Amsterdam!  This has been on my travel list for quite a while and this trip was s spur of the moment decision.  Anthony and I were in a tasting room in Napa (Jam Cellars) and they were playing a Pearl Jam concert on the big screen.  After a few glasses of wine, Anthony mentions that he would love to see them in concert.

“Me too!” I exclaimed.. Pearl Jam is a memory of my college years and even though we are not big concert attenders, the thought of seeing them in concert sounded exciting.

After checking out their website, Anthony ended up buying tickets to the Pearl Jam concert…..in AMSTERDAM!

TO DO’S IN AMSTERDAM

Accommodations: We have always wanted to stay in a houseboat and I was lucky to have found one on Airbnb!  Not to mention, the houseboat was located in the Jordaan region.

Favorite Neighborhood: Jordaan is a neighborhood in the city center of Amsterdam know for its shops, restaurants, and of course canals and bridges.  Popular streets in the Jordaan are the Prinsengracht, the Westerstraat, Haarlemmerstraat and the ‘9 straatjes‘ (nine little streets).  We spent a few days just wandering the streets in this neighborhood.

Other neighborhoods we loved:

Oud-Zuid: The beautiful neighborhood of Oud Zuid is flanked by chic boutiques, wide tree lined boulevards, and home to amazing art museums like Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum.

Oud-West: This is home to two of our favorite eating spots!  Foodhallen and Meatless District.  Oud-West is a dynamic neighborhood with trendy shops and amazing restaurants.

NSDM: This is a cultural hotspot with a vibrant artist vibe and a growing bar and restaurant scene.  Take one of the free ferry rides behind the Amsterdam train station and you are only 10 minutes or so away from this hip neighborhood.

That’s a hotel! It houses three luxury suites. Would you stay here?

Museums: The Anne Frank House, located on a canal called the Prinsengracht, close to the Westerkerk, is the house and museum dedicated to Jewish wartime diarist Anne Frank.  This is a powerful museum not to be missed.  Tickets are sold out months out.  The best way is to go on the museum website at 5 pm every day.  They normally release so many tickets for the next day.  This is a MUST GO!

We also got a chance to visit the Vincent Van Gogh Museum dedicated to the works of Vincent Van Gogh.  Buy tickets online to avoid the lines.  The museum is located in the Oud-Zuid neighborhood and also just right by another museum, the Rijksmuseum, which showcases a variety of arts and artifacts that reflect over 800 years of Dutch history.

Eating: My favorite pastime!

Order a Rijstaffel (Rice Table) for a full Indonesian-Dutch experience.   This is a medley of small dishes from the Spice islands developed during the Dutch colonization.

Not sure what you are craving?  Then check out the FoodHallen in the Oud-West neighborhood.  De Hallen offers an indoor food market and bar with a variety of high end food offerings.

If you are a vegetarian/vegan, the Meatless District, also in the Oud-West neighborhood is fantastic.  It is 100% vegan and organic and has a wonderful selection of food and cocktails! Even if are a meat eater, this is still worth a stop.  Exceptional food!

If you are in the NDSM neighborhood, make sure to check out Pllek.  Constructed from shipping containers and recycled materials, this venue is welcoming and memorable.  We opted to sit outside to take advantage of the panoramic views of the river.  The restaurant prides itself in offering high quality, organic, farm to table food options and also has a good selection of vegetarian and vegan items.

Pllek

We were only in Amsterdam for a few days and can’t wait to spend more time there! Happy Travels!