The Lyles Have Landed: Amsterdam

Greetings from Miami, where I am currently on business in order to attend a course. This trip has been all work and very little play thus far, but honestly- I'm ok with that because I'm still recovering from a most excellent European excursion. The week before last John and I boarded a plan set for Amsterdam, Netherlands. Neither of us had been, but we fell in love with the thought of the country after having attended the EU Open House in D.C. this past May. We used a now frills airline to make our trip more affordable, but that equated to no food and no entertainment for the entirety of the journey over the Atlantic. We compensated by sleeping, playing paper, rock, scissors and other child like travel boredom games in order to pass the time. All was more than well though because when we finally landed, we were greeted with a beautiful and sunny day.

We decided to stay in Air BnBs for the entirety of our European travels. Our first accommodation was aboard a houseboat in the southeastern portion of Amsterdam. Our room overlooked the beautiful duck filled canal and offered a tranquil escape from the bustling city that lied just a few streets over.

After checking in, we set off for a quick lunch at Vlaams Friteshaus Vlemicks for some fresh out of the frier frites (Dutch mayo and Indonesian peanut sauce for me, curry and ketchup for John) followed by a fresh (errrr...more like raw BUT delicious)  herring sandwich from Frens Haringhandel. Both quick eats were amazing, flavorful and wonderfully Dutch.

We decided the best way to get around the city during our stay was the Amsterdam way...by bikes, of course! So, after picking up our rentals from Mike's Bikes we biked on over to the renowned Van Gogh Museum. I have always admired the artist and been fascinated by both his work and tales of his life. So, having the opportunity to attend the museum was high on my bucket list, hence it was our first stop!

After filling our eyes with beautiful art at the museum, our growling stomachs alerted us that we needed to fill our bellies. So, we set out on a journey to find Van Stapele cookie maker for an afternoon pick me up. The cookie shop only sells one thing (aside from glasses of milk and tea) and that one thing is a divine white chocolate filled rich chocolate Valrhona cookie. The cookies are made fresh daily and once they run out, the shop closes its doors. So, I was elated that we were able to grab a few before taking a short walk around the Canal Ring.

Months before we made our trip, I made reservations for the Indonesian restaurant, Blauw. The Netherlands and Indonesia share strong ties, largely due in part to the Dutch's enslavery and ownership of the country over the course of hundreds of years. Despite Indonesia's independence from the Netherlands in the 1900s, Indonesian cultural components still lie entwined with the Dutch. After doing a little culinary research, I knew before we walked into the restaurant that we must order a Rijsttafel which translates to "rice table". The dish actually consists of many side dishes  (up to 40 is not an unusual amount). Ours consisted of things such as, but not limited to: goat satay, sweet soy pork, vegetables with peanut sauce, fried banana and rice. The dishes literally took up the entirety of the table and ended up being quite the experience to eat.  Then, after pushing through lack of sleep and the work of eating so much delicious food, we were on our bikes and headed back to our sweet little houseboat.

Per usual, in typical Mary-Katherine fashion, we hit the ground sprinting but I wouldn't have had it any other way. When I travel, I enjoy diving in head first and soaking up everything that a city has to offer. So, I look forward to sharing more of our adventures with you over the course of the next few days!