Category Archives: Amsterdam

Amsterdam, Journal

Week 15

Ran up to 2.5 miles this week.  Hoping for 5K next week.

Tuesday we decided to try the world beach Volleyball championships in Dam Sq.  We saw the Americans beat the Russians and 2/3 of the Netherlands/Kazakhstan game.

Yay, Volleyball

Yay, Volleyball

Afterwards we tried Moeders, a “home cooked, traditional Dutch” restaurant out west.

Thursday I interviewed with the CEO and chief architect of Xillio.  Really easy interview.  I was practically given a job offer (w/o the financials) right there.

Friday we decided to celebrate July 4th a day early at Graceland BBQ.  Good, but obviously not as good as some of the places in the US.  Afterwards we grabbed a drink at Mano a Mano.  I took a peak at their menu and would like to go back for food.

Saturday Kathryn went to Utrecht for the start of the Tour de France.  After spending most of the day catching up on Season 4 of Breaking Bad, we went out to dinner for Portuguese food at Girassol.  Later that night, I played a game with Jim.

Sunday we cleaned all day in preparation of her father’s arrival on Monday.  We decided to try Hummbar (Hamburgers and Lobster only) for dinner.  I had a better burger at the Burger Bar.

Restaurants Visited

Moeders

Graceland BBQ

Mano a Mano (drinks only)

Girassol

Hummbar

Amsterdam, Journal

Week 14

Uneventful week.    I finally started running again.  Woefully out of shape.  Day 1 (Wed), made it about 1.25 miles.  a little better Day 2 (Fri), 1.85 miles.

Wednesday we went to dinner at A Tavola, an Italian restaurant relatively close to the apt.  Recommended to us, but we would not recommend it.

Weekend was eventful.

Friday night we tried a new Indonesian place in Rembrantplein – Indrapur.  Was a great meal.  Definitely heading back.  Afterwards we strolled to the Muziekgebouw’s outdoor restaurant Zouthaven for a sunset drink.

Saturday we started the day with a bike ride to Broek in Waterland.  Was a tiny village with an OK church.  We were too early for lunch so we decided to move further north to Monnickendam, a sea-side village more in line with “mini-Amsterdam on Cape Cod”.

We had a good lunch at De Koperen Vis, followed by Gelato after a brief stroll through their “museum”.  We then headed home to get ready for the evening.

Saturday evening we started at Johanna’s apt near Vondelpark for drinks and AH pizza.  At 8, we headed to Knijn for bowling with the AMS meetup group.  Saw Titus there, and Kathryn may have met Linn, another “normal” female in the NGO space.  I had one great game out of three then we headed home rather than stay out for drinks.  We had biked 3 hours earlier and were just exhausted.

Sunday we started late.  We went to lunch at the Pancake Bakery on Prinsengracht.  From there, I headed home and Kathryn met Bec for some coffee and shopping.  At night, after leftovers, I played a game with Jim.

Restaurants Visited

A Tavola

Indrapur

Zouthaven (drinks only)

De Koperen Vis (Monnickendam)

Knijn (Bowling and snacks)

The Pancake Bakery

Amsterdam, Journal

Week 13

Monday I went back to the Foodhallen, since Kathryn was eating with work people.  Got my NZ Lamb pie again.  Place was relatively deserted.

Tuesday we ended back at the Woo Bros for dinner.

Wednesday was a crazy day for me.  Combined with Monday and Tuesday, work was unbearable.  Many, many hours in MS Project on the stupid Futures project.  By Wed night, I was pretty burned out, but I had promised a new acquaintance from our brunch meetup that I’d meet him for a beer.  He picked Hannakes Boom, was there from 8:30 to 11.

Thursday, we got adventurous and tried to grill.  I bought the hibachi a few weeks back and decided it was time to use it.  Our neighbors got a little freaked out by the smoke.  And the coal did not get hot enough to cook very fast, so we ended up finishing them in the frying pan (not ideal).  at one point, it looked like I had some dragon eggs on my terrace (Featured image 🙂 )

Friday, back at the Foodhallen.  Again, Kathryn had a work event, so I tried the Bitterballen place.  Foodhallen was PACKED!  Had to eat standing up – left asap.  No more Friday nights there for me.

