So the next day in Amsterdam was my birthday!!! Hence the entire reason that Joyce and I met up that weekend. So we got up around 9 and headed out for the day. First we went to the tulip market. I was super disappointed that I couldn't buy any to bring back to the U.S with me. Customs wouldn't like it too much... Since we couldn't buy anything we simply walked through, but there are about a million varieties of tulips and bulbed flowers. It was very cool to look at. On the way we passed by a store window that had something very familiar on the mannequin...my senior prom dress...I think it looks better on me.
After the tulip market we went to Albert Cuyp Market. On the way we passed by the home of Heineken beer. Albert Cuyp Market is a giant market probably about a mile long where all types of things are sold. Clothes, toiletries, food, everything really. This is where we found our lunch. We basically tried all the food that we came across. We had raw fish, pickle, and onions on a hot dog bun. I won't say its my new favorite food...but it was edible. We also tried This thing on a hamburger bun it was kind of like a giant tater tot with hamburger and obviously potato inside that evidently you eat with mustard since they gave us a packet of mustard with it. That was very good too. We finally had mini pancakes that in Amsterdam have a name I don't know how to pronounce and then to finish it all off we had some waffles!!! Yay food!
After Albert Cuyp Market we went to the Rejks Museum which is a huge art museum. Unfortunately, half of it was closed for renovation...but that didn't mean we got in at half the price... However, we did get to see some VERY famous pieces of art by Rembrandt and his contemporaries, for example the Night Watch (If you don't know it there is a picture below.) After the Rejks Museum we were cold and tired so we headed back to the hotel to rest up a bit and figure out where we were going to go for my birthday dinner.
So we went back to the hotel and I looked up places to try traditional Dutch cuisine. I found this place called Moeders (Mothers in Dutch) so we made a reservation and since it was a bit far away we headed out to go find it. The restaurant is fairly small and out of the way for tourists. It's decorated with pictures of moms on all the walls. You can even bring a picture of your own mother for them to hang. We got the Dutch Rice Dish which is essentially a mixture of a bunch of Dutch dishes. We did the same for dessert. It was a great way to finish off my birthday. Honestly, Amsterdam was a wonderful escape. I felt strangely at home. Thanks Joyce!!!
The next morning I got up at 4:45 to head back to my "reality" of France. My flights were rather uneventful. Though I had a hard time finding where I was supposed to check in for my flight and the TSA agent interrogated me about my bag but besides that.
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