the world of adventures: Amsterdam 2015: City wanderings

Spring 2015

Amsterdam, Netherlands

After Kuekenhof, I barely took any pictures.

Therefore, fair for me to say my whole trip centred around Kuekenhof.
However, I did enjoy my aimless walking around Amsterdam city centre.

National Monument at Dam Square

This is where the Sandeman Amsterdam Free Tour starts.

It was also the second time I rushed to the Dam Square, trying to make it for the start of the tour.

I did not make it to either one of them.

First try, it was full.

Second try, they just weren't there.

What luck..

The Royal Palace
If you have anything edible here, the pigeons will flock you.
If you have a fetish for pigeons, this is the place to be. I kid.

Magna Plaza shopping mall behind the Royal Palace

Nougats!

Love the ones here because they are so very soft!

I hate those tough ones because they get stuck in your teeth and you spend the next hour making unnatural facial expressions trying to inconspicuously dig them out with your tongue.
In the end, you just stick you finger into your mouth and just dig that stubborn piece out, even if it means doing it in public places.

Buildings in Amsterdam tends to lean.

I have yet to find out why.

I must have walked into half a dozen cheese shops to try cheese samples.

Pesto cheese, yums.

Was supposed to go to the Rijksmuseum after my walk around the city centre, but ended up in a flower market.

No complaints from me!

I would tell you which tram station I stopped at but I can't remember.

I took Tram 2 heading to the museum. Fell asleep in the tram, but woke up a few stops later, after hearing the tram conductor announce this stop heads to the flower market. Made a split-second decision to hop out of the tram for the flower market.

FYI, this is the second time I am in Amsterdam (first time was during winter: Amsterdam).

Both time, the museums (i.e. Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House) were all super full.

There tons of people in the queue and some have a waiting time >1hour.

It's best that if the museums are your central purpose of visiting Amsterdam, you make it an early morning visit. Definitely not a late-afternoon thing to do.

No photo?

#rebel

Psychologically, doesn't the sign tempts you to take more photos?
At first, I was wondering 'Oh, what is so beautiful that I can't take a picture of?'
The truth, nothing. At least nothing out of the ordinary.
Yet due to the sign, I took a picture anyway, just in case...
Tell me if you spot anything worthwhile.

Dream reading chair
If I have a big tree back home, I would have bought this hands down.
All I have at home are bushes, bamboos and frangipani trees. Even combined, I don't think they'll hold my weight.

Amsterdam's roads and tram lines can get quite confusing.

Although the city centre has a 'New York-layout' feel (neat-ish blocks of building), being an old establish city meant there are a handful or two of odd-ball buildings that throws your sense of direction off.

My trip was made easy with Mr. Gordonsky's City Spy Amsterdam map.

As long as your adventures are within the city centre, this map will serve your every needs.
I've used this map on both my visits each time, I only need to know which block of buildings my destination is at. Then, I take my tram (also indicated on the map) and find my way with a bit of wandering.