Saturday we started the Open Garden Days close to our house.  After 4 places we decided to head to the Jordaan to pick up at the other end.  Had lunch at the Oude Wester, where I had Goulash but could have had Weinerschnitzel or Hutspot.  I’d like to go back

We got back and both of us were lacking energy.   I got a spider or mosquito bite the night before in the palm of my hand, it was swollen and hurting from our biking of the gardens.  I ended up sleeping a good portion of the afternoon and was uncharacteristically beat.   Saturday night, we wanted Indian but somewhere new, so we went to Memories of India, next door to our usual Shiva.  Again, we’ve had better.

Sunday, more gardens, after I woke up with a swollen and itchy pinky finger.  We decided  to skip all museum gardens, especially since we can see them with our Museaumkaarts.  We went to the Mayor’s residence and the Waldorf’s garden among others.  For lunch, we ate near those at P.King.  After a couple more post-lunch gardens, we went home.

Sunday afternoon, Kathryn cleaned a little and I caught up on some World Cup soccer.  Sunday night, Kathryn cooked and we watched Big Hero 6.  (Starz Play finally added to Fire TV)

Restaurants Visited

Woo Bros

Foodhallen (twice)

Hannekes Boom (drinks only)

De Oude Wester

Memories of India

P. King

 

Amsterdam, Journal

Week 12

Monday was a boring day.  Just left the house for groceries for dinner.

Tuesday was cold for June.  Again, just left for groceries, this time for more of the week.

Wednesday and Thursday I took a walk to the zoo at lunch time to hang out in the park.  Enjoyed the weather before getting back to crappy work.

Thursday we ate at home, but then decided we wanted ice cream.  Kathryn found a place called “Metropolitan” in the red light district.  Good ice cream and desserts, not so great a location.

Friday, Kathryn and I went to dinner in De Hallen, an up and coming neighborhood.  The restaurant was the Hotel De Hallen’s outside terrace.  It used to be the tram storage station.  Funky inside.

Saturday, I bought a bike; after having lunch back at the Pekelhaaring.  We went to one place who had no selection.  Then on our way to a large place we passed the week before, Kathryn noticed a small shop hidden in the neighborhood.  I saw THE bike – used, but decent condition, gears, and hand brakes.  Didn’t really ride it except back to the apt.  Soon afterwards, we left to go to the Craft beer fest at Bret in Sloterdijk.  Lots of hipsters.  Very cold and damp. Not a lot of beer stations.  Met a nice guy from Spain and one from Finland.

Sunday we had lunch at the Cafe De Jaren (same as the InterNations event a week ago).   Went to the archeology museum of the UvA before heading home and napping.  Stopped at Puccini Bon Bon for some chocolate.  After dinner at Frenzi, I went home and worked on MCE while Kathryn went for a drink with her friend Jarrod who was on a layover to Uganda.

Restaurants Visited

Burger Bar

Metropolitan

Hotel De Hallen

Firma Pekelhaaring

Bret (beer fest)

Cafe De Jaren

Puccini Bon Bon

Frenzi

Amsterdam, Journal

Week 11

Kathryn is away all week.

Monday I went to the Burger Bar that Sergey was raving about.  It was a good burger – better than Burger Zaken.

Tuesday was a miserable day weather-wise.  Didn’t leave the house.  Heard there may be a party interested in buying MCE.  We’ll see.

Wed got out to get some groceries.  Since the weather was nice, I decided to go for a longer walk to get some exercise and think about Saturday.  Stopped at Durty Nelly’s for some cider and kroquettes.  They have Somerby’s from Denmark – lekker!

Thurs the weather started getting even warmer…up into the 70’s.

Fri – hot day… in the 80’s.  Walked to the zoo at lunch time but did not stay long.  Showered late and went to the Grand Cafe de Jaren with the InterNations group.  Ended up a weird night.  Ben brought Kieke and Pedro, a friend from London, but none of them ended up going to the event.  Sergey got a booty call prior to the event, so I ended up there alone with Johanna.  We talked a lot, ended up getting home at 2 AM.

Sat I went to the airport to welcome Kathryn home.  We both napped in the afternoon and had Wagamama meenemen (take-away) for dinner.

Sun we went to brunch with the AMS Meetup group.  Met a few people – may have a new job connection in the coming weeks.  Afterwards we picked up Kathryn’s AMS bike, dropped off Kathryn’s road bike, and  decided to visit a new neighborhood.  Ended up at Sarphatipark then dinner at Cafe Ruis.  For dessert, we stopped at a well known bakery in the area and brought it home.

