Amsterdam - Day 3

After a very late night out, we didn't wake up until 11am on our third day in Amsterdam.
My husband loves to take long bike rides, so I knew that would be one of the activities we would do  for sure in while we were there.
So after grabbing some sandwiches, bananas, chips and drinks at a tiny market, we headed to Mike's Bike Tours for the Countryside Tour.

We set off in a group through the city before heading out into the countryside.

Just the two of us on our bike tour in Amsterdam on July 31, 2017.

We rode along the river for awhile until we reached the first windmill on our stop.

I loved the shutters and flowerbox. So pretty!

Here is Daniel our tour guide who was fabulous. The tour lasted a little over four hours and there were 16 total in our group. At the beginning of the tour, Daniel asked if there were any experienced riders who could help him out. So Mike definitely being one volunteered, which resulted in us bringing up the rear to make sure we all stayed together.

We reached the cheese and wooden shoe farm pretty quickly after the windmill.

The shoe maker was quite a character. He flirted with the ladies and gave some of the men a little trouble in a joking way.

 After the shoe workshop, we had a picnic lunch and then got back on our bikes.

Mike took a photo of me with my pink bike that had flowers on the handle bar at the stop where we saw some deer. At this point, Daniel also shared stories about how they used to flood the plains in certain areas as a defense tactic during the wars. But once there were planes, it wasn't as effective. This was definitely an interesting part of history that I was unfamiliar with.

We stopped at a second windmill before heading back. Our ride back to the city and the tour shop lasted about an hour. I'll admit it was a little rough for me at points that last hour because we didn't really make any stops. Mike bikes regularly so for him it was a piece of cake. And the first three hours were fine, so I am glad I had been riding a little bit on my bike at home to get ready for it before our trip. Four hours is a pretty long time to bike if you are not used to it at all. So I would definitely recommend practicing before a trip if any type of biking is in your plans.

After the tour, we grabbed some smoothies and headed back to the hotel to rest and have a facetime chat with the kids.

That night we had dinner at a place called the Downtown Grill which had excellent food, but not so great service. So I would recommend it, because honestly good customer service as far as restaurants in Amsterdam was hard to come by. As long as the food was good, we were happy.

We saw one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen while standing on a bridge over a canal.
Then we spent the rest of the night wandering through the shopping and entertainment districts stopping to look around, have some drinks and just enjoy the atmosphere.
Before heading back to the hotel, we decided to get some dessert (a waffle with chocolate, strawberries and whipped cream) to split.

One of my favorite parts of that night, was just sitting there next to the canal talking and eating a waffle!
So I would say our time in Amsterdam was well spent. We had so much fun hanging out with family and then just each other.

For my next post, we are on to Brussels, Belgium!

Steps - 18,689
Miles - 8.01 (not including the bike ride)

Amsterdam - Day 2

We didn't wake until 10:15am our second day in Amsterdam. So we grabbed some quick smoothies for breakfast and headed out to meet Mike's brother and sister in law at the Van Gogh museum. It was a nice walk from our hotel.

But it was a bit cloudy, and as we approached the museum it started to rain.

 This was one of the best parts about visiting Amsterdam for me!

Vincent Van Gogh has always been my favorite artist thanks to my grandpa Pete. He loved to paint for fun and made a few replicas of Van Gogh's paintings that were hanging in my home growing up! I remember when I was little seeing the Sunflower painting in an art book and exclaiming "my grandpa painted that!"
If you are ever in Amsterdam, I highly recommend going to the museum. I know a lot about Van Gogh, but learned so much more while I was there! He had a really fascinating life and to me was the very definition of someone who immersed himself in his work. Plus, I loved the information about his relationship with his brother Theo who was so supportive of Vincent.

Another recommendation would be to buy your tickets on line ahead of time. We stood outside in the rain for quite a while before being able to get in.

There is an entire room in the museum dedicated to his self portraits. Back home you are allowed to take photos without the flash. I snapped a photo of my favorite before realizing that photos were not allowed in that room. (whoops)  So I'm not going to post it here for that reason.

