It’s five years since we visited Amsterdam and it felt like time for a return visit. This blog is a little delayed as we went at the beginning of September. We went with different friends, who had never visited Amsterdam before. We travelled from Manchester Airport on Monday afternoon but stayed overnight at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at Manchester Airport. Although we are only about an hour from Manchester Airport, the journey can often take much longer and we felt that it would be nice to start the break relaxed rather than worrying about being in traffic and arriving late at the airport.

The Crowne Plaza Hotel was very clean, with large bedrooms and an extremely comfy bed. On the Sunday evening, we ate in the Asian Fusion Restaurant called Sampans. The food was extremely tasty. The staff were friendly and helpful. We had a relaxed evening ad a few drinks before heading off to bed

Our flight on Monday afternoon was delayed by about half an hour, but we landed at almost the correct time. Getting through passport control took some time, but we soon got a taxi and headed off to the Hotel.

We chose to stay at WestCord fashion Hotel on the outskirts of Amsterdam. We previously stayed here and found it to be comfortable, clean and with very friendly staff. Once again it did not disappoint. From the moment we checked in, the staff were extremely helpful and always cheery and smiling.

We did not go out in the evening but went to the restaurant and bar within the hotel. The food was good and the prices in the bar were reasonable, comparing well to the prices in the UK.

Heineken Brewery Tour

The following morning, we were booked in at the Heineken Brewery Tour. We headed out first thing and bought a multi-day ticket for the tram. This is really convenient as it travels all over Amsterdam, has a very efficient, frequent service and is always clean. It cost €26 for four days of travel. We travelled on the tram to the area nearest the brewery and looked for somewhere to have breakfast.

We found a lovely little café called Bakers and Roasters. We sat outside, as it was very warm and humid, although a little overcast. The breakfast was tasty. We all had “Sunrise Bircher”, which was overnight oats packed with fruit, nuts and seeds.

Afterwards we had a wander before heading to the Heineken Brewery. The tour was mostly self-guided but has some guides along the way to explain some parts of the brewery. It was an interesting tour and we took our time to read the information and watch the videos as we travelled through. I am always astounded by the amount of people who book a tour and then wander around with a phone in front of their face and don’t really look at what is going on or interact with anything.

The reading and listening paid off, as part way round there was a quiz and we were real swats, getting all the questions right and winning Heineken pin badges!

One section of the tour teaches you how to taste the beer rather than just drink it. We were asked to hold our glasses up to the light and describe the colour. My friend called out “Amber”, at which point the guide threatened to call security and throw her out! The correct answer in case you’re wondering, is gold.

Once we had completed the tour and free samples, we went to the rooftop, where there is a 360-degree view of the city. We had a further free drink there and enjoyed the view, until it started to rain, cutting the visit a little short.

We had a walk and a bit of sightseeing, but the rain continued, so we headed to the “Sex Museum”. It seemed that everyone else had also headed here to get out of the rain. The museum is entertaining to a point, but considering the things that people can access on TV and via the internet these days, it was nothing particularly shocking or unusual (or maybe my years at work has desensitised me). It was interesting to see the difference in cultural attitudes regarding sex as well as the way views have changed over the years. The overwhelming thoughts were it was a large pornography collection and “you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all”.

Rather than wandering in the rain for the rest of the afternoon, we headed back to the hotel. We had a coffee and a rest before showering and heading back out in the rain for something to eat. We chose a tapas restaurant and enjoyed a relaxing evening before returning to the hotel for the night.

A day of museums and sightseeing

The following day was lovely and sunny, so we set out mid-morning to have brunch before our booking for Anne Frank House. We finished our brunch quite early and went for a walk. We ended up in the gardens of the Rijksmuseuem. We sat in deck chairs enjoying the pretty gardens and the warm sunshine, before heading off to the museum. We had booked a half-hour introductory talk prior to entering the museum, which was well worth it, as it gave more insight into the Frank family and the people who helped them. Despite having visited the house before, it was still worth the visit and is it’s always good to be reminded of how awful humans can be to each other. After we came out of the museum, it started to rain. 

We had booked onto a canal boat tour, but they kindly said we could postpone to another day due to the weather. We chose then to go to the Albert Cuyp Market. This was a huge market, with some nice stalls with food, gifts and household products. 

Windmills in Zaanse Schans

On Thursday, we decided to take a trip out to Zaanse Schans. It was a beautiful sunny day. After some research we discovered that it was easy to get there by train from Central Station to Zaandijk Zaaanse Schans, followed by a short walk from the station.

We started off our day at the library close to Central Station. Although we had been here before, it is still an impressive building. We had coffee and cake, before heading off to the station. The trains run regularly and the return fare was just over €8. The platform was busy and it was clear that most people were heading the same way. The train journey was about 2o minutes and then we walked for 15 minutes before walking over the bridge on the river Zaan where we were treated to a spectacular view of the windmills. 

Entrance to the area is free, but you can also opt to pay to enter some of the windmills and other museums on the site. We paid to visit the inside of the paint windmill, which houses two pairs of millstones, one for chalk and one for paint pigment. Going on on to the platform and hearing the sails whooshing by was great to see and the view was amazing.  There is so much to see here, with gift shops, traditional clog making, cheese making, cafes as well as just walking around the beautiful area built on the dykes. The traditional Dutch timber buildings were reconstructed here from other areas in Amsterdam, giving an authentic feel. Although there were lots of tourists here, the place is huge and it never felt cramped. It was an excellent day out, helped by the beautiful weather. 

Canal Boat Tour

On our final morning, we headed in the centre for breakfast. We ate at Kessen’s which was close to the start point for our canal boat tour.  The food here was delicious, the café was sparklingly clean and the staff were really friendly. 

We then went to board our boat for the canal tour. We booked with Flagship Tours, on an open canal boat. The guide was extremely entertaining. As well as being knowledgeable about the area, he also had personal anecdotes, which added humour to the tour. It was a really good way to spend an hour in the sunshine, finding out more about the area and seeing some of the sites. Unfortunately, after the tour, it was time to go back to the hotel and get ready for our return to England.