A pâtissière, eating around the world
![[Amsterdam] Zaanse Schans](https://www.sugarednspiced.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/R0019434.jpg)
The original plan was to visit Giethoorn for its beautiful wooden arch bridges and canals, but the 2-hour train+bus commute was too much of a hassle for us lazy travelers. So instead, we went to Zaanse Schans, a small windmill village just 20 minutes by train from Amsterdam Central Station. This spontaneous trip turned out to be one of the highlights of our Amsterdam trip.
Hello there.
![[Amsterdam] Van Gogh Museum](https://www.sugarednspiced.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/R0019204.jpg)
Van Gogh Museum
Add: Paulus Potterstraat 7, 1070 AJ Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 570 5200
Hours: 10am-6pm, Friday-10pm (closed January 1st)
Website: www.vangoghmuseum.nl
Price: Adults €14, 0-17 years free / Audio Guide €7
My 2.5 hours at the Van Gogh Museum was time very well spent. With an audio guide in hand, I waltzed through the world’s largest collection of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings, including The Potato Eaters, Bedroom in Arles, The Yellow House, Still Life: Vase with Twelve Sunflowers, nine of the artist’s Self-Portraits, and some of his earliest paintings dating back to 1882. An enchanting experience to say the least.
We thought we could beat the crowd by arriving a bit before the museum opens, but nope, there was already a long line forming at the entrance. To avoid the wait, I recommend ordering tickets online before you visit.
But the line moved rather quickly as soon as the door opened. We got the audio guides (available in English, Dutch, French, Japanese, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, and Mandarin Chinese) and began the chronicle of Van Gogh’s life.
![[Amsterdam] Canal Area](https://www.sugarednspiced.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/R0019044.jpg)
![[Amsterdam] Vondel View B&B (now closed)](https://www.sugarednspiced.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/R0018957.jpg)
Important notice: This B&B closed in 2018.
Vondel View B&B
Add: Gerard Brandtstraat 14 hs. 1054 JK Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 612 6055 / +31 (0)6 4395 3680
Website: www.vondelview.com
Email: info@vondelview.nl
Price: € 120~165/night
Visited: Jul 2011
For those who are bored of the typical hotel experience, try Vondel View. This beautifully designed Bed & Breakfast, located in a quiet residential street of the Vondel Park vicinity, was where we stayed for 2 nights during our visit to Amsterdam – and a lovely experience it was.
The building that houses Vondel View dates back to 1898, but its interior has been renovated by Rita (a very warm and hospitable host) and her husband (an architect, hence the beautiful interior design).
![[Seoul] Street Food](https://www.sugarednspiced.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/RIMG7215.jpg)
During my Seoul trip, I designated one whole evening to a busy shopping district called Myeong-dong (명동/明洞). For shopping? Nah, for the street food, but of course. Seoul is known to be a lively destination teeming with carts and stalls of snacks ranging from the traditional to the weird. Unfortunately I didn’t manage to take a picture…Continue Reading “[Seoul] Street Food”
![[Seoul] Gyeongbokgung 경복궁](https://www.sugarednspiced.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/RIMG7420.jpg)
Gyeongbokgung 경복궁
Add: Sejongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Tel: (02) 732-1931
Hours: 9am-6pm (Nov-Feb 9am-5pm, May-Aug 9am-7pm), closed on Tuesdays
Price: 3000 won
Visited: May 2011
Literally “Palace of Shining Happiness”, Gyeongbokgung is a royal palace located in northern Seoul. First constructed in 1394 and reconstructed in 1867, this was the main and largest palace of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty.
![[Seoul] Samcheong Dong 삼청동](https://www.sugarednspiced.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/RIMG7109.jpg)
A hilly neighborhood filled with small art galleries, fancy little shops, and cute cafes and restaurants. One of my favorite places to wander around in Seoul.
![[Seoul] Tosokchon Ginseng Chicken Soup 토속촌삼계탕](https://www.sugarednspiced.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/RIMG7397.jpg)
Tosokchon Ginseng Chicken Soup 토속촌삼계탕 Add: 85-1 Chebu-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea Tel: (02) 737-7444 Hours: 10am-10pm Price: 14,000W~20,000W Visited: May 2011 On a particularly chilly Spring day in Seoul, we bundled up and headed over to Tosokchon, a wildly popular samgyetang specialty restaurant close to Gyeongbokgung (경복궁/景福宮). As we tracked across the city in the…Continue Reading “[Seoul] Tosokchon Ginseng Chicken Soup 토속촌삼계탕”
![[Beijing] 798 Art Zone](https://www.sugarednspiced.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/RIMG6558.jpg)
While I can hardly consider leaving the comfort of Shanghai and moving to Beijing – the traffic, the sandstorms, the climate, just to name a few downsides I can think of – I do love the capital of China for its vibrant cultural activities. Sure, in Shanghai we have M50 or 1933, but nothing quite…Continue Reading “[Beijing] 798 Art Zone”
![[Tokyo] Royce Fruit Bar Chocolate](https://www.sugarednspiced.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/R0015797.jpg)
I’ve always loved Royce’s 生チョコレート(Nama Chocolate). Their Fruit Bar Chocolate, however, is a first for me. The packaging is beautiful and thoughtful, very Japanese. So what is it? White chocolate flavored with strawberry powder, then made crispy and chewy with almond puffs, dried mango and cranberry bits, then infused with a hint of banana. Royce…Continue Reading “[Tokyo] Royce Fruit Bar Chocolate”
