Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes. Five hundred twenty five thousand moments so dear. Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes. How do you measure, measure a year? In daylights? In sunsets? In midnights? In cups of coffee? In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife? In five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes.
How do you measure a year in a life?
As you can tell by the lyrics, it’s coming up on the one year mark of our time here in Amsterdam. The time passing has made me reflective. Or maybe it’s the fact Bill has been traveling the past 2 weeks and I am going stir crazy sitting in the apartment by myself. So how do we measure this past year?
In Cities
London, Munich, Bruges, Ghent, Geneva, Bogotá, Denver, Strasbourg, Dallas Fort Worth, Denver, Cairo, Fiss, Innsbruck, Malta, Haarlem, The Hague, Delft, Harlingen, Copenhagen, Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Mariehamn, Stockholm, Edinburgh, Brussels, Dinant, Den Bosch, London (again), Athens, Mykonos, Paros, Santorini.
33 cities. We’ve been busy. I may sort of be cheating by calling out the different Dutch cities we have been to. Don’t @ me, they count. So I know what you want to know. Which have been our favorites? Don’t worry I won’t go ranking every one of the cities. I will, however, give you my top 5.
1) Greece – Athens, Mykonos, Paros and Santorini
In a word I would call our trip to Greece amazing. Beautiful, delicious, and historic are also words that come to mind. I have a blog about the experience in draft for you to read all about it but I have been a little slammed with work so I’m behind. Here are some pictures to hold you over in the meantime.
2) St. Petersburg
This is a place I was not sure I would get to ever visit and I’m so happy I had the opportunity. A country veiled in mystery after being behind an iron curtain for so long, vibrant and full or history and beauty. I have a two part blog you can check out for all the dets.
3) Cairo
Pyramids, pyramids, pyramids. And camels! This was definitely a bucket list trip made even more special by the fact that we got to share the experience with our dads (yes Brad and David took a non-wife vacation together). You can read more about the experience in my full blog if you’re interested.
https://thegreatbartholomewadventure.business.blog/2019/03/20/welcome-to-2019-first-stop-cairo/
4) Bruges
This was an excellent place for them to send Colin Farrell for his final days in the movie In Bruges. Very picturesque, particularly in the evening and early morning. If you wanna read more check out the blog.
5) Edinburgh
There are several reasons I enjoyed Edinburgh beyond just the city itself (good friends, living a childhood dream of seeing the Spice Girls in concert, beautiful weather) but none the less even without all these factors it would be a city I would recommend to anyone. The blog is still pending (I’m the worst I know) but here are a couple photos in the meantime.
In Visitors
Carrie Stires, Forest Huddleston, Matt McCabe, Chris Barnes, Cathy Lammers, Alexis Keto, Ann and David Oster, Jarik Jurica, Brad and Beth Bartholomew, Nick and Megan Berti, Liz Oster, Roger Davis, Nick and Megan Berti (again), Eric and Nancy Miller, Shannon Regan, Mary Steffel, Bryan Lussier, Ann and David Oster (again), Brad and Beth Bartholomew (again), Barb and Steve Ruel, Austin Billman, Susan and Sean Ruel, Amy and Casey Tounget, Chase Bruton, Jayde Ames, David Finn, Chirs and Danielle Palamara, Chris Wilbur.
There is a good chance I missed someone and I apologize if I did. We have been so blessed people have traveled from so far to see us. I am not about to rank our visitors, we love all our guests equally but some guests are loved more equally than others. Thank you all for visiting and we can’t wait to see more of you in the coming months and weeks!
In Things Learned
What are we if we do not always learn and make ourselves a little better? In the past year I have learned a lot and here are some of things you may find interesting:
- Scooters in the bike lane are a nuisance and I hate them
- Tourists should not ride bikes around unless they have actually ridden a bike in the past 5 years. You are a danger to yourself and the innocent locals around you just trying to get to work
- Trains are unpredictable sometimes so always check the NS app before committing on a route to the client
- Don’t do your hair in the morning, it will probably rain anyway so it’s a complete waste of time
- If you want to take a class at Rocycle with Rowen you need to sign up when classes open on Monday at noon
- The Dutch are extremely direct but they aren’t trying to personally attack you or be rude. They just say exactly what they are thinking when they think it
- Always check Buienradar in the morning before you leave for the day
- Buienradar is the only weather app that is even close to accurate in the Netherlands
- Just carry an umbrella with you
- I should have packed fewer heels. I literally never wear them with walking/biking/public transport commuting life
- Gin and tonics are better in Europe. It’s the tonic. Fever tree – check it out
- Aperol spritzes are a thing and I embrace them
- Your bike can get towed
- Sun’s out, Dutch out. It doesn’t rhyme but if the sun is out the Dutch are out. In swarms
- In the Netherlands you bring in your own cake for your birthday
- Things do not open before 7 am (including gyms) during the week and 9 am on weekends. Also lots of stores aren’t open on Sundays
- The Dutch don’t really work out and when they do they say they “did sports”
In Restaurants
Man we have eaten some good food along the way. I won’t tell you about every meal we’ve had but I can give you some top Amsterdam and top travel meals. Not necessarily in any order.
