Next on our traveling adventure, we are going to explore Amsterdam. When I was younger I was oblivious to what Amsterdam was. In fact, I thought Amsterdam was a dam in the United States that became a tourist attraction. Although, as I said in my previous blog post, I am a movie fanatic, so the majority of the places I want to go come from what I’ve watched.

I am pretty sure that everyone is familiar with or has heard of the movie Fault in Our Stars. If you don’t, near the end of the movie the main characters go on a trip to Amsterdam to essentially meet the idol of the female lead. Ever since this movie, I have been obsessed with going to Amsterdam. It is so beautiful and I wanted to learn a little more about the city for future travel.

Amsterdam is a city in the Netherlands. It is actually the national capital and financial center of the Netherlands. Throughout the city, it is divided by a network of canals, which I find extremely beautiful. I just find bodies of water to be soothing and a calm place to be near. Another aspect I find intriguing is that there isn’t much transportation by car. Most of the city’s residents travel by bicycle and there are even many areas in the city to store and lock up their bikes. I find this very environmentally friendly. Although the use of bikes prevents harm to the atmosphere, in many reviews about the city, many people have addressed concerns about the crowded metropolis, traffic congestion, and housing shortages in the city. Amsterdam is like any other large city; there is room for improvement. I think that Amsterdam is a great place for people seeking to live an alternative lifestyle.

Now to my favorite part…FOOD! I can’t wait to try the cuisine in Amsterdam. I have reviewed many positive thoughts about the food there. There are so many dutch foods that are fan favorites and that tourists recommend. One dish is the bitterballen. They are crispy meatballs that are the go-to snack at bars around the city. There is also Poffertjes, which are basically mini pancakes. They are topped with a generous amount of powdered sugar and butter and you also add Nutella to it. It may not be the healthiest of dishes but I’ve heard they are amazing and cute too! Another dish is the Rijsttafel, which is a rice table. With a history that dates back to the 17th century when the Dutch colonized Indonesia, Rijsttafel is a veritable rice feast that spans the gamut of Indonesian cuisine. A Rijsttafel meal involves a colorful parade of little plates that fill the table first and the belly later. These are definitely the few dishes I will be trying when traveling to Amsterdam.

I think that traveling to new places is fun and exciting. Going to Amsterdam will definitely be one of the best highlights and I can’t wait to learn more about their culture and daily life.