Stampertjes

For anyone coming to Amsterdam, I think I have finalized my personal top 3 favourite restaurants in the city:

1. As mentioned on this blog many times, Moeders is #1. For 19 euros, you can sample their Dutch specialties, as if they came from your own mother's kitchen (If she can cook, that is). If you take me up on this recommendation, make sure to bring a picture of you and your ma as you can leave it in their hoarderesque collection of picture frames. I challenge you to find a photo I left of my mother and I. Here is a photo of my photo:

Nicole and Kayla; I'm looking at you.

2. Edel is an amazing restaurant right on a canal. The outdoor space is decorated with mismatched tables and chairs, beautiful carpets and strung lights. It is the perfect place for a sunny day. Katharina, Marlene, Ronan and I spent a lovely afternoon here this week:

Beautiful ladies! 

3. Lieve Bellgisch Restaurant on the Herengracht: I was finally able to visit this restaurant last night with my Aunt Pauline (in town on a conference) and my cousin Brynne (who flew over from Ireland to see her mom and meet Ronan). At this restaurant, you chose to either eat at a Living Room, Belgian Baroque or a Gastronomical table. Each table comes with a different experience and is dressed for it: The Living Room offers a "Feel at home" meal, the Belgian Baroque offers guests "A unique sharing experience", and the Gastronomical choice is "An Exclusive Dinner." We went with the Belgian Baroque and shared some amazing bread, appetizers and main courses.

Euro Reunion! Nice!

Flash-forward to Brynne and Ronan's introduction the next day:

"Who needs a restaurant when you can just eat hair?"

Today my aunt Pauline, Brynne and I went on a very important mission: We searched high and low for an English version of a famous Dutch children's story. Allow me to explain: Some ladies in my yoga class have been calling Ronan "Stampertjes," which translates (I believe) to "Stompers." When I asked what this meant, they explained that Ronan looked identical to characters (The Stamertjes) from a famous Dutch children's novel called Pluk van de Petteflet (Which is Tow-Truck Pluck in English). We found a copy of the English version at The American Book Center; I bought it immediately and cracked it open to see these Stomper characters. After careful analysis, examination and comparison, I just couldn't see it:

Speaking of yoga class, I'm pretty sure mine and Ronan's days there are numbered. I've mentioned in an earlier post that Amsterdam has baby yoga class, which take place in 2 parts: For the first half hour, the babies get a massage (They are naked) and the last hour goes to yoga practice. Ronan has recently begun rolling and can get from one side of the room to the other in a matter of minutes. He is throwing a bit of a wrench in the studio's zen vibe as he is rolling into other babies, the instructor, various mats and downward dogs. He has also broke his "no peeing" streak, and with all of his rolling, I wasn't quite able to contain it. He pretty much marked his territory across the entire room, and didn't stop to avoid anyone's personal belongings, yoga mats, blankets, or those damn hardwood floors. My cheque to the studio is in the mail.