Late autumn view of Amsterdam, Holland

I took this photo in Amsterdam, Holland four autumns ago. It was a pleasant stay in a very beautiful city with the world-famous 17th-century canal ring area, a Unesco World Heritage Site. It was actually my second visit to Amsterdam, but my first visit was like just a visit. I wanted to do a lot of things, but I didn't have enough time to do so or something like that. So for my second visit to Amsterdam, I made my stay for eight days long, and I personally believe that a week or so is the right length of stay in Amsterdam as a tourist.

Smoked cheese with cumin seeds

I took this photo in my hotel room in Amsterdam, Holland. During my 8-day vacation in Amsterdam, I was so obsessed with Dutch Cheeses. The photo shows one of my favorite ones which I could get them at a supermarket Albert Heijn. The Netherlands is famous for its dairy products, and my humble opinion, the quality of Dutch cheeses is out of this world. They were not only yummy, they were so very yummy. A pack of sliced cheese which I had on that day was like smoked cheese with cumin seeds (Dutch: Gerookte Gesmolten Kaas + Komijn). I miss it right now.

Don't go to bed early in the city of Amstermam

I took this photo in Amsterdam, Holland at night while I was taking a stroll around the city. Nightlife in Amsterdam is not only the world-famous red light district. The city has much more than that, and not to mention it was safe absolutely. When I spent over a week in Amsterdam, Holland was in November, so the weather wasn't very much fit to my favorite, I must add that, but I enjoyed its pre-winter crisp air and my feeling as much as I could. Not bad at all. Oh I remember that I was obsessed with Duch cheese. It really went well with cold ones, Heineken, of course.

Is it a map? Oh, it's not.

I took this photo somewhere in Amsterdam, Holland. This sign board looked really Amsterdam, so I took a photo of it anyway. The seventeenth-century canal ring area of Amsterdam looks quite special on a map exactly like this sign board which I happened to find on a street in Amsterdam. Back when I visited Amsterdam for the first time, I only had several hours to explore in the capital of Netherlands, so I didn't have enough time to find out something like this. Even though my time was short, the city of Amsterdam left a lasting impression on me, so I revisit Amsterdam several years later.

Everything is setting to have fun

I took this photo at the entrance of  the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam, Holland before I getting inside. The decorations of the entrance were already super cool. Look at this one, the star had a mixture image of a windmill and a Heineken logo. Normally, Heineken's star image is a red star with a white outline, but this star is colored in green just like the color of a Heineken's bottle. Very well made. the Heineken Experience is kind of like a museum about the Heineken brewery, but it is also kind of like an amusement spot or a themed bar, or something. What ever it is called, it's a very fun place. When you getting inside, you'll be able to know everything about Heineken, and I'm sure you'll be a fan of Heineken.

Dutch fingerpost

I took this photo in Amsterdam, Holland. I found this Dutch fingerpost near the Anne Frank House (Dutch: Anne Frank Huis). According to the fingerpost, I was about 0.4 km away from the Anne Frank House and its biographical museum. By the way, this finger post looks really Amsterdam, doesn't it? When I looked up the top of the fingerpost, I really thought so. It consisted three Saint Andrew's Crosses just like the coat of arms of Amsterdam does. With that, it looked really Amsterdam. Well done, Amsterdam, I love that idea.

Nacho Cheese with Dutch Salami

The photo shows a kind of Nacho Cheese which I had at a very nice Heineken pub in Amsterdam, Holland. The pub faces to bustling Leidseplein (a.k.a. Leiden Square) and serves delicious pub grub with their featured beer Heineken. The Nacho Cheese was served with very nice melted cheese, diced Dutch salami, sliced red onion, well cooked Guac Sauce and so on, and was absolutely yummy. Not to mention it went really well with cold Heineken. When you're in Amsterdam, and are in the mood for Heineken, better go to Leidseplein. Have fun!

Welcome change of pace

I took this photo in Amsterdam, Holland at night in the seventeenth-century canal ring area: the UNESCO World Heritage Site, near my hotel along Prinsengracht. It was around the middle of November and the temperature was quite low. I needed special winter outfits while I was taking a stroll around, but inside buildings were really warm and very comfortable to stay and having fun due to central heating system. I've used this photo as my blog's image from November 2015 and this morning I replaced to a new image for a change of pace.

Looks like a good beer place

I took this photo in Amsterdam, Holland some where in between Amsterdam Central Railway Station and Dam Square on the Damrak avenue. Christmas markets were held on the Damrak street and the photo shows a door of a beer place. There was a cute Christmas' sticker on the door and it seemed like Father Christmas had already gotten tipsy. Nice. After taking some photos on the Damrak street, I was really in the mood for a good beer. So I went to a Heineken place and ordered a cold one and some food. The Netherlands, the home of Heineken. I really enjoyed it.

Imagine a suitcase full of Dutch slippers

I took this photo in Amsterdam, Holland. Lots and lots of cute souvenirs were selling in Amsterdam and I really loved to shop around there. Everything in Dutch souvenir shops looked really pretty and went impulse shopping. I'm still using an orange emergency umbrella which has a tulip shaped hand grip. Also, I really loved fat and pointy banana shaped slippers. I should have bought a lot more pairs of that cute Dutch room slippers. It may sounds funny, but if I could go back to the souvenir shop in the near future, I would love to buy a lot of cute slippers, and leave Amsterdam with a suitcase full of Dutch slippers. I love them so much.

