The Venice of the North

August 2025 · Europe & Beyond 2025

Amsterdam felt like controlled chaos… bikes, trams, mopeds, cars, and people all weaving through the same narrow streets, somehow without colliding. It wasn’t loud, just constantly in motion, like the whole city was quietly negotiating who goes where next.

We walked along the canals, dodged a few bikes, and eventually found quieter streets. Outside the city, the pace changed completely. The windmills stood still on a windless day, and we learned about the locals’ cheese-making process and watched clogs being made by hand on a tour of Zaanse Schans in Zaandam.

The Anne Frank House brought everything to a stop. A different kind of quiet - the solemn kind you carry with you for a while.