Let me start by saying that I have fallen in love with everything we experienced in Amsterdam. From the freezing “summer” weather to that constant smell of weed in the city centre and the endless fear of getting run over by bikes – I love it all!

We arrived very early on a Saturday morning after a 20+ hour flight and I was not enjoying the stench of weed billowing into my nostrils as we exited central station to catch the tram. In fact, it was making me incredibly ill. Don’t worry, that sensation didn’t last long. The moment I brushed my teeth in the lobby of our quaint hotel and experienced my first stroopwafel I was in love.

Here are some of the things that drew me in

Stroopwafels
I now know the meaning of life – stroopwafels! I cannot explain how deliciously perfect these things are. I am not usually a fan of caramel, but I was won over immediately.

You should’ve seen the next photo, after I tasted the first bite, I was grinning from ear-to-ear. We’d dropped off our luggage at the hotel and trekked to this market first thing in the morning – excuse the hair…long flights.
Stroopwafels all day, every day.

Raw Herring
It sounds odd that I would’ve been skeptical to try this considering how much I love sushi. Well, the thought if it being sashimi didn’t cross my mind once while I was reading and watching travel guides; only when I tried it and loved it did I realise how foolish those thoughts were. The herring is paired perfectly with pickles and onions. The fish was beautifully fresh and I’ve actually become quite obsessed with pickles as of late, but that’s a whole other post on its own.

Canals & Architecture
The perfect city for a stroll along the canals, Amsterdam is almost completely void of inclines. It’s a beautiful city to admire all the buildings and it’s great that you’ll never get lost because all you need to do is follow a canal to make your way back to central.

Chocolates
Chocolate represents everything perfect with the world. If there were ever to be a chocolate shortage I’d most probably kill myself. I was pleasantly surprised at how smooth and tasty the chocolates I found here were. I was saving my chocolate shopping for Belgium, but couldn’t help myself when I walked past a shop and I’m glad we went in; then another, and another.

The Language
Oohhhh the language! Dutch is an incredible language and I only wish I could speak it. It’s beautiful, sounds happy, and beautiful. Really, I have no idea how to describe how in love with it I am. I’m attempting, very slowly, to learn, but it’s proving difficult.

Everything Else
Lucky the sun was out early every day because I was awake before 6 am eager to start each day. I loved waking up early and enjoying the sights, walking around the canals, constantly eating, taking photos, the people, everything. I can only hope to visit Amsterdam in the future again sometime soon and hopefully speak a little Dutch!