurray to pretty flower land !

But, unfortunately I still belong to the lower middle-class family that can not yet afford an expensive trip like this sooo, this will have to wait. Having said that, I spent four lovely days with my 老公 to Amsterdam in September. It is probably the cheapest time to travel there but honestly, it was a different atmospher. It was actually my second time to Amsterdam, and not that much has changed :)

The Attractions

Compared to other cities in Europe, Amsterdam resembles more of an entertainment district than a historical one. You can probably finish touring the entire central Amsterdam in 2 days. Visit Anne Frank Museum and take pictures of the river outside if it's sunny, going to the Dam Square for a few photos :) Be sure to set foot to the all famous Red Light district both during the day and at night, you will think you are in 2 different worlds trust me ;) Beautiful ladies (and maybe not so beautiful ones too) standing in their underwear in show window waving you to go in. Something you will never see elsewhere.
For beer lovers: Heineken factory (claps). Take a tour to see how beer is brewed and get 3 free beers!! We were light weights and ended up feeling not-so-good...haha. 
For Sex lovers: Shout-out to perverts! Amsterdam is popular for their opened mind about sex and there are countless erotic museums EVERYWHERE! Go inside to see the giant penis and take sexy pictures with the erotic-icon Marilyn Monroe!

The traveller's advise

Bring plenty of money!! (Even if you dont want to experience what's actually going on in the Red light district haha) Things are pretty expensive in Amsterdam. I cannot remember there being any free entrance... Must-see attractions including the Anne Frank Museum and Hieneken factory cost around 10-15 euros each. Allow extra cash for transportation too.

Volendam

A place you cannot miss when visiting Amsterdam. Windmills are one of the key symbols in the Netherlands, along with there diversed types of cheese, and clog shoes. Volendam is the place where you can spend a day to embrace the green, the animals and take lots of pictures :) You can also visit their cheese and clog factories to see how they are made. Good place for souvenirs too.

The traveller's advise

 You can choose to join from the selection of day tours after you arrive Amsterdam. There are local agencies in town where you can find all the relevant information. Tour prices ranges from 30-60 euros per person.

The Cuisine

I was surprised to find this delicious half grilled (tasted kind of raw too) seasoned fish in Volendam. I never really had any high expectations on seafood when I am in Europe but this one really impressed me. It was possibly the best fish I have tasted in Europe :D Must try! 8 euros.


There was also the tiny Dutch pancakes which were so cute and tasty at the same time! You can top it with any flavoured ice-cream of your choice, sugar or syrup. They even sell it at Burger King haha. 3 euros. I am not so much of a dessert person but the pancakes was simple yet yummy! Must try :)


There were also other snacks like the Cheese fries (3 euross) and pea soup (depending on restaurant). Personally did not enjoy the pea soup very much as the colour was a little disturbing and I could taste the skin of the pea which was not very pleasant.

There are also selections of argentina cuisines (basically grilled steak) on the tourist streets. It didn't taste too different from an ordinary steak which you can get in London but if you ran out of things to try then you might like it taste it :) A regular meal costs about 16 euros.

 The random capturing

Enjoy & Until next time :)

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