From Brussels, we took the train north to Amsterdam. This is where we had our first run-in with early Fall weather as it started to rain off and on and got a little breezy. After a stop at a small bar, we headed to shopping center to both be inside and acquire jackets.
For dinner, we had Japanese at Yamazato. At some point in the meal, I must have mentioned the purpose of our trip to our server because when dessert was served the words “Happy Honeymoon” were written in chocolate sauce across the plate.
We spent our only full day doing what we do best – wandering. I was told that the Dutch like to eat these raw herring with onions sold at small herring stands, so of course I had to do that.
That night, our last in Amsterdam, Will and I went to dinner at a rijsttafel restaurant on Rembrandtplein called Indrapura. I’d never heard of rijsttafels before but it was a lot of fun. I can see it working well for larger groups as everyone kind of creates their own dish by mixing the items available. The servers were very helpful to two newbies who didn’t speak Dutch.
From there we walked over to the Singelgracht to take a nighttime boat tour. Amsterdam is so gorgeous at night with the light reflecting off the canals. There was an English audio tour available (told through the perspective of a married couple where one had and American accent and the other was British) and we listened in when we passed certain noteworthy points, but mostly we enjoyed just watching the scenery and eavesdropping on other passengers. This eavesdropping ending with a cringe-worthy romantic rebuttal from the girl across the aisle to her boat tour companion – a guy she’d met earlier that day. Mercifully for the rebuffed guy, this event occurred near the end of the tour so he could escape the confines of the boat.