Exploring near Dapper Markt
We woke up to serious sunshine peeking through our window in Amsterdam; an incentive to be up at 730A to get the day started in proper Amsterdammer fashion. We hit up Le Pot au Feu for breakfast on Damrak before heading out for the day. Though we came into Amsterdam with few plans, we decided to try a Hop-On/Hop-Off Canal Bus for 22 euros per person. We jumped on the bus at Centraal Station and ended up taking it down to Dappermarkt for a taste of local street markets. Sadly, we discovered that the day after Easter (‘Easter Monday’) is as much of a holiday as Easter itself! Most stops were closed, none of the markets were functioning and even the majority of eateries weren’t serving. We ended up grabbing a quick bite at Amstel Haven, an awesome eatery on the water.
Amstel Haven for lunch on the water :)
After we came to grips with the fact that our market-based day wasn’t going to pan out, we decided to explore on foot for a while. We passed by a couple of coffee shops around the city that Tiffany wanted to check out and ended up spending the majority of our afternoon/early evening exploring the cute Rembrandtplein area. The area is loaded with cute shops and restaurants and we explored local stores, international chains and smart shops. We also passed by Manneken Pis (I have to give a shout-out on Tiffany’s behalf!), a little shop that serves ‘Holland’s #1 Fries’ (mayo being the condiment of choice)! Apparently Tiff agrees. She had five servings of Manneken Pis’ goodies (mind you, she pronounces it ‘mannequin piss’… not sure if that’s the actual pronunciation) in two days. We’re hoping she doesn’t have a heart attack before making it back to San Francisco International.
Coolest Smart Shop in Town!
A body piercing/tattoo shop called Body Cult sat in the middle of town where Rokin turns into Amstel Street. We had passed by the shop a few times already during our journey and I had commented on how I wanted to get pierced as my souvenir/memory of the trip. Where Tiffany can ‘enjoy’ the true Amsterdam experience, coffee shops aren’t exactly my cup of tea so I needed another way to express myself in the city. I decided to head down there yesterday evening to hit up Body Cult and get my rook pierced. 24 hours later, I am soooo happy with my decision! I had been wanting another rad ear piercing (to add to my tragus [which, sadly, is growing in popularity]) and the thought of getting my rook pierced has been trailing through my mind for a good six to seven years. Finally, the day had come! Despite the fact that it is quite possibly the most painful piercing I have ever had (the cartilage is asininely thick), it was worth it for me. So stoked <3
Loving my new piercing :)
After that madness, Tiffany wanted to check out the Red Light District. En route, we passed by the Royal Palace (across from the National Monument) where young musicians play in the square. We had to linger for a bit to listen to someone’s amazing rendition of MGMT’s ‘Kids’. I waited after to talk to James O’Reilly, the singer, and he mentioned that he’s a Dubliner that travels and plays throughout Europe! I’m crossing my fingers that he will be coming to London some time soon – he’s seriously amazing! Check out these short videos we caught:
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdMmqeneUqw]
Finally, we made it to the Red Light District which was actually just down the way from our hotel. I’m not 100% sure what I was expecting from it, but it was definitely a little more intense that I had imagined. The area literally glowed red with lights surrounding the area while women stood in windows on the main streets and alleyways trying to attract customers. Next to the windows sat sex shop after sex shop… seriously a place of excess. Unfortunately (?), picture-taking is not welcomed in the area though I tried my best to snap a few discreet movies.
After our Red Light jaunt, we headed home to relax and enjoy our last night together in Amsterdam!
Too much fun for one day <3.
xoxo from the Netherlands,
