When we were planning our first trip to Europe back in 2006, my wife had her mind set on Belgium. I thought that was an odd choice at the time, though looking back in hindsight, it was a stroke of brilliance and made for a wonderful first European adventure. I lobbied for Amsterdam to be a side trip of a few days from our base in Brussels and it too ended up being a memorable part of our first time overseas. The trip was a tale of two distinct approaches… in Brussels, thanks to points, we stayed at an ultra luxurious five star hotel… in Amsterdam, we stayed at a place that had a roof and indoor plumbing. What that place lacked in charm, it made up for with a location that led us to a number of memories we still hold dear.

For me, when I think back on Amsterdam, it is of a spectacularly beautiful city, where every bridge over every canal was a stunning scene the likes I hadn’t ever seen to that point in my life.

I also think back to a host of unique memories. Amsterdam being Amsterdam, some are fit to write about, some are meant to stay locked away in my mind. We had a great time in the bars and cafes of the city for a host of reasons. On one night, we posted up in a traditional brown cafe for a drink and some snacks. Here we were introduced to bitterballen, a deep fried, breaded meatball, and couldn’t get enough of these. We also sampled a raw sausage that I think for me was the start to more adventurous eating on my travels.

On another evening, we were returning back to our hotel from some activities that are better left to the imagination and were hungry and tired. We noticed a little Mexican restaurant and wandered inside. It was just about to close, but the owner allowed us inside to join what was a private gathering of ex-pat Mexican friends. My wife tried to order a Fanta, but the owner with a devilish grin kept pretending he didn’t understand and would respond “mojito?” That night was our introduction to the mojito and the beginning of that drink being in my home cocktail rotation. With the owner himself cooking for us and delivering dishes and mojitos non-stop, it was a great night we haven’t stopped talking about since.

On another night in a bar just across the way from our hotel (sense a theme here?), we ended up in a conversation with the well into the drink bar owner. His English wasn’t strong, but we shared some laughs and he kept telling us we looked like we were in love. He was a romantic at heart and wished us well in our lives. While the blurry picture isn’t the greatest, it does spark a wonderful memory of the kind of interactions I’ve been missing during this pandemic and of being in love on my first visit to Europe.

While we did lots of other interesting things in Amsterdam… picnicking in Vondelpark, visiting the Anne Frank House, cruises of the canals, touring the Van Gogh Museum…. it was these memories of the bars and cafes of Amsterdam and enjoying the laid back nature of Europe that stick in my mind the most. I’m looking forward to my next trip across the Atlantic, whenever and wherever that will be, to reunite with my love of grabbing a drink on a patio and watching the activities of a foreign city pass by.