fast friends in search of the world's best apple pie

Last weekend, Sara and I woke up far too early on Saturday morning and hopped on a plane to Amsterdam for a romantic weekend away :) We flew internationally, hopped on a bus to the Museumplein, dropped our bags at the Van Gogh Hotel, and were already losing ourselves among the canals, cameras in hand, by lunch time.

We must have walked 10 kilometers on Saturday. Map (and faulty Lonely Planet guide) at the ready, we trekked from one end of Amsterdam to the other and back again. The striking beauty of the city shocked both of us. We never could've prepared ourselves for the placidity of the place, thanks to the winding canals and bicycle culture by which we were surrounded. We encountered only a handful of cars in this beautiful city, devoid of blaring horns and angry taxi drivers shaking their fists. Instead, we were met by floating houseboats, astounding 17th century architecture, and a diversity of neighborhoods, each boasting its own flavor and sea of faces.

 Though I've heard it said that Amsterdam is at its most beautiful in spring, autumn presents quite the formidable opponent. The leaves on the trees were just starting to change this weekend, so the city was painted in a palette of green, yellow, and orange. The vivacity of the foliage offered a dreamy contrast with the white and tan canal-house facades.

Tulip Market!

Farmers Market... obviously we bought a bag of cookies. And returned later in the day.

Sara and Amsterdam's most famous fries!

An old Morris that reminded me of my favorite old man :)

After a sexy dinner date at Lust, we meandered through the moonlit canals, reflecting the twinkling lights of a city preparing for the holiday season and planned our mischievous adventures for the following day...

Sunday morning, we hauled our tushes out of bed extra early to be first in line at the Rijksmuseum. Though partially closed, the museum's extensive collection of paintings, 18th century doll houses, and Dutch ceramics kept us occupied for hours.

We then ventured back out into the city for a day of shopping, bar hopping, pizza eating, Anne Frank House visiting, and picture snapping. And, through all of our circuitous misadventures through the canals, Sara and I found ourselves deep in conversation. This city stole my heart, but words cannot express how thankful I am for experiencing Amsterdam's beauty by her side. The world indeed adopts a rosy hue when we find ourselves surrounded by those we love.

After a full day of sightseeing and culinary exploration, we (very adamantly) acquired chocolate, put on our PJs, and girltalked into the wee hours of the morning. The next day, we packed up our new coats, sweaters, and fabulous friendship-clutches, hopped on our plane, and were back to Edinburgh in time for Monday classes.

Cafe Winkel apple pie and fresh mint tea... thank you, Jasper, for the incredible list of recommendations!

This was one of my absolute favorite holidays. Sara, how did I get so lucky to have found you? I still don't know what power of the universe made us such fast friends, but I know I look forward to seeing where this love affair of ours takes us ;) Andiamo mangiare, always.

xo,
Laur