Amsterdam: Highlights (30 August - 6 September)

Our first full week in Amsterdam included two significant milestones: My parents arrived for a visit and we celebrated Norah’s 10th birthday.

I think these high-high’s made the inevitable lows of the week seem even lower.

So, starting with the lows: We are still finalizing the best way to get to and from school – namely finding a way that doesn’t require me to spend almost half of each day in transit. So far, my best Dutch sentences include variations of “doors open on the left side of the train” and “transfer to trams 2, 3, 13, and 17 at this station.”

I’m smiling here, but I am crying on the inside.

We are also seeking a route that does not require putting the kids (on their bikes) in the busiest part of Amsterdam at the busiest times of day, which has basically felt like a recipe for disaster or death. The kids, to their credit, are doing pretty well, but the stress and anxiety of trying to navigate the busy intersections is too much for me.

Here is Norah, not happy about riding her bike in Amsterdam rush hour.

Here is Ben, extremely satisfied with the presence of street vendors selling Belgian waffles.

We also realized that while we have an extra bedroom in our apartment and we are eager to host guests, the combination of Dutch (steep) stairs, low ceilings, a single toilet conveniently located on the second floor, sent my parents googling for hotel options after just one night in cohabitation with the rest of us. This was a bit disappointing.

We are slowly finding our routines. And, although everything takes three tries, we have now set up a bank account here which will allow us access to many Dutch services like monthly train passes and a museum card, both of which require a domestic pin code for access. Plus, we can check-out in the (pin only) fast lanes at the grocery store too, which Ben looks at longingly as we wait in the long cash-only line at check-out.

Also on the plus side, this adorable dog hangs out in front of his owner’s shop on our block every day.

While my parents were here, we did several fun, local activities. The first afternoon I booked a small canal boat with Pure Boats NL and we cruised around the canals with a guide. This was extremely worthwhile and having the little boat allowed us to get into some of the smaller canals which was peaceful and lovely.

On Norah’s birthday we hit up a cat café in a west Amsterdam neighborhood. Here, she befriended the oldest lady in the place and got a solid dose of kitty love.

Later we ventured to the Nemo Science Museum where the kids were engrossed in all kinds of fun activities for the next several hours. The exhibits included a real-life Rube Goldberg (mousetrap) presentation, an Ames Room, and all kinds of hands-on activities.

The view of Amsterdam from the roof of the Nemo.

My favorite part of the museum was an area where adults and kids together could don lab coats and complete a science experiment. Ben worked with my dad and Eli worked with Norah to identify a mystery substance. Both kids were totally into it and everyone enjoyed themselves.

Later in the week, while the kids were in school, I accompanied my parents to the Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum which were as great as I remembered from my last visit here and a place I’ll plan to visit many times in the next few months.

An afternoon adventure took us to the public library that has a huge floor for kids programming and a wall full of English language books. Score.

Plus, my long-time friend and full-time Netherlands resident, Jill, got back from some summer travels and lives only four minutes away. Double score!

While it has been a little tricky, Eli and I still keep reminding ourselves that we are In. Amsterdam. Again. How lucky are we? The kids have totally settled into school, are making friends, and I am increasingly impressed by their teachers. How awesome is that? The commuting time, while substantial, still means that I get to spend a lot of relaxed time with the kids, something we’ve never had outside of short vacations and school breaks. One of the things I think I will remember most about this journey and this time in our lives, is the amount of time I spend walking with Norah and Ben holding their hands. That, alone, is pretty great.