The Best for Last - the Rijksmuseum

Our last full day in Amsterdam started the same as the others, in our cozy nook at Coffee Tales.  It really was a lovely little spot. The fresh baked pastries are one of my favourite things in Europe.  Our plan for the day was the Rijksmuseum.  We had saved it for last as today had the worst predicted weather of the trip.  Unfortunately our planning wasn’t perfect.  We had free tickets with the city card, but I forgot we still had to reserve a time slot.  When we arrived, the next options were for early afternoon.

This was Amsterdam however, so its not like we didn’t have options.  The city card let us also visit the near by MOCO Gallery.  Usually I am not a big fan of modern/contemporary art, it’s just not my thing. But the Gallery was in a delightful older house and it has a Bansky Exhibit.  Not an official authorized one, but they had collected various authenticated pieces.  There were a few interesting artists, some that I just didn’t get, but a successful pick. 

After the gallery, we walked around the grounds of the Rijksmuseum a little, and had a coffee at a fancy little cafe.  A bit too fancy for me, they would have charged €2.50 just for a refill on my hot water!  The original tea was only €3.50!  

The rain finally came along, but luckily so did our time slot for the Rijksmuseum.  I really enjoyed it, though I’m not really an art person. I enjoy museums like this for the history.  Seeing the paintings by the Old Masters, and statues and items made hundreds of years ago, it fascinates me. Add in a gorgeous old building and I am happy for a few hours. 

My mother is a huge fan of the famous Nightwatch painting by Rembrandt.  She had been quite excited for me that I was going to see it.  And I saw, most of it.  There is currently a massive multi-year restoration project on going of the painting.  On the plus side, instead of hauling it off to a lab somewhere, they glassed off the section it is in and have the restorers working in full view of the public.  It was interesting to see them at work, they are on the stage of removing the old dirty varnish.  It’s quite a painstaking process and will be years before it is fully finished. 

My friend and I rendezvoused in the little cafe for a drink and to rest our aching feet.  I had a little pick me up of some bread, which again was just amazing with the fresh butter.  Then, at closing time, we headed out for a walk back towards our hotel and dinner.  I had recommended we go back to the A van Wees tasting room for dinner, which my friend enthusiastically agreed too.  Luckily the weather was a little better because the only seats available were outside!  It wasn’t too bad while the sun was out, and we eventually moved inside for dessert when it got cool. 

With our dessert we also ordered a flight of Genever to split.  Much smaller glasses this time!  The younger spirits were more like the gin I am used to, with juniper added. The older ones are aged in barrels and a bit more like whiskey, which I am not usually a fan of.  They were a smoother drink to sip, which I did appreciate.  My ice cream came with home made brandied raisins, which I asked for on the side.  I’m not a raisin fan, luckily they went quite well with the apple pie across the table from me!

Our final evening would not be complete without a stop for our nightcaps at Kramer’s Cafe.  We had to say goodbye to Jean-Pierre and have one more taste of their liquors.  They had excellent gin there for sure.  It was to be an early evening again, our flight wasn’t too bad, we had just enough time to grab a To Go drink on the way to the train (guess where!) before heading off to the airport.  It is really nice that Schipol Airport is so close to the city, and so easy to get to with the trains. 

With a mid day flight, we arrived back in Canada at mid day, but ready for bed and then right back to normal life.  Though I had a bottle of Genever from duty free, so I’ll need to get some tonic.  

Walking Tour of Amsterdam

Today started about the same, up at a good time and over to Coffee Tales for a tea and fresh baked croissant to start the day.  Looking over the map and the city pass, we decided to walk to the Oude Kerk to start the day.  It was a nice stroll from where the cafe was on Rembrandt Square.  

Along the way we stumbled upon Da Waag.  It was originally one of the city gates, and interestingly sits on a slightly different alignment to the rest of the roads and buildings in the area.  Since it was built in the 15th century, it has many different functions, including as a weigh house, which is what it is now named for.  In the 17th century, they included a theatre for the public to witness human dissections.  This is immortalized in the Rembrandt painting 'The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp'.

