Travis and Alazda's European Adventure: Amsterdam

We arrived in Amsterdam very late and spent our first night just getting our bearings with the local tram service, street signs, and city layout. This was our first day not speaking the local language which made getting around a bit more interesting. Once we found our hotel we decided to stay in and enjoy a late night drink at the hotel bar before bed.

The next morning, we grabbed a muffin, fresh squeezed orange juice and 'koffie' from a corner store and set off to the city center. Our first stop was to the Anne Frank Huis. This is a museum located in the same house the Frank family used as a hiding place during WWII. The tour was quite touching as we were able to tour the 'Secret Annex', a small apartment hid behind a bookshelf which housed the family for over two years before their capture by the Nazis. We also viewed Anne's original diaries and learned more about the Frank family.

As we continued to tour the city, we noted the countless canals which weave throughout the city streets. The primary mode of transportation for locals is by bicycle and you can see thousands of bikes lining the city streets. The sidewalks are lined with shops and houses making Amsterdam quite peaceful as roadways are fairly non-congested.

After the Anne Frank Huis, we walked through the city center and viewed many Amsterdam sights such as Dam Square, the Red Light District, and Saint Nicholas' Church. The church was a large gothic style church and named after Saint Nicholas, the saint of travelers, quite fitting for our trip.

In the afternoon, we visited the Heineken Brewery Experience, enjoying learning about the brewing process while sipping some of the famous local brew. The facility is located in the original brewing factory which was renovated to serve as a large, interactive tour. It was a very enjoyable stop!

To wrap up the day after dinner, we settled back near our hotel and found a small corner pub perfect for enjoying a few Heinekens and recapping our Amsterdam experience.