Restaurants visited

Burger Bar

Durty Nelly’s

Grand Cafe de Jaren (dinner and drinks)

Cafe Katoen (drinks only)

Wagamama (take out)

Cafe Ruis

De Taart van mijn Tante (dessert only)

Amsterdam, Journal

Week 10

Monday was a day off! We ran some errands.  Had lunch at Cafe Van Zuylen before heading home for the night.

Tuesday Kathryn has plans with her work pod.  I received an invite to a meetup for Wednesday and I invited the guys from the Weesp outing.

Wednesday I went to the Liedestraat Deli which is really just a small American food store.  Bought 6 things for 36 euro, including Froot Loops and Pop Tarts 🙂  After dinner at home, headed out to Bar 36 Black for the InterNations meetup.  Ended up being an OK time.

Friday we went to the Muziekgebouw for some chello/piano music.  Nice modern building on the water.  May go back to their cafe in the summer.  Ate at Genesha just prior.

Sat we went to Haarlem, not before stopping at our local Cafe Orff for lunch. Was a miserable day (not weather-wise).

At least I got to see a church organ played by Mozart when he was only 10 years old.

Haarlem_Organ

At night, we went to Ben’s housewarming party and caught up with some classmates.

Sun Kathryn took off for the states. I practically stayed in bed all day.

Restaurants visited

Cafe Van Zuylen

Bar 36 Black (drinks only)

Genesha

Cafe Orff

Mexicaans Restaurant Popocatepetl (Haarlem)

 

Amsterdam, Journal

Week 9

Well, this week flew by.

Monday we got in early from Italy, and we went straight to work from the airport.  It ended up being a 12 hr workday, as I had so much to catch up on.   Only good news was that my debit card finally came.

Tuesday was our final class.  I got the highest grade in the class, but  I still don’t feel I can speak it.  Drinks afterwards at a different place, Brasserie Blazer.  Used my debit card for the first time.

Wed, Kathryn got her haircut after work.  She learned a trick about mascara and hiding white hair between colorings. Not wanting to cook, we went back to Woo Bros. for dinner.

Thurs, we stayed in and caught up on TV, not before I went out at lunch time to get an anniversary card for Hippie.

Fri was our 11th wedding anniversary.  I spent it alone, as Kathryn had a work function to attend.  No worries, as we have dinner plans for Sat.

Saturday lunch we went to…???  Dinner was at Cau near the Dam, followed by JD William’s Whiskey bar further west.

Sunday we met some friends in Weesp and visited a castle in Muiden.

Liquid lunch was in Muiden at Cafe Ome Ko (with some Bitterballen), and dinner was at Sergey’s place (in Weesp) where he made us Belorussian latkes and got Kathryn really drunk.

Restaurants Visited

Brasserie Blazer (drinks only)

Woo Bros

Cau

J D Williams

Cafe Ome Ko (Muiden)

 

 

Amsterdam, Journal

Week 8

Tuesday was our test.  Went out for drinks afterwards with the class.

Wednesday started our trip to Italy.  We arrived in Rome and navigated our way to the train.  30 min later, we arrive at Roma Termini and walk (getting slightly lost once) to our hotel.  Our room was …. decorative.

(picture TBA)

We wandered around for dinner and found a place that was not nearly as good as Boston’s North End.  After dinner, we went to the Trevi fountain, which was under construction, and the Spanish Steps, which were bring and mobbed with tourists.  Disappointing trip – until we hit Tuscany.

Took a train Thurs morning to Siena by way of Florence.  Our friends who were already on vacation met us at the station.  From there, we drove into Siena which was the first of many small towns we thoroughly enjoyed.  After lunch in the main Piazza del Campo (at Ristorante “La Costa”, which was just OK but still much better than Rome), Jim and Kathryn climbed the tower while Erin and I wandered the Palazzo Pubblico.  After gelato, we made our way by car to Montalcino.

The best Italian meals of our lives proceeded in  this order:

Dinner Thursday: Boccon Di Vina, Montalcino

Lunch Friday: Castella Banfi, Montalcino

Dinner Friday: Il Grappalo Blu, Montalcino

Lunch Saturday: “Da Carlo” Trattoria, Orvieto, Umbria.

Kathryn also bought a leather purse in Orvieto before we made our way back to the Hotel Piccio to grab our bags and then the train – to Roma Termini.

Before dinner on Saturday (the reservation got screwed up – BTW), Kathryn and I wandered the outskirts of the ruins.  Dinner was near the Colosseum at Hostaria Da Nerone.  Finally got something close to resembling veal parm.

