( Amsterdam canal )

For our second anniversary on December 22, 2012, I surprised my boyfriend with a trip to Amsterdam, which also doubled as our Christmas present. We celebrated New Year’s Eve with a big dinner at his parents’ house in Casale Monferrato, enjoying laughter, delicious food, and holiday cheer. After just a few hours of sleep, we woke up early, packed our bags, and headed to Milan to catch our flight. The excitement of exploring Amsterdam together made the early morning start feel like part of the adventure.

DAY 1 – Thursday 01.01.2015

( Night at: Okura Hotel, Amsterdam )

We took an early flight from Milan Malpensa at 7:05 AM and landed in Amsterdam at 9:05 AM with EasyJet. Once we arrived, we stopped for breakfast at Starbucks to fuel up for the day. After that, we made our way to Station RAI and headed to the hotel to check in and drop off our luggage.

Later, we set out to explore the city, wandering through the museum district and strolling along the streets. It felt unusually quiet, almost like a ghost town, probably because it was just the day after New Year’s celebrations. For dinner, we ended up at an Argentinian restaurant since many other places were still closed, and the food was surprisingly delicious. To finish the day on a high note, we went up to the sky bar on the top floor of our 5-star hotel for a drink, enjoying the view before heading back to rest.

DAY 2 – Friday 02.01.2015

( Night at: Hotel Okura Amsterdam )

We woke up around 8:30 AM and started the day with breakfast at the hotel. Afterward, we rented two bikes and spent the morning and afternoon exploring Amsterdam from two wheels, pedaling through canals, narrow streets, and lively neighborhoods. For lunch, we kept it simple with a quick stop at McDonald’s before returning to the hotel to rest and recharge.

In the afternoon, we visited the Rembrandt House Museum, immersing ourselves in the world of the famous Dutch painter. After leaving the bikes behind, we stopped by a local pub for a beer and then experienced one of Amsterdam’s unique coffee shops and trying same legalised marijuana. Later in the evening, we headed back to the hotel to relax and sleep, ready for another day of exploring the city.

DAY 3 – Saturday 03.01.2015

( Night at: Hotel Okura Amsterdam )

We woke up at 9 AM, had breakfast at the hotel, and set out to explore more of Amsterdam’s incredible art scene. Our first stops were the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum, immersing ourselves in masterpieces from Dutch legends.

For lunch, we stopped at Sumo Japanese restaurant, before continuing our walk through the city, taking in its canals, bridges, and charming streets. On our way back to the hotel, we paused in front of the Heineken Museum for a beer and a snack, enjoying the lively atmosphere without actually visiting the museum because at that time was already closed. After a full day of culture, food, and city wandering, we returned to the hotel to rest and recharge for the next adventure.

DAY 4 – Sunday 04.01.2015

We woke up at 8:30 AM, had breakfast at the hotel, and headed to the museum area to try ice skating for the first time. It was a bit wobbly at first, but also incredibly fun and memorable. Later, we rented a tandem bike a first for both of us and riding around the city together was an absolute blast. Exploring Amsterdam from a tandem bike gave us a whole new perspective and added even more laughter to the day.

For lunch, we grabbed a quick bite at Burger King before reluctantly heading back to the hotel around 5 PM to pick up our luggage. Our flight back to Milan MXP was at 8:50 PM, and we landed at 10:30 PM with EasyJet, closing a whirlwind, new experiences, and unforgettable memories.