Our Christmas tree will be up for a little while yet… there are still gifts to exchange with Ann & fam, and that will likely happen on New Year’s Eve.
Since I last mentioned our tree, there have been some decor additions — a dozen or so candy canes, a gigantic bow from someone’s gift, and this:
I saw this idea on IG or somewhere and had everything needed to make it! It’s a plain glass ball filled with some of the Swiftie friendship bracelets that I still have, using the strap from the concert wristband as the hanger.
Ann gave me her wristbands, too, thinking that the girls might like them… but I kept them! I told her to bring her bracelets, and she’ll be making one, too. It’s perfect!
Our tree has been up for a couple of weeks now, brightening our lives with only the lights.
It has finally been decorated! I bought this ornament in Amsterdam when Annie & I took the Heineken tour in July. I forgot that I brought it out when actually decorating the tree was still being considered. Ali found it the other night & voila! Decorated!
I booked two bike tours for us — a City ride on Sunday (when, I reasoned, it would be slightly less busy traffic-wise), and a Countryside ride on Monday (let’s get outta town!).
I have very few interesting photos from either!
During the city tour, we lost a rider! The three other members of his party never spoke up! Sheesh. It was another guy (sort of a blow-hard) who said, “Hey, I think we lost your dad/granddad!” We were all instructed, in the event we got left behind (totally happens because big group, traffic lights, etc.) to STOP & STAY PUT, which, of course, this lost guy did not. So we all hung out in a park while our guide went back to find him. Meanwhile, blow-hard’s wife took a left when we entered the park, instead of a right, so she was lost for a little while, too!
It started to rain just toward the end of our city ride. We were on a narrow street (they’re all narrow) and a BMW was trying to pass us — going too fast & not really giving a shit — side-swiping the previously lost guy who then fell. Thankfully, he was OK and we all hoped that Beamer got a good scratch for not even stopping.
We loved the people of Amsterdam unless they were in or on something with wheels. Ruthless.
The country ride was much more relaxed — once we actually got out of the city. At the start of that ride, on or way to the ferry, I fell! I wasn’t as comfortable with my bicycle on Monday as I was on Sunday, and lost control as we navigated two very tight turns. I have a few bruises in weird places, but otherwise undamaged.
We stopped at a little village cafe for more apple pie, and I asked our guide if we could please stop somewhere in the countryside to take some photos. The sky was amazing that day!
I wasn’t able to “operate” my Merlin app while we rode, either, but I did manage a few new “lifers” during our time in the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, back at our hotel…
We loved the “art swap” area on each floor near the elevator!
I had information on this community project, and now I can’t find it! It was really cool, though, a cooperative project participated in by people of all ages. And it looked great!
We passed this place a few times, as it was sort of on the way to the bicycle shop. The photo does not convey very well how much this place leaned — it seemed to undulate! If I was over 400 years old, I supposed I’d be undulating, too. haha.
We had some quiet evenings in, watching Taylor Swift documentaries & music videos (total immersion), and we enjoyed a delicious dinner at our hotel one evening. As I think I mentioned in an earlier post, food was not a big focus, but we did enjoy a couple of nice cafe lunches, too.
And then it was Tuesday & time to check out! The flight was smooth and I got some sleep, thankfully, because I had to drive back across the state again once we landed. I dropped Ann off near Chippewa Falls as their family was spending the week at a lake up north. I didn’t get home until almost 11 and, y’know, no rest for the wicked… I was back at work on Wednesday morning!
Caught up in the moment… already in Amsterdam… Swifties everywhere… tickets available…
WE DID IT AGAIN!!
My nosebleed seat on N2!
It was less expensive to buy single seats rather than two together, so that’s what we did for Saturday’s N3 concert. I was in Row 10 on the other side of the stadium from the previous night, and Ann was just a few sections away in Row 2. The guy sitting next to her (also a single) was willing to trade seats with me but security/policy prevented us from switching. Between us, a few rows higher in the VIP area, were Travis Kelce and Patrick & Brittany Mahomes.
We were so hoping to see Travis on stage! Not even in the same (amazingly entertaining) way as at Wimbledon a few weeks prior, but after hearing him say that participating was his idea, and originally proposed rolling out on one of the bikes (during “Blank Space”) — c’mon, there’s no more perfect place to roll out on a bike than in Amsterdam! Alas, it did not happen… he rode a bike in Amsterdam, but not on the stage. Nevertheless, the stadium was abuzz in a different way on N3!
Backing up…
Prior to last-minute concert ticket purchases, we moved to another hotel — ZOKU AMSTERDAM, which I highly recommend. It was a bit larger than our previous digs, but still compact, comfortable and brilliantly designed…
Then we had a nice wander, including a stop at Winkel 43.
We stood in line for a piece of apple pie… delicious, cake-y, apple-y pie! It reminded me a lot of my Grandma Koenig’s apple kuchen, and I am inspired to do some experimenting when it’s apple season. We had apple pie at least one other time but this one was definitely the winner. We enjoyed our pie in the company of a young woman from Madison — Ann’s old neighborhood, even. She was standing in line in front of us & heard me make a comment to Ann about a Milwaukee Brewers shirt that I spotted… “Are you from Wisconsin?” She was also a Swiftie… and we were joined at our table by another Swiftie (told ya, they were everywhere!), so there was lots to talk about.
We made our way over to the Van Gogh Museum for our afternoon time slot. The art/exhibits were great — Van Gogh, duh — but it was crowded. I really don’t enjoy a crowded museum. It’s probably one of my least favorite things in the world. I imagined that if Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce visited, they would have had the place to themselves. I’d like that. The gift shop was fun.
