We had such a spectacular time in Amsterdam. The vibe is quite different from London...very chill, anything goes and fun-loving & extremely tolerant. It's quite beautiful with numerous canals, bridges, and really wonderful architecture. Sprinkle in a few great museums, pancake houses, cafes & shops, it's everything I love wrapped up in one charming city.
We visited the Anne Frank House, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. All are definite must sees. The Anne Frank House was extremely moving and the Rijksmuseum had spectacular pieces by the Dutch masters including Rembrant and Vermeer. And over at the Van Gogh Museum besides hundreds of pieces of his work, there was also an exibition of letters he wrote to his brother, other family members and friends over the years. I think I actually liked that exibition as much as his paintings. If anyone is planning on visiting Amsterdam before January of 2010 you should really be sure to check it out.
Outside the Rijksmuseum One of the highlights of Amsterdam had to be the amazing pancakes! I stopped by The Pancake Bakery on quite a few occasions. Sweet and savory, they were all amazing! We've been going through pancake withdrawl since we've been back. Luckily it seems as if J might have tracked down a place in NYC that makes them...The Sullivan Diner. I'm gonna try to check it out in the very near future to see if it satisfies the craving.
Me outside the famous Pancake Bakery. This was my second visit there so I was really excited to go in!
Delicious pancakes. The one in the back is banana and I put Nutella on top. The one in the front is bacon and cheese. Yummmm!
On my second visit, I decided to try poffertjes, tiny Dutch pancakes. I went with the butter and sugar variation. Pure perfection! They actually melted in your mouth! 
On every table they have something called Stroop which is the syrup of choice in Amsterdam, powdered sugar and a bucket of pure molasses. 
We also discovered Stroopwaffles at The Pancake Bakery. They give you one with every cup of coffee. They're caramel waffle cookies. Just amazing! We brought a few packages back with us but I think I might order a few more and give them out as xmas gifts.
We went shopping at a few stores. One of my favorites was Sissy-Boy Homeland, a lifestyle concept shop. It kinda reminds me of the Dutch version of Antropology. The displays were just gorgeous. I bought a few of these mercury glass votives.
We also stopped by De Kaaskamer, a cheese-lover's paradise. The sell over 400 different types of cheese from all over Europe. In addition they also sell wine, olives, tapanades, meats and sandwiches & salads.
And we strolled through the Flower Market. What a amazing feast for the eyes! We brought back some tulip bulbs for our families.
And I wanted to share some more exciting news with you all. I temporarily overcame my fear of Smart Cars! I'm not sure how long that will last now that I'm back in the states...
Conquering the fear!
All in all, it was an absolutely amazing trip that I'll remember forever. Unfortunately now it's time for me to stop daydreaming about my honeymoon and get my butt into holiday gear!
