Visitors, Travels, Canal Tours, New Restaurants and Bars…Repeat!
One month ago I sat looking ahead at the exciting, but busy,
weeks to come. One month later, I look back at all that has happened – where
did May go? Is June really half over? How am I sitting at the airport awaiting
to board a flight for my first trip back to NYC already? Slow down time! Please
stop!
When you reunite in
Europe with one of your best friends who you met in Europe…
Almost 9 years ago I met one of my best friends, Amanda,
while interning in London. She lived down the hall and we became friends right
away. Throughout the semester we explored London and travelled throughout
Europe. Our friendship followed us – and grew stronger – back to NYC, and we
were lucky to spend more time in Europe together a few years ago exploring the
Central and Eastern part of the continent. There are so many stories from our
adventures, so many good and crazy times! So, when Amanda told me she would be
able to swing through Amsterdam on her way home from a biz trip to Paris in
May, I was ecstatic!
It was so nice to host her in m new hometown. One of the
best things about having her in town was that we genuinely just wanted to have
a girls weekend and catch up. And that’s just how the weekend started – over a
disappointing dinner at a random Italian restaurant I will not be going back
to, we talked for hours and laughed about how the best part of the meal was the
butter.
It was a beautiful weekend in Amsterdam and we were able to
hit some tourist spots – like the Van Gogh museum, and the HEINEKEN Experience
– where I accidentally started to lead a guided tour that was meant for just
Amanda, but slowly gained the attention of other Experience-goers. We also
spent Sunday afternoon with some of my new friends on a boat we all rented –
truly the perfect way to see Amsterdam!
Monday morning before she departed, we hit Row Cycle – the
Dutch version of SoulCycle. It was just OK, but glad we went and tried it out.
I was so sad to see her go, but cannot wait for her to come back. Luckily she
travels to Europe frequently for work, so I know I will be seeing her somewhere
on the continent again soon J
Another Football
Fail, but One Awesome Trip to Ireland
After Amanda left on Monday, I had a short week at work.
Thursday was a public holiday and I had been invited to a wedding in Ireland
that week (more on that below!), so I decided to leave Amsterdam Wednesday
night to head to Ireland to do some exploring.
The only problem with this otherwise amazing plan was that
Ajax, the local Amsterdam football team, had made it to the UEFA Europa League
finals, and the game was Wednesday night! It’s not every day your hometown team
makes it to the finals and Amsterdam came to life to celebrate. Over 150,000
people were predicted to gather in Vondelpark to watch the game on the
jumbo-tron. Sounds great, right? So what’s the problem?
Not only did I have to miss out on the fun and games (not
celebrations, since Ajax ultimately lost to Manchester United), but I had to
navigate my way through a tram-less city with hoards of people coming into the
city to watch the game with my luggage on what may have been the hottest day of
the year. Not fun.
But another football fail turned into another extraordinary
travel adventure…
The first time I went to Ireland we stuck to Dublin and the
surrounding areas. Even though it was November and approaching winter-like
temperatures, I instantly fell in love. The cities in Ireland are cool, but the
real beauty is in the scenery – rolling green hills, stunning mountains and
countryside. The hardy food is delicious. The traditional music and dancing is
amazing. AND everyone has red hair and freckles. My type of people.
When I told my friend Zach I was moving to Amsterdam a few
months ago, shortly after he asked if I would want to be his date to a friend’s
wedding in Ireland. How cool! The wedding festivities started in Galway Friday
night, and with our day off Thursday, I decided to fly into Cork on Wednesday
evening, spend the day in Cork and the surrounding area Thursday, work from our
historic brewery on Friday, and then head to Galway Friday afternoon for the
weekend.
The plan worked out really well…
On Thursday I took a tour out to Blarney Castle. The ride
out to the country was beautiful. When we arrived, we had about two hours to
explore the grounds. I went straight to the castle, which is where the famous
Blarney Stone is housed. Unlike other castles I’ve toured in Europe, this one
is from 1446 and it is a stone castle that is barren with steep staircases that
twist and turn on the way up to the top.
Once you get to the top you have the most stunning view of
the grounds, and access to the Blarney Stone. One by one the attendant helps the
visitors to lie down backwards, grab the handles, tilt your head back and kiss
the stone. Legend has it that those who kiss the stone will have the gift of
gab for 7 years. Let’s see what happens!
