Amsterdam

Almost a year before we found out we would be moving to Europe, David and I planned a 10-day trip to Europe for Laura’s (David’s sister) graduation from St. Andrews University in Scotland. When booking our plane tickets, we quickly realized that most flights to Scotland had layovers in Amsterdam. So we decided that instead of stopping in Amsterdam for a few hours, we should spend the weekend there and then head over to Scotland.

A weekend in Amsterdam was perfect. We arrived early Saturday morning and headed to the Heineken Brewery. Before we made it to the brewery, we decided to try and save a few pennies by using Amsterdam’s great public transportation system to get to our hotel to drop off our bags. In the airport we struggled to figure out the train system. At the train station we stood in line forever (unnecessarily) for Metro tickets, and once we got off the Metro we stared at our map trying to find our hotel (which happened to be LITERALLY across the street from the station). Thank goodness for really nice locals who offered to help us out because we’re too shy to ask for help ourselves.

The Heineken Brewery is not a functioning brewery but it does simulate the beer-making process. We also watched some old Heineken commercials and visited the Heineken Clydesdale horses, which made me think – which came first, the Heineken or the Budweiser Clydesdales? Probably Heineken….. but the Budweiser Clydesdales and their donkey friend at Sea World in San Diego are still my favorites! At the end of the tour, there’s a bar where you can enjoy your free beer with other tourists!

David inside the Heineken Brewery

After the tour, we walked around the canals back to Rembrandt Square, near our hotel, to watch the Netherlands World Cup game. The entire square was decked out in orange. There were TVs set up outside every café and everywhere you looked people were dressed head-to-toe in orange! Holland won the game, creating a crazy celebration throughout Amsterdam for the rest of the night! After we watched the game, we headed to the Red Light District to join in on the festivities. David had been to Amsterdam before many times when he lived in Europe, but I had no idea what to expect in the Red Light District. Marijuana is legal in the Netherlands, so we decided to go to the Hemp Museum. They were actually growing MJ in the middle of the museum! After the museum, we walked through the Red Light District streets to the Waag. Prostitution is also legal in Amsterdam and I couldn’t believe the number of prostitutes soliticing their services. I heard they hang out in windows, but these were more like doors. Some doors were even open so they could talk to you. The next morning, we went to the Oude Kerk church and there were prostitutes in the buildings surrounding the church!  On a Sunday morning! It was definitely an “older” crowd of women during this morning shift. We overheard a tour guide telling his group that the oldest prostitute in the area is 83. Gggrrroooossss!

We went to the Waag for dinner. Built in the 15th century, the Waag was one of the original city gates and then a medieval weigh house.  Public executions also took place outside the building. Later, surgeries were performed in front of audiences inside.  People used to pay to watch human dissections. But now it’s a restaurant – yum! I tried not to think of its dark history as David and I enjoyed our duck pate, Blond D’Aquitaine steaks, and crème brulee.

Cafe In de Waag

On Sunday morning, after running away from the elderly prostitutes, we visited the Anne Frank House. It was a very touching memorial to all Holocaust victims, not just the Frank family. It’s unbelievable to think that children were taken out of their homes and executed because of their religion. They must have thought the world had gone crazy. In a way, it had!  This is a MUST when visiting Amsterdam.  The line is long, but the experience is well worth the wait. 

Anne Frank Museum & Home

Then we walked to the Rijksmuseum. Unfortunately most of the museum is still undergoing restoration, so we were only admitted into one wing. Boooo! We ate lunch in the Museum District. After lunch, we were pretty full of croquettes and tired of walking so we thought about renting some bikes to get around the rest of the city.  But David and I both decided that since we haven’t been on bikes in about 15 years, that probably wasn’t the safest idea. Instead, David just took a picture of me next to a purple (my favorite color!) bike.

Next we explored the Bloemenmarket, the largest floating flower market in the world. All of the flower stalls sit on barges out on the canal. Then we had dinner at a little Italian restaurant near our hotel and turned in early for the night as I was still getting over my strep throat and didn’t want to get even sicker! The weird thing about Amsterdam (and later Scotland) is that the sun doesn’t go down until about 11:00 at night! Then it comes right back up a few hours later! In Scotland, I’d wake up almost every “morning” around 3:00 AM with the sun shining and the birds chirping.

