End of July, we went to Amsterdam to spend a four-day weekend.

As the capital city of Netherlands, Amsterdam is well-known for its rich history, vibrant rhythm cycling through countless bikes, and more than 160 canals surrounded by narrow houses like beautiful laces. In a sense, it is an exciting city, a bit extreme, and more darling. 

We started our journey by sneak peeking a little history behind this country. To the people who lived in France, Italy, this country was being treated “neither part” of Europe. So they called it the Netherlands, or “far-way lands”. Having unfavored conditions for farming, this area was known as low lands because they were below the sea level – the tide could easily flood the whole land. When it comes to keeping water out, the Dutch people were very innovative at building dikes. Thanks to William I (Willem Frederik), one of the rebellious noblemen in the 18^th century who lead the Dutch people to fight against the ocean tides and against Spain, Netherlands finally announced its independence and became peaceful. Dutch people still respect their hero king. Willem-Alexander, King of Holland today, is William I’s many-great-grandson.

Day 1: We first visited Van Gogh Museum that offers us an opportunity to discover the life and work of this great artist. Before visiting the museum, we highly recommend to visit its official website. On there, you will learn more about Vincent Van Gogh’s life and stories behind his paintings.

Most of his life stories were revealed by the lifelong correspondence with his younger brother, Theo. You will see the two brothers’ lives were so closely bonded together. The famous painting, Almond Blossom, is the birth gift from Vincent to his nephew (Theo’s son). Many of the collections in this museum were donated by Theo’s wife and son. We admire the paintings but cherish the stories and relationship behind the paintings more.

After touring the museum, we went back to the central station and enjoyed a nice sunset. You will not miss the iconic narrow houses lined along the canal, each with different appearances. Obviously, those much loved canal houses have shaped the world’s perception of Dutch architecture.

Day 2: Since we contacted a wrong car rental company – a local company that does not rent cars to foreigners, we missed the chance to go to Giethoorn, which is a small but unique town near Amsterdam. We spent the morning playing in this very special rental home and by special, I mean for both adults and kids. The home owners are a couple working for the government as a journalist & historian. As you can see, their home is full of stories. A lot of things were handmade, including kids toys like bow and arrow, as well as stuffed animals. We can feel the warm and delicate heart behind those hand-made furniture and toys. 

We choose this rental home not only because it is located in Noord where is away from hustle and bustle of the city but also for its unique and authentic style.

Wearing clogs is still very popular in Netherlands. They are not as heavy as what they look like. The clogs come in many designs, each serving different purposes. For this specific pair of clogs, there are three crosses as the flag of Amsterdam that you may see everywhere in town. A common legend about the flag is the three crosses represent warding off fire, floods, and the plague.

In the afternoon, we went to the historic windmill village, Zaanse Schans. It is a popular tourist destination for traditional Dutch culture, including windmills, cheese, and of course traditional Dutch life. We went into the windmill to see how this big machine work for hundreds of years. We also climbed up to the top of windmill to feel the wind rippling through our hair. Interesting fact about those windmills, they were not just used to crush grains. Historically, they served many purposes, such as pumping water out of the lowlands beyond the dikes, and chopping woods.

600 windmills made up the world’s first industrial area to build ships. In history, Netherlands relied on its exquisite technique of building boats to colonize parts of the world. Today, most of the windmills are replaced by other more efficient resolutions. Yet a couple of retired 250-year-old windmills are still working in this fascinating open-air village. Around the canal, the resident houses are still there, ready to host many weddings. 

Day 3: from where we live to a Simonehoeve, we hopped on a Uber due to a cancelled bus. The Uber driver shared some wisdom about Netherlands. Simonehoeve itself is a really nice place for kids to explore. Here, you can follow a guided tour to see how clogs and cheese are made. We even decorated the clogs at the workshop.

In that rainy afternoon, we hanged out in downtown. We tried the most wonderful ice-cream I have ever tasted called “Van der Linde”. What amazing is that it has only one flavor since 1937. Kids were satisfied with Miffy, a famous Dutch cartoon character, in their pockets. We finished the day with a cruise tour around the city. The beautifully designed and maze-like canals will not only take you everywhere in the city but also give Amsterdam its unique character. 

Day 4: Saying goodbye is always hard. This time was especially hard for kids, because of numerous toys, delicious Dutch cookies and of course a lovely cat in the backyard. We were also efficient that morning with a couple of postcards sent out and a few crazy family photos captured.

No visit to Amsterdam is complete without having biked like a Dutch. Cycling in Amsterdam is one of the best ways to get around this city, experiencing the city’s world famous bike culture. It also can be quite an adventure – if you would like to pedal as free as local people. We rent a tandem bike and a cargo bike to go through crowded train station, a couple of bridges, and to arrive at a flea market. The kids were thrilled. In Jane’s journal, she wrote “I felt different that I want to bike all across Europe”. 

Some people say Amsterdam is a city of sin and its residents say there are no rules in Netherlands. During our vacation, we had a chance to live in a historian’s home, to hear some stories about this country, and to even experience some unpleasant conversation. Regardless the good or bad experience, Amsterdam is a city full of surprises to us. There is always more happening, awaiting to be explored.