Amsterdam – ronddwalen

5 April, 2025

A day with nothing specific on the agenda, just ideas. Brent and I started with what we can now call our tradition of coffee at Bagels & Beans. There's something to be said for being able to sit and chat over a nice cup of coffee without any pressure, and it's a pleasure that comes all to rarely in modern society. 

After enjoying our first cup we obtained coffees to go and headed back towards the hotel by way of the bakery to procure more croissants for this morning and next, since they wouldn't be open on Sunday.

Delft

A walk to the tram stop later we were on our way to grab a freshly made Stroopwafel from vanWonderen, who we discovered on our previous trip, but in a different location. Unfortunately we did not have the same experience and were quite disappointed. Options were significantly restricted as compared to our last visit and the product was sloppily made and outrageously over-decorated with toppings. I'm afraid we won't be back and I can no longer endorse them as I previously did, as their focus has obviously changed from producing excellent product to maximizing the flow of customers through the shop. Given the abhorrent layout of the shop even referring to the movement of customers as "flow" is a complete misnomer.

Blume Markt

Our next destination was the Blume Markt, since a trip to the tulip fields had not been factored in to our timeline and we had been informed that it was best to allocate the better part of a day for the round trip. On our way to the Markt we encountered a Delft store, which became a brief shopping detour just yards from our planned destination.

Purchases completed, and laden with shopping bags, we ventured on to the Blume Markt. I had expectations of rows and rows of stalls filled to overflowing with fresh flowers and vibrant colors. While there were rows and rows of stalls filled to overflowing, and there were vibrant colors, and even some fresh flowers, the vast majority of stalls were filled with kitsch and tourist knick-knacks. Most of the flowers were plastic or dried and the colors ranged from striking to pale. 

There were bags upon bags of tulip bulbs and, much to our amusement, a large display of Venus Flytraps for sale. Venus Flytraps occur naturally only within a 62 mile radius of our hometown, so to find propagated varieties for sale 4,100 miles away elicited a chuckle. (Note - If you find yourself in the bogs of southeastern NC be aware that collecting wild plants is a felony.) Having been thoroughly underwhelmed we moved on to the next stop, Stephen & Penelope Fine Yarns. A tram ride and a short walk found is in a vibrant shopping area standing in front of a shop while the ladies surveyed the inventory. After a short wait the "husband bench" inside the store emptied, so we moved out of the wind to wait. 

We had an early reservation for dinner at The Pantry (another TripAdvisor find) and arrived to small dining room absolutely packed to the gills. In most places you had to turn sideways and shimmy past tables.

The Pantry is known for "traditional home-made Dutch dishes" and offer an assortment of options assembled in prix-fixe menus as well as a full range of a la carte selections. Some of us ordered one of the prix-fixe menus and others chose to go a la carte.

None of us were disappointed in our selections.

The food was excellent and the service was quite good, but the atmosphere is what sets this place apart. The staff implements a team methodology, so food is delivered by whomever is available when it's ready to leave the kitchen. This invites interaction with a cross-section of staff instead of just your server, which leads to some inter-table chatter, which builds an atmosphere of gathering and togetherness, as opposed to just sitting in a restaurant full of people who all happen to be eating a meal at the same time.

When we departed there was quite a queue on the sidewalk waiting for a table. As I exited I made offers to the line to sell our recently vacated seats, to the great amusement of the hostess - which speaks even more to the conviviality we experienced. If you're looking for flashy or elegant, this isn't your spot. If you're looking for authentic, lively, and friendly then you'll have a wonderful experience.