Wat is er nieuw in Amsterdam?
Dutch 101. We just started our Beginners Dutch Lessons at Weiden + Kennedy. The course lasts for 7 weeks, meeting once a week and going over common phrases, vocab and pronunciation.
On January 20th we went with our friend Tim to see Drake perform at the Heineken Music Hall! It was our first time to that venue and he put on a great show. He didn't even miss a beat when a huge fight broke out right in front us...so that was nice.
On a lazy Saturday, we took the 30 minute train ride to Haarlem - a small-ish town outside of Amsterdam. With our friends Scott and Jo, we walked around and scoped out shops, cafes and the markets!
For our first abroad Valentine's celebration we jetted of to Prague! We stayed at the Marriot which was conveniently just outside the Old Town Square. The weekend was chilly, sunny, and pretty quiet. The winter weather keeps the tourists to a minimum. Our first night was spent walking thru the Old Town Square, Prague's historical center which includes the Gothic spires of the Tyn Church, the statue of the former Jan Hus, and the Astronomical Clock on the Old Town Hall Tower. We then ventured across the Charles Bridge and had a late bite at Kolkovna Olympia where we stuffed ourselves with goulash, boar, dumplings, cheese plates with garlic and potato pancakes and of course chasing it down with large glasses of Pilsner Urquelle - the well-known Czech brew.
After dinner and drinks we strolled through the park on Kampa Island and admired the stunning view of the bridge, river and picturesque Prague.
We started Saturday off with coffee and bagels at Good Fellows Coffeeshop before exploring around The Jewish Quarter. The Jewish Quarter contains the Maisel, Pinkas, Klaus, and Spanish Synagogues, the Old Jewish Cemetery and Ceremonial Hall.
We carried on through the main square and did a bit of window shopping, specifically hand-made glass, before heading across the Charles Bridge and hiking up to the Castle. The bridge was filled with tourists and artists - painters, etchers, pottery and photos galore. We walked around Lesser Town, grabbed a bite at a small smokey restaurant where we devoured more steak and dumplings and chugged dark/light mixed lagers. It was so hard to believe the amount of smoke in the restaurants, bars and cafes, but I guess that's the Czech Republic for you!
Just before entering the Castle, we enjoyed the spectacular view overlooking Prague. The Castle was massive and according to the Guiness Book of World Records, the largest coherent castle in the world.
For Valentine's dinner on Saturday we hopped on the tram out to Andel and dined at Pravek - caveman inspired quisine. We ate boar, ostrich and mash potato logs while sipping on Czech Pinot Noir.
After dinner we had drinks at the Hilton's Sky Bar - a very popular posh night club with good music and signature cocktails. Our last day was spent shopping, after a yummy breakfast at Cafe Louvre, and then a short flight back home! We hope everyone had a lovely and happy Valentine's day!
Dutch 101. We just started our Beginners Dutch Lessons at Weiden + Kennedy. The course lasts for 7 weeks, meeting once a week and going over common phrases, vocab and pronunciation.
On January 20th we went with our friend Tim to see Drake perform at the Heineken Music Hall! It was our first time to that venue and he put on a great show. He didn't even miss a beat when a huge fight broke out right in front us...so that was nice.
On a lazy Saturday, we took the 30 minute train ride to Haarlem - a small-ish town outside of Amsterdam. With our friends Scott and Jo, we walked around and scoped out shops, cafes and the markets!
For our first abroad Valentine's celebration we jetted of to Prague! We stayed at the Marriot which was conveniently just outside the Old Town Square. The weekend was chilly, sunny, and pretty quiet. The winter weather keeps the tourists to a minimum. Our first night was spent walking thru the Old Town Square, Prague's historical center which includes the Gothic spires of the Tyn Church, the statue of the former Jan Hus, and the Astronomical Clock on the Old Town Hall Tower. We then ventured across the Charles Bridge and had a late bite at Kolkovna Olympia where we stuffed ourselves with goulash, boar, dumplings, cheese plates with garlic and potato pancakes and of course chasing it down with large glasses of Pilsner Urquelle - the well-known Czech brew.
After dinner and drinks we strolled through the park on Kampa Island and admired the stunning view of the bridge, river and picturesque Prague.
We started Saturday off with coffee and bagels at Good Fellows Coffeeshop before exploring around The Jewish Quarter. The Jewish Quarter contains the Maisel, Pinkas, Klaus, and Spanish Synagogues, the Old Jewish Cemetery and Ceremonial Hall.
We carried on through the main square and did a bit of window shopping, specifically hand-made glass, before heading across the Charles Bridge and hiking up to the Castle. The bridge was filled with tourists and artists - painters, etchers, pottery and photos galore. We walked around Lesser Town, grabbed a bite at a small smokey restaurant where we devoured more steak and dumplings and chugged dark/light mixed lagers. It was so hard to believe the amount of smoke in the restaurants, bars and cafes, but I guess that's the Czech Republic for you!
Just before entering the Castle, we enjoyed the spectacular view overlooking Prague. The Castle was massive and according to the Guiness Book of World Records, the largest coherent castle in the world.
For Valentine's dinner on Saturday we hopped on the tram out to Andel and dined at Pravek - caveman inspired quisine. We ate boar, ostrich and mash potato logs while sipping on Czech Pinot Noir.
After dinner we had drinks at the Hilton's Sky Bar - a very popular posh night club with good music and signature cocktails. Our last day was spent shopping, after a yummy breakfast at Cafe Louvre, and then a short flight back home! We hope everyone had a lovely and happy Valentine's day!
