- First of all, I decided I wanted to blog about vegan food, so I started a new blog over on Wordpress and that was taking priority for a while. While I'm not always having exciting adventures, I am basically always stuffing my face, so I figured I'd at least always have material.
- Secondly: I mean... do I really want my last post to forever be an angry rant about the idiot who stole my camera? I feel like anyone reading would just assume I became extremely bitter and gave up on travel forever;
- But mostly: This blog was created to document the exciting adventure of moving abroad, teaching, and travelling. But you know what? After nearly two years (!!) of living abroad, it just seems a bit more like normal life and somehow a bit less blog-worthy. Bristol feels like home now, and I've been working at the same school for nearly a year. While the "woah, I'm living in England" factor may have worn off to some extent, it's been replaced by a sort of warm and comfortable familiarity. As I look forward to my next adventure, I find myself becoming nostalgic for little things about my Bristol life. Is it possible to be nostalgic about something that's still technically happening? I vote yes. I'm pre-nostalgic.
However, I promised myself that I would continue writing this blog despite my tendency to abandon projects when I get a bit restless -- because one day, I will be really glad that I can look back on these experiences and remember the amazing things that I've had the privilege of doing and seeing during my time living in England.
Moving on, this post is not about Bristol and nostalgia -- it's about exploring somewhere brand new! During the last term break, my two dearest Bristol Canadians Beth and Andrea joined me on a week-long trip that included Amsterdam, as well as Ghent, Bruges, and Antwerp in Belgium. So without further ado, here is my list of my Top 7 Memories from these amazing cities!
1. Wandering Amsterdam by Day
I saw a post on one of those Facebook meme pages that said "If you go to Amsterdam and don't take a photo of yourself on a bridge with the canal in the background, did you really even go to Amsterdam?" All I can say to that is, well, I definitely did go to Amsterdam then.
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Aside from taking slightly unoriginal but still quintessential tourist photos, there's plenty to do in Amsterdam by day. My eyes have recently been opened to the wonders of the Hop On, Hop Off bus tour after having taken one in both Dublin and Gozo and realizing they are actually really useful and informative. But Amsterdam, always one to be unique, offers a Hop On, Hop Off BOAT tour. Basically, if you are not down to figure out the public transit situation and are mildly terrified of cycling without a helmet (why does nobody wear helmets here??) then it's a great way to get around. It's definitely not for anyone in a rush though. We learned some interesting things through the boat tour -- did you know that the houses here lean forward and have hooks hanging from the top so that furniture can be hauled up to the top floor without damaging the house?
Even though the weather was a bit chilly, Amsterdam was still such a pleasant city to wander around. IF YOU DON'T MIND ALMOST DYING EVERY FIVE MINUTES BECAUSE YOU FORGOT BIKE LANES EXISTED. I wonder how many distracted tourists get taken out by cyclists every year in Amsterdam?
The bike lanes were nothing like Bristol's, where they seem to stop and start at will, making cycling just a bit nerve-wracking at best. They are wide, clearly marked, and continuous. I think people cycle without helmets because they legitimately feel really safe riding their bike around the city.
Anyway, here are some daytime sights in Amsterdam worth checking out if you feel pretty confident about not getting taken out by a bike:
Anyway, here are some daytime sights in Amsterdam worth checking out if you feel pretty confident about not getting taken out by a bike:
- The Van Gogh Museum (which is located in a lovely park... grab a picnic lunch from the nearby Albert Heijn supermarket and lounge in the sun before learning about the fascinating Vincent Van Gogh).
- Vondelpark: A nice big park to stroll around, or if you are dorks like us, to sit in front of a little tulip garden and have a photo shoot).
- Albert Cuyp Market: A strange and eclectic mix of clothes, poorly translated tourist merch, and delicious food.
- Bloemenmarket: A colourful flower market located along a row of floating barges.
- Foodhallen: I think this was one of our favourite places, because we love food and all have different dietary needs and preferences. It's an indoor food truck market and it's got such a great variety that everyone can grab something completely different, and happily munch away together. I got an awesome vegan burrito which I will come back to later on in this list.
2. Wandering Amsterdam by Night
At night, we decided to take the "Red Light District Tour" offered by our hostel. A tall, bearded Dutchman named Mo was our trusted guide to the weird and wonderful world of Amsterdam by night. I have to say, although I knew the basic idea behind the Red Light District, I somehow didn't expect it to be quite so... blatant? It was somewhat shocking to see scantily dressed ladies flaunting it all behind glass windows, as well as men nonchalantly wandering in. However, Mo addressed the subject in a respectful and educational manner -- as part of his personal research for his tour, he visited one of these women -- but asked for only conversation, as he wanted to know what their lives were like, how much they earned, and how they felt about their jobs. The women here are actually self-employed and rent the windows out.
Despite its reputation, the Red Light District is far from seedy -- it's actually one of the safest and most highly policed and monitored area of the city.
