Last day in Amsterdam.
I head out on the bike down to over 100 year old street market, the Albert Cuyp Market, to shoot a Market Focus photoessay for Taste & Travel. While I was there I loaded up on Dutch snacks like freshly made poffertjes (mini pancakes) and stroopwafels (paper thin gingerbread spiced waffles with caramel sandwiched between).
The Dutch colonised many countries, and have brought elements of their cuisine with them. When I was in Sri Lanka I saw Dutch culinary influence everywhere, but it seems that the same is true in reverse. There is a lot of Surinamese food in Amsterdam, and many delicious things from this cuisine can be tasted at this market.
Being Holland, there were beautiful flowers everywhere.
I head over to De Hortus Botanicus, and napped in the gardens for a while.
After a while, I decided on one last cycle through the streets before I needed to return my bike. I found a cute little pier over the canal where people were reading, playing the harmonica or napping – I joined those napping on the edge, with little sound except the lapping of the water and the faint toot of canal boats.
My options for dinner before I head to the airport were many – but I decided to end my trip where I started, at De Laatste Kruimel. I sat in the window overlooking the canal, and ate another slice of the zucchini cake I tried when I first got here, and a huge slice of polenta, ricotta, tomato and basil. Perfect way to end a perfect, sunny four days.
