Lost in Amsterdam

At 11.30 we arrived at Amsterdam Centraal and followed the crowd that's heading towards the Dam Square. The sun’s on our faces as we walked but the air’s cool and chilly. Along the way, shops were inviting us in. Whether we were interested in them or not, we went in. But first… How to get to Amsterdam?

One of the best ways to do it is through here: https://www.ns.nl/spoordeelwinkel. Pick a deal to which city plus a whole bunch of other things. It covers day return train tickets, food and drinks or any attraction of the city. So, don’t pay full price unless it’s cheaper than what they’re offering. I ordered one to Amsterdam plus a sandwich and it saved me about 10 euros!

We exit a store and on to the next until we arrived in the hottest tourist zone, the Dam square. On the west of the square lies the Royal Palace, next to it is the Nieuw Kerk and Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. Also home to the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky and the elegant department store De Bijenkorf. It's also where we spotted Uniqlo.

After hours in Uniqlo, more shops were entered, from sunglasses to sports clothes to cheeses. And cheese is super important! In Amsterdam when you came across a cheese house, don’t hesitate to go in and taste all the testers they’re offering. You won’t be the only one, so don’t worry, Try all you can, from the mild one to the quirky. Like lavender, wasabi or coconut cheese. Taste all you can to your heart's content!

Walking along Kalverstraat among well-known clothes brands and shops, we came across a bookworm’s paradise. Waterstones is the place of English books, both mainstream and academic. There are 4 floors, each consist of different genres and sorts of books. We even lost a friend inside the store since there are so many things to see, feel, touch and explore. I found a very adorable yellow book, a collection of dog poems and stunning illustration. We spent hours inside, in fact, I could stay there the whole day.

After a sandwich at Eetsalon Van Dobben and another from Burger King, one of us insisted to go to Bulls and Dogs. A hotdogbar in Amsterdam known for their pretzel bun hotdogs and freakalicious milkshakes. But getting there was tricky. Google maps said 28-minute walk, but the day was getting dark and cold. So we hopped on a tram and hoped it’s the right one too. Thank God for google maps and 9292! Off the tram and continued walking to Bulls and Dogs.

Initially, we ordered two freakshakes then I ordered another one. It was a regrettable decision. A Kinder Bueno, red velvet that tasted like strawberry and chocolate. When the first two came, we hurried to take a photo but were too late! Cause the height of the whipped cream failed to give stability and it fell... We screamed and laughed, hard. Then another came and it was perfect. Due to sweetness overload, we didn’t finish all but one. A kind warning: you’ll get drunk by the awesomeness and sugar of these freakalicious milkshakes.