sweat for sweets

Why hellooo there! Been a while! I’m back home after an absolutely amazing trip. I don’t even know where to start in this update post .. there’s just SO much ground to cover! I’m going to attempt to sum up our wonderful time by area – one post for Amsterdam, one for Belgium & a final for France.

Duncan & I flew out of Toronto on May 18 to Amsterdam, Netherlands. We spent three days in the beautiful city & were floored at just how incredible it was. I went into it knowing I’d probably really like Amsterdam, but I had no idea of what was to come. I am OBSESSED! It is hands down my favourite city in the world. Between the beautiful canal houses + canals, fantastic food, cheap beer (makes me smile), variety of great attractions, laid back atmosphere & the AMAZINGLY friendly people, Amsterdam is a city I would return to in a heart beat. If I were as cool & stylish as the Dutch, I’d say I’d live there too! I swear, every person in that city is beautiful, fluent in four languages, ridiculously friendly, stylish + fit. What shocked Duncan & I so much is that there is so much more to the city than the typical stereotypes of it being a party city filled with weed & the ladies of the red light district. Sure, these are definitely components, but they make up such a small part of the city’s fabric. Some highlights -

*Beautiful canals + sights of the city, incl. Anne Frank House

*Market in Jordaan + mini sandwich platter

*Street frites + our daily beer in the square

*Rainy afternoon in Vondelpark + AMAZING salad

*Heineken Brewery Tour (a little gimmicky, but we had to do it!)

*BEER

*Red Light District + BIKES {everywhere}

*Magical canals

*Cured duck with mashed apple + roasted lemon-dill salmon

Amsterdam was the best way to start off an excellent vacation. We enjoyed seeing the sites of the city, including Vondelpark, Anne Frank House & the Van Gogh Museum. Most of all, though, we enjoyed simply relaxing, walking around & checking out local spots for beers and food. We were lucky to have stumbled upon some phenomenal restaurants with healthy, unique dishes at very reasonable prices. We also enjoyed checking out the local markets + indulging in our fair share of beer.

If you are ever considering a trip to Amsterdam, please feel free to ask me anything about our experience!

I hope you have had a wonderful past two weeks + look forward to catching up with more of our trip details! I can’t believe how quickly it went by. Though I’m saddened that it’s all over, I must admit that it is a little nice to be home. Nothing beats your own bed! Now, back to the grind! I have a feeling I’ll have a SERIOUS case of the Monday’s tomorrow; sitting at a desk seems kind of pale in comparison to discovering new cities, relaxing in beautiful parks + sitting at cafes in the sun. *Sigh*

Love,

A xoxo

Questions -

• Have you ever been to Amsterdam? If so, what were your favourite things?
• When you travel, do you often look forward to coming home? What do you miss most about home while away?