Amsterdam is the capital and largest city in the Netherlands. The city of canals, referred to as the Venice of the north. Originally, it was a small fishing village in the 12th century,
🧭 What did we do? To be honest not much as it was raining and cold (for us) most of the time.
Begijnhof
🌷 Bloemenmarkt the floating flower market
Borstplaat in brons
Strolled along the Canals
Dam Square
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| Bird Man |
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| Fly baby fly |
Frederik Hendrikplantsoen park
Lego Store the biggest display we had seen.
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| Willy Wonka |
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| Batman |
Molen De Otter
National Monument
Red Light District not many pictures because you are not allowed to photograph the sex workers (as they're called).
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| Every red light, there was a scantily clad woman in a window |
Westerkerk a Protestant Church
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| Rembrandt Memorial Stone |
💡 Insider Tip: Book museum tickets in advance, especially for the Anne Frank House. We waited too late and could not get tickets to the Anne Frank house.
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| Anne Frank Statue |
Walk-about random pictures
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| My size car |
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| Houseboat Museum |
🍽️ Restaurants and bars:
🌿 Bellezza – Secrets of Mother Earth
This isn’t just dinner—it’s a sensory pilgrimage. Bellezza’s immersive tasting experience unfolds like a theatrical performance, with each course paired to visuals, soundscapes, and storytelling that celebrate the Earth’s elements. We chose this restaurant for Brianna's birthday celebration.
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| What could possibly be inside? |
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| Cream of pepper, cauliflower and feta, crispy tomato, onion, and pickles |
THE OCEAN paired with a Domaine Giachino Jacquére a white wine from France.
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| Coquille Saint Jacques (scallops), leek, seaweed vinaigrette, radish, and almond |
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| Sourdough bread with Bellezza butter |
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| "I always feel like somebody's watchin' me" |
FRESH WATER 'FRUIT DE LAC' paired with a Weingut Thorle Kalk & Kreide white wine from Germany.
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| Salmon trout, eel, shrimp, bergamot, and tomato with a watercress beurre blanc |
UNDER THE GROUND paired with Adeneuer Spätburgunder a red wine from Germany.
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| Pickled beetroot with smoked potato mousseline, lovage, and chorizo with a soy beurre blanc |
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| Is Rob taking a picture of me or the screens behind me? |
You decide!
ABOVE THE GROUND paired with Valtuille Mencia a red wine from Spain.
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| Lamb fillet with artichoke, parsley hollandaise, salted lemon and pistaccio crunch with gravy of ras el hanout. |
Time for a heavenly refreshment:
Our last course was THE HEAVEN paired with Alice Bel Colle Brachetto from Italy.
We really enjoyed our dinner but 15 courses is way too much food for us. We also don't think David would have enjoyed any part of this dinner, but we hope he had a great birthday.
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| Crèmeux of raspberry with strawberry, rhubarb and white chocolate, ice of red currant and cloud from heaven. |
This was definitely a different experience that was fun and delicious.
We celebrated David's birthday at 🥩 Wolf Atelier a stunning location on an old railway bridge. The tasting menu was 15 dishes, yes I said 15.
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| What could possibly be in our little box? |
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| Water, mint, fresh towel Nice way to start the evening |
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| Watermelon, feta, & lemon |
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| This was hidden underneath |
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| Sourdough & homemade butter |
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| Prawn, corn, aji Amarillo, citrus |
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| North sea crab, dashing, horseradish, matcha |
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| Langoustine bisque, vanilla, & carrot 🥕 |
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| Jerusalem artichoke, shallot, Vadouvan, & mushroom |
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| Scallop I'm not a scallop fan and this was good |
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| With albufera, apple, xo |
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| Celeriac, walnut, bagna cauda, cevenne onion |
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| Gin-tonic, Basil, Elderflower Rob thought 🤔 he was getting a drink |
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| Plaice, with young garlic, leeks, & nori |
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| Lamb with green asparagus & caponata |
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| Grade A5 Wagyu with soy, salt, & pepper I wanted more! |
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| Roquefort & peach WOW! |
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| Pear with almonds, white chocolate, calamansi |
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| Sweet Potato, orange, pecan, miso The miso made the dish |
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| French toast with vanilla ice cream |
We really enjoyed our dinner but 15 courses is way too much food for us. We also don't think David would have enjoyed any part of this dinner, but we hope he had a great birthday.
🛏️ Where did we stay?
Renaissance Amsterdam Hotel is tucked into the heart of the city and steps from Central Station. The hotel was undergoing renovations. We knew that going in. The plus: our room was freshly renovated. The downside: the lounge was temporarily relocated to conference room and lacked any kind of intimacy. We were within walking distance of Dam Square, the Jordaan district, and the Nine Streets shopping enclave.
🚆 How did we get here? NS (Netherlands Spoorwegen) Intercity train from Groningen to Amsterdam with a train change in Almere. With all trains, 1st class is the way to go! Booking directly via the NS app is the cheapest way to go.
Whether you’re chasing Rembrandt’s brushstrokes or Bellezza’s edible poetry, Amsterdam delivers a rich tapestry of experiences. From their Renaissance base to the city’s culinary and cultural highs, this trip was a reminder that the best journeys are those that feed both body and soul.
📅 When did we visit? 15-19 September 2025
"AmsterDAMNN"
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