steph in the cities: a pit stop in Amsterdam & Paris

Following Venice, we took a flight to Amsterdam. We only had about two and a half days there so it was a short, but great trip. This was the only city we stayed in an actual hotel because we had trouble finding an Airbnb we liked.

We visited the Anne Frank Huis (house) while we were there - which is the place the Frank family hid during World War II. A lot of the house is still original or remade to look like how it is imagined. Pictures, talking, and touching anything is prohibited in the house because it can be a very emotional experience for a lot of people. I highly recommend this to anyone visits Amsterdam - its a surreal experience.

We also visited the Van Gogh museum and attended a concert while we were in Amsterdam. We used the public transportation, tried their famous poutine fries at the famous Bulldog bar which was recommended to me by a regular customer at my job.

Following Amsterdam, we flew to Paris for another quick 2 day stop. Paris was probably the most expensive city we visited when it came to food, drinking, etc.. We had the best Airbnb spot just a 2 block walk to the Eiffel tower and it was a small loft above a coffee shop. We purchased tickets in advance so we could go to the top of the Eifle - if you don't purchase in advance you probably won't be able to go in. There are various websites that you can purchase the tickets on, a lot of them are non-refundable so make sure that the date you want to go. We used Get Your Guide.

I always imagined the Eiffel would be overrated, but it was actually one of the coolest things I've seen. It's so huge and the story behind it which they tell you on the tour is pretty cool too. Most tours are offered in a variety of languages which is another great plus. We visited the Arc de Triomphe as well, it has so much detail and is at one of the busiest loops in the city. The food is very rich and delicious - but expensive so beware! We enjoyed going to the bakery and trying macaroons, fresh bread and even got a crepe on the street.

If we would have had more time in Paris we definitely we would have done and saw a lot more like the Notre-Dame, The Louvre, and much more.

Off to Spain!