After the castle and stone, I wandered around the stunning
gardens. As it was mid-May, all the flowers were full in bloom, and although
the day was a bit chilly, it was so nice to spend some time in the fresh
country air.
After Blarney we went to the town of Cobh. Cobh was the last
port of call for Titanic before it set sail for New York. And we all know what happened
next…
Anyway, they built a really great Titanic museum on the site
of the original ticket counter and pier, which is now known as ‘Heartbreak Pier’
for obvious reasons. It was so interesting to learn about the ~150 passengers
who boarded from Cobh, most of whom were in 3rd class. What was even
more interesting was learning about the 7 people who got off in Cobh – 5 were a
family from England who took the Titanic – 1st class – as a cruise
to their holiday in Ireland. The matriarch purchased a brand new suitcase from
Harrod’s for the journey, which now sits in the museum.
Another passenger who got off the ship was a bishop. He was
coming to meet his uncle and move to Ireland. When he was on the ship he
befriended a wealthy family who offered to pay the rest of his passage from
Cobh to New York. Upon arrival in Cobh he sent word to his uncle to see if he
could take the journey and his uncle sent back 5 words: “No. Get off the ship.”
Lucky!
This bishop was also a photographer and he spent his few
days onboard taking lots of photos. We know today what the Titanic looked like
because he disembarked in Cobh with his camera. A bunch of the photos hang in
the museum.
Aside from the museum the town of Cobh was charming. A cute
seaside town lined with pubs and shops. I was told I had to try the seafood
chowder and soda bread and one particular restaurant, so I did. And it did not
disappoint!
On the way back to Cork we stopped at the Jameson
distillery. I’m not the biggest whiskey fan, but it definitely was something to
see.
I got back to Cork late in the afternoon, and since the sun
doesn’t set until after 10pm, spent a few hours walking around the city. The
city center is relatively small and most of the historic sites to see are
either shopping streets or cathedrals, so I went on a walking tour of the city.
I made it in time to the English market before closing – a huge food hall –
where I was hoping to pick up some treats, but it was the end of the day and
nothing too appealing leftover.
The next day before heading over to the HEINEKEN Ireland office, I stopped for breakfast at an adorable tearoom called Tara’s Tearoom. It was very similar to Alice’s Teacup in NYC, which is one of my all-time favorites. I had a fantastic specialty tea and scrumptious scone with clotted cream – if only every day can start like this!
I headed over to the office to meet with our Corporate
Affairs colleagues on the local team. A fantastic group of ladies who I met
last October in Amsterdam. It was great to catch up, explain my new role to
them, hear about their plans for the year, and exchange some best practices. My
time at the office ended with a tour of the brewery, which is the original
Murphy’s brewery from 1856. It has so much character and is great to see all
the wonderful brands being brewed there – from Heineken to Murphy’s Irish Stout
and even Tiger!
In the early evening I was off again, on a train to meet up
with Zach and his friends in Galway. I arrived in the city around dinnertime,
so dropped my bags, got to meet Zach’s friends from Dartmouth and we were off
to explore Galway.
The downtown area can also be described as charming. A bit
more of twists and turns in the streets than Cork, but lined with lively pubs,
tons of restaurants and adorable shops – both local and international. We had a
fun evening out on the town at dinner, and then at a bar where the bride and groom
arranged for all the wedding attendees to meet for drinks.
Saturday the group went for a delicious farm-fresh brunch
before doing a bit more exploring around downtown and getting ready for the
main event. The wedding was about 20 minutes outside of the city in a hotel
called Glenlo Abbey – a stunning venue
in a historic building surrounding by the greenest fields I have ever seen.
Upon arrival we were ushered into a beautiful chapel for the
service, followed by a cocktail hour on the hotel porch. The wedding then
continued with a sit-down dinner followed by live music and then a late-night
DJ. It was such a fun evening, and we danced the night (and early morning)
hours away.
Sunday the newlyweds hosted a brunch on a boat cruise that
went around Galway. The boat had traditional Irish musicians – my favorite! The
two hours flew by, and before I knew it, I was back on a bus headed towards
Dublin for my flight home. Another wonderful weekend exploring new cities in
the books.
