Our very last full day in Amsterdam on the 14th was a crisp autumn day and was spent enjoying some of our favorite things...
Winkel appelgebak. Warm apple pie with real whipped cream for breakfast. Need I say more?
Ben's playground. This little playground was literally right around the corner from our apartment. Nearly every time we visited, it was always just me and Ben getting to slide, swing, and jump. Because of that, I really think Ben thought this was HIS playground. Lots of giggles and good times had here...
Greg had made a quick trip to work while we were at the playground. His colleagues had gifts for him - actually for the whole family. Dutch birthday calendar and stroops for Greg, Dutch cookbook for me, Dutch puzzle for Ben, and Dutch snuggle blanket for Tulip. So incredibly sweet!! Back to our favorite things...
Walking along Brouwersgracht and lunch at Cafe Thijssen. Who knew we would have ended up living on one of the prettiest canals in the whole city? And, on a canal that had a cafe that served the best tomato soup ever! What luck!
Walking along the Prinsengracht in the Jordaan. I'm a broken record here, but we can't get over the beauty of this city and how much we loved living in the Jordaan. We came upon the Tulip Museum, which I had never been in. A quick peek inside, and then more strolling past the Anne Frank House and Westerkerk. I told Greg that he should go climb the tower, as this was something that he had not yet done. So, Ben and I walked home for naptime while Greg climbed the tower.
Views of amazing Amsterdam from above. You know my love of seeing a city from above, and Greg had a beautiful day to really soak in this great city and it's unique architecture.
Corner of Brouwersgracht and Prinsengracht. This came to be a special spot for us. On one side is Cafe Tabac, the cafe that we visited 18 months ago during our apartment hunting trip. After a second day of seeing apartments, we were feeling very overwhelmed and confused. We came back to this area to walk around and see if we liked it enough to choose Brouwersgracht 230E. We stopped in this cafe for some coffee and to just rest and talk...and the rest is history! The other photo is near the top of the list when it comes to our favorite views of the city. The canals coming together, the bridge, the canalhouses - all right down the street from our home. We even found an etching of this location that will hang in our home back in the States to remind us of our "second home".
Views of Amsterdam from the canals. There is probably no better way to see Amsterdam than from a canal boat. Greg had the idea that we should take one last cruise around the city, now that we know it so well. After Ben's nap, we hopped on a boat and cruised around - seeing sights that were so foreign to us 18 months ago, but now many of these places hold memories of time with family and friends. Funny side note, we finally saw De Poezenboot (The Cat Boat), home to more than 100 stray cats. Too bad it was gesloten. :(
Well, that was just a few of our favorite Amsterdam things, but a pretty great way to spend a last day in our adopted city. We were home around 8 p.m. to finish packing and get some rest before our travels tomorrow. It is so hard to believe that our time in Amsterdam has come to an end already.
Pannekoeken and poffertjes. Of course we would spend our last meal at The Pancake Bakery. We were so hungry that I didn't remember to snap a photo until there was one last, lonely poffertje on the plate. Seems a pretty fitting testament to our love of Dutch pancakes!
Well, that was just a few of our favorite Amsterdam things, but a pretty great way to spend a last day in our adopted city. We were home around 8 p.m. to finish packing and get some rest before our travels tomorrow. It is so hard to believe that our time in Amsterdam has come to an end already. 
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