These next few posts are long overdue! I just got back from a weekend in Barcelona and it was amazinggg - I can't even begin to express my love for this city! But I'm exhausted. Absolutely dead. (Also broke...sorry Dad) So this week is all about recovering, relaxing, reading (wait, am I here for school??), saving money and most importantly, CATCHING UP ON THIS BLOG! A post on Barcelona will be next. :)
About a week ago I went on a food tour of Amsterdam! A group of about 20 of the most dedicated foodies from my program met in the city center for a special Dutch eating adventure. We expected lots of yummy samples. What we didn't expect? For the tour to be on bike. While this might not seem like a big deal, trust me, it makes things wayyyy more difficult. Imagine 20 relatively inexperienced American college students attempting to ride bikes through a city of narrow one-way streets and canals packed with ignorant tourists, cars, mopeds and hundreds of other agressive bicyclists. Yep. Now you get it. It was a very chaotic 2 hours filled with numerous near-collisions, but also extremely fun and informative. I tasted my first bite of traditional Dutch pickled herring! And learned about all the best spots to get food with the locals. I can't wait to try all the restaurants on my new list!
 |
| Pickled herring. Surprisingly not bad!! |
 |
| Hidden gem: a macaroon store! |
 |
| The stroopwaffle macaroon. ABSOLUTE HEAVEN. |
 |
Then I tasted a real fresh stroopwaffle (the Dutch traditional dessert). And I realized
how wrong I was about the macaroon. A REAL STROOPWAFFLE is the most amazing
thing in the entire world. Never eat one. You'll end up addicted just like me. |
I learned that the best place to have a delicious slice of Dutch apple pie in Amsterdam is at a little café called Winkle...so of course I had to go back to find out for myself! Anne and I skipped out on the drinks one school night and opted for a quiet night of coffee and apple pie. I had no regrets. :)
 |
| Winkle's apple pie! (and a coffee to wash it down) |
A few other delicious finds with the girls:
 |
| Traditional dutch muesli with plain yogurt...one of my new favorite breakfasts! |
 |
| The cutest café I've been to so far! I loved the homemade shortbread they served on the side. |
 |
| YUM. The bread and cheese in Amsterdam are just incredible. I could eat this sandwich everyday. |
 |
One of our favorite cafes is conveniently right around the corner from our dorms!
Olivia loves their hot chocolate. |
 |
| And this café is right on the canal! It's the perfect atmosphere for sitting outside at night. |
On the same day that I went on the food tour, I took a trip to the Amsterdam zoo! I haven't been to the zoo at home in ages, but I love animals!! So of course I had a blast. I took a gajillion pictures of random furry blurs, but for your sake (and so I don't bore you even more than I probably already am) I'll just post a few of the better shots.
 |
| Baby gorilla and Papa! So cute! |
|
With each day that I'm in Amsterdam, I fall in love with my new home more and more. It's such a beautiful and unique city. I'm so lucky! Sending lots of love to all my friends and family at home! Miss you guys!! xo
No comments:
Post a Comment