For a city that should not even have existed, it’s an amazing mix of culture and natural beauty. The global cuisine and some crazy fun add to its charm. Like most European mega-cities in the summer, there is something for everyone, and we made some good use of that. There were several museums, a few day trips, and a lot of eating and drinking involved. Six days were never going to be enough, but I think I got to almost everything on the to-do list. I had excellent research because I visited Amsterdam two weeks ago. It was a 3-day boys trip.

The direct flight from Delhi is long and on an ancient Dreamliner. It wasn’t the best journey yet, but we were out of the airport by 8 pm, on schedule. We took a quick train ride to the city. I knew our hotel (NH Collection Barbizon Palace) was only a 5-minute walk from the Central Station. The hotel was wonderful, clearly better than expectations, even though I knew I was paying a bomb. A large room in the center of the city was quite a pleasure. We checked in and then stepped out to see the city. We had a wonderful Mexican meal at a place I had eaten at during my last trip. We were at the edge of DeWallen, the famous red light district of Amsterdam. It was a short walk away from the famous red lit windows. We didn’t go there. It had been a long trip. We were keen for a good night’s sleep before Sunday, the day to explore around the city.

The breakfast at the hotel was exceptional. There was a variety of local cheeses, breads, meats, eggs, fruits, yogurt, and hummus. We followed this up with an unusual way to start an Amsterdam visit – the Body World exhibition. It was only a short walk from the hotel. Although I had seen it more than 10 years ago in New York, it was quite a spectacle. It still surprises me how imaginative some of those poses made with the cadavers were. Some friends joined us shortly after, and we started with some of the more usual things to do. We tried fries at Manneken Pis, burgers at the Butchers and then joined a canal tour. The tour is an incredible way to orient yourself to the city. You can get some historical bytes and enjoy a calm beer. Canals are all across the city and they give you an amazing view into the soul of the city. You learn how this country, which should have been underwater, was built using dams.

In the afternoon, we walked around the city. This included our first mistake of the trip – we visited Ripley’s. It’s a total waste of time and money. We stopped by a bar for a drink to make up for it. Then we dropped the kids off at the hotel room before a quick walk in the red-light district. Jet lag was beginning to show its early signs, and it was decided to call it an early night.

Monday started with a short run followed by that incredible breakfast again. The plan for the day was a half-day group tour of the Zaanse Schans. It is a small town renowned for its old Dutch-style windmills. The windmills weren’t originally built here, but they have been relocated to create a tourist attraction. A lot of local Dutch traditional stores and experiences have been added for good measure. While this has all the makings of a tourist trap, it was a lot of fun. To start with, the scenery was stunning, with a lake and some old houses all around. The stores were all a mix of experience (watch them make it) and then buy. There were clogs (local Dutch wooden shoes), Gouda cheese, and some chocolate. We bought some of it all and even tried some other local food. Walking up a functional windmill was amazing and the views even better. Just be careful not to be hit by the spinning blades.

The tour got us back in town just before lunch, and we asked the hotel concierge for a recommendation. The place they recommended was just a short walk away and served some fantastic food. The place was a little empty, but then weekday lunch is not the busiest time for a tourist area. The burger, however, was memorable. For the afternoon, we had bought tickets to the Rijksmuseum, a majestic building depicting Dutch history and art. The building itself was a highlight of the tour, only supplemented by some amazing paintings, artifacts, ceramics, and sculptures. There was also a Van Gogh gallery. This is despite the fact that there is a full museum dedicated to his artwork right next door. There is also a huge Rembrandt, which is presently under restoration. You can see it while it’s being restored, which is quite fantastic.

It was a long day, just our second in the city, and we had covered quite a lot. I was satisfied! We found an Argentine Steakhouse, which was really highly rated, and we walked across for some yummy food.

A road trip to Belgium was coming up…