Easter in Amsterdam

I was still sad about Kitty by the time Easter rolled around, but I was feeling a lot better compared to before she died. I stopped bursting into tears and managed to make peace with my decision to let her go. I realised that it was for the better, and the idea that she was no longer suffering or in pain soothed me more than anything else.

It was a welcome distraction when we took off for Amsterdam for Easter weekend. 

We landed at the airport quite late and hopped into a cab to the hotel, the Andaz, on Prinsengracht. I was glad we had paid a bit more for the canal view - I felt like I could see the essence of Amsterdam right outside my window.



We didn't have much time before it got dark, but J knew that I was itching to see the Anne Frank House so we walked quickly in the general direction. By the time we got there, the museum was near closing and the queue was so long that it was clear that we wouldn't get in by the time the museum closed its doors. We decided to try again on another day, but at least I got to see the same church that Anne looked out at when she was in hiding. I remember reading how its ringing would keep her up at night.

Disappointed and cold, we headed back to the hotel to have a quick bite to eat before settling in for the night. The hotel itself is quite beautiful and modern. It's got lots of modern artistic touches and little nods to its past history as a public library. For example, our room was stocked with books, and the lobby has a library. I love that!

We woke up the next day raring to go, and we headed straight to the Anne Frank House again before opening hours. You wouldn't believe the queue - it serpentined around until it was difficult to see where it ended! We decided to head back to the hotel for breakfast and try again later that evening.

After a so-so breakfast, we headed over to the Rijksmuseum, which had just reopened after a long renovation. The building was absolutely beautiful, and we had bought tickets beforehand, which meant we could skip the queue. Yay!



We went in and explored for quite a bit. We made sure to check out one of the museum's most famous offerings, Rembrandt's The Night's Watch, which had a large crowded surrounding it. It felt like trying to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre all over again. J and I love museums so we spent a good chunk of time here before we decided to break for lunch at the indoor café, and then we headed out to check out the streets of Amsterdam.



It really is true about the bicycles, they're everywhere and they will mow you down if you don't get out of their way!



We wandered around the more touristy areas close to the train station, and we got near the infamous Red Light District but didn't actually enter the area. It seemed like a depressing kind of place and a bit odd to ogle people selling their bodies on storefronts. We stopped by the Rembrandt plaza to check out a sculpture of Rembrandt looking over his most famous painting, which I thought was quite nice!

Later, we walked over to the famous tulip market sitting on the canal.



We ended up returning to our neighbourhood in Prinsengracht, which was a lot more peaceful, to walk around and take in the sights without the crowds.



There are canals everywhere, and it's quite peaceful watching the many boats just cruising along. There are also loads of boats moored alongside the street, and I spotted some homes and restaurants. I love the thought of living on a boat, but J, not so much.



It was a long day of sightseeing, and I think J and I were both happy to sit down at Brasserie Vlaming for one of the best meals we've ever had. It's a teeny restaurant with great service, and I'm serious when I say that we would come back to Amsterdam to eat here again!, 

And we got the added treat of a wonderful sunset on the walk back to the hotel. All in all, a pretty good end to a day that didn't start as well.