One of the many canals in Amsterdam, with some of the city's stately architecture behind
Hi readers! The past four days have been incredible for the Dins here in Amsterdam. After a fantastic time in London with West End shows, beautiful sights and English culture galore, we arrived in the Netherlands early Sunday afternoon to an incredible ocean view and an intimate look at Amsterdam's unforgettable skyline.
Spectacular views of the whole city can be found at the newly-opened A'DAM Lookout
After initially arriving, we met up with the amazing Zwanine, our main organizer for the Amsterdam leg, and immediately put our vocal muscles to work by performing in a spontaneous flash mob at Amsterdam's Centraal Station. Afterwards, we took an amazing trip to the new Amsterdam Lookout tower, where we got to sing again on the tower's top floor while looking at the beautiful scenery. The evening was spent eating dinner at a cozy estate with some of our hosts, including Zwanine, the rest of the Siedenburg family, Edwin and Ken, Noa, and Sophia!
An excellent dinner picnic in Amsterdam's Vondelpark with some hosts and their friends
We spent the following two days exploring the best that Amsterdam had to offer - munching on cheese and bread with our feet dangling by the lovely canals, exploring some nooks and crannies in the historical parts of the city - and all the while pubbing for our show at Nassau Church on Tuesday evening. We even got to take a tour of the original Heineken brewery in Amsterdam, and ended the tour with an impromptu performance in the last exhibit!
Jacques and Ethan having a mini karaoke session (in Dutch) at the Heineken Experience
Our concert at the church that evening, along with the spectacular accompanying dinner, was one of the highlights of the trip thus far! With the amazing help of the church staff and Zwanine, our show was a success and we got to celebrate with another free day in Amsterdam the next day to explore the city. Whether we were venturing through the Rijksmuseum, admiring the Van Gogh works, or just relaxing by the water and the city's glorious parks, we definitely made the most of our Amsterdam experience.
Hanging out near one of the city's many tram stations
A special warm thanks to our incredible hosts - the Siedenburg family (special shout out to Josine and Fleur for being amazing friends and tour guides during our stay!), Ken and Edwin, and Sophia - for letting us into your beautiful homes the past few days. Amsterdam wouldn't have been the same without you!
DST,
Leon Pan #235
