Amsterdam: Highlights (14-20 October)

Eli ran the Amsterdam marathon on Sunday. His time was 3:36 which is not his personal best, but still blows me away. Norah, Ben and I set out to be his personal cheering station, waiting for a high-five as the runners passed beneath the Rijksmuseum and then waiting for him to cross the finish line at the Olympic Stadium.

The rest of our week was much more mellow. After several fun-filled but also jam-packed weeks in a row, we took things down a few notches this week and took things at a more relaxed pace.

 On Monday, we gave in to our American cravings and went to the Hard Rock Café for over-priced cheeseburgers, fries, and ice cream sundaes. We all enjoyed it, but we all agreed that one visit was enough.

By contrast, on Wednesday afternoon, the kids and I visited the Foodhallen, with twenty-one separate vendor stalls carrying everything from Mexican to barbeque to vegan specialties to Dutch meatballs. Here, we ate Vietnamese spring rolls and Dim Sum style snacks until we couldn’t take another bite. Then, we added a fruit tart and brownie for good measure. Jill gave us the best tip of all which was to visit in the mid-afternoon on a week day, rather than at peak-mealtimes. We found it pleasantly full, not crowded, and with little waiting time at the stalls for our dishes.

The kids were good sports and let me take them to the Stedelijk, modern art museum, for an hour or so after our visit to the food hall. I didn’t have any particular agenda so I let them pull me to the pieces and exhibits that caught their attention. In the end, it was these fun-house style mirrors, which they had never seen before, where we spent the most time. (But, if I had more time, I would have spent it in the gallery with the Colorful Japan exhibit.)

Saturday the kids decided to try Forest School which is a high ropes course in the Amsterdam Bos. The course was higher and harder than I anticipated but both kids managed to execute the courses entirely independently. In fact, at one point, when I gave Ben an “out” to climb down and call it quits, he doubled-down on his courage and kept going.

So cool, right?