There’s No Such Thing
as a Normal Week
On Monday it was back to work, which is starting to pick up.
That Monday marked a string of issues that continued coming for the next 3
weeks! One of the reasons why I was excited to take this role in Amsterdam was to
dive into issue and crisis management. It’s challenging, thrilling and a skill
that I wanted to build to round out my corp comms background. But be careful
what you wish for! With different issues arising on Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday that week, then the resurgence of an older issue and several others
that have hit in recent days, It’s been a looooong few weeks.
But, that Monday night I had something exciting to look
forward to – my first book club meeting in Amsterdam! The group was formed by
some of my new friends in Amsterdam and has already grown to include two other
friends. Our first book was Into the Water, the new Paula Hawkins book. It was
eh. I read Girl on the Train a few years ago and enjoyed it, but this one just
fell flat. We all agreed. But, it was great to catch up with the girls over wine and apps.
On Tuesday night I was invited to meet up with with a friend
of my good family friend who was in town for the week. She invited me to join
her and her colleagues on an evening canal ride – my absolute fav! I had such a
good time getting to know her better and meet her colleagues, all of whom are
American but now live in Amsterdam and work for Uber. It’s always nice to meet
different circles of expats and exchange stories about living in this amazing
city.
On Thursday evening my next set of visitors were in town!
Zach went on to visit our friend Steph in London after Ireland (she now works
for HEINEKEN UK), and they both came to visit me in Amsterdam for a long
weekend. We met up after work for Heineken’s (duh!) with our friend Mario who
also used to work in the US, but now works with me in Amsterdam.
On Friday Steph and Zach enjoyed the city – while I dealt
with the crisis’s at work J
- and in the afternoon they came by the office for the afternoon drinks
HEINEKEN hosts each Friday. Friday drinks is a great way to get to know
colleagues from around the company, and it was so nice to have them there to
experience it. We got to spend time with our friend Andre, whom Steph and I
worked very closely with on the Dos Equis brand in the US. The weather was
picture-perfect – blazing sun, but not too hot, on the porch with nice, cold
beers (and radlers!). What a way to start the weekend!
The night was so beautiful that after dinner (Indonesian @
Sama Sebo, yummm!), we decided to do a night time canal cruise. It was…stunning!
The canals are all lit and a lot less crowded. Perfect way to spend the
evening.
On Saturday morning we met the Amram’s for brunch at a
favorite of all of ours – Pancake Amsterdam. I hadn’t seen Michelle and the
kids in a few weeks, so it was nice to catch up. And of course, enjoy the
delicious pancakes! It was one of those moments too when I realized how lucky I
am to have met such incredible people from all over the world through the
HEINEKEN network. Here we are – mostly NYers (and one Washingtonian!) – living
in or visiting Europe, meeting up for pancakes in Amsterdam. How cool?
Saturday night we checked out Boom Chicago, an
American-style comedy club that is known for giving Seth Meyers his start in
comedy. Steph recommended it and it turned out to be right in my ‘hood. It was
definitely funny, but it was a tough crowd so overall energy was low. I’d try
it again before writing it off.
Two Days, Two New
Dutch Cities
On Sunday Steph and Zach left relatively early to head back
to London and NYC, respectively. With a beautiful day ahead of me, I decided to
jump on the train and check out the city of Leiden. Just 35 minutes outside of
Amsterdam this mini-Amsterdam is lined with canals, windmills, cafes and tons
of cute shops and boutiques.
I arrived in Leiden around lunch and found a cute café right
on the water. I caught up with personal emails and texts while I ate and people
watched. After lunch I toured a windmill museum. I was surprised to learn that
people actually live in windmills. Who knew?! The ground floor and first 2-3
floors were usually the living quarters and then 4-7 were usually the parts of
the mill. I was able to go all the way up to the top and stand right under the sails,
or blades. Super cool!
After the windmill tour I decided to take a canal
cruise…because it had been all of two days since my last one, so it was about
time. This time though, I learned about the city of Leiden – Rembrandt’s
hometown. A lot of the stores were closed because Sunday and Monday were
holidays in the Netherlands, but I definitely will return to this quaint city.
On Monday we had another day off, so my friend Jess and I
had plans to go visit The Hague, or Den Haag. The Hague is like the Dutch
version of DC. It is home to all the government buildings. However, it also is
on the beach.
