A Four-City Whirlwind Through the Netherlands

Our flight from Porto to Eindhoven Airport took only 2 hours. Budget airlines fly into Eindhoven instead of Schiphol, Amsterdam’s main airport. While this adds 20-30 minutes to the trip to Utrecht, we enjoyed the smaller airport’s pleasant atmosphere much more than the massive, chaotic Schiphol.

 

This was my second trip to the Netherlands, Emi’s first. During my first visit back in 2011, I only saw Amsterdam, so I really looked forward to exploring more of the country. My Dutch friends joke but there is truth in their statement that by only experiencing Amsterdam I have not seen the Netherlands.

 

Utrecht

Utrecht serves as a wonderful alternative to Amsterdam. The city center boasts great bars and restaurants. To be honest, the crowds in Amsterdam can feel overwhelming. Utrecht has a vibrant energy thanks to the university, but it feels like much more than just a college town.

 

We arrived late in the evening and grabbed a sausage roll (saucijzenbroodje) for a quick dinner. I had never tried this Dutch treat before—it was delicious. The well seasoned sausage has a sauce added to it for a sweet and slightly spicy flavor. Our quiet, conveniently located hotel sat at the edge of the city center, only one block from the train station.

As we hopped off the train, memories of the hordes of bikes came rushing back. I love traveling by bicycle, and in this country, cyclists rule the roads. You can easily cycle anywhere in the country without sharing the road with cars because bike paths and “bike highways” line every route.

 

However, those memories also induce a bit of anxiety! As a pedestrian, you must keep your head on a swivel. Cyclists usually have the right-of-way, and even when they don’t, they rarely yield.

 

While we used Utrecht as our home base, we didn’t spend much time exploring the town itself. We did, however, enjoy fantastic breakfasts at Stael and Bagels & Beans. We devoured croissants, scones, pancakes, and bagel sandwiches. We also grabbed happy hour beers at Taplokaal Gist and excellent Indian food at Punjabi Taste.

 

Amsterdam

After a quick 40-minute train ride, we arrived in Amsterdam. The country’s connectivity amazed me. Large intercity trains, local village lines, subways, streetcars, and buses create a seamless public transit network.

We stopped at a stroopwafel shop for the obligatory world-famous treat. A fresh, warm, gooey stroopwafel tastes completely different than the store-bought version. However, Emi and I actually prefer the packaged ones; we love the crunch of the cooled waffle layers and the firm, chewy caramel.

 

For lunch, we found a fish sandwich at Rob Wigboldus Vishandel, tucked away in a tiny alley. It looked a little sketchy at first, but the food tasted great.

We also joined a group bike tour through the countryside. We visited historic fishing villages, farming communities, and “polders”—newly reclaimed lands featuring beautiful modern architecture. The Dutch truly are masters of water.  We rode along canals and locks to a farm where they make wonderful cheese. There, we tasted aged cow’s milk cheese and fresh sheep’s milk cheese.

Amsterdam was just as I remembered: a cool city, but very crowded. We still enjoyed it.

The Hague

Another easy train ride brought us to The Hague (Den Haag). We first visited the Peace Palace, which houses the international courts. We sat outside the gates for several minutes just to admire the building; it gave off major Harry Potter/Hogwarts vibes.

Afterward, we hopped a streetcar to De Haagse Markt. Locals flock to this massive market to buy everything from textiles to produce. I love these places because they show how the locals actually live. We also found incredible food vendors. We ate our fill of kibbeling (fried fish chunks) and frites, and bought chocolate and pistachio pastries that were so cheap and delicious I almost went back for seconds. Safe to say, we thoroughly enjoyed this market.

Rotterdam

The next day, we took the train to Rotterdam. We explored Het Park, a large green space divided into two halves: one manicured for BBQs and picnics, and the other a “wild” section nestled in the city. We loved walking the trails around ponds covered in lily pads and lined with beautiful trees.

The long walk worked up an appetite, so we headed to Market Hall (Markthal). This touristy market sits inside a stunning piece of modern architecture with a curved roof covered in colorful murals. While the food prices were high compared to the rest of our trip, we settled on Greek spinach and feta pies. They reminded us how much we need to get back to Greece! A freddo (Greek whipped iced coffee) rounded out the meal perfectly.

The market sits near another local attraction: the Cube Houses (kubuswoningen). This unusual architecture reminds me of a beehive. Since my spatial 3D skills are lacking, I couldn’t conceptualize how anyone could live in a cube propped on its edge. It’s mind-blowing.

Eindhoven

We spent our final day in Eindhoven to stay close to the airport. In the city center, we found “De Blob,” a cool, amorphous glass building that looks interesting from every angle.

By chance, we arrived during the King’s Day festival. It’s the biggest Dutch holiday, celebrating the King’s birthday. (Fun fact: the Dutch king is an experienced pilot who secretly flies commercial aircraft!) The festivities start early, and the alcohol flows freely. Everyone wears orange, and block parties take over the city. People carry around six-packs of beer or hard seltzer—for some reason, hard seltzer was the drink of choice. The only real rule: no glass allowed. As we left for the airport, things were starting to get wild. It was a good time to “get out of Dodge.”

Home

We killed a couple of hours at the airport with two Duvels and some peanuts for only 8 euros—an incredible deal for an airport. After another easy flight home, we picked up our car from our favorite parking lot, all washed and looking good. We’re discovering that we prefer these shorter four-night stays for city trips. They last just long enough to reach “vacation mode” without making us yearn for home. We left wanting more.

 

Next up: Germany in a couple of weeks for pickleball camp! A birthday gift to myself. Bye for now!