Weekends away are turning out to be a bit like buses for us at the moment - you wait for ages and then several come along all at once!
Mr. O has been spending a bit of time in the Netherlands with work recently and, up until now, I've not yet been able to visit with him. Taking advantage of some Friday meetings though - and in an attempt to seize the day! - we booked a Friday afternoon flight for me and a hotel for the weekend.
The Netherlands was the destination for my very first foreign trip aged three, but I've never had the opportunity to return and I was itching to explore Amsterdam as a grown up. After packing like a pro, surviving an Easyjet flight packed with stags and looking reasonably put together after my short haul flight, I was very romantically met at Schiphol Airport arrivals by Mr. O, swoon! We raced into the city and checked in at our hotel before hitting the streets in search of food. We concentrated our search on Zeedijk, an area packed with a multitude of Asian restaurants and some incredible smells. I always struggle to pick places to eat, but with the help of our trusty Lonely Planet, we narrowed it down and got in the queue for Bird Thai Restaurant. It was already about 10pm by the time we arrived, but the place was heaving, with a queue out of the door and so this helped seal the deal! We weren't disappointed - delicious spring rolls and one of the best green curries and cashew chickens we've ever tasted, topped off by a great atmosphere.
Rolling home (with a quick detour to the Red Light District - wow, what an eyeopener!), we slept soundly til morning, thanks to our request for a quiet room at the NH Hotel Barbizon Palace. We might not have had a view, but we didn't need the complimentary earplugs!
Saturday morning and food was back at the top of our agenda. This time we headed to Gartine, a very popular brunch spot down near the Spui, and were lucky enough to bag the one empty table. Located in a beautiful 16th Century building, with incredibly high ceilings and the most stunning chandelier, Gartine is known for its fresh produce and slow food approach. From the brunch menu, I, of course, chose the pancakes and Mr. O went for a breakfast plate of croissant and sourdough toast. Once again, we were blown away, especially by the seasonal homemade jams that came as accompaniments - worth a trip for these alone!
Ok so, the truth - I am a fan, a big fan, of guided tours. Any chance I can get to geek out and learn random facts, I'm there! I am quite the connoisseur of open top bus tours, boat tours, audio headset tours - you name it, I've booked it. We headed back towards Damrak and hopped on a canal cruise to see the city from the water. I can't even remember the name of the company we booked with...I think I've blanked it from my memory. The trip itself wasn't a bad idea - it really would have been a great way to see Amsterdam. It's just a shame we didn't get to see much of it....the rain was pouring and totally steamed up all the boat's windows, so visibility pretty awful. This was coupled with a truly terrible recorded commentary, out of time and indecipherable. In the end, it turned out to be sort of hilarious, there really was nothing to do but laugh, whilst craning our necks out of the window to catch the views that we could. Frizzy hair a go-go by the time we got back off the boat. A perfect excuse to warm up with cake and coffee at Patisserie Pompadour.
Mr. O was in charge of dinner that evening and he absolutely smashed it. Following our disappointment at missing out on Burger and Lobster in London, he booked Red in Amsterdam - a restaurant that serves only lobster and steak. Steak! And one of the best steaks I've eaten in a very long time at that. I think the lobster must have been pretty good too...the people on the next table worked their way through two plates each.
Keep an eye out for Part Two, coming soon...!
NH Hotel Barbizon Palace, Prins Hendrikkade 59-72, 1012 AD Amsterdam
Bird Thai Restaurant, Zeedjik 72-74, 1012 BA Amsterdam
Gartine, Taksteeg 7, 1012 PB Amsterdam
Patisserie Pompadour, Kerkstraat 148, 1017 GR Amsterdam
Red, Keizersgracht 594, 1017 EN Amsterdam
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