Ahhh Netherlands, land of the…..Nethers. My introduction to the European continent and first taste of the wonderful architecture, history and culture that was to come on this trip.
Arriving in Amsterdam after a 40-odd hour journey, I was filled with exhilaration that I was finally there. Dazzled by the beautiful streetscape and buildings and just bursting with desire to explore and experience everything, my excitement seemed to overshadow how exhausted I really was. Wandering around the Van Gogh Museum just before lunch, I found myself losing energy and starting to feel rather unwell and ended up just sitting in the middle of a gallery completely spaced out while people milled around me admiring all the artwork. It wasn’t what I expected my first day to be like and it was a bit of a bummer. We later went to a nearby pub/restaurant for lunch where the resident friendly cat attempted to sit on me. It was super cute and I must admit it made me feel a little better :)
During our brief sojourn in the Netherlands we had the pleasure of making a trip out to Muiden, an old fortified town dating from the 10th century. It was a spur of the moment thing; a place we decided to visit because our little folding map suggested a visit to Muiden Castle, but we ironically didn’t get to check out because we got there after it closed. However, the trip out was still worth it and I would absolutely recommend it if you’re looking to get out of Amsterdam and the city area to experience something slightly different.
