Amsterdam - D'Vijff Vlieghen

On our last evening in Amsterdam, we dined at D'Vijff Vlieghen, with Dan's best friend from England, Paul.

D'Vijf Vlieghen means "Five Flies" in Dutch and although the name might not sound very appealing, the restaurant is lovely, and I enjoyed the whimsical fly theme peppered throughout.

We dined on a pre-fixe seven course dinner, which naturally included a cheese course. I think I must have eaten more cheese during my week in Amsterdam, than in the rest of the weeks of my life combined. Did I grow tired of cheese? Nope.

The presentation of the after-dinner tea was unique, with the loose tea leaves in test tubes. I tried the D'Vijff Vlieghen blend made specifically for the restaurant. Slightly sweet and very good.

We practically closed down the restaurant and after dinner, our server took us on a tour. D'Vijff Vlieghen is comprised of five seventeenth century homes and was turned into a restaurant during the 1930's. The restaurant has counted many celebrities among its patrons, such as Walt Disney, Orson Wells, and Mick Jagger. All of the chairs in the dining room have an engraved brass plate with the name of a celebrity who has dinned at D'Vijff Vlieghen.

Here are some shots of the interior of the restaurant. I like the coat of armor.

Our D'Vijff Vlieghen dinner last nearly four hours. We walked out of the restaurant feeling extremely stuffed, slightly tipsy from the wine, and very happy from the experience.

Zaanse Schans

Windmills and wooden clogs; two dutch traditions that I needed to see during my Amsterdam vacation. I took a bus day trip to Zaanse Schans, a popular tourist attraction that is a village comprised of historic homes, preserved windmills, and a wooden clog making demonstration.

Clogs are traditional shoes that are still worn today. I walked through a small exhibit showcasing the different types of clogs; including ones worn on Sundays, made for weddings, and even rollerskate clogs!

The clog making demonstration was led by a college student, who showed us the various tools used to make a clog from a single piece of wood. It took him about ten minutes, but he probably could have made it faster, if he hadn't been explaining the process. We sat on stumps of woods and watched. When he was finished, he walked in front of the machinery to reveal that he was wearing an enormous pair of clogs. It was a funny contrast to his modern clothing, but he admitted that when worn with a thick pair of socks, that they are quite comfortable.

Naturally, this was all leading up to a sales pitch for the souvenir clogs that were on sale in the shop. I liked the decor on the exterior of the building.

The windmills are scattered throughout the village. Some are open, and for a small fee you can enter and learn about the windmills, including getting a better look at the mechanisms. With the bus tour, I had just enough time to run around and take a few pictures. If you have time, I'm sure the interior tours are fascinating.

I came across an employee feeding a very friendly goose that had wandered outside of the petting zoo.

Here's the petting zoo. I like the straight-forward warning sign rhyme.

As I was heading back to the bus, I found these characters walking through Zaanse Schans. Check out the clogs!

Zaanse Schans: the perfect half-day, or in my case, one hour, excursion from Amsterdam. It's a bit of a tourist trap, but it's beautiful to see the Dutch countryside dotted with colorful windmills. Zaanse Schans looks like it's straight out of the pages of a fairytale.

Amsterdam- The Heineken Experience Canal Shuttle

Considering that bicycling and boating are popular modes of transportation in Amsterdam, the only time we were on the water, was on our fifteen minute The Heineken Experience canal shuttle ride. We also never got on a bike. Although bikes are everywhere in Amsterdam, the idea of trying to navigate through busy streets was terrified me. I stuck to walking and taxis.

The Heineken Experience canal trip was a pleasure. The weather was warm and the sun was still shining. It was truly a magical early evening. Here are some pictures that we took from the boat.

Naturally, The Heineken Experience had another reason for the shuttle...they led us right to their outlet store. Didn't buy enough souvenirs at full price? No problem. Here's a second chance and a bargain.

They sweetened the deal with free Heineken glasses, just like the ones that the samples came in at The Heineken Experience. We did a cursory walk around the store, but having already purchased a few knick-knacks at the main store, we had enough. We were "Heinekened-out".

We walked through Rembrant Square and saw an amazing group of statues dedicated to the artist.

Amazing art and architecture. Amsterdam is such a beautiful city.

We ended our epic sight-seeing day with a latte at Blue, a cafe on the top floor of a shopping center, with panoramic views of the city. To reach Blue, we had to ride in a glass elevator. Truthfully, I think the elevator is what sold us on eating at Blue.

Right outside of our hotel, we saw this cute car.

I was exhausted from a epic day of sightseeing and this was only the first day. Coming up- Amsterdam Food Tour, The Tulip Museum, Anne Frank's house and so much more...