beautiful little sentences

Amsterdam, Netherlands

On the last stop of the Anne Frank house, we passed a collection of excerpts from her diaries. As we walked by, I read one line that talked about “beautiful little sentences.” Anne wanted to write book that collected little sentences that she found beautiful throughout her life. Although I may not be able to write a novel, I can absolutely write a collection of beautiful sentences about this incredible place.

Amsterdam is a haven for all things charm, yummy eats, canal rides and biking from shop to shop. I don’t think Izzy and I have ever been happier than here. Whether it was the beautiful houses and buildings that filled every street, our canal captain Rick who made the whole boat feel right at home, meals that I would do anything to have one more time, or the slow pace of life that was so refreshing.

On our first day, we arrived from Paris into Amsterdam Central and went straight to our hostel. If you are ever staying in Amsterdam, go to This Hostel. A popping Mexican restaurant with the coolest bar lies beneath the hostel where you stay in your own cubicle. No, this isn’t a joke. We lived in a 16x16 box with enough luggage storage for half a person and a, surprisingly comfortable, bed. We changed in the pristine, shared, green tile bathroom and got ready to hit the town.

Obviously, our first stop was ZeroZero sandwich shop because nothing makes you hungrier than traveling. And folks, talk about something life changing? This damn sammy. Focaccia bread that was thin and crispy and filled with stracciatella, mortadella, and pistachios. We sat on the edge of the canal with some, much needed, sunlight on our faces and enjoyed these sandwich’s more than I have enjoyed food in my life. From there, we headed to Jordaan.

Jordaan is the neighborhood of Amsterdam that’s home to the famous 9 streets. We found ourselves walking up and down every street, multiple times, because we just couldn’t get enough of them. Vintage shops, homemade charm necklaces, 3 new pairs of shades and boutiques galore, we were in our version of heaven. The charm is something you can even describe, it truly needs to be experienced.

At this point, I was hungry again, who’s shocked? Being the foodie and obsessive researcher that I am, I needed Fabel Friet french fries in my veins. We made our way for a pre-canal ride bite and I think I peaked in this moment. I got the truffle parmesan fries with TRUFFLE MAYO and had an out of body experience. I know I know, I have said this before, but this time I actually mean it. I FaceTimed my dad because he needed to experience this religious moment with me. They were immaculate to say the least. (I genuinely have a crush on these).

Before we knew it, it was time for our canal ride. Starting at the Anne Frank house, we got on our canal ride with Pure Boats for the 6:45 trip. The boat was straight out of a rom-com. The boat had gorgeous caramel-colored wood with navy ropes and was filled with a table of every wine imaginable, Dutch snacks and flowers. Happy campers? You know it.

We went around the boat and introduced ourselves to each other and got to meet our captain, Rick. Amsterdam native and comedian, he made the trip the perfect balance of informative, fun, and a drinking affair. We met couples from Canada, Australia, and lots of people from home. It’s crazy how small of a world it is. We shared laughs, stories, and more glasses of wine than we probably needed. Even in the pouring rain, we were having a ball.

The next day was nothing but perfect. Despite the cold, which we seriously can’t seem to escape and are always underdressed, we were determined to get out there. We started our day with brunch at Oeuf and had amazing shakshuka and Izzy enjoyed her beloved yogurt and granola. Full and happy, we walked our way to Nook for the most delish oat latte. European coffee is fun but a good oat milk latte is just needed sometimes, SUE ME! From there, we walked our way through the Albert Cuypstraat market that runs everyday by the park. We walked up and down handmade clothing booths, fruit and veggie stands, and lots of CBD…. good old Amsterdam for ya. Enjoying the sunshine, we decided to be locals, aka rent bikes. Although a fantastic idea, maybe not meant for 20 year old tourists. After going the wrong way down a one way lane and so many close calls into people and cars, we decided to get off the main drag. Izzy found a park for us to bike through and it was perfection.