Have you ever seen a cuter Amazon delivery truck? Is it even a truck? More like a tuk-tuk!
We went back to ZOKU, sat down for a drink, and Annie got the bug to start looking for tickets… Next thing you know, we’re heading to the stadium again! We had breakfast with Lynne & Rhiannon, the apple pie, I had a beer while we searched for tickets… and that’s it. (Food was definitely not our #1 priority during the entire trip, but we drank lots of water.) Time was tight & the venue didn’t have much to offer, so I had another beer (vitamins & minerals!) & some water during the concert — the N3 seats had cup holders!!
Our “escape” from the stadium was much quicker on N3 — we were more familiar with our surroundings and had a different strategy. Still, by the time we got back to the hotel it was nearing midnight. WE WERE STARVING (also getting a little testy/hangry) (the only time)!! Google gave us a couple of options, so we set out, and ended up at ZIRVE, a Turkish restaurant that wasn’t even on our radar. They messed up our order (forgot about us?) but when it finally arrived, it was delicious (I had a grilled chicken wrap, Ann had lamb).
The Swiftie Bracelet Factory will be reopening at some point to make a couple of new versions, Kameron’s contributions to We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together!
N1: Mij niet bellen = Don’t call me!
N2: In je dromen = In your dreams!
N3: Echt niet = Not really!
Saturday was Taylor Swift’s last concert in Amsterdam, so with no temptation to attend another, it was on to other things! More to come… we still had two days!
Ann & I drove over to Minneapolis on Wednesday afternoon for our evening/overnight flight to Amsterdam. I did a new thing, parking at a nearby hotel & taking their shuttle to the airport — way cheaper and very convenient!
ARRIVAL
We arrived at Schiphol Airport in the late morning on Thursday, and immediately started trading bracelets with Swifties while we waited in line (some of them on their way to the N1 concert). We took an Uber to & checked into our “postage stamp” hotel… seriously…. two single beds, one short narrow shelf, and a chair (not even an upholstered chair) — it was comical.
On our way to Stephen & Penelope’s!
It was a beautiful day and, after that long plane ride, we took a nice walk to Stephen & Penelope’s.
It’s a cute shop & the staff was very friendly. There’s a lot of yarn and a ton of samples, but all well organized and clearly labeled. I’m glad we stopped. I came home with two souvenir skeins and some notions (no photos of that stuff yet). I wish I could have taken a better photo of the yarn-bombed bicycle out front — there was a cargo bike parked right in front of it — my pic is taken through the window from inside (if you click on the photo, you’ll see it a little better).
I’d used my Airbnb Superhost reward to book a canal cruise with Sebi Boat Tours, and it was the perfect way to “land.” If you look at the photos on his web page, you’ll notice that he had a very special guest on his boat, which he was so proud to share with us — and, yes, we were impressed! We were joined on the cruise by four young women from the Boston area who were on their college graduation trip (next stop, Greece), and by a woman from Chicago & her two daughters — fellow Swifties! (I guess I am one now, too?) More bracelet trading! (Mostly Annie.)
The boats & buildings along the canals & the Amstel River are incredible. Some of those buildings are 400 or so years old… and if you click on & study the photo above, you’ll be as amazed as me that some of them are still standing! It’s crazy. But, oh, are they ever pretty.
CONCERT DAY!
We didn’t have anything planned during the day on Friday — concert day! Taylor Swift was in Amsterdam for three nights, referred to (in chats & whatnot) as N1, N2 & N3. Friday was N2.
Turns out, we were super close to the Heineken Experience, so we got tickets & walked over.
We enjoyed it a lot! A tour of the old brewery, lots of interesting information, and some interactive “experiences,” one of which was a pouring contest. Annie & I both participated and she won her round! Our young guide, posing with her, was going to be working at the concert venue that night, so, of course, he received a Swiftie bracelet!
We loved all the different ways that Heineken bottles were used as decorative elements — the ceiling, some walls — and every bottle was turned in precisely the same direction (we both commented that Mom would have appreciated that attention to detail).
Ann had a couple of extra sets of concert tickets — one of which she sold, the other she bartered with a friend for a stay in Valencia. Her friend Lynne lives there and her sister, Rhiannon (a Swiftie), was visiting, so they made a quick decision to pop over to Amsterdam for the concert! They arrived on Friday & left on Saturday — it’s a pretty quick flight.
Lynne & Rhiannon met us at our hotel. I was finishing the alteration of the Taylor Swift t-shirt that I bought to wear — transforming a slightly too large crewneck into a v-neck — while Annie “entertained” our guests in our teeny tiny room. haha. Then we headed to the stadium via the Metro.
All the bracelets!
Rhiannon & Lynne’s tickets were on the floor and they had some great vantage points! Annie & I were practically in nosebleeds — very high & steep, but the view was pretty good? I guess it’s like going to a football game at Lambeau Field — thank god for the giant screens because everything & everyone is so “little.”
That’s a wide-angle view from my seat. I was right on the aisle, and I don’t know if that was good or bad… all I know is that every time I stood up, I held on to the back of my seat for dear life. Dizzying.
There was a lot of energy & excitement in the room, and a lot of sequins & feathers!! Some of the concert-goers’ outfits were amazing.
This is zoomed in — you can sort of see a blurry Taylor at the piano toward the right, and the projected image on the left. I didn’t take a lot of photos, but you can see some more (and video) on my Insta.
It was a crush toward the Metro — that part wasn’t so great — and we got home LATE, but it was fun… WOULD I DO IT AGAIN??
