I took a little break from my blog for a couple of weeks while my husband and I set off on a grand adventure; traveling around the entire planet in ten days. We only had 2 stops planned, but the idea of completely traveling east from Houston until we ran back into Houston just seemed too wild of an opportunity to miss!
The itinerary was simple; we’d spend an extended layover (2 days) in Amsterdam on our way to India. Once we landed in Delhi, we would travel through the Golden Triangle of India and end our trip celebrating with our friend and his fiancé at their wedding.
As excited as we were for this trip, I don’t think either of us were truly prepared for the experience ahead of us.
But I’m getting ahead of myself; our grand adventure around the world started along the chilly canals of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
Why Amsterdam? Because I’m very Dutch. I grew listening to my Grandpa Roorda telling stories about his family coming over from the Netherlands and settling in a Dutch community in Pella, Iowa. He told me everything it was to be Dutch, how proud he was to be Dutch, and taught me so much about our heritage.
Amsterdam was about halfway between Houston and India, so it was a great place for us to enjoy while acclimating to a new time zone. As soon as we got on the plane, I’ll never forget my husband, Court, looking between me and the Dutch flight attendant in surprise. When she walked away, he looked at me and said, “you really are Dutch; she could’ve been your sister!” This would be one of many times that people on our trip thought I was 100% Dutch.
We landed in Amsterdam at about 7:00am Dutch time on February 18th and we wasted no time getting to the hotel and hitting the streets. Our hotel, the Die Port van Cleve, was situated about a block from Dam Square, the central square in the historic district; we were easily within walking distance of the Anne Frank House, Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam (the Royal Palace of Amsterdam), the Oude Kirk, and tons of canals and historic buildings.
We started the day with a mandatory coffee while configuring a plan for our first day, which turned into explore everything within walking distance. In case you were wondering, a mocha in a Dutch coffee house is probably the sweetest, chocolatiest mocha you’ll ever drink (also, be warned that a “coffee shop” in Amsterdam refers to a very different establishment, which we did not partake in while we were there…). Mellie’s, just outside our hotel, was also known for their stroop waffles; if you ever travel to Amsterdam, you’ve got to try them at least once.
After some caffeination, we walked through the Dam Square and pretty much walked until we couldn’t walk anymore.
At lunch time, we got some good intel from our hotel concierge on some local fare. Lunch varies in America, but most of us probably eat something savory. Our concierge informed us that a common Dutch lunch was pancakes, waffles, or tomato soup with grilled cheese. So we headed down to Pancakes near the Anne Frank House for some standard lunch pancakes.
This was where I recognized a dish for the first time on our trip; poffertjes. Growing up, we took a few trips here and there to Pella, Iowa to celebrate Tulip Time and spend time with family. Whenever we visited, we made a point of enjoying some poffertjes from a local joint that made authentic Dutch street food. Back then, I couldn’t imagine anything better than these little fried pancakes topped with butter and powdered sugar.
Apparently, not all poffertjes are made equal. Sorry, Pella family; the ones in Amsterdam are just on another level!
After a quick nap to reenergize and allow our lunch to settle, we set back out for a canal tour through the city. They took us around to see many different museums, historic homes, points of interest, and included a lot of historic anecdotes about the city. We even passed a home that had been built in 1590; and yes, someone was still living there!
We finished off our day of exploring with a couple of Dutch brews and a charcuterie board of local sausage and cheeses. I’m a little ashamed to admit that I didn’t know the Dutch were known for their cheese, and it was good enough that my non-cheese-eating husband was a fan.
20,000 steps through Amsterdam on our first day brought so many sights and experiences that I had only dreamt of, and we still had another day ahead of us!
Day 2: Windmills, Cheese, Clogs, and Islands
Our second day in Amsterdam started early as we picked our way through the quiet streets to meet up with our tour guide and bus. We quickly boarded the bus and headed to the outskirts of the city to Zaanse Schans (sounds like “zohn schons”).
We saw the windmills long before the bus stopped in the parking lot of the picturesque little village. After a quick explanation from our tour guide, we were free to explore the windmills and village for about 40 minutes before boarding the bus again.
Our next stop, and probably my favorite, was the medieval village of Edam (sounds like “ay-dohm). This little village was full of homes even older than those in Amsterdam! They even had an old bell tower from a church that had long since been torn down and replaced by an even bigger one at the edge of town. Our guide was quick to point out that the Dutch were efficient and practical about building on their swampy delta land, and this village was no exception.
From there, we got to learn about Dutch cheese and the wooden clogs! The cheese shop we visited explained how cheese was made and how the same cheese could taste different depending on the age; I never knew there was young, middle-aged, and old cheese! We also got to watch one of the few people who knew how to make the wooden clogs by hand create a small pair of clogs. I didn’t buy any, but apparently they’re good for posture and lower back pain!
