It was 2006 when #3 after a rather torturous experience finally got the overseas posting she'd been angling for from her first post-graduate school employer. It was Amsterdam. She had thought it was going to be Spain. She'd studied in Spain and knew the language. But events didn't pan out there and when the Amsterdam slot opened, she grabbed it.
Over the next 16 years, #3 grew. She changed jobs (a number of times) to advance her career. She found love. Got married. Moved multiple times within the city, Had children. And 2 years ago, after much soul searching, she, her husband and children moved away from Amsterdam, first to Copenhagen, and most recently to Malmo, Sweden.
And during that whole 16 formative years from newly fledged young adult to full early middle aged adult, Wife and I visited her and Amsterdam. Initially we did all the tourist things. Often we'd go to towns and cities in other parts of the Netherlands. In later years as Wife and I got into our full out travel lifestyle, we would often just schedule a stop on our way in or out of a trip to see the #3's since Amsterdam is such a convenient hub.
We developed a whole routine of things we liked to do when we came, mostly having to do with eating (big surprise I know). But there was this comfortable feeling. We knew the area all around where #3 and family lived. We could go off on our own with no problems. It was nice.
Of course, all that stopped with their move. Wife and I didn't realize how much we missed it until a couple of months ago we were flying home from our around the world trip, landing in Amsterdam to change planes. We were watching the countryside and cityscape as we landed. We both were overcome with this sense of nostalgia.
As fate would have it, I needed to book our flights for the trip we were currently on and the best alternative was to fly in and out of Europe via Amsterdam. I floated the idea to Wife that we add a couple of days in the city to scratch that nostalgia itch. She agreed. We mentioned it to #3. She offered to fly in for a couple of days and spend time with us to do the same.
So here we are! Looking for a hotel (you would not believe how crazy high the hotel prices are! Or maybe you would.), I found a good deal on a place that seemed pretty close to the neighborhood I was wanted. Well, 'pretty close' turned out to be spot on. We are literally just blocks from the Albert Cuypt Market street which is our center for culinary history.
The very first afternoon upon arriving, friends from Albuquerque who now live in Amsterdam came over. I impressed them with my knowledge of the area directing us to our first food destination, our favorite Doner Kebab place
It was like 4:30 in the afternoon. Wife and I hadn't eaten since the flight about 8 hours earlier. Wife had chicken. I had lamb. Our friends bought some baklava as they'd eaten before they came over.
We then went out for drinks and a nice long, long talk. It wasn't too late an evening because Wife and I needed to crash after the long flight.
The next morning we didn't want to buy the expensive hotel breakfast. Amsterdam is not a place where it is common for people to eat breakfast. We decided to go to the market street and get something but forgot (or didn't know) that the market is really an afternoon affair and doesn't actually get going until around 11am.
It is actually a cool time to walk the market street as it is just opening
We were starving and the one place that was open and serving was a roast chicken place. So an order of wings and drumsticks was breakfast.
By this time it was 10:30. We killed time having coffee and a soda until the primary reason we were at the Albert Cuypt opened.
This is a place that sells French Fries - Friets in Dutch. And they are the best. Really. I've eaten how many fries? Over how many cities and continents? Seriously, none compare. And I must add, the Netherlands overall is a great place for fries.
It is a fourth generation family business and everything is made to order.
Voila!
When we first started coming to Amsterdam, the thought of fries with mayonnaise seemed weird. Now it's like "how would you have it any other way?" We actually came back here in the afternoon with #3 and had more! While we were at the market later with #3, I also had my obligatory serving of herring. But no pictures were took.
Then it was walking around and soaking in the cityscape.
Obligatory picture of canals. A requirement in Amsterdam.
We spent the day hanging around with #3, walking, stopping for coffee, talking, going out to dinner, sitting around outside the hotel talking. Soaking in the ambiance and enjoying some very rare alone time with our daughter.
Seen across the street from our hotel
Where was this when I was a teenager?
2 comments:
Wait, is that some almost- blue sky?! I didn't think it was possible in Amsterdam.
It was such a great afternoon and we got very lucky with the weather. Gosh I miss the fries here! (Alexis)
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