But I did absolutely need to get a photo of the Sunflowers for myself and my mom. I think one of the things I love best about Van Gogh's paintings is his use of texture. It's amazing. And being able to see it for myself up close just blew me away.

Hmmm...seemed just a little sacrilegious to me. But his painting of the Potato Eaters is another favorite of mine so I could see the humor in this.

After the museum, we headed to see the iconic I Amsterdam sign.

So many people there wanting a photo with it!

Just the two of us at the I Amsterdam sign - July 30, 2017

After lunch we headed over to Heineken for the Rock the City: Heineken Experience tour
This included a tour of Heineken and then a boat ride on the canals that went to Amsterdam Tower which is also known as A'DAM LOOKOUT. My sister in law bought tickets pretty far in advance, but I don't think it is something that sells out too quickly. 

Here are a few photos I took on the tour.
But the most exciting part came right before a little 4d ride and heading up to the rooftop bar.
Since Mike's sister in law usually would get a drink, they told us that she is pregnant with their first baby! Really exciting and fun news!

We didn't stay inside the rooftop bar because it was so loud.

But the view from outside was pretty.

We didn't take a lot of photos during our boat ride on the canals.

The actual tower is not very tall (lol), but a cool design.

Here are some views from the top on the inside behind the glass. In the top right photo you can see the Ferry that we rode back across the water to where our hotels were located.

 A view from the rooftop.

They had these great cushions to lounge around on up there.

My brother in law and his wife are such a cute couple! And then taking all these photos I was feeling a little left out.

So I joined them!

Just the two of us - Amsterdam Tower rooftop, July 30, 2017

Cone fries are a big deal over there and in Brussels.
My sister in law was really wanting a cone, so we found a pretty popular place with a long line.

But the line moved pretty quickly, so we had our fries in no time. There were a ton of sauces to choose from, but I settled on plain old ketchup.

The fry stand was right across from this iconic spot that you see in photographs all over the internet. Although, just like the scaffolding on Big Ben, it wasn't so picture perfect for us. This time we have some construction going on here.

This is what you would typically see. But we just had to laugh because it seems like there is always construction or scaffolding in our "famous" photos.

And the view behind where we were sitting.

We walked around for awhile afterwards before dinner.

Mike loves to bike and he really liked how bike friendly Amsterdam is.

This is one of my favorite photos he took at a bike parking area.

I really liked this building right next to the canal and that bridge!
We finally had a late dinner, I think around 9 or 9:30pm. Then Mike's brother and wife went back to their hotel because they were leaving the next day.

But Mike and I had another whole day to explore.
So coming up - Day 3 (our last) in Amsterdam - The Bike Adventure

Steps - 17,264
Miles - 7.4

Amsterdam and U2 (Day 1)

I'm so glad our 8:20 am flight to Amsterdam was from the much smaller and easier to navigate London City airport. We did lose another hour in the time change, and our train ride from the airport was a little crazy. After we left the station, we ended up walking a bit and then finally just getting a ride from Uber to our hotel. We were pretty tired by the time we got to our hotel at 11:30, but thankfully our room was ready for us! We stayed at the The Albus Hotel which was in a great location in the city center.

(photo taken from the internet)

Each room was pretty unique, and I don't think any two were exactly alike from the way it sounds.

(photo from internet)

Our room was very similar to this one. Not very large, but definitely big enough for the two of us. The bathroom made us laugh though, because when we walked in the door, you pretty much walked straight into the shower. Definitely an open concept with just a glass partition separating it from the rest.

As we were entering the elevator to go up to our room, Mike's brother came up behind him to surprise us! He had come over with his wife to see U2 that night as well and had arrived the day before. Eight years ago, they had been with us in Dublin to see U2 and we had a great time hanging out. So we had been looking forward to our trips overlapping in Amsterdam.

Despite being a little tired, we decided to head with them to lunch at The Three Sisters Pub in a cool square right around the corner from our hotel. 

After lunch we decided to walk around for a bit before going back to the hotel to rest before the concert that night. 

