Paris will always be a very tough act to follow—but I think my perfect days in my favorite city put me in a state of bliss. I probably couldn’t have cared less where our final stop was or if it was a terrible experience. Fortunately, The Netherlands proved to be a great final destination for this 8-week travel adventure.

We took the train from Paris to Rotterdam and arrived right at dusk to the central station. Our hotel, The James Hotel, was technically close enough to walk to, but a 15-minute walk feels different when everyone is dragging 1-2 rolling suitcases and carrying bags and bookbags that are stuffed full of 8-weeks of life & souvenirs on a rainy evening of high summer humidity. We awkwardly plodded through Saturday night-packed sidewalks of outdoor cafés—getting plenty of pitying/confused looks. We made it, but just barely and not without some sweat and a few tears.

My previous experience in Rotterdam was hardly worth a memory—I had barely passed through for a quick dinner on the way to catching an overnight ferry from the port to London. So, I wasn’t sure what to expect for our multi-day stay in the city. It ended up being really great! Rotterdam is a vibrant, bustling city that seemed full of professionals, young families and established companies.

As was the case for the majority of the trip, I was on my own for most meals in The Netherlands and I found most dinners at Markthal, a uniquely designed structure that offers more than 90 fresh food and dining stalls in a curved dome, surrounded by office and residential units. It was stunning to look at and I loved the variety of foods and beverages that were offered. On different occasions I had stroopwafels, a smoothie, donner, spanakopita, Dutch toasti and cannoli all of which were notably great, with the exception perhaps of the smoothie. Europeans just really don’t seem to make cold/icy blended drinks—their loss.

The students were busy most days with class, so in theory, I could have adventured on my own. But, Paris really wiped me of energy and expendable money, so I sat in the back of the classes, worked on freelance projects and sketched from photos I had taken earlier on the trip.

With less than two days left, we took a final train ride from Rotterdam to Amsterdam. I did find it a bit laughable that the worst two accommodations of this trip were the first (London) and last cities. I suppose that meant it was only uphill from the first, and ensured that we would be ready for home by the time we checked out of our last stay. Honestly, the two nights spent at Clink Noord (a hostel) were not horrible (once you got passed the paper thin walls and mattress, and the occasionally pervasive smell of weed). But I also really don’t recommend it unless you are into the youth hostel vibe (or just really need a budget-friendly option for a short stay).

Getting from the Clink Noord to the main city required a short and free ferry ride, which is actually quite refreshing and drops you right in front of Amsterdam Centraal Station. From there, most interesting Amsterdam destinations fall within a reasonable walking distance, or you one can easily catch a local tram, bus, train or water taxi.

I did not venture this trip (or the last one) into the infamous Red Light District, so I have nothing to say on that neighborhood. I did recall a general suggestion to avoid “Coffee Shops” throughout the city as they tend to sell more drugs than coffee. However, despite those seemingly gritty elements, I found Amsterdam to be very clean, extremely beautiful and full of kind and helpful humans (except when they are on a bicycle—then, as a pedestrian, you are likely to receive a handful of angry curses regardless of how hard you try to keep your head on a swivel to avoid a collision).

This trip to Amsterdam left me really wanting more. We had barely 10 total waking hours to explore the city, which wasn’t nearly enough as I know there were multiple museums, historical sites and parks that I just didn’t have time to enjoy. A few students and I did a self-guided tour of the city on our way to the Rijksmuseum, but by the time we arrived, we had less time to view the museum than we intended, so we found some chairs in the courtyard garden and enjoyed a beautiful summer afternoon.

The trip ended with a group dinner on a canal boat ride. We had a bit of rain, which wasn’t the most pleasant, but the evening ended with a lovely sunset on the dock and smiles all around. I finished packing, completed a final curfew check and crashed hard in preparation for 24 hours of travel (which turned into 36 including an overnight stay in the Minneapolis airport).

I never thought I would experience anything like the International Business Institute after having participated in it as a student and I will forever be grateful for getting to go on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure—twice!

The Highlights

Boijman Depot. Rose gardens. Stroopwafels. Street murals & sculptures. Anne Frank House. Canal boat ride. Apple cinnamon Pannenkoek (large plate-sized Dutch pancake). Train ride between Rotterdam & Amsterdam. Courtyard of the Rijksmuseum. Ferry rides. Flower market. Kroketten (deep fried sausage… kind of). Tour of the Port of Rotterdam.

SDG

p.s. Wondering the context of this visit to Rotterdam & Amsterdam? This was one of the nine countries visited on the 2023 International Business Institute, for which I was the program assistant. Interested in learning more? Read about my own undergraduate experience on the trip when I participated in 2011.

LMB #13