That Dutch Treat

THE TITLE HAS NOTHING TO DO WHATSOEVER with the expression's actual definition. But if we must be calculating of the events that transpired during our week in Amsterdam, the following should sum up the affair: 3 hotel rooms, 1 cancelled flight, 1 wafel, 4 stroopwafels, 1 Thai dinner, 1 Peruvian dinner, 1 Japanese dinner, 2 sunny days, 2 rainy days, 4 museums, 2 Delftware souvenirs, 1 Boekenmarkt find, 24 Instagram posts, some beers and way too many coffees, aperitifs, digestifs and bottles of wine. Round that all up to one happy tourist who almost didn't miss the pets, or her laptop, too much.

When Holland released their new tourism campaign just weeks ago, I was excited to see the advertised "original coolness" for myself. From happy girls singing as they cycled side-by-side, to books perched on sills for holding up windows, to superb men's fashion, superb men's hairstyles, ever-falling leaves swirling at street corners, flowers blooming by the bedside overnight, excellent world cuisine, incredible Dutch design, Vermeer and Van Gogh -all on top of being home to over 180 nationalities, and being the first to legalize same-sex marriage- the Dutch simply know how to do things cool.

And because a week is not enough, this Dutch treat needs a part two!

Amsterdam Tulip Museum, Café de Jaren, Cafe Katoen, Boekenmarkt, De Wallen and various locations in Amsterdam-Centrum. Photos by Lady San Pedro and Jaime Sese.