August 2013 -- We left Portland about a month ago, and have been back in Amsterdam for two full weeks. It's crazy how fast time has flown! We've accomplished quite a bit in the last couple of weeks and are quickly closing in on the last of our vacation. In our short time here Jon and I have said farewell to my parents, had a great time playing host to our first visitor (Stephanie), and adventure around the city. We still have another post coming about our time in Prague and maybe our trip to Antwerp, but I figured I'd share a little about the rest of our goings on.
The four of us were exhausted by the time we returned to Amsterdam. After driving 1,600 miles through seven countries, we were all looking forward to a relaxing evening in our air-conditioned hotel. Running low on energy and wanting to take a break from the rental car, we feasted on a lovely dinner and drinks in the hotel lobby, filled with loads of complimentary goodies from the chef!
We all seized the opportunity to sleep in the following morning, then returned the rental car {which needed a bath but didn't have a scratch on her, amazingly!} and wander into the city center one last time. We were greeted by, what we now know to be, true Netherlands weather: drizzle, wind and clouds. We actually welcomed this weather having just survived a heat wave, albeit ill-equipped as we all six of our 49.5lb pieces of luggage FULL of warm weather gear were still in storage. It was nothing a quick trip to H&M couldn't fix.
We walked by the Heineken brewery and skeptically bought tickets to the brewery tour (dubbed the Heineken Experience), thinking the worst-case scenario still included free beer. We were all pleasantly surprised, the tour was well worth the price and Jon and I showed up the whole tour group by knowing how to say 'cheers' in Dutch (I'll admit 'proost' was one of the few words we made sure to learn before flying over here). After our tour we were off to our new temporary home. Not wanting to stay in a small hotel room for the next 2 weeks, Jon and I happened upon Airbnb.com {locals of any given city that offer up anything from a single room to their entire home} and a flat in the area of town we would eventually like to live. Along with my parents, we went and met the landlord to get the keys and we headed back to their hotel to relax for a bit before Stephanie's flight got in. We packed our things into a taxi, said our emotional goodbye's to my parents and headed into the city.
It was so great to have Steph join us in Amsterdam. She managed to find three days out of her busy travels through France to join us in Holland and we were excited to explore the city together. We left our hotel in search of a little food and some good Dutch bier. Stopping at one of the plazas surrounded by restaurants we ordered our Heinekens and nachos. The bier was delicious, the nachos... weren't, they left a lot to be desired. We found a little pub that was serving local bier so we stopped in for a bit more - and were treated to some "way-back play-back" 90's tunes, perfection!
The next morning my parents flew back to the States, so it was up to Jonny and I to play tour guide to Steph. Having only been in the city for little more than day, we really didn't have a clue where to go or what to do... so we, along with Steph, decided to canvas the Amsterdam. We took in the Van Gough Museum, Torture Museum {where we had an impromptu tour guide, an all too enthusiastic patron who had sweat through his shirt and had an unpleasantly upbeat fascination with some of the devices}, Vondelpark and of course, an obligatory wander through the red light district. The next day brought plenty of adventure as well. Steph would be leaving us that evening, heading back to Paris and eventually the states, so we woke up early and rented scooters! The city traffic was still quite intimidating, especially with all the tourists who didn't care to follow the basic road rules, so we headed north. We took a quick ferry ride across the IJ {pronounced "Eye"} and were off to see the northern country to feast on some local cheese. This hit a bit of a speed bump when we felt a couple raindrops. We headed into a coffee shop in the bottom of a building and with a quick glance {and inhaling the air} we realized we were in some sort of assisted living home for the elderly with special needs. The music was loud and circus-like in nature, and the same song seemed to be on repeat. We only know this because while sipping on our coffee, waiting for the light shower to pass, it began to pour. Like Hollywood rain, and it didn't stop. We realized that going farther North was not in the cards so we headed across the street to a local store in hopes of finding a poncho. We were in luck, sadly. We all put the cheap, clear plastic ponchos on and climbed back onto our scooters, wind and rain pelting our faces, and headed back towards the ferry. We dropped off the scooters and grabbed a little lunch, headed back to the flat to grab Step's luggage and headed to the Central Station to see her off.
It's just us. It was kind of surreal coming back to an empty flat with no breakfast plans with my parents or trips planned with friends. Just us... In an apartment that we cannot cook anything in because, did I mention, the fridge had electrical problems and did not refrigerate. The 2 times we opened the door in an effort to put groceries in it we were smacked in the face {the whole apartment, really} with the powerful smell of death! So it was a lot of fresh foods or eating out for the next few days. We decided not to extend our time in her flat and moved on to the corporate apartments that Jon's office provides, but not before a horrifying evening of laying in bed listening to mosquitos dive bomb our heads and what we can only assume was a mouse {sounded like a raccoon} pillaging through the kitchen pantry that she kept in her bedroom closet. I swear, I have only heard good things about the site we found her place on, so I know that we just happened on an unlucky adventure. That being said, I did not sleep. At all.
We were more than thrilled to arrive in a bright and well kept long term hotel, which features free laundry service, a jetted pool, Turkish steam bath, sauna and most importantly, a working fridge! We met with a realtor to take a look at some flats in the city, some better than others... especially where price was concerned, and we also met with someone from Jon's office who took us around, getting us set up with residents cards and a Dutch bank account. This will come in very handy seeing as most businesses here don't accept our traditional credit/debit cards, their cards all have a chip in it. We finally got all of our luggage out of storage and have more than 4 shirts and 2 pairs of pants to choose from.