The city is about 45 minutes by train from Amsterdam. When
we got into town we went to lunch at a restaurant in a skyscraper, which had
fantastic views of the city. Post-lunch we took the tram to Madurodam, a park
created mostly for the education of children, that has miniature versions of
all the landmarks in the Netherlands. It was really interesting to learn a bit
more about some other areas of the country through these miniatures, and also
find the familiar landmarks from Amsterdam – including a miniature version of
the HEINEKEN Brewery, which today is the HEINKEN Experience!
We ended the day with rose on the beach in the afternoon
sun. I’d consider that a very successful day.
More Visitors and
Summer Fun in Amsterdam!
On Tuesday it was back to work, but I had plans at night to
meet up with a former colleague, Blair, from my Emanate days and her husband.
Blair was my first mentor and I’ve always looked up to her. We hadn’t caught up
in a while (over a year!), so it was nice to catch up with her in Amsterdam. I
took them to an Indonesian restaurant that was recommended, Blauw, and it did
not disappoint. In fact, I think it might be my new favorite Indonesian spot!
On Wednesday my next set of visitors landed – Diana and
Matt. Diana and I go allll the way back to middle school. She’s one of my
really good friends from both the soccer field and the stage. We spent many
years playing soccer, taking acting classes, and performing in shows together.
Anyway, I absolutely adore Diana and Matt, so it was so fantastic to have the
two of them in town.
I took them to my favorite Israeli restaurant for dinner –
Hummus Bistro D &A – and we caught up for hours on everything and anything.
I helped map out their next day and they went out post-dinner to explore the
town.
On Thursday I met back up with them after work for another
evening of catching up over good food. This time we went to Moeder’s – a
traditional Dutch restaurant that serves truly homestyle cooking. In fact, the
restaurant is adorned with photos of the customer’s mothers. It’s super cute.
You bring in your photo of your mom and they hang it, which helps create a
truly homey ambiance. After dinner we stopped by the famous – and my favorite –
apple pie spot, Winkel 43. They also tried bitterballen for the first time.
On Friday afternoon the two of them went to the HEINEKEN
Experience, and I popped out to say goodbye as they were off to the next stop
on their Euro-trip, Italy. It was sad to see them go, but I know I will be
seeing them soon.
By Friday night I was pooped! Unashamed of the fact it was a
total Netflix kind of a night, followed by sleeping late Saturday
(sans alarm!) and a basic errands day. Much needed!
On Saturday night I met up with my friend Colleen for tapas
at Pata Negra on Utrechtstraat. I had yet to head over to Utrechtsraat, but
heard great things about it. Super cute shops, boutiques and cafes and Pata
Negra was delicious! Highly, highly recommended.
After dinner we went to Door 74, the first speakeasy in
town. It is right off of Rembrantplein, which is a big nightlife area in the
city. You have to make a reservation to get your name on the list and then
share a password that is texted to you upon entry. The drinks were great and
the atmosphere was really cool. We loved it!
Sunday I met up in the afternoon with some friends for
brunch at the INK hotel, which I believe is the same as the new INK hotel in
NYC. Brunch was delish and we decided to follow it up with a…you guessed
it…boat tour! Truly never gets old, really.
In the late afternoon I met back up with Blair and Ari who
were back in town for another day or so before heading back to NYC. We went to
a really cute cocktail bar called Tales and Spirits and I heard all about their
travels to Bordeaux and San Sebastian. Two places I’d love to visit!
We parted ways around dinner time and I headed home to get
ready for the week. The week was relatively quiet, which was a welcomed change
after the long string of travel and visitors literally since I moved here!
I spent most of the week preparing for my two week trip to
NYC…and now here I am…3 hours and 7 minutes away from landing in New York after
3 months of being away. And while I am bummed to miss two beautiful weeks in
Amsterdam (I have learned to really
appreciate the good weather, so sad to miss out on two weeks of sunshine), I am
super excited to see family and friends, and indulge in the two foods I miss
the most: pizza and frozen yogurt!
There’s a lot on the itinerary – family to spend quality
time with, friends to catch up with, wedding activities for two friends,
Broadway shows to see and more. I am sure you will all be hearing more about it
soon!
Until next time…
