This trip was planned (as many of our trips are) over drinks with friends. Julie had purchased tickets to a Florence and the Machine concert. She started talking the trip up, and before we knew it, there were 6 of us going to Amsterdam! Julie, Brian, Lorisah and Damon would travel from Jacksonville via Chicago and London, throwing in a little sightseeing in London during their layover. BJ and Tony would find their way via Delta, flying standby.
Our standby game was looking strong out of JFK, MSP and TPA in the week leading up to the trip, but the day before we were to leave the flights started filling up. We determined our best chance for good seats was to make the 4 hour drive to Tampa and fly direct TPA-AMS. We ended up getting center seats together in Comfort Plus. It wasn't the D1 seats we had hoped for, but we were fairly comfortable.
Day 1 in Amsterdam 🇳🇱✈️
After landing, we made the mistake of buying round trip tickets on the Amsterdam Airport Express, not realizing these were bus tickets. We jumped on the train to Centraal Station and when we scanned our tickets to leave the station the gates wouldn't open. We found a train worker who explained our mistake and opened the gate so we could exit the station.
We made our way to the DoubleTree Central Station and were pleased to be upgraded to a balcony room! We chilled in the room for a bit to shake off the travel haze before heading out to explore.
On the advice of ChatGPT, we wandered into Jordaan with it's quiet canals, tiny cafes and shops.
We passed Westerkerk towering over the neighborhood.
We ducked into Café Chris (est. 1624!) where we ordered a cappuccino and a beer. We played a few hands of Cassino, watched the bartender shoo away a group of guys trying to take a photo of the resident cat.
From there we wandered down Westerstraat and stopped at Café De Blaffende Vis for bitterballen (little fried beef gravy balls) and fries with mayonnaise — because when in the Netherlands, you must have mayonnaise with your fries.
As we explored, we saw a number of museums. A Tulip museum and a Cheese museum. Later on the trip, we passed a Cow museum, a Sex museum, and a Prostitution museum.
We made our way through Noordermarkt square as the evening light settled over the canals.
We wrapped up the night back at the DoubleTree rooftop bar with a nightcap overlooking the city.
Amsterdam Day 2 🇳🇱
We started the morning with breakfast at the hotel. It was little cool and grey, about what we expected. We walked over to meet up with the rest of the gang — Brian, Julie, Lorisah and Damon — who arrived late last night.
They made a pit stop at Dutch Pancake Masters for coffee and savory pancakes before we kicked off our food tour.
Our tour with Amsterdam Food Tour | Adam and Eve met in front of De Mannen Van Kaas on Spuistraat.
First stop: Gastrovino Amsterdam where we sampled four incredible Dutch cheeses paired with Stroopwafel liqueur (35 proof and dangerously smooth!).
On the way to our next bite, we wandered through the peaceful Begijnhof — once home to nuns, now a quiet women’s residence with a 12-year waiting list (and you must be at least 30 to live there!).
Then came the true Dutch experience: local herring and eel from Jonk Volendammer Haringhandel. Let’s just say… reactions were mixed. Some loved it. Some couldn’t even look at it. 😆
Next up: Jenever at the Pool Bar — the malty, juniper-forward ancestor of gin. We even learned why you must bow when you take the first sip (a story involving narcissism that had us laughing).
As we walked, Joeri pointed out the famously leaning buildings — not because of marshland, but intentionally built that way due to historic tax laws and hoisting systems for moving furniture.
We passed the Royal Palace
and the Magna Plaza (once the post office).
We warmed up with fresh stroopwafels from Melly’s.
Fun facts of the day:
🚲 About 10,000 bikes are pulled from the canals each year
🚲 There are 2.1 bikes per person in the Netherlands
🌊 The Canal Belt’s four main canals all lead back to Central Station
We walked past Westerkerk, the Anne Frank House, and even the former Nazi headquarters — layers of history everywhere you turn.
More delicious stops included bitterballen and fries from Heertje Friet
and, finally, poffertjes and pudding at Pat's Poffertjes.
Joeri sent us off with his favorite chocolate from Puccini — the sweetest goodbye.
But the day wasn’t over…
We continued on our own “tour” with new friends Brittany and Diandea, making stops at Tweede Kamer Coffee Shop,
The Flying Dutchman, The Old Dutch Café,
The Grizzly (where the restroom signs read “Eggs” and “Sausage” 😂),
strolling through the Red Light District, and finishing up at Excalibur Bar
and The Black Tiger Bar before heading back to the hotel.
Amsterdam Day 3
☀️ The warm, sunny day was a bit unusual for Amsterdam this time of year, but we weren't complaining!
Started the morning with breakfast at the hotel — complete with a savory Dutch pancake.
Then it was time for our private canal boat tour with Bow's Journeys. Brian and Julie were waiting for us by the canal. (Sadly, Lorisah and Damon missed the boat).
Our tall, handsome captain Bow welcomed us aboard with cocktails before we set sail — Cava for BJ and Julie, and something a little stronger for the fellas.
Cruising through the canals on the quiet electric Pien was a great way to see the city.
We passed the permanently docked houseboats, even a houseboat for cats! De Poezenboot
We drifted into the Jordaan. Learned about the Catholic symbol displayed on a Protestant church that elevated Amsterdam’s status.
Saw an old orphanage that’s now a luxurious hotel, and even the hospital where Captain Bow was born!
And for any Ted Lasso fans — we floated under the bridge where Rebecca dramatically takes a tumble into the canal in Ted Lasso. So fun to see it in real life!
Of course, we couldn’t miss the iconic dancing houses — such character and history in those leaning beauties.
Back at the hotel we reunited with Lorisah and Damon, then walked to Dam Square for a bite sitting outside in the sun at the Majestic.
After lunch, the group split up for some shopping adventures — including a store that sold nothing but socks (which immediately made me think of the Scotch Tape Store skit from Saturday Night Live 🤣).
On a recommendation from our friends Aggie and Marty, we tracked down Selma’s for a kanelbullar — totally worth the walk.
Wrapped up the day back at the hotel, relaxing on the balcony and watching the sunset over this magical city.
Amsterdam Day 4
We caught up with our friends after their tour of the Anne Frank House and found the perfect table in the sunshine outside Café van Zuylen. ☀️
BJ decided it was time to try traditional Dutch pea soup — thick, rich, and absolutely delicious!
From there, we split up for a bit — some went off for pizza, others headed back to the hotel. Meanwhile, BJ, Tony, and Damon explored Magna Plaza and learned about its fascinating transformation from a historic post office into the shopping center it is today.
We popped into The Plug Coffee Shop, then grabbed pizza ourselves at Savini Restaurant Italiano. The pizza was delicious and the server was wonderful!
Lorisah joined us, and the night really got going when we headed to Cafe Batavia 1920 — such a lively spot with the friendliest, most fun bartenders!
In true spontaneous fashion, Lorisah decided she needed a souvenir tattoo, so we all headed to 3 Sins Tattoo for moral support. 💪
We made our way back to Batavia for one more drink before a 20-minute walk to 't Pareltje for one last taste of those irresistible fries with mayo. Somewhere along the way we lost Damon 😅, but reunited back at Batavia before finally heading to the DoubleTree for the night.
Amsterdam Day 5 - Headed Home
Breakfast at the hotel, train to the airport and good luck getting seats on the flight back to Tampa!
The 4 hour drive in the rain from Tampa home, turned into 5, but we made it home safe and sound! Another great trip!
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