The whole time, we imagined this being our local spot. Going on shady, long runs through the gardens, sitting by the fountain with a picnic and a book, or taking your kids to play on the playground. This was just the beginning of our daydreaming here, let me tell you. We sat on the grass and enjoyed some time off our bikes because people always forget to mention how bad it hurts your butt.

Having enough of the bike to say that we did it, we wandered back to the shop and decided we needed some lunch. We headed to GlouGlou on the corner by the park and enjoyed a glass of orange wine and some meat and bread. Language barrier, not all charcuterie means it comes with cheese, so sad. Our waitress was dope though and suggested us the coolest places, one you will hear about soon ;)

We then began our hour long stroll to the Anne Frank house for our ticket slot. On the way, I decided that my cute strapless top and maxi skirt weren’t going to cut it. Luckily, I am in a place that is plentiful with shops. On the first one I stumbled into, I found a little yellow cardigan that I would have never gotten at home, but I love more than anything now. Warm? Check. Cute? Check. Happy? Absolutely.

As we got to the Anne Frank house, it was time to nerd out. Unknowingly when I booked this, Izzy is an Anne Frank fanatic. No but for real, she read every diary front to back and was more knowledgeable than any sign in the whole place. We walked around in awe of where we were. A place you study in history books and create imaginary realities for in your mind, right where your feet lay. We stopped at every sign, every little audio blurb, and finally made it into the annex. Equally heartbreaking and fascinating, the whole house was in silence. Original wallpaper peeling off the walls were lined with pictures and posters from their stay, it was incredible. Anne was one of the most beautiful people. She somehow found ways to find beauty and hope in a situation that was so far from it. We left amazed, and hungry.

Now, I mentioned this before, but god bless that waitress for introducing us to Hinata. A hole in the wall Japanese restaurant, it was the perfect thing we needed for this chilly day. We got chicken gyoza, Japanese fried chicken and steaming bowls of ramen. Not only was it such a good break from all the meat and cheese we have been having, rest assured there will be more, but it was incredible. We enjoyed it all while people watching and listening in on conversations all over.

Our walk home was 30 mins of bliss. We couldn’t help but stop at every bridge and corner to take it all in. We talked about jobs and went back and forth on how much money we need to make to get a flat on the canal for us. Update: a lot.

For our last morning, we had things to DO! We got out of the room way too late, dropped our bags, and headed to the Van Goh Museum. I got a flat white on the way and we each had a granola bar to tide us over because we were crunched for time. The museum was awesome. Not anything life changing, but we loved walking through so many beautiful paintings and hearing about the life story of Van Goh, a very interesting fella. After seeing the Almond Blossoms and realizing Starry Night is in fact at the MoMa in NYC, we decided it was our time to leave. We walked over to Bakers and Roasters for another fire meal, this place just doesn’t miss. I got a cappuccino and we each got yogurt and granola and scrambled eggs. From there, we headed to see the Rijksmuseum and journal in the Asian pavilion. Hopping between there and a little park across the canal, we enjoyed the coolest view and journaled for 2 hours without even realizing it.

Our last stop was Foodhallen, a giant food hall that we had both heard raves about, thus, we had to try it out for ourselves. Deciding on another unusual meal, we got Vietnamese chicken cold noodle bowls and DAMN. You did it again Amsterdam, you’re too good. Since we had a 7pm night train to Munich, we decided to take our last 2 hours to stroll slowly back to the hostel. It was hard to leave a place like this one. Beautiful in so many ways I had never experienced before, I think I loved their pace of life the most. Every corner was filled with people sharing drinks and laughs, every open door had music flooding into the streets (we even got lucky enough to catch a few of them in a dance party), and the sun just seemed to shine brighter here. The joy in the air, the food, the people, and every experience in between. I could write a million beautiful little sentences about this magical place.

One day, I’ll be back. I will get my fries that brought me to tears, ride along the canal with a glass of rose in hand, ride my bike through Vondelpark, and write even more beautiful little sentences about my new favorite place.

Until next time Amsterdam. Xoxo, P