Amsterdam
- Choux
Great food. Located near central station you can eat between 3 and 7 courses of seasonal dishes. The sauces are epic.
- The Duchess
Located in an old ticket station the ambiance is beautiful. The food ain’t too bad either – it earned a Michelin Star. If you go for dinner, save room for a chocolate surprise for dessert. They also have an amazing high tea.
- De Kas
Located in a greenhouse in the east, this multiple course menu focuses on seasonal dishes and is very vegetable forward with a farm to table concept. They grow many of the ingredients onsite!
- Zazas
Right down the street from our apartment this bistro style restaurants is a staple for when we have guests. Their scallops are divine and I love the lamb. I mention one of our first times dining there in another blog post.
https://thegreatbartholomewadventure.business.blog/2018/10/07/livin-la-vida-local/
- Blue Pepper
If you like Indonesian and are a little adventurous this place is fabulous. Not your traditional rice table Indonesian establishment but more refined.
- GUTS
Don’t try looking the menu up before hand, you won’t find it. It’s a surprise fixed menu focused on fresh and in season ingredients.
- Bakers and Roasters
If you’ve visited us, and you’ve had breakfast here, there’s a good chance we have taken you to B&R. It’s our go to brunch spot with a kiwi flare. Right around the corner from our apartment and always packed after 10 am on the weekends.
Abroad
- Le Patanthrope (Namur, Belgium)
Chances are you haven’t heard of this city, I hadn’t either, but we had a fabulous meal here.
- Rataskaevu 16 (Tallinn, Estonia)
Great spot for lunch – such delicious salmon.
- Bistro Bestick (Stockholm, Sweden)
Go. Just go if you’re in Stockholm. Not too expensive in a city known for lots of dollar signs and well cooked meals. Check out my Sweden blog for all the tea.
https://thegreatbartholomewadventure.business.blog/2019/07/28/sweden-up-the-summer/
- Rootz (Valletta, Malta)
Tiny whole in the wall restaurant specializing in northern Italian cuisine – particularly the pisdinas (cross between a flatbread sandwich and a wrap).
- The Greek Kitchen cooking class (Athens, Greece)
Hands down the best food we ate in Greece and we cooked it ourselves! Highly highly recommend to anyone traveling to Athens.
- Siparos (Paros, Greece)
Fresh off the Santa Maria beach this restaurant had refreshing and fresh food that was delicious. 10/10 would recommend.
In Amsterdam Moments
I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention some of my favorite Amsterdam moments and activities as well. It seems somehow less important given it’s our home city but that is a bad way to think about it. I have really loved living here and here are some of my favorites.
- New Year’s Eve
I have never heard/seen so many fireworks go off consistently for hours leading up until midnight then amplifying as the clock struck 12 and continuing for hours. Shout out to Ben and Jaclyn for letting us come to their roof for a 360 degree view of the city.
- Museum Night
Each year the museums in Amsterdam host an event where you can buy a single ticket that gets you access to almost every museum in the city. It happens on museum night and there is the added bonus of cocktails.
- Concerts
I can’t say I am usually much of a concert person at home but we have been to 2 so far here and both have been extremely affordable and enjoyable. The first was the Revivalists at Paradiso Noord for a whopping 12 euros a person and the second was X Ambassadors in Paradiso near our apartment (an old church) for a whopping 20 Euros.
- High tea and spa
I spoke about high tea at the Duchess a little earlier in this blog but I should also mention they have a package where you can combine your tea with a visit to the spa for a reduced rate. You don’t have to tell me twice!
- Biking to… everywhere! (except Centraal)
Amsterdam is portrayed as a big city, which it is, but it’s really not that big. You can essentially get anywhere in the city within a 15 minute bike ride from our apartment. It really is the most convenient way to travel. I still refuse to bike into/around Centraal though. I don’t need to shave 5 years from my life from the stress.
- Jogs in the park
I am not a huge fan of running outside (I like to watch trash TV on my iPad) but when I do run outside I really enjoy Vondelpark. It’s really pleasant with no cars and it always promises good people and dog watching. There are also so many paths that you really can create your own adventure each time.
- Ijhallen
When my friends suggested a flea market in Noord as a fun weekend activity I was skeptical. Trinkets and used goods are not always my cup of tea. It was definitely a fun experience though and I even made it home with some reduced price Delftware!
- Kings day
In celebration of the King’s birthday all of the Netherlands has a giant party. Imagine Mardi Gras but everything is orange. We rented a boat and cruised the canals, rain and all.
- Wine festival
One weekend this spring we went to a wine festival in Amsterdam Bos, a HUGE park in the south of the city, and I had a great time. It was the perfect temperature with sun, friends, good wine, and good food. All the ingredients for a good time.
