A Day In The Heart Of Holland
Our last full day in Amsterdam! On today’s agenda we were excited to go on a windmill and countryside day tour. We booked this through a ticket counter (Tours and Tickets) the first day we arrived. There are many locations throughout Amsterdam to buy these types of day tours. I would say this tour was definitely worth the price of 69 Euros (even though our weather was not ideal). We were able to see the countryside and villages that otherwise would have been difficult for us to see on our own.
We met at Central station and met our group at the designated meeting point. Next, we hopped on a bus and listened to an audio guide as we drove through the surreal countryside (geese and sheep included!) First up were the windmills! We went on an extremely foggy and cold day but the pictures still turned out amazing! We walked around the windmills and even went inside of one! Once inside, a guide provided us information on the purpose and use of the windmill today. However, we were only allowed 20 minutes to walk around the town and look at the shops after the primary presentation. I really wished we had more time in this spot since this was the main reason we had booked the tour.
Next up we visited the adorable Volendam village that looked like something right out of a fairytale! The buildings and architecture were so cute and unique! Definitely many photo opportunities here! We went to the Volendam Cheese Factory and watched a quick presentation on how the cheese is made... and the best part? We were able to sample all the different cheeses and jams! They were so tasty! My friend ended up buying a pack of several different cheeses as a souvenir. Just make sure you buy the pasteurized cheese! Otherwise the non pasteurized cheese is illegal in the US and will be confiscated.
After the cheese factory we had about an hour of free time. My friend and I went and explored the village and ate stroopwafel for our lunch haha! Next, we visited a local bakery and watched a demonstration on how the famous stroopwafel are made. And guess who was the baker’s assistant during the demonstration? Yours truly! The stroopwafel are extremely delicious and I recommend that you eat as many as possible and bring some home as gifts.
After the village, we took a quick ferry ride to the cute dutch town of Marken. Here, we walked to a little factory to see how the traditional dutch wooden shoes are made. You can try on the shoes and buy a pair of your own! This was a nice ending to our day and the time for the entire tour was about 5 hours.
Later that evening we made a trip to see the infamous Red Light District. We went fairly early to avoid the crowds. We walked around the main street and saw the women in the windows and went into a shop or two (just for fun!) After hearing about the Red Light District it was interesting to see it in person. It was not at all what I expected! Clean streets with the backdrop of a beautiful canal. I felt very safe here and everywhere else in Amsterdam for that matter. After our long day we were exhausted and hungry! We found a cute dutch place to eat at along the main road near Damrak called Heffer Bar. We ate upstairs and I had a traditional dutch Stamppot (potatoes/kale/smoked sausage) meal. Again, quaint dutch bar with cute traditional decor.
And to end the evening we finally went shopping! Read my next story on the blog for fashion tips and places to shop in Amsterdam!
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