Amsterdam: Sunshine on the Canals

This year has been special. After having spent a part of spring exploring my partner’s home in California, I got a chance to show him the cozy little life I’ve built for myself here in Europe. What began as a heartwarming reunion soon turned into one of the most special summers of our lives!

After living just four hours away from it for over a year, I finally got a chance to visit Amsterdam, fondly referred to as Venice of the North. We started our trip by taking a walking tour . Most European cities have immense history, culture and other things one can explore; and such a walking tour gives an amazing introduction to the place.

Let me start with the most fascinating thing about Amsterdam: the dancing houses! The most gorgeous ones are at the Damrak waterfront, which is very famous among Instagrammers. To walk along the canals in Amsterdam is to wonder how these skewed houses are still standing! Our tour guide explained to us why these houses are so narrow. In the olden times, taxes were charged based on the width of the building. The narrower the houses, the lesser tax one had to pay! You can read more about it here. He explained to us how this poses a challenge when moving houses. His enthusiasm and knowledge helped us view this place from a local’s lens, and it made our trip even more interesting!

Narrow Houses of Amsterdam

Dancing Houses at Damrak Waterfront

The maze of canals in Amsterdam is straight out of a fairy tale! The picturesque little bridges were decorated with hanging baskets of beautiful flowers. We stopped at cafes to taste the local stroopwafels, bitterballen and Dutch pancakes. My partner, a foodie, was definitely in his happy place. The icing on the cake was the weather! The default weather in this part of Europe is cloudy, with rain often being an uninvited guest. This trip, however, showed us a tropical Amsterdam! The European in me was pleasantly surprised, and my California boy felt at home with all this sunshine. Even as a sombre afternoon awaited us, the sunshine kept us sane and happy.

Canals of Amsterdam

Amsterdam was Anne Frank’s home, and one of the most famous tourist attractions of Amsterdam is the Anne Frank House. Visiting the Secret Annex where Anne Frank and her family hid for two years during WWII was a life-changing experience: very disturbing, and yet very eye opening! In addition to this, we got to see her original diary, and some other things her family held on to while dodging death everyday. Her father was the only member of her family to have survived the concentration camps. He later published her diary and helped turn this house into a museum. Stepping into the Secret Annex made the horrors of the Holocaust very tangible, and yet I felt numb. I remember the stunned silence we shared while we digested all that we had witnessed. I am thankful I had my best friend by my side to get me through this emotional roller coaster.

Anne Frank House

Let’s move on to happier things! A canal cruise is a must when visiting Amsterdam. Many locals own boats and they often go for a cruise at the end of a working day. We went on a sunset canal cruise¹ and it was a surreal experience. Our captain, who was also our bartender for the evening, told us many stories about his life in Amsterdam. Sunset is my favorite time of the day, and watching it with my favorite person while on a cruise was definitely a “pinch me” moment!

Canal Cruise at Sunset

Amsterdam is a cyclist’s heaven, and some even call it the bicycle capital of the world. Dutch use bikes for almost everything, and we saw a woman carry a huge mattress on her bike! We chose to walk, so we could observe these little things at our own pace, and it was definitely worth it. From dodging the public transport strikes to pedal boating on the canals, our trip was full of adventures. For what is life, if not an adventure with those you love the most? Little did we know, this was the first of many bucket list worthy experiences this summer had to offer!