Sunday was spent in the Palatine and Forum ruins.  Followed by a forgettable pizza lunch, then the Vatican.  The Sisteen Chapel was closed, but the Basillica was enormous and breathtaking.   Kathryn and I climbed the dome for better views of the city, but it was too far from the ruins to feel like we were looking out over Rome.

Sick of the mediocre Italian food in Rome, we had dinner and drinks at the Westin Excelsior.  Early to bed, as we needed to catch an early morning flight back to Amsterdam.

Restaurants Visited

Cafe Tripel (drinks only)

Ristorante “Trident”, Rome

Ristorante “La Costa”, Siena

Boccon Di Vina, Montalcino

Castella Banfi, Montalcino

Il Grappalo Blu, Montalcino

“Da Carlo” Trattoria, Orvieto, Umbria

Hostaria Da Nerone, Rome

Westin Excelsior, Rome

Amsterdam, Journal

Week 7

Well, as you can see, these posts are getting smaller and smaller.  My routine is basically established; and once classes end, I’ll have little reason to leave my apt and/or neighborhood.

This week, was work and class.

Monday evening, we went to the remembrance ceremony on Dam Sq.

Kathryn had Tuesday off and ran errands while I worked.  Even though it was a national holiday, class was not cancelled.

Thursday after class, I went back to Tripel for drinks with classmates.  Kathryn went home.

Friday we finally tried Indonesian food.  Was very tasty the day of, uncomfortable the next day.

Saturday we started at the bank to get my name on the account.  Then we ran errands for our upcoming trip to Italy.  I got some Polo’s and casual shoes and she some light tops and casual shoes.  While Kathryn was shopping, I needed to run home to deal with the aftermath of Indonesian in my system.

Lunch was back to Lekkr nearby, then we met the D’Amours who were in town for a river cruise.  After snacks at Melly’s Cookie Cafe, we went home for an hour.  For a very long dinner, we met her friends from PIH at Burgers Patio.

Sunday she wanted some plants for the terrace and needed some spring clothes for work.  After De Bijenkorf, we had lunch at The Tara – an Irish pub on Rokin.  Weird interior.  Owner/waiter liked chatting up Kathryn.

Studied for our test all evening Sunday.

Restaurants Visited

Cafe Tripel (drinks only)

Tujuh Maret

Lekkr

Melly’s Cookie Cafe

Burgers Patio

The Tara

Amsterdam, Journal

Week 6

April 27th

Gefeliciteered Koningsdag!

The day started off “early” for us, where we walked around a few neighborhoods looking at people’s junk.  By lunch time,  the streets got really crowded.  We came home after a light, forgettable lunch, I napped, then we went out for dinner.  After a detour to the ferris wheel in Dam Sq, ended up at an Indian restaurant Purna in the Jordaan area.  Special Kingsday menu, and the food was so-so, so not worth noting the location.

……………………………..

There’s a large duck/goose that has taken a liking to its reflection in our windows.  Freaked Kathryn out today. More on him in his own post.

April 28th

Woke up to that duck/goose tapping on the window.

Went to the IND to pick up my residency card.  Only had to wait a half hour.

Fifth day of class.

April 29th

Didn’t leave the house…a typical Melrose day.

April 30th

Sixth day of class. Had drinks afterwards back at Cafe Tripel.

May 1st

Dinner at Frenzi nearby.  Good tapas.  Had a daily special that wasn’t so great.  Kathryn really liked the place and wants to go back.

May 2nd

Lunch at home.  Kathryn went to a nearby town with her friend Alex.  I caught up on some TV and bought a hibachi for the terrace.

For dinner we decided to try Pistache – a place known for their pizza.  Pizza was OK.  Owner was surly.  Take-out only. Probably not going back.

May 3rd

Kathryn’s friend Chris visited en route to Africa.  We had a good lunch at a place in De Pijp (the pipe) neighborhood, Firma Pekelhaaring.  Then she went to the museum with Chris while I watched more TV.

Dinner at home.  Then I was able to sync up with Jim for a few hours of gaming.  Good to have the time.  Wish we could play more often.  I have the South Park game I can play alone, but after being on the computer all day, I don’t feel the urge to get back on for a game.

Restaurants Visited

Purna

Cafe Tripel (drinks only)

Frenzi

Pistache

Firma Pekelhaaring