And over to Amsterdam for the weekend

Since I had just spent several weekends in a row in Berlin, it was time to head out again 😊 

A friend of mine in Paris is part Dutch and was heading to Amsterdam for the weekend so I thought, why not! I hadn’t been there since 1999 and it’s always nice to visit a place where someone is local (she lived there for a while and has friends still based there). 

The only thing on my list for the weekend was the Van Gogh museum as it was closed for renovations last time I was in town. If you are ever interested in going I HIGHLY recommend buying the tickets online because the line was ridiculous when we arrived. Luckily we had bought online and sailed on past all those folks straight into the museum. It was packed but worth the visit.

Following the museum we decided on a canal boat ride. 

Even though it’s super touristy, I had never done it. It allows you to see the city from a totally different perspective.

The weather wasn’t the best we managed to spend most the time wandering the streets – and since it was November, the city was already starting to get decked out for the holidays.

skating anyone?

Though we did miss the Sinterklass parade - Saint Nicolas who was making his first appearance of the season. Every November, Sinterklaas travels from his home in Spain to the Netherlands, bringing presents and candy for the children. The day after he arrives in the Netherlands, he takes part in a boat and horse parade through Amsterdam. 

Of course no trip is complete without sampling a little of the local fare . . .