In Day Trips
One thing I have really tried to do is explore more of the Netherlands itself outside of Amsterdam. It’s amazing that in a short train ride you can be half way across the country seeing some place completely different. My top 3 favorite day trips are probably:
- Haarlem
Haarlem is a city just outside of Amsterdam, about 20 minutes by train from Centraal. If you decide to go, Rick Steve’s has a nice little walking tour in his Netherlands book that takes you by the main sites. The canals are similar to Amsterdam but less flooded by tourists. There is also an impressive church and a nice market in the church square. We sampled the local beer at the Jopenkerk (an old church) and ate at an excellent restaurant for dinner – Dijkers. To end the night we found a bar with board games and played Ticket to Ride Europe addition. I was the victor.
2. Delft
A small town just outside of the Hague you probably know it from the famous Delftware (blue and white pottery). A quaint town not lacking in canals, we also navigated the sites with good old Rick Steve’s as our guide. We also stopped by Delftse Pauw Delftware Factory for a short “tour” where they showed us the process of making Delftware followed by a stop in the giftshop where we proceeded to spend too much money but so worth it.
3. Den Bosch
Located south of Utrecht, Den Bosch is a city known as the home of Jheronimus Bosch (famous painter) and the Bosch Bol (think cream puff with less puff and heavy of the cream, yes it was delicious). First we popped into St. John’s church which was actually very pretty before we took a boat tour – which was in Dutch – through the underground canals in the city i.e. the old sewers. Then we explored the Jheronimus Bosch Art Center which did not actually contain any original Jheronimus Bosch works but did have replicas you could get up close to and a neat clock. We finished with drinks on Korte Putstraat and dinner at Lux on that same street. A very pleasant day trip indeed.
In Museums
What would life in Europe be without a little culture and history am I right? With so many museums I have to split the list between the top mentions in the Netherlands and abroad.
The Netherlands
- The Rijks Museum (Amsterdam)
Rijks means national in Dutch apparently so go here to see all things Dutch art. There is a hall with all the Dutch Golden age works (including the famous Night Watch by Rembrandt), a nice Delftware display, and some really cool doll houses. To top it all off, there is a neat library for art historians to use and for visitors to peek inside. We have the name of an excellent guide if you are visiting and are interested!
- Moco Museum (Amsterdam)
Home to many Banksy works this small museum is definitely worth a visit. Make sure to get the audio guide for some really interesting commentary on the pieces and banksy itself. Check out the blog where I talk about our visit to the museum.
https://thegreatbartholomewadventure.business.blog/2018/10/07/livin-la-vida-local/
- Anne Frank House (Amsterdam)
The Anne Frank house is an experience not to be missed in Amsterdam, not so much because of the house itself but what the house represents – the millions who lost their lives at the hand of hate. If you want to go to Anne Frank (which you should) you need to book ahead. You can’t just show up. They do open 20% of the day’s tickets at 9 am online though so if you aren’t able to snag a ticket in advance there is still hope. I wrote about our time at Anne Frank in one of my blogs.
https://thegreatbartholomewadventure.business.blog/2018/10/07/livin-la-vida-local/
- Mauritshuis (The Hague)
This museum is worth a trip to The Hague, about an hour outside Amsterdam via train. It’s not too large (takes about 60-90 minutes) and is home to the famous work by Veneer, The Girl with the Pearl Earring, and The Goldfinch by Carel Fabrituis. There is a free app you can download with some information on the piece and you can use it as much or as little as you want.
Abroad
- The Hermitage (St. Petersburg)
I would put this on par with some of the major museums of the world. If you want more details, check out the 2 blogs I posted links to earlier in the blog.
- The Vasa Museum (Stockholm)
A museum literally built around a 17th century ship that sank in the harbor outside of Stockholm which has been brought up from the depths of the water and preserved for our viewing pleasure. See all the details and photos in my Sweden blog.
https://thegreatbartholomewadventure.business.blog/2019/07/28/sweden-up-the-summer/
- The Acropolis Museum
When you visit Athens and the Acropolis (which everyone should if you go to Athens) make sure to go to the Acropolis museum as well. If you have time you should do the museum the first morning to get the context of the history of the Acropolis and the Parthenon before you head up the hill itself. If you only have one day though and it’s the summer, just do the museum after. You will die of heat stroke if you try and do the Acropolis when the sun is in full force.
In Tulips
So I went to see the tulips 4 times this year. It was a lot. Don’t get me wrong, it was completely wonderful each time but needless to say I checked my tulip box at least for this year. I had so many pictures I dedicated a full blog to it.
https://thegreatbartholomewadventure.business.blog/2019/05/14/spring-in-amsterdam/
In Moments to Come
If you made it this far in my blog, thank you for listening to my ramblings. One of the best thing about the past year though is knowing there is still more to come. Our last year has trips planned to Croatia, Italy, Paris, Krakow, the Northern Lights, South Africa and there is only what we have booked so far. We also have visits from my sister Katherine and her boyfriend Matt, Hunter and Rebecca Millner, Melissa Mahoney, and Eva Scheele to look forward to. I am glad I took the time to reflect upon the experience so far and I will have to let you know how the next five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes go.
Seasons of Love ❤
Have Passport Will Travel 