All the colors of the rainbow

I took this photo in Amsterdam, Holland when I was taking a stroll around the city at night. Some areas looked a tad dodgy or maybe too kinky, some areas looked like just having quiet and relaxing atmosphere. I'd say the city had two faces, but the good thing was that I felt quite safe while I was walking on the streets from morning till night. Also, I was in the middle of everything and I loved to be. Lots and lots of bars, cafes, restaurants and shops were spread out all over the map. It was fun to walk around, shop around, eating out and looking at the windows in Amsterdam.

Bridge over canal

I took this photo in Amsterdam, Holland. A good time city Amsterdam; the capital of the Netherlands is also famous for its canals and its unique geography. The seventeenth-century canal ring area of Amsterdam is listed on a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it was so much fun to walk around along those historical canals night and day. I took a breath on bridges over canal or street corners off and on, then took a lot of photos like this. Seeing this photo reminds me a lot of Amsterdam and its breathtaking scenery with picturesque canals.

I had a great time at a traditional Dutch bistro

I took this photo at a traditional Dutch bistro near Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam, Holland. The bistro had a very nice bar belong in a warm well-decorated room. When I was having my first glass of draught beer, the lamp on the bar caught my eye. It looked really Amsterdam from my foreign perspective. So I asked staff if I could take a photo of it and I took this photo. Actually, this one is one of the most memorable photos that I took in Amsterdam, Holland. That's just because I had a really great time at that place. Staff, food, beer, atmosphere, everything was by far the best in Amsterdam. Thanks, Bistro Bij Ons, see you around!

Take a stroll along the Prinsengracht

I took this photo in Amsterdam, Holland. It was early in the morning. I had a light breakfast with a large cup of coffee at a cafe nearby my hotel and after that took a stroll along the Prinsengracht (a.k.a. Price's Canal). It was raining, but it was all right, just drizzling. The Prinsengracht is one of a few main canals of Amsterdam's 17th-century canal ring area. As the 17th-century canal ring area was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site, I enjoyed taking in a lot of sights along the Prinsengracht and the other canals in Amsterdam.

So many choices

I loved to take an afternoon break with Heineken in Amsterdam, Holland. While I was taking a break with a can of Heineken in my hotel room, I became a big fan of delicious Dutch cheese as well. Many kinds of Dutch cheese were stocked in the nearest supermarket from my hotel. The supermarket was named Albert Heijin. Seeing those Dutch cheese, I felt like a kid in a candy store and chose and bought a pack of cheese each time. It was a little too hard to chose only one pack of cheese from many kinds of cheese in good meaning. So many choice...

Yeah, probably.

I took this photo in Amsterdam, Holland. That day, I had a huge lunch at nice and friendly Mexican place near the Leidseplein (a.k.a. Leiden Square). So I wasn't hungry at night and just took a stroll around the city of Amsterdam and took a lot of photos like this. That morning, when I was waiting in a line in front of Anne Frank House, a guy from a Spanish place started to handed out a flyer to some people in the long line. The guy skipped me and handed a flyer to a couple of Americans who waited in the line right behind me. One of the Americans said that there were so many restaurant in Amsterdam, and the other one agreed about that and changed the subject. I guess the guy from a Spanish place made a wrong choice to hand out the flyer. If he gave it to me...., yeah, probably.

Hey Heineken, Ik hou van jou

I took this photo when I visited Heineken Brand Store in Amsterdam, Holland. It was one of the super-duper cool places in the city and I'm sure you can enjoy being there if you are a big fan of Heineken beer. For me, visiting Heineken Experience (a.k.a. Heineken museum) and Heineken Brand Store was like highlight of my trip in Holland, on top of that, I had late lunch at Heineken Hoek. Heineken Hoek is a humongous Heineken pub where the place you can view hectic Leidseplein (a.k.a. Leiden Square) while you are drinking draft of Heineken.

A tulip-shaped-lamp

I took this photo in Amsterdam, Holland. I found a cute tulip-shaped-lamp on the street and took a photo of it. It looked really the Netherlands and I loved it. Actually, I was there in November and it was absolutely not a time of tulips, but I saw a lot of tulip-shaped something in the city of Amsterdam. They looked so cute and finally I bought a bright orange folding umbrella with a tulip-shaped-head and I still use it. If I could go back to the Netherlands during a tulip season in the future, I would be really happy about that.

It rained off and on

I took this photo in Amsterdam, Holland. When I flew into Schipol Airport, it was raining. When the plane was landed, someone on the plane said something bad about the weather, and someone replied to that like 'Yeah, it's Amsterdam'. Is it? But anyway, I got a map at the airport and hit the road to my hotel by Schiport Airport Shuttle. During the drive to my hotel it was raining off and on, but it was mostly sprinkling. After dropping of my luggage at my hotel, I walked toward Leidseplein (a.k.a. Leiden Square) which is a hangout for everybody, and took this photo.

It's named after Amstel river

I took this photo in Amsterdam, Holland. Amstel beer was actually my first beer in Athens, Greece, but the beer was originally from Amsterdam, Holland and it was named after Amstel river. It is often said that you learn something new everyday, and I think it hits the right nail on the head. Better late than never. Anyway, I drank Amstel beer quite a lot of times in Athens, Greece, but I didn't drink any in Amsterdam, Holland. In Amsterdam, I was really addicted to Heineken and didn't have any opportunities to drink Amstel. It's also a good beer, though.