This photo has so much I want to remember about Amsterdam. I loved the canals, all the boats on the water, the unique homes and architecture, bikes everywhere, and the crazy way they parked their little cars so close to the canal!

We walked by the Anne Frank house, but the "free" line was way too long to get in. If you are going to Amsterdam and visiting the Anne Frank house is on your list of things to see, I would recommend getting tickets well in advance. 

At this point, Mike and I headed back to our hotel for a nap before the concert. 

Ready to go see the band. Crazy lighting in our hotel room right? But it was fun.

We walked to the train station. And while waiting in the long line to purchase tickets for the train,  Mike realized he had left our paper tickets at the hotel room and wanted to have them just in case. So he ran back to get them and made it back just as I finally got up to the ticket machine. We bought our two tickets for the Metro and went to get on. It was packed!!! And it got more and more crowded the closer we got to Amsterdam ArenA. Thankfully the concert was indoors because it was lightly raining by the time we arrived.

Love that incredible stage. And what a great feeling to be down on the floor again.

Just the two of us - Amsterdam for the U2 Joshua Tree Tour, July 30, 2017

We didn't get there until around 6:30 pm, so we couldn't get as close to the stage as we would have liked.  

But we were close enough.

 

Quite the crowd behind us and all around us. General admission is definitely not for the faint of heart if you are going to be in the middle of it and are less than six feet tall. (lol) I could barely see at some points and it was hot and crowded at times. There are only a few bands I would do it for these days. U2 of course, Radiohead, The National, and possibly Noel Gallagher.

And look who it is - Noel Gallagher! His band was the opening act and I had been looking forward to seeing him a lot. I love Noel Gallagher! I always said out of the band Oasis, he was the brother with the talent. Anyway, it was great to see him live.

And then it was time for U2 and Joshua Tree. I will admit that I cried a little during Where the Streets Have No Name. I was thinking back to my very first U2 concert - another Joshua Tree tour back in 1987 where they opened with the very same song. And it was so great to hear it again and think about what this band has meant to Mike and I over the years.

That screen is amazing! And I love all the visuals that were directed by Anton Corbijn. He always does great work.

One of my favorite parts of the show actually was the segment with Beautiful Day and Elevation. Those two songs always get the crowd jumping! And during Beautiful Day there were a ton of colorful balloons floating around that were so fun. I hadn't seen or heard of that being done at any of the other shows on tour. I know they didn't have them two nights later in Brussels.

After the show was over, getting back to the train was insane! The station was just a short walk from the ArenA, but the crowd was all trying to jam through the first main entrance. Mike decided we were going to just walk to the next station where it wasn't so crazy. But as we started walking we noticed another entrance to the station that nobody had really noticed yet. So we managed to bypass a lot of the crowd and made it on the train and to the stop by our hotel around midnight. We grabbed some pizza from a little place close to our hotel and finally got to sleep around 1:30 am.

And just like that, our first day in Amsterdam was over!

Steps walked - 18,186

Miles - 7.8

The Battle

I'm taking a break from my Europe posts to talk about something that means a lot to me right now.
As I've mentioned before, I have struggled with anxiety and depression off and on for as long as I can remember.

But a few years back, I realized that my ability to handle these disorders had gotten so bad and I felt so unhappy and overwhelmed that my family was suffering as a result, too. I have spent a lot of time trying to find what works for me when it comes to managing and controlling my anxiety as well as when depression tries to set in. I know it is not the same for everyone, but I have learned that the best thing for me is really just self care. Good sleep, eating healthy, and getting exercise are what help me manage my symptoms so much better.

I'll admit. It is not always easy to do. Because my husband travels for work weekly, there is so much I am responsible for here on my own as far as the house, kids and everyday life. And in the past generally the first thing to go when things got a little crazy was self care. I would find myself getting to bed later and later. Or grabbing a quick bite to eat that definitely wasn't healthy between errands and running the kids around. Or thinking I could get to exercise later in the day if I missed it in the morning, which hardly ever ended up being the case.

But not anymore. I have realized that by not taking care of myself, I wasn't doing my family or me any favors. When I get 7-8 hours of sleep, eat more fruits, veggies and protein, and exercise five days a week with a little meditation/yoga thrown in, I feel so much better. Not so stressed out, and definitely happier.