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| And you can also buy a burger from a vending machine! |
We also learned about why Amsterdam has the relaxed attitude that they do about certain substances. Essentially, as Mo explained, "adults are treated as adults here", and this system has worked well. Apparently, there are legal services available in Amsterdam where people can anonymously test drugs -- legal or illegal -- to ensure that they are not laced with something more dangerous, for example. For better or for worse, this city definitely has a very unique attitude towards things that much of the world considers a bit taboo.
3. Ghent's Quaint and Quirky Charm
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| Our Airbnb home was just a bit further down this street. |
After leaving Amsterdam, we hopped on a bus and crossed the border into Belgium. Having a private Air Bnb was definitely welcome -- our hostel was nice, but there's just something about being able to go to the bathroom without putting on flip flops or having to triple check that you remembered your key card. It helped that our host (who owned the home attached to our private loft space) was incredibly helpful, kind and welcoming. Everything about Ghent was charming -- the cobbled streets (travelled by the occasional horse and carriage), the numerous beautiful churches, the narrow, quiet alleyways. However, one alley in particular stuck out a bit... Make a wrong turn in Ghent and you're suddenly transported into a vividly colourful world known as Graffiti Alley. Local graffiti artists are given free reign to paint here to their heart's content. And it makes for some awesome photos.
You can also go up to the top of the Belfry (for a small fee) if you are a fan of nice views and don't get claustrophobic on narrow, winding stairs.
Make sure to try the traditional Belgian sweet called Cuberdon (otherwise known as 'Nose candies', and 'What are these things called again'?). But don't buy them from this dude, as he was the most pretentious and snarky Cuberdon seller I've ever met. Also the only one, but still.
4. That Pub in Ghent Where You Trade Your Shoe For Beer
I found 'De Dulle Griet' by googling "The best pubs in Ghent" and decided almost immediately that we had to check it out. The concept: You can order one of their over 500 kinds of beer, but the one that we were after was named MAX. It's served in a comically tall two-pint glass that is extremely thin in the middle. In order to ensure that you don't steal or break this glass, you must offer up one of your shoes as a deposit. The bartender rings a bell, lowers a basket from the ceiling, and in goes your shoe until you return the glass. Full disclosure: the basket was too full of shoes when we first came in, so the bartender had to keep ours elsewhere. However, we really wanted our full ridiculous experience, so we apologized to the bartender for being annoying tourists, but could he please put our shoes in the basket and ring the bell? He did, and it was glorious.
5. Wandering and Windmill Hunting in Bruges
Like Ghent, Bruges was also impossibly quaint, with its cobbled streets, canals, and charming brick houses.
Like Ghent, Bruges was also impossibly quaint, with its cobbled streets, canals, and charming brick houses.
It also has a more modern section, with chain shops, chocolate shops, tourist shops, waffle stands, did I mention chocolate shops? Those streets smelled AMAZING. While sitting in a cafe browsing around on Google Maps, we saw that there were also some windmills nearby. Having been to The Netherlands and not seeing any windmills, we were pretty excited. Naturally, we made our way over and took ridiculous photos of ourselves pretending to be windmills in front of them. That's what normal people do, right?
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| Not pictured: Idiots waving their arms around in front of the mills (us) |
6. Antwerp's Classic meets Modern Vibe
I must admit -- Antwerp, you were a bit of a wildcard. We were not 100% sure what to expect from this city, but in my opinion it exceeded my (lack of) expectations. It actually kind of reminded me of Bristol a little bit, and had a much more 'happening' vibe than Ghent and Bruges, beautiful as they were. The latter towns really felt like they were made for the relaxed holidayer looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Antwerp felt less like a storybook town and more like a modern city. Ghent and Bruges felt a bit removed from the struggles of modern life, while Antwerp brought us back to reality. However, you will still find plenty of art and beautiful architecture there, as well as lively pubs, cobblestones, and gorgeous squares where one can sit on a sunny patio and watch life go by
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Have I mentioned that Antwerp Central station is arguably the world's most beautiful train station?
Make sure to visit the MAS (Museum aan de Stroom) -- you can climb to the top for free and experience a panoramic view of the city!
7. Stuffing My Face With Vegan Food
I have to mention it, because there was so much amazing vegan food in all of the cities that we visited and also I am obsessed with food. Instead of telling you all about it, let me show you. If you're hungry, maybe scroll past quickly.
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| Plus + in Bruges |
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| BEO Organic in Ghent |
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| Maoz in Amsterdam -- Build your own pita! |
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| Vegan burrito and nachos at Foodhallen, Amsterdam |
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| De Rosenobel - Almost entirely vegan Pay by Weight restaurant, Antwerp |
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| Greenway, a Belgian vegetarian fast food chain (Antwerp). Can we get these everywhere, stat? |
So, now that I'm writing this, really wishing that I lived anywhere close to these restaurants, I think I'll bring this post to a close. If you're still with me, thanks for reading and I applaud you for your attention span. Have you been to any of these cities? If so, what were your best moments? If not, which place would you most like to visit?
Until next time,
-- C
Until next time,
-- C