Walking along we passed through the Red Light district on our way to the Old Church, and then had a bit of a walk around waiting for it to open.  This is about when I noticed, that I think the truck drivers of Amsterdam Delight in parking right in front of the grand old buildings and blocking the best views.  It really seemed like one truck would move, and a second would zip in before you could get a clear picture!

About this time, my friend wasn't feeling as well, she decided to go back to the hotel for a little break and we would meet up again.  Since she was interested in the Old Church, I walked over to the Rembrandt House Museum to explore that while she tried to get some bearings.  Its the house Rembrandt lived in for many of his best years, though he was forced to sell to pay his debts.  It is an interesting place, even to see how people lived.  Everyone had short box beds because it was thought to be unhealthy to sleep lying fully supine!

After the tour, my friend reported back that she didn't think she'd be up for anything else today. So I was on my own.  I decided to walk back towards the church I had skipped this morning, and I ended up stopping for lunch at Da Waag.  It was beautifully restored inside as a restaurant, lit with dozens of real candles hanging from the celling.  They also have their own local beer, it was great. 

Back at Oude Kerk, I went in to see another art display.  This one was made using found objects from around Amsterdam.  I'll admit, I really didn't get it.  Except for one massive tarp hanging from the ceiling, it was not to my taste, or understanding for art work.  Though seeing the church that dates back to the 14th century was interesting. 13th if you count the original wooden structure.

I wasn't terribly sure what to do next, so I followed my feet.  I walked past the Dam Square again, and then across to the canals along the west side of Amsterdam.  Eventually I walked past the Anne Frank House museum.  I had seen it before the last time I was there, and it was quite busy, so I just took some pictures from the outside.  After finding more picturesque bridges to photograph, my feet were beginning to hurt too. 

With no set goal in mind, I found a nice looking restaurant and went in for dinner.  Turns out I had found the restaurant and tasting room for one of the oldest genever distilleries in Amsterdam. A. van Wees is still located in Amsterdam and makes genever and many other spirits.  Similar to my beloved gin, I was excited to try it.  I am not a big fan of sipping liquors, but when in Rome.  The lovely staff gave their recommendation for my genever and a beer.  Because it is a grain alcohol it apparently goes well with beer.  When I received my drink, I was told that before the first sip one must bow, and then she filled the lovely little tulip shaped glass right to the brim.  There is definitely an art to just pouring the drink!

In the future I'd be interested to see how genever goes with tonic, but I was able to appreciate my glass along with sips of beer, and a beef stew for dinner.  The old building used for the tasting room also was just perfect, and old stable it even had the original paving stones for the floor.  After finishing up, I checked back in on my friend who said they just wanted to keep resting, so I took my ipad back to Cafe Kramer for a drink to finish up the night.

Exploring Amsterdam

We didn’t have a lot of time in Amsterdam, and I wanted to take advantage of every moment. Yet this was also about relaxing and regaining some of my equilibrium.  This morning we set an approximate start time of about 9:00.  It wasn’t actually hard to meet after having gone to bed quite early the night before after a long travel day.  

We were staying in a cute little hotel called the Dreams Amsterdam. It was in an older building near the canals, about halfway between the central train station and the Rijksmuseum.  It was nice and central for a trip that was going to involve a lot of exploring on foot. 

The restaurant hours surprised me a little in Amsterdam.  First, the night before a lot of cafes and smaller restaurants that advertise having dinner had all closed in the early evening. Now I was trying to find a spot for coffee that opened before 9:00. No, not one of those coffee shops.  I just needed my caffeine. We did find a spot called Coffee Tales that was open, served excellent tea and coffee in an adorable little shop.  The fresh baked pastries were also incredible. 