Monday morning, we took the metro, a train, and a couple of planes to the land of Braveheart, kilts, and bagpipes. By this time, we were practically public transportation experts. We like to think we would’ve come in 1st on this leg of the Amazing Race!

Woman v. Food

Before we leave the great state of Texas and the US of A, David and I have decided to eat as much “American” food as possible. We are dreading the day we have to say goodbye to Pillsbury crescent rolls, queso made from creamy Velveeta and Rotel, crunchy Wheat Thins, and probably many more items we won’t realize aren’t available until we cross the pond!

Over the past couple of weeks we’ve been on a mission to try out new Austin restaurants, enjoy the oldies but goodies, and even gorge on fast food we can’t get in the UK (hasta la vista Taco Bell).

After we saw Yann Martel at Book People last week, we headed down the street to a new taco bar. It’s called TNT – Tacos 'n' Tequila. It was delicious! The authentic street tacos and sides were amazing. For dessert, I had a push pop. You read that correctly, a push pop. It was just like the ones we used to get as kids from the ice cream truck, except this one didn’t have Flintstones paper around the ice cream. It was classier with chocolate gelato with cocoa nibs and a sturdier, prettier push pop contraption. As we were finishing dinner, the restaurant manager invited us to sit in on their monthly employee tequila lesson/tasting. A representative from Cazadores Tequila flew in from Guadalajara, Mexico and taught us all about tequila. Then she showed us how to drink tequila by offering us 6 different shots. That’s right – 6! I was driving, so David had to take the shots. After all those shots, he still doesn’t understand how tequila could ever be considered a drink by itself, like scotch. We had fun though and we got free river hats!

We also tried Maria Maria, a fairly new Mexican restaurant in downtown Austin owned by music legend Carlos Santana. I ordered the chicken enchilada suizas with a refreshing caipirinha and I was not disappointed. It was not only the best enchiladas suizas I’ve ever had, but also the best caipirinha.

We’ve grabbed sandwiches at Thundercloud Subs, ordered smoked boudin and chicken creole at Louisiana Longhorn, started off with Botticelli bread at Botticelli’s, snacked on popcorn at Moonshine, caught dinner and a movie at Alamo Drafthouse, and licked the icing off our fingers at Hey Cupcake.

Ever since I saw the breakfast episode of Man v. Food, I have had a goal in mind. That goal is to eat a Texas-sized donut from Round Rock Donuts. I heart Round Rock Donuts. They are so close to my office at Dell, but I still get excited whenever anyone brings them in to share. There’s a Round Rock Donuts in the Austin airport as well. So when we’re not grabbing breakfast tacos from the Saltlick taco stand, you can find us in line at Round Rock Donuts.

David, unfortunately, has not been supportive of my dream. He's more supportive of my healthly BMI, I guess. From the very beginning, sitting on the couch watching the makings of a Texas-sized donut on Man v. Food, he said I couldn’t do it. “There’s no way!” I heard it over and over.

But last weekend, it was time to make my dream a reality.

Saturday morning I woke up with a sore throat, but I didn’t care. I had a craving for donuts and nothing would stop me….. David and I began sorting through our house to make a donation pile for Goodwill. Then we mowed the lawn and trimmed the hedges out front. After a hard day of work out in the hot sun, we had to make a run to Home Depot for some fencing. On the way home, we stopped at Round Rock Donuts. I had called ahead to order my Texas-sized donut, but there was no need. They have them available all day every day (which actually kind of worried me because I hope not a lot of people are eating these huge donuts, especially all by themselves). Then we got home and I had 30 minutes to complete my challenge.

Box for the Texas-sized Donut

A little scared at first, but I knew I could do it

For those of you that have not been to Round Rock Donuts or seen the breakfast episode of Man v. Food, a Texas-sized donut is essentially a dozen glazed donuts, with the option of chocolate on top, rolled into one massive donut.

Whoa! That's a big donut!

23 minutes and a belly full of glazed, fried dough later, I was done….

AND I HAD TRIUMPHED!!!