Amsterdam, Netherlands
Strolling through the canals of Amsterdam on one sunny day in May was a dream come true. I’ve envisioned walking around European cities for many years and finally I had a 12 hour transit in Amsterdam on my way back from Boston to Seoul. It was my very first European city and it goes without saying that those 12 hours magnified my attraction towards Amsterdam and Europe in general.
Transportation
My plane landed at 8 in the morning so I had the whole day to kill. But since KLM did not do any luggage storing services on its own-at least for economy passengers-I stored my carry ons at a paid locker services located inside the airport (asked one of the securities for the direction and it was easy to reach once you pass the bagge claim area) and took the metro from Schipol Airport station to Centraal station. It only took 20 minutes and a liitle over 5 euros per trip, definitely cheaper than taking a cab for 40 euros. There’s also a bus that runs from the airport to the city, with only 5 euros per trip but it’s inconvenient as the drop off spot is not right in Amsterdam Centraal. If you don’t mind taking the subway, I’d recommend doing that and popping out to a gorgeous view of the canals.
Things to do
Walking straight out of Amsterdam Centraal station, I encountered busy streets with trams, buses, bicycles, and canals with boats all over the place. I was overwhelmed with all the liveliness at first but soon squeezed my way through all the traffic and started walking around random alleys with cute buildings. Along the way I found Anne Frank House and a fun flower market called Bloemenmarkt, full of locals buying flower seeds. It was so interesting how people literally bought seeds or roots of plants, not even in pots!
On the opposite side of the flower market, there was a street full of this specific brand’s cheese shops. Their logo was a man with ‘Henri Willig’ written on the top and all shops had ‘KAASKELDER’ on the front door. I went into a few, the layout of the shops were all very similar but this particular one in the photo above had a cheesery vibe which was super cool! At all shops they gave out free samples for all sorts of cheese and I honestly was so full when I walked out the door, but obviously with a bag full of Dutch cheese and dips. I got garlic & herb goat cheese with a pineapple & giner dip, and they were a match made in heaven. They took both credit cards and cash, prices ranged from 19 to 30 euros per block.
After my unplanned cheese feast, I chased the sunlight into small roads with colorful buildings and flowers. Then I spotted a few benches on the road, and of course I had to sit down, take some photos and journal under the glazing afternoon sun. I could hear everything-bicycle wheels, people talking on the bridge, trams ringing bells, buses stopping by, boats driving across, leaves falling to the canals-it was a wonderful moment.
Dining/Drinking
After walking the whole morning, I felt too tired to continue exploring the city. I came across a mall called Kalverpassage and went inside to find any cafes to sit down. Blue cafe had an unbelievable panoramic view of the entire city-what a nice surprise!-and had brunch menus and drinks. With a cold drink and a loungy sofa, I journaled comfortably with this mesmerizing view for an hour and it felt like seconds. I don’t remember exactly how much my drink was but it was not an overpriced cafe with tourists. There were more locals than tourists, but they still had an English menu.
Craving for some actual food but worried about not being able to finish a huge portion? Check out PIQNIQ for their small portion menus-it’s budget friendly and small person friendly! I knew I couldn’t finish one full serving and since I was traveling alone I couldn’t share it with anyone so I ordered this petit option with salmon and goat cheese for lunch. It was so fresh and tasty! It’s located in a small alley near the canals and it’s close to Centraal station so super convinient if you are hopping on the metro to head back to the airport, which is what I did. They have a whopping 4.7 stars from Google ratings and my entire meal was less than 7 euros so definitely worth a shot! There’s an English menu, a very adorable cat sleeping on the windowside, friendly servers, cute decor…the list goes on. I remember their lunch menu offering 8-10 options that you can choose from, and the deals get better if you pick more.
Summary
Amsterdam is such a cool city to transit in, and I’m positive that it would be amazing to stay for a couple of nights. Exploring the colorful streets and busy canals was so fun and experiencing the European atmosphere through its architecture and the locals was delightful.
-Transportation
Metro from Schipol Airport: 5-6 euros per way, 20 minutes
Bus from Schipol Airport: 5 euros per way, 30 minutes
Uber from Schipol Airport: around 40 euros per way, 20 minutes
-Places to visit
Flower market
KAASKELDER Cheese shop: 19-30 eruos per cheese block
Blue cafe: panoramic view of the city
PIQNIQ (restaurant): 6-20 euros per dish
Anne Frank House
Travel with Mon 