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Amsterdam
August 20 - 22, 2026
 Tried haring (raw herring) Albert Cuyp Market. (I'm into it). |  Less into the stroopwafel (too big, too sweet, too messy. |  Took a boat tour my first evening. |
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 Most buildings lean forward and have a hook at the top so they can use a pulley to get large items to the upper floors. |  Not as colorful as Copenhagen, but cut in their own way. |  More canal views. |
 I try to always hit up bars on the Top 50 Bars in the World list. |  Wasn't impressed with their signature drink (the Flying Dutchman), but the British Milk Punch was more my speed. |  Dutch fries (patat) are supposed to be the best. And after a night of drinking, they sure hit the spot. |
 Frites (patat) with mayonnaise/ |  Couldn't take photos inside, but visiting the Secret Annex was a bucket list item for me. Really thoughtfully presented and I was inspired to order a graphic novel version of her diary to reread. |  Needed to take a break from the local cuisine, so stopped for some pad thai. |
 Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder (Our Lord in teh Attic) is a 17th-century canal house, house church. The Catholic church was built on the top three floors of the canal house after public Catholic worship was banned after Protestants took control of the city in 1578. |  This model shows where the secret attic church is situated. |  More cute houses. |
 Amstedam vibes. |  My hotel (Volkshotel), had 3 hot tubs and a sauna on the roof, so I made a point of visiting each day. |  Bitterballen, crispy, deep-fried beef ragout bites, is a popular bar snack. These were kinda flavorless, but some locals swear they can be great, and maybe I just didn't go to a good place. |
 Veal tartare. |  Went to an outdoor screening of "Sentimental Value," in the courtyard of the H'ART Museum. |  Amsterdam's Grand Central Station. |
 Gotta pop into the cheese shops for a little sample. |  Apple strudel for breakfast. |  Loved checking out Lindengracht Markt, a Saturday food market in Noordermarkt (more cheese samples and raw herring for me!) |
 I liked haring (raw herring) enough to get it a second time (skipped out on the raw onions this time). |  I'm ready for the houseboat life! |  Little chai/journaling break. |
 The Verzetsmuseum (Dutch Resistance Museum) aims to tell the story of the Dutch people (and the people they colonized) during World War II. |  The King and Queen escaped to England, where they teamed up with the British and the U.S. and stayed in contact with folks in the Netherlands via Radio Oranje (Radio Orange), the official Dutch-language broadcast service aired via the BBC from London. |  Enjoyed poffertjes (tiny, fluffy mini-pancakes served with butter and powdered sugar) more than I expected. |
 Took the ferry over to NDSM, a former shipyard turned art space in the Noord neighborhood. |  Due to its colonial history, Amsterdam has outstanding Indonesian (and Surinamese) cuisine. |
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