We FINALLY enjoyed a nice spring day yesterday in Amsterdam – what joy! I had lunch with a girlfriend in the ‘Vondeltuin‘, a lovely café/restaurant with a huge terrace AND playground in the most northwestern tip of the beautiful Vondelpark, and it was perfect – I still feel the sun burning on my cheeks!

I had an enormous smoked chicken sandwich with avocado, which I thought I was never going to finish as it looked so HUGE, but I did anyway — I must have been hungry! My friend had a just-as-big sandwich with smoked salmon and lemon. She must have been hungry too…
The kids were fast asleep in their buggies (lucky us!), but would they have been awake, they could have enjoyed themselves immensely in the playground, or have eaten a huge plate of ‘poffertjes’. Poffertjes are a Dutch specialty that children (and parents) love: a sort of mini-pancakes, but a bit sweeter and a bit softer. High chairs are available (3).

Bigger kids (and parents) can rent skates here — only 15 euros for a full day! Or 5 euros for the first hour and 2,50 for each next hour, if you’re less fanatic… Don’t worry if you think you’re a disaster on skates – this is no excuse: a workshop can be booked at the Vondeltuin and before you know it, you’ll be an expert!
You will even be able to skate-carry that picnic around you picked up at the Vondeltuin (only by reservation)!

Hello, summer!

xxx Esther