As for the cheese, we got to sample at least 12 different types and I think my husband likes cheese now!
For lunch, we visited the waterside town of Volendam (sounds like “vull-ihn-dohm”). It looks just like you might imagine a little Dutch village overlooking the water; and although it might look like the sea, this body of water is freshwater! When they built the dikes to protect the town, the water of Markermeer Lake slowly turned from salt to fresh.
After walking the cobblestone streets (and deftly avoiding some cars and bikes!), we stopped at a restaurant highly recommended by our guide. Our hostess sat about 10 of us down at a table together and stared us down as we quickly had to decide between the fish and the chicken (though, as she recommended tersely, the fish was best!). Bowing to peer pressure, we each ordered fish and awkwardly started introducing ourselves. Over a meal of amazing fried fish, potatoes and salad, we bonded with people from Minnesota, Scotland, Singapore, and London. You just never know who you’re going to meet when you hop into a tour bus!
Last, but not least, we drove around Markermeer Lake into Marken, an island village. We walked around the village along a dike, shocked to see that the water level on one side of the dike was much higher than the homes and businesses on the other side. We learned a lot about the ever present threat to the Dutch way of life: the water.
Ever since people settled in the Netherlands, the water has challenged them in the same way that it challenges New Orleans in Louisiana. The windmills, dikes, and canals that have made the Netherlands famous were all designed to pump out the water, protect homes, and reclaim land. With rising sea levels, the new challenge is learning to keep the water out and/or live with it. In fact, one of the cheese we tasted near Edam was made from milk taken from a floating dairy farm. The Dutch have dairy farms that float. I can’t even make this up!!
As we walked the streets full of electric cars, bikes, and a noticeable lack of one-use plastic, it all made sense. They strive to protect the environment so they can protect their way of life, and I can see how someday, electric cars could make a difference here, too. I don’t think the technology is there yet, but as someone who loves nature, I think there is definitely promise.
After our tour, we grabbed some souvenirs and ended our time in Amsterdam with another brew and charcuterie at our favorite Dutch pub. (Okay, the only Dutch pub we visited!)
Final Thoughts
On Monday morning, we packed our bags and prepared to leave. I looked out over the city one more time from our hotel room and felt this sadness deep in the pit of my stomach. While eating the food, meeting the people, and seeing the land with my own eyes, I felt more connected to my family’s heritage than ever. As cheesy as it sounds, I felt Dutch.
But when I looked back at the top of the Royal Palace and thought about how long that incredible building had stood there, I realized something. Amsterdam had been here long before I had ever set foot on her cobblestoned streets, and she would be here long after.
I think I could write a book about our short time in Amsterdam, it was such an incredible experience! This was my first crossing one of the oceans to travel, my first time in Europe, and my first time in a country that spoke a language other than Spanish or English. Wow. I will leave you with a few other anecdotes and thoughts about our time in Amsterdam:
- There are a lot more canals than we expected, even knowing there were supposed to be a lot of canals!
- I didn’t know that the Dutch were known for their cheese, and I have to say it was probably the best cheese I’ve had!
- The Dutch seem to love their sweets! The poffertjes are truly delicious.
- I was initially hoping to find an authentic Dutch Letter (this is a pastry I love from the bakery in Pella!) but I’m also kind of relieved because they won’t be ruined for me!
- Stroop waffles are worth the hype. Most definitely.
- It takes a minute to get used to where the road and walkways are; the electric cars are silent, but they’ll try not to run you over. The bikes, on the other hand, will kill you.
- There are bikes everywhere. Everywhere.
- People leave their curtains open; Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans, Edam, Volendam, and Marken. Our tour guide said they kind of operate under the idea that “good citizens have nothing to hide”; maybe there’s something to it.
- You’re probably wondering about the Red Light District, and we accidentally wandered into it the second night! It’s mostly bars and clubs, and the famous red lit windows seem concentrated around the Oude Kirk (the old church!) of all places…
- Our tour guide mentioned that while he was living in Amsterdam (he was originally from New Jersey!), he learned that culturally the Dutch could be very direct. Not rude, just a little more direct than we were used to in America. We wouldn’t experience this until we were trying to track down our luggage in Delhi, when a Dutch passenger would tell me where she had found her suitcases and that if I would “just look at the screens above the carousel; it says it right there!” (It did not say it on the screens lol.)
- Two days was not enough time for us to see everything we wanted to see, but it was just enough time for us to know that we will definitely be coming back someday!
Jess and the Outdoors 