We had our drinks and planned the day a little more. We bought the Amsterdam City Pass and walked down to the Nieuwe Kerk in the Dam Square.  Built in the 15th century the New Church is only about 100 years younger than the Old Church.  On Dam Square is also a Royal Palace, and a lot of other beautiful buildings. After a little walk around we went inside, as well as being a beautiful old building it was also host to the World Press Photo Exhibition for 2025.  It was an incredible and moving display of photos from around the world.  Sadly most were of some of the greatest tragedies occurring, but there were a few of great moments too.

Going back outside we found the rain had rolled in, I dashed back up to the hotel while my friend stayed dry in a cafe built into the side of the church.  We also had lunch there before continuing on the day.  After a little walk around the area, we went down to some of the canals and decided to do a canal cruise for the afternoon.  It’s a great way to see some of the city, with lots of neat old buildings and landmarks being right on the canals. 

After the cruise, we stopped for a drink in one of the oldest bars in Amsterdam, serving drinks since 1606. Cafe Karpershoek, is one of the Brown Bars, such named for the old wooden bars and paneling that still line everything.  It was a small intimate interior, that got quite crowded as more rain swept through.  We were happy to have a seat already!

Our final stop for the day was the Heineken Experience. Set in one of the original brewery locations, the tour is something I had done 20 odd years ago. It was still fun to go back, see how it had all changed.  The tour was interesting, informative and a little silly.  Beer was also included.  We paid a little extra too for the rooftop bar.  While it was too cold to sit outside, it was a great view and I enjoyed looking around before we settled in for another sample. 

We had dinner at another small steakhouse near the Rembrandt Square by our hotel. Walking back we went to Cafe Kramer for a nightcap, one of the main draws being a pretty little grey cat in the window. I had a gin and tonic with their own gin, delicious. My friend tried a limoncello Spritzer with a liquor they make.  It was also reported to be delicious.  And Jean-Pierre was an adorable and furry little host over seeing everything from his spot of honour. 

Time to Go! Amsterdam on the Fly

I have been getting very antsy lately.  I had a desperate need to travel and precious little time to do it.  I was looking at my schedule and with about five days free I decided on an impulsive choice to go to Europe.  Trouble with impulses, then I had to decide where to go.  Weighing lots of pros and cons, and conferring with the internet, I settled on Amsterdam.

I have been before, once as an early 20 something exploring in the summer between school, and twice as a little kid who’s parent got transferred somewhere cool, but they were way to young to appreciate it.   So it made a lot of sense for me. It was a direct flight, airport close to the city centre, and lots to see and photograph.

In my planning, while sharing the story of my desperate need to escape, I had a friend realize she also had a desperate need to escape.  It quickly became a trip for two.  A bit unusual for me, the famous solo traveler! So we talked about our travel styles, and made the booking.

The flight was overnight, as usual for North America to Europe. We arrived about 11:00 in Amsterdam on the last day of the Tulip Festival.  There was a shuttle straight from the airport to the Keukenhof Gardens. It wasn’t quite what I had expected, though some of that is likely because it was the last day of the season.  the main tulip fields had already been culled for the year.  The gardens themselves still had many tulips, many were older, some had been culled, but there were more than a few that were still fresh and lovely. 

We had a lovely time exploring the garden before getting a bus to Amsterdam.  We then walked to our hotel to check in.  The plan after that was to get food, but everything in our area that was open was heavy food like steaks or pasta.  I was tired and cranky (I don’t sleep on planes) and just wanted something light.  We eventually decided to give up, just going back to the hotel for an early night.

Plan was to wake up Monday morning, ready to go and explore.  

Flashback Friday - The Mozambican Coast 2021

After getting home from South Africa my sister had to head back to work, so I had a few more days of lounging around her place and enjoying relaxing lunches by the ocean.  Our mother flew in for the start of her visit with a slight overlap so we could have a little trip together.

We had a couple days in Maputo, where my mom took to a local market she had been to before and then lunch at a phenomenal hotel by the sea.  I bought this awesome carved giraffe.  I just adore him, and normally would be too large to get home.  So he had to live with my sister for half a year till her posting ended and her belongings all got shipped home.