Some changes I have made:

Sleep 
- I really shoot for 7-8  hours of sleep a night. If I get less, I try to get a short nap in the next day. Even a ten minute cat nap energizes me so that I can get through the rest of the afternoon and early evening.

Eating
-have given up soda completely. Occasionally miss having a Dr. Pepper, but don't like the way it made my body feel. So it's worth it! Drinking a ton more water for hydration
-Include a fruit and/or vegetable with every meal and more protein after working out.

Recently we went to Mod pizza and the mini with pineapple, canadian bacon and spinach was plenty for me. Plus I had my fruit, vegetable and protein. :)
-a lot less sugar and carbs but not totally eliminated.
-I tried Whole 30 and it wasn't my thing. I don't believe in eliminating things totally unless it is causing a major issue. I am just taking more note of how my body feels after eating certain things. If I feel like crap after, I am cutting it.

I will say this for Whole 30. I found a recipe for Avocado mayonnaise that I actually really liked. I used it for my tuna salad in the photo. I also found myself eating a simpler meals. It didn't take much to fill me up, and I didn't feel as bloated.

-so I am focusing on more clean, simple eating and less processed or take out food. If it has more than five ingredients or words I don't recognize, I am trying to avoid it.

Exercise
-I joined the YMCA at the beginning of September because the timing finally felt right. I have been attending classes or just using the machines 2-3 times a week and love it so far! 
-My goal is exercise at least five days per week. If I hit six great, if not no big deal. I like to have at least one as a rest day. I know I'm lucky to not have to work full time, so it makes it a little easier to fit workouts in. But on the days I substitute teach, I push myself to at least get a yoga workout completed.
-I am varying my workouts by rotating Pilates, yoga, weight training and cardio.
-I have done Pilates Fusion, PiYo, and Turbo Kick classes at the YMCA so far. I also love the Elliptical Machine when a class is full or just want to watch an episode of netflix while I workout. Makes the time go by so much faster!
-One or two days a week, I go for walks with friends. Plus I have been meeting up with friends at the Y. It's a great way to hold myself accountable.
-I think the key at my age is adding in the strength training and building more muscle. I have gone through on and off phases with it in the past, but now I am trying to do at least two workouts a week that involve weights.

I have a feeling that Depression and Anxiety may always be an issue for me. But I have learned that my life does not revolve around them. Beating and overcoming them actually makes me feel stronger. And I think about how many amazing experiences I would miss out on if I didn't fight back.

Like going for a bike ride through Amsterdam together!

When we were in Brussels this summer, we were stuck in a huge crowd trying to get from the U2 concert venue to the trains back to our hotel. When we finally got on our train, we were literally jam packed in there! I could feel a little bit of an anxiety attack coming on. The difference is now I have ways to push it back. And Mike understanding a little better how it works now was a huge support. He wrapped his arm around me, I lay my head on his chest and took deep breaths. Done.
But when I don't have him there, I use tricks like mindful breaths and grounding. And because I am not as afraid of them as I used to be, the amount of anxiety attacks have definitely gone down.

Cause you know I want to be able to stand in that huge crowd of strangers and watch my favorite band.

When I feel depression trying to creep in it helps that I can truly recognize it for what is now. The few times I was deep into depression periods, I didn't even realize that is what I was experiencing until much later. But now when I have an off day, I do things to combat it right away. Number one is to make sure I am getting enough sleep. That is key for me. When I am not sleeping well, I have rougher days as I am sure most people do. But in the past it has been extra hard for me to shake it off. Now I know that I can. Sleep and focusing on things that make me happy help a lot. And talking to people I love and/or trust. And exercising helps me feel a lot better as well.

I know there are people who shy away from talking about "mental illness". It can have such a stigma sometimes. But I think maybe if we talked more about it and shared our stories, it would help others to not feel so alone.
I hope that by sharing my experience I can help someone realize that those of us who do struggle with depression and anxiety are warriors, not weak. And we definitely can win the battle!