And that's it, we have had a lot of fun trying to settle in to Amsterdam, but they haven't been perfect. We still have our moments of missing our Portland "normal," dealing with all the strange customs and language does present challenges, but we seem to be handling them well. We are also quite fortunate to be well connected to our loved ones back home, so we haven't been terribly homesick. So for now, we relax. We have this final week before Jon starts working and before I focus on finding a job. We hope to get a couple of day trips in beforehand {Antwerp was so fun} and taking in a little more of the city. We have both really enjoyed our relaxing times and cannot wait to see what fun the next couple of years has in store for us.
By the way - here is a panoramic photo of one of the main canals in Amsterdam. It is a bit difficult to see, but we are adjacent to the flower market.
We really love hearing from everyone, so please keep up emails/comments!
Until next time,
Jon & Sarah
The four of us were exhausted by the time we returned to Amsterdam. After driving 1,600 miles through seven countries, we were all looking forward to a relaxing evening in our air-conditioned hotel. Running low on energy and wanting to take a break from the rental car, we feasted on a lovely dinner and drinks in the hotel lobby, filled with loads of complimentary goodies from the chef!
We all seized the opportunity to sleep in the following morning, then returned the rental car {which needed a bath but didn't have a scratch on her, amazingly!} and wander into the city center one last time. We were greeted by, what we now know to be, true Netherlands weather: drizzle, wind and clouds. We actually welcomed this weather having just survived a heat wave, albeit ill-equipped as we all six of our 49.5lb pieces of luggage FULL of warm weather gear were still in storage. It was nothing a quick trip to H&M couldn't fix.
We walked by the Heineken brewery and skeptically bought tickets to the brewery tour (dubbed the Heineken Experience), thinking the worst-case scenario still included free beer. We were all pleasantly surprised, the tour was well worth the price and Jon and I showed up the whole tour group by knowing how to say 'cheers' in Dutch (I'll admit 'proost' was one of the few words we made sure to learn before flying over here). After our tour we were off to our new temporary home. Not wanting to stay in a small hotel room for the next 2 weeks, Jon and I happened upon Airbnb.com {locals of any given city that offer up anything from a single room to their entire home} and a flat in the area of town we would eventually like to live. Along with my parents, we went and met the landlord to get the keys and we headed back to their hotel to relax for a bit before Stephanie's flight got in. We packed our things into a taxi, said our emotional goodbye's to my parents and headed into the city.
 |
| One of the walls in the Heineken brewery |
It was so great to have Steph join us in Amsterdam. She managed to find three days out of her busy travels through France to join us in Holland and we were excited to explore the city together. We left our hotel in search of a little food and some good Dutch bier. Stopping at one of the plazas surrounded by restaurants we ordered our Heinekens and nachos. The bier was delicious, the nachos... weren't, they left a lot to be desired. We found a little pub that was serving local bier so we stopped in for a bit more - and were treated to some "way-back play-back" 90's tunes, perfection!
The next morning my parents flew back to the States, so it was up to Jonny and I to play tour guide to Steph. Having only been in the city for little more than day, we really didn't have a clue where to go or what to do... so we, along with Steph, decided to canvas the Amsterdam. We took in the Van Gough Museum, Torture Museum {where we had an impromptu tour guide, an all too enthusiastic patron who had sweat through his shirt and had an unpleasantly upbeat fascination with some of the devices}, Vondelpark and of course, an obligatory wander through the red light district. The next day brought plenty of adventure as well. Steph would be leaving us that evening, heading back to Paris and eventually the states, so we woke up early and rented scooters! The city traffic was still quite intimidating, especially with all the tourists who didn't care to follow the basic road rules, so we headed north. We took a quick ferry ride across the IJ {pronounced "Eye"} and were off to see the northern country to feast on some local cheese. This hit a bit of a speed bump when we felt a couple raindrops. We headed into a coffee shop in the bottom of a building and with a quick glance {and inhaling the air} we realized we were in some sort of assisted living home for the elderly with special needs. The music was loud and circus-like in nature, and the same song seemed to be on repeat. We only know this because while sipping on our coffee, waiting for the light shower to pass, it began to pour. Like Hollywood rain, and it didn't stop. We realized that going farther North was not in the cards so we headed across the street to a local store in hopes of finding a poncho. We were in luck, sadly. We all put the cheap, clear plastic ponchos on and climbed back onto our scooters, wind and rain pelting our faces, and headed back towards the ferry. We dropped off the scooters and grabbed a little lunch, headed back to the flat to grab Step's luggage and headed to the Central Station to see her off.
 |
| Torture Museum - one of the contraptions |
 |
| Relaxing in Vondelpark |
We were more than thrilled to arrive in a bright and well kept long term hotel, which features free laundry service, a jetted pool, Turkish steam bath, sauna and most importantly, a working fridge! We met with a realtor to take a look at some flats in the city, some better than others... especially where price was concerned, and we also met with someone from Jon's office who took us around, getting us set up with residents cards and a Dutch bank account. This will come in very handy seeing as most businesses here don't accept our traditional credit/debit cards, their cards all have a chip in it. We finally got all of our luggage out of storage and have more than 4 shirts and 2 pairs of pants to choose from.
And that's it, we have had a lot of fun trying to settle in to Amsterdam, but they haven't been perfect. We still have our moments of missing our Portland "normal," dealing with all the strange customs and language does present challenges, but we seem to be handling them well. We are also quite fortunate to be well connected to our loved ones back home, so we haven't been terribly homesick. So for now, we relax. We have this final week before Jon starts working and before I focus on finding a job. We hope to get a couple of day trips in beforehand {Antwerp was so fun} and taking in a little more of the city. We have both really enjoyed our relaxing times and cannot wait to see what fun the next couple of years has in store for us.
By the way - here is a panoramic photo of one of the main canals in Amsterdam. It is a bit difficult to see, but we are adjacent to the flower market.
We really love hearing from everyone, so please keep up emails/comments!
Until next time,
Jon & Sarah