We went away for a weekend to Anvil Bay.  It was one of the most amazing places I have ever been too, in the south of Mozambique in the Maputo National Park.  It was this absolutely isolated spot, where we even needed to pay for a driver because my sisters car wouldn’t make it over the rough roads.  With just a half dozen or so cabins, I probably would never be able to afford a place like this. The pandemic still be on the prices were only mildly crazy. 

It was just stunning, with little cabins tucked back into the brush beside the beach.  Massive stretches of sand with no one else around but us and the half dozen other guests. We spent a few nights there, enjoying the beach and delicious dinners.  As well my mom was celebrating a special birthday so we brought a bottle of Moët to drink on the beach.  It was certainly a vacation that will be hard to beat.

After dinner in the evenings the resort would light a bonfire on the beach. It was a little cool along the water, so sitting by the fire and enjoying our champagne did feel like an amazing luxury. It was a fabulous way to celebrate a birthday, and just spending time with family.

Eventually all good things come to an end, and it was time to go back to reality.  First back to Maputo and then back to Canada for me.  It was a long trip home, five hours to Addis Ababa and then a 20 hour flight back to Toronto.  There was a stop in Dublin to refuel, but no one was allowed off the plane.  It was one of the times in my life where paying for business class was 100% worth it and necessary!

Flashback Friday - Shalati Safari Lodge 2021

We had an afternoon safari with the Shalati Lodge, my sister and I were the only ones in the safari vehicle so we both had excellent views.  The southern end of Kruger is much busier, with a little town in Skukuza and close enough for people to come in who are staying outside the park.  Also as it’s part of the publicly owned part of the park, the vehicles are more limited and required to only stay on the main roads.

Elephants in Kruger are fairly safe from poachers.  The park is busy and well staffed so it’s a much bigger risk for poachers and the ivory isn’t worth the risk usually.  Rhino however are still at risk.  The guides won’t talk about them on the radios, nor is anyone supposed to post on social media or on any of the animal spotting apps about them.  The guide was optimistic that there were a couple in the area we could hopefully see.

In the evening the big find was a leopard.  She had made a kill and pulled it into a tree close to the road so was a little easier to spot, even as she hid in the grasses near by.  Unfortunately that meant there was a huge crowd of vehicles all along the shoulder.  We moved along before too long, and saw a few hyenas as well as a warthog being followed by her litter of piglets.

We stopped for our sundowners, I had a G&T again, and our guide told us that the gates to the park close around sunset so all the people staying outside had to be gone.  We drove back past the kill site and were pleased to a lot less vehicles.  Then the leopard also decided she was hungry and leapt up into the tree to feed while we took watched.  It was pretty intense. 

Back at the lodge we had dinner and more wine than we should have with another early morning. Our room on the train was absolutely beautiful. The walkway to the rooms was along the west side of the rail bridge, so the east wall of the room had big beautiful windows.  We were up before sunrise for our safari, but did the lightening of the sky to greet us in the morning. 

This was the first morning where we were actually out before sunrise.  I was excited (but tired) at the idea of getting some pictures of the sun breaking the horizon, maybe with a solitary tree or an elephant near it.  And as the moment got close, they spotted a rhino.  It was off in the distance, and took me forever to pick it out of the scrub.  Then I realized I had missed the sunrise!  Ah well, we did see a rhino!  It was a black rhino, and we also got to see a white rhino that morning.  So it was a special day. We also stopped back by the leopard kill tree, she was lounging in the grass below it this morning. 

We had a great safari, had an amazing breakfast at the lodge and then lounged for a few hours before check out - I really wanted to try the pool.  We didn’t have a long drive that day as the plan was to stay one night in Mbombela (formerly known as Neslpruit) so we didn’t have to rush.  My sister also wanted to do some shopping before we left as meats and booze were a lot cheaper there.  We grabbed a couple bottles of Moët for $50 cdn!

Then it was a drive back to Maputo, and back to work for my sister.  Not for long though, as our mom was coming to visit and with the bit of overlap we had one more little excursion planned!