After bidding Brett goodbye and good luck for another trekking adventure, I boarded my Air France flight from Geneva to Amsterdam. It was a short and uneventful flight. I jumped on the train and was in the town center in no time. I settled in to my hotel for the next 5 nights, ibis Amsterdam Centre Stopera (AUD $287/night).
The next day I set out to explore the famous canals. It was a rainy morning but luckily the trams were frequent and easy to navigate. I decided to ride one over to the Jordaan district because I’d heard the Western canals were the prettiest. Spoiler alert, they are!
While the choice mode of transport in Amsterdam is bicycling, I really enjoyed meandering slowly through the famous 9 Streets, checking a few vintage shops and funky cafes and bars on the way. Fun fact, most locals own 2 bikes. One good one, usually electric, to get to and from the office. One old bike that you can happily ride to the pub and leave it overnight for a sleepover and know with confidence it will still be there the next day.
As expected, Amsterdam seemed pretty relaxed. I learned pretty quickly if I wanted a coffee, I needed to go to a cafe, not a coffeeshop. In case you don’t know, coffeeshops in Amsterdam are not like regular cafes with coffees and cakes (well there are ‘space cakes’ in coffeeshops). Rather, they are places where you can legally purchase and smoke weed. So now you know and won’t be disappointed when you walk in 😉
The next day was a little overcast but that’s to be expected in Amsterdam; there can be 4 seasons in one day. After I wandered through the Bloemenmarkt (Tulip flower Market) I made a beeline for a restaurant I wanted to try that was completely booked out the day before. I ordered a comforting dish of flemish beef stew and fries. It was delicious!
I didn’t get my act together in time to book tickets to see Anne Frank’s house and museum. Guess I’m still that naive traveller who assumes I can just rock up and buy a ticket on the day. Nope, these ones book out months in advance. Oops!
Later, a short walk past the Heinekin Experience (🤮), I was at the Pancake Club enjoying a serve of poffertjes with strawberries and cream. Following that I checked out the Albert Cuyp Markt. There were pretty standard market handicrafts and food trucks, however one stall grabbed my attention. They sell undeliverable mail as lucky dips. I watched as a group of young guys gleefully laughed as they picked a small box they were sure was going to contain a huge treasure – maybe an iPhone! Turns out it was a pair of cheap walkie talkies.
The next day I took a Sprinter train to Zaanse Schans to see the old Windmills. While the windmills were wonderful, the area was very staged and full of tourists. I took my photos then promptly left. Interestingly, there was a chocolate factory nearby and you could smell delicious cocoa everywhere. Luckily the café at the train station made a really good hot chocolate that satisfied my cravings.
When I got back to town I headed to a brown cafe (pub) to try a plate of bitterballen with delicious mustard. It was really yummy. Crunchy on the outside, rich, beefy and creamy on the inside. That spicy mustard was very morish but I lack self control and it burned my nose quite a bit.
Following that savoury dish, I had to have my first Dutch Courage, which is homemade baked Appletart washed down with beer. The Amstel pilsner paired nicely with the apple pie.
All that fuel gave me energy to continue exploring. I ventured into the old town and accidentally stumbled into the Red Light District. It was late afternoon so Roxanne didn’t quite have her red light on yet.
On my last full day, the sun finally came out. Even the locals were shocked. After spending majority of my time walking beside canals, I decided it was only right to hop aboard a boat to see things from a different perspective. I booked a 75min cruise that included unlimited gouda cheese and wine. And they were very very good at keeping everyone topped up the entire time. We cruised past the Dancing Houses, the Skinny Bridge, the 7 Bridges (which all align), Anne Frank’s house and much more. Fun fact, did you know gouda is pronounced How-da? I didn’t. Gouda to know.
When my time in Amsterdam came to an end, I caught the Eurostar to Brussels in Belgium. I instantly noticed a shift in vibe. There were lots of beggars and hustlers hanging around the train station which wasn’t the best welcome. But once I got into the city center, the energy changed. Brussels in very walkable and my hotel (ibis Brussels City Center AUD $155/night) is conveniently located near all the frites, waffles, and chocolate shops, so I’m set!
On my way to the Grand Place, the main square and the most beautiful one I’ve ever seen, I had to stop at Frites Atelier and get some real Belgian fries. These were topped with basil sauce and parmesan cheese and were really yummy. After downing those, my throat felt parched, so I headed to Délirium Tap House for my first real Belgian beer in Belgium. Can’t go past the tart raspberry ale at the moment!
For my first full day in Brussels, I headed out to collect a few photos from around town. I had to get the obligatory Manneken Pis, Jeanneke Pis and Zinneke Pis statues, because can you even say you’ve been to Brussels if you don’t?
I followed part of the Comic Book Trail to find the Tintin mural. Tintin is my and my dad’s favourite comic, so I was stoked to find this one early on. Of course I checked out the Tintin shop as well.
Later, it was time for some proper Belgian Waffles with melted dark chocolate and strawberries. And then I had to browse the chocolate shops for the tastiest pralines and truffles in the world. There’s the legendary Godiva and Leonidas but I took a chance on Mary and she did not disappoint.
Now all that’s left to do was to drink more framboise (raspberry beer) and maybe eat some more fries…
The weather was nice the following day, so I jumped on a train and headed to Bruges. It took just under an hour to get there. While there are buses to ferry people into the town center, I opted to walk and was so glad I did. It was quite peaceful and I had perfect weather to wander the outskirts of the medieval city.
As I made my way toward the Bellfry at the center of town, the pace picked up. This is where everyone had flocked to. I sat in the old square and snacked on some fresh berries and people-watched for a bit.
The further through the winding UNESCO Heritage streets I realised two truths: this place is beautiful, and this place is completely set up for tourists. Canal boat rides, horse and cart rides, waffle shops, frites shops, chocolate shops, souvenirs, repeat.
Before I returned to Brussels, I stopped in to The Old Chocolate House for an amazing DIY hot chocolate. You could choose from a range of flavours but I chose the Diablo, which was 71% dark chocolate with chilli and ginger. It was decadent!
On my last day, I caught another train and headed to Louvain la Neuve to visit the Musée Hergé. I read The Adventures of Tintin and watched the cartoon as a kid and I had a ball examining all the exhibits, seeing partially completed and edited comic strips, and learning about Hergé’s process. He was a master and I spent 3 hours adoring his work in the museum.
Well, our solo adventures are coming to an end. I’m about to board the Eurostar to London and Brett will fly in from Geneva a few hours after I arrive. I’m sure he’s got amazing stories to tell about his latest trek. We are looking forward to catching up with a couple of Aussie mates in the UK for some beers and another narrow boat canal adventure. We are winging a lot of this section of the trip, so stay tuned to see where our adventure takes us next!
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