Three days in Amsterdam During May
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 60°F
Day 2 - Tuesday
9:30AM - Breakfast and then Heineken Experience
We took the tram and went to go look for our Mercure hotel, which is on Noorderstraat. After we dropped off our luggage, we went to Panini for breakfast which was right around the corner. Then we took the tram to Heineken Brand Store via tram stop Rembrandtplein. We collected a gift that was valued at 9€. Then we met up with some of the hostel people we had met the day before and one of my buddy’s local friends at the Heineken Experience. Admission included a bracelet where we had three buttons, two could be exchanged for two drinks and one for a gift at the Heineken Brandstore.
The self-guided tour went through the family run business and its success worldwide. Then we experienced what ingredients went into making the beer. We walked through the stables of where there were horses that pulled the Heineken beer wagons. At one of the theaters we experienced what it was like to feel brewed and bottled. Then we learned how to say cheers in Dutch (Proost, but pronounced Broast) as we drank a glass of Heineken. Finally we walked through a bunch of advertisements.
At the end of the tour, we were given three options. Drink two regular Heinekens, one large extra cold Heineken, or pour your own Heineken and drink one glass. I opted for the pour my own glass. My buddy and his local friend went to the Bulldog to smoke weed, while I went with my friend to the bakery we found the day before and the Heineken Brandstore. Navigating the city and traveling by tram proved to be a good experience. I could definitely feel myself learning a ton.
7:30PM - Dinner and Holland Casino Amsterdam
We met up for dinner at Leidseplein and went to an unlimited ribs place. For 13.50€, we ate six racks of ribs. It was delicious and well worth it. One thing I noticed in the Netherlands is that they charge for drinks including water.
The Holland Casino was nearby, so we checked it out. It was two floors. The first floor had the slot machines and the second were the card games. The rack is a lot bigger and the rules are different. They favor the casino more so. For example, you can only double in Blackjack on certain numbers where as you are allowed to double on any number in Vegas. There was no smoking in the casino, which was something else that I noticed. We went to a bar after the casino to chill and then we walked back to the hotel.
Day 1 of 3 in Amsterdam
Day 3 of 3 in Amsterdam