Amsterdam, My first city in Europe as a traveler!

My first European city as a traveler, Amsterdam will always be a remarkable venture for me. Both intimidated and excited at the same time, I landed in the city to begin my incredible journey. To my surprise, it was just so easy to embrace the culture and uniqueness of the city. I was overwhelmed with the warmth of the friendly and fun-loving people in Amsterdam. The canal, cruises, bicycles and coffee shops, there is just so much that sets this extra ordinary city class apart from the others.

The most popular means of commute in Amsterdam is biking. Myriads of people can be seen biking through the city in the bike lane. Renting a bike to explore the city and experience the culture at the same time is definitely a great idea. Since all the landmarks in the city such as the Rijksmuseum, Dam Square, Central Station are so close to each other, it is not even tiring to bike around the city. Personally I love to walk and explore, that way I don’t have to care about the bike’s safety, but biking is fun too.

Holland is famous for its bulb flowers, particularly the tulips. One of things that was always in my bucket list was to visit the tulip garden fields in Holland. I finally got to see the Keukenhof garden which is the second largest tulip garden in the world. The striking colors of the tulips, orchids and lilies planted and arranged creatively in different patterns was really a breathtaking view. The garden is open for three months from March to May and I was lucky to be in Holland during the spring season.

Lilies

Orchids

Flower Show

Fresh Flowers

Tulips

Outdoor Garden

Amsterdam is known for its elite night life across the world. Leidseplein is the neighborhood in the city known for live entertainment, music, bars, restaurants and casinos. We really enjoyed the delicious street food there. Every evening, we would wander in different streets to experiment new smoky appetizing cuisines. One that I enjoyed the most was Turkish cuisine Donor Kebabs which is halal chicken stuffed in pita wraps which was inexpensive yet so delicious.

In short, Amsterdam is a spectacular and friendly city with delicious food, rich history and great night life. What’s your first European city as a traveler?

I am sterdam

Canals and bikes

I am Amsterdam

Dam Square

Biking

A trip to Bruges, Belgium!

The elegant little city Bruges in Belgium left me in absolute awe of it during my recent trip to Europe. Very laid back and intimate city, perfectly sized and easy to explore, Bruges has it all. The best way to explore the city is by walking around exploring the canals, bridges, cobbled streets, shops and galleries. A classic fairy tale could be easily shot in the midst of carriage rides, historical mansions and holy churches in Bruges.

One day is adequate time to explore the city in and out. We started our day walking towards the Market Square which is the center of Bruges tourist attraction. Within a minute of walk from the Market square is the Belfry Tower which is known for its rich historical heritage. The canals and bridges with colorful old buildings on each side provided a very picturesque view. Lake of Love was another spot in Bruges which was very scenic and surreal. We also enjoyed the 30 minutes canal boat tour which took us through all the canals under the bridges and was a great introduction to the historic significance and rich architecture of the city.

The specialties of Belgium are the Belgian chocolates, fries, beer and waffles. I tried the chocolates and fries and just loved it. They are just more than delicious. I will recommend the Neuhaus chocolates which are just exquisite. I would definitely want to go back and enjoy the naturally small and beautiful city of Bruges if I ever get a chance again.