Netherlands (Winter 2023) - Amsterdam (Day 1)

Leaving Lyon

*At train station in Lyon waiting to leave for Amsterdam*

Train ride to Amsterdam

Parts of the Netherlands heading into Amsterdam kind of looked plain, semi-industrial, drab, and blah (kind of looked like New Jersey). Once you get closer to Amsterdam, you got more green fields and windmills.

Leidseplein Neighborhood

It was night time by the time we got to the hotel in Amsterdam. We stayed near this Leidseplein neighborhood which wound up being a very convenient location but it is also quite the party zone (one of many in the city). Amsterdam was also very festive with holiday lights everywhere in the weeks before Christmas.

Cafetaria De Prins

This was a fast food joint close to the hotel that serves up all the classic Dutch fried foods along with burgers. We found out that there was a popular club across the street that the younger crowd lined up to go into on the weekends so this place must get slammed with partygoers fairly often.

Shown are the frikandel (mince meat sausage) and croquettes. We wanted to try the bitterballen here but they were actually out of them at the time. The guy said that croquettes are basically the same thing in a different shape so we had those instead.

FEBO

These FEBO stores are all over Amsterdam and I got food at these little snack stations more often that I would like to admit on the this trip. It is just so convenient and perfect after (and during) a night of drinking around town.

It’s tap to pay fast food with an assortment of items in the little bins. Locals and tourists alike love stopping in these little shops because it’s easy, fast, and cheap. No need to interact with anyone as it’s just a big vending machine. I think there is a human being somewhere in the back cooking and loading the food into the bins.