When we visited Amsterdam in July 2022, we felt it was a destination worth returning to in the not-so-distant future. Thus, we were happy to meet up there with our friends Cathy and Karen. Having done the most popular sights on our first trip, we were able to explore other options.
Our first stop was the Verzetsmuseum (Dutch WWII Resistance Museum), which has a compelling and well-done exhibition on how the Nazis governed in the Netherlands, which was different from other occupied countries based on the expectation that the Dutch might eventually embrace German rule. Ultimately they did not and the efforts to undermine, support, or tolerate Nazi rule were told through more than 100 individual stories. Afterwards we walked by the nearby Holocaust memorial.
We continued to enjoy the architecture and scenes on the canals, especially at sunset:
The highlight and reason for visiting in April was to see the tulips in full bloom. Our trip to the seasonal Keukenhof Botanical Garden did not disappoint. The Keukenhof is like Disneyland for tulip aficionados, with display after display after display by different growers. We were super lucky with the weather this one day of our trip.
We strolled through the grounds for nearly two hours enjoying the amazing displays of color and the creative names of the various tulip types. Fortunately, we got there early thanks to good planning by Cathy. By the time we left, the crowds were intense.
That afternoon we enjoyed the World Press Photo Exhibition 2024 at the De Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), showcasing the most important photojournalism and documentary photography of the last year, with award-winning photos from the 67th annual World Press Photo Contest. As you can imagine, the majority of the photos on display were hardly uplifting, but because the show highlighted stories from every continent we also learned about events and stories we were not aware of previously.
As always, we ate well, with Indonesian and Nepalese food being highlights. We also enjoyed meeting Cathy’s friends Jason and Sean, who are happily living in Amsterdam. It was fun to discuss the ups and downs and challenges of expat life with them.
We left before King’s Day – always the current monarch's birthday, and a national holiday in the Netherlands, but you’ll notice our celebratory headpieces that I couldn’t resist.
It’s always fun to see friends on this side of the pond. More to come on our day trips from Amsterdam soon.
Shana & Jeff
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