Just below sea level - Amsterdam, Netherlands

The capital of the Netherlands sits below sea level, just as the majority of the country. Almost everywhere I looked I saw a body of water, a bike, or both. The Dutch certainly love their bikes and will ride no matter the weather. It rained for 95% of my visit to Amsterdam, so I apologize in advance for the lack of sunny photos and for the array of gloomy ones.

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Rainy day adventures - The rain didn't stop me from exploring Amsterdam, however I did have to pop in and out of stores to dry off. Royal Palace of Amsterdam, built in the 17th century it is now mainly used to entertain heads of state. Abraxas, a trip to Amsterdam wouldn't be complete without a visit to a "coffee shop". Fries, a great Dutch snack. Red light district, I walked around this old medieval part of the city, which houses the city's oldest profession.

Van Gogh Museum – the name of the museum speaks for itself, as it includes various work by Vincent William Van Gogh. An artist born in the Netherlands, who only really considered painting his profession starting at the age of 27, and used art as a way to cope with his mental illness, especially while locked up in institutions.

The Cottage - this cozy brunch spot is in the Oosterparkbuurt district. The perfect spot to enjoy some bacon, eggs and a scone on a rainy day.

*Juice - yellow beetroot, apple, ginger

*Cottage breakfast - bacon, sausage, fried egg, thyme tomatoes, baked beans, radish salad

*Scone - coffee, hazelnut + white chocolate

Cantina Caliente - a small Latin American restaurant around the corner from one of the University of Amsterdam campuses, with homemade colourful tortillas.

*Calabaza Pibil Tacos - roasted pumpkin, achiote, black beans + habanero salsa

*Mixto Ceviche - seabass, octopus, "leche de tigre", sweet potato, peruvian corn

Canals - as Amsterdam is below sea level, there are many (and I mean many canals/rivers). I took a canal cruise and learned more about the buildings + history of Amsterdam. Luckily the canal boats are covered so I stayed dry. We spotted some houseboats throughout the cruise as well, which used to be the cheapest place to live in, but not anymore as taxes were implemented and permits to build new houseboats are not given out anymore.

Anne Frank House – visiting the Anne Frank House museum was certainly more impactful with a war just a few countries away. The Franks were a Jewish family who came to Amsterdam from Germany in 1934, and went into hiding behind Otto Frank’s (father) business' factory in 1942. Walking through the family's WW2 hiding space certainly gave me chills and reading various excerpts from Anne’s diary sounded awfully similar to what we are currently reading from Ukrainian children. On May 3, 1944 Anne wrote “What's the point of the war? Why, oh why can't people live together peacefully? Why all this destruction?” and these words sadly resonate in 2022.

Market + Dutch classics – in the district of De Pijp there’s a daily market – Albert Cupt Markt selling a variety of fresh produce, snacks, flowers and other necessities. The market is the perfect spot to try some typical Dutch food. I tried some herring, served with onions and pickles and also a stroopwafel, a warm, thin waffle with caramel inside, and dipped in chocolate if you like. A couple other Dutch classics are bitterbal, fried balls with meat inside and dutch pancakes, crepe-like dough served either plain, with apples or bacon.

Beer – I didn’t visit the Heineken brewery but tried some craft brews instead. The pink bottle is crafted “by women, for women” and the other two beers were local Dutch brands.

Roller Dreams – another ideal activity for a rainy day is roller skating. My friend Vera, whom I met while in Lisbon, lives in the east side of the Netherlands and joined me for the afternoon. We skated around to the sound of disco tunes at this pop-up location.

#StandwithUkraine – when exiting the train, I immediately saw volunteers holding signs saying “Допомога Українцям” (help for Ukrainians). I was glad to see that the help for Ukrainians starts almost right away, as people arrive in a new country. There were also signs around the city saying “Дякую” (Thank you) and listing reasons why Ukraine is thankful for the Netherlands help, but also beneath those signs were photos from the city of Bucha, which was a reminder that the war is far from over and the atrocities continue and so allies must continue to help and support Ukraine.

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I really enjoyed exploring Amsterdam and I’ll have to come back to visit the tulip fields, tour some other cities, like Rotterdam, the Hague and smaller cities throughout.

Dankjewel Nederland!

P.S. I was happy to meet up one evening with some friends from the Netherlands whom I met while travelling in Lisbon. It’s a small world and you never know when you'll meet someone. Hopefully we'll see each other soon.