My Europe Tour: Amsterdam, NL

June 24 - 25, 2016

So now begins our journey #NBIsInEurope! 

Our first stop after the academy in Eindhoven was Amsterdam. Whenever colleagues asked us where we were going after the academy and we said Amsterdam, we always got the advice to be careful there. Not sure though why. Is it similar to Tondo in Manila or Carbon in Cebu?  But no, the place is peaceful (at least at that time when we were there), quite and very clean. Weather was perfect!  A common sight as you walk along the streets was people riding their bikes. Cycling in Amsterdam is actually a way of life. Amsterdam regularly comes as one of the most cycle-friendly cities in the world.

Here are the places we went to in Amsterdam. Enjoy!

Rijksmuseum

Rijksmuseum or the Dutch National Museum showcases the chronological journey through the art and history of the Netherlands. The museum's collections include the works of Johannes Vermeer and Rembrandt. I'm not really a fan of museums so I just took pictures of the building and structures. :-)

Van Gogh Museum

This museum, which is one of the most popular art museums in the world, houses the largest collection of artwork by Vincent Van Gogh.  He has produced over 2,100 artworks, including around 860 oil paintings. His artworks include portraits, self-portraits, landscapes, still life, olive trees, cypresses, wheat fields, and sunflowers.  You may visit www.vangoghmuseum.nl for more info.

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

This is an international museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art and design. Same with the other museums, we didn't bother going in. Just taking a couple of shots outside the museum is more than enough. You may visit www.stedelijk.nl for more info.

Vondelpark

Vondelpark is Amsterdam's largest city park and the most famous park in Netherlands. It's named after Vondel, the famous Dutch poet. Some people go to the park simply to rest and some to enjoy concerts. Because it's so big and so tiresome to walk around, I was only able to take these two pictures. :p

Amsterdam Canals

When you walk around Amsterdam, you will note a number of canals and bridges. Amsterdam has 165 canals that combine a length of over 100 kilometers and 1281 bridges. It actually has more bridges than Venice.

Heineken Experience

The building below is a historical brewery located at Stadhouderskade 78 East of Rijksmuseum. The building was built in 1867. Inside you will learn the history of the beer, how it started back in the 19th century as a small business run by the Heineken family, the entire brewing process, and even creating your own bottle of Heineken beer. 

Dam Square

Dam Square is Amsterdam's biggest square, which has been around since the 13th century.  Located at its heart is the Royal Palace, former home of the Dutch Royal family.  In this square, you will find various food stands, shops and trendy bars and cafes, which were packed with people at that time. About 500 meters away from the square is where we had our first "paid" meal since we arrived in Europe.

Red Light District

When you hear Amsterdam, most often the case, you will hear Red Light District. RLD is known for its sex shops and museums and prostitutes in red-lit windows. Since it's our first, we took time to stroll around the area and see the different women in the red-lit windows. These women, of different nationalities, are in their bikinis ready to offer more than a school boy peep-show in a private cabin. They said it's €50 for 20 minutes. Not sure what's gonna happen in that 20 minutes. :D

This is it! I'm no longer innocent...eyes were full!

A quick selfie before deciding where to go next. :-)

After the walking and sight-seeing, WSG treated us to a pint of Heineken.

There's a lot more to see in Amsterdam. So if you happen to visit Europe, include Amsterdam in your itinerary.

See also:


My Europe Tour:  Other NL Areas

My Europe Tour:  Bruges, Belgium

My Europe Tour:  Paris, France
My Europe Tour:  Switzerland
My Europe Tour:  Milan, Italy
My Europe Tour:  Venice, Italy
My Europe Tour:  Florence, Italy
My Europe Tour:  Rome, Italy

Another Great Summer Getaway

It's becoming an annual thing that after a grueling busy season for auditors, almost all professionals in auditing firms go out-of-town to unwind and take a breather. Our cluster's summer outing was a bit late as we had an "extended" busy season. Nevertheless, we still were able to catch up!

This year, we chose Blue Pavilion Beach Resort at Infanta, Quezon for our cluster outing. It's approximately 3.5 to 4 hours travel from Makati by private transportation. We rented a bus to accommodate 40+ pax. We stayed at the resort for 3D2N. The entire stay was a blend of laughter, relaxation, intoxication, drama, and happiness. It was really a fun-filled trip!

WTeam on their way to Infanta, Quezon.

A quiet view of the beachfront. 

Blue Pavilion is a small resort but a cozy one for those who want to have quality time with family and friends. The resort staff were courteous and accommodating. I have nothing negative to say about their service. You may visit the resort's website for more information.

The first day in the resort was mostly spent playing volleyball under the heat of the sun, swimming in the serene Infanta waters in mid-afternoon, singing favorite songs on videoke, and gulping alcohol like there's no more tomorrow. Some went to their rooms when the sun was already rising.

The second day was as great as the first. People were more into indoor activities playing billiards and table tennis in the game room and playing cards in their rooms from morning towards mid-afternoon. The rest of the day was spent in group activities and swimming. After dinner, some went to sing on the videoke, some resumed the drinking, some played cards, badminton, and even tumbang preso. I went to my room at around 5:00 in the morning.

The third day was rest day. I woke up at around 10:30, took a shower and had my brunch. We left the resort past 12 pm.

Below are few pics taken from the getaway.  The rest will be posted on my facebook page.

WTeam as they were looking for their rooms.

One of the first few shots of the not-so-new associates.

Looks like Gelo is on it. But trust me, he didn't catch the ball. :p

An activity you will always get to enjoy while you are on a beach outing is the volleyball game. These guys played this game right after the team's lunch on the first day.

A beautiful shot of the beach, the sand and the lovely ladies.

The first group pic, my first summer dip :) 

The Family!

Dominique in action. One of the available games you can play in the resort's game room is billiards. You can also play table tennis and darts. 

WTeam playing "Catch the Dragon's Tail" game. 

A moment of victory! Each one may have shown different expressions of the team's victory but such is a priceless capture of how it feels to win!

The proud WTeam! Thank you guys! Til our next getaway.....coming soon!