It was a pretty last minute trip. Planned with Amsterdam based Morgan, Winefield's Milan and Doris, it was a trip of a lifetime (with planned trip to Champagne and the holy land of wine, Burgundy!) Here after a 12 hour flight from sweltering humidity in Singapore. I touched down at Schipol airport to sunny skies and 'air-con' temperatures, outdoors!
It was off to Morgan's house and with Marcus' help dropped off at Morgan's safely and it was off to meet Marcus' friends and we had a wonderful boat tour around Amsterdam.
This is Amsterhotel, one of the top hotels in Amsterdam, with a lovely canal sided cafe!
Canals are used by many Amsterdamers for work, leisure, and logistics! Here a car at the back of a boat in danger of hitting a bridge!
A certain touristy stop over for a 1 euro toilet break + other touristy stuff such as dutch handiwork and dutch cheeses!
Amsterdam is a city of bicycles, here a GIANT bicycle park spanning three storeys!
A weird installation outside a traditional building, restoration gone wrong?
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Beautiful houses line the canal, with blue skies and white clouds completing post-card-perfect landscapes!
A street market!!
"You've got be buttoned up"
Land of bicycles, costing 189 euros here..
Erm..can't remember which I ate, some 'disgusting', super sinful sausage made up of animal parts better not known!
Raw salted herring. Almost sashimi-like, I love it! And yes, the 'correct' way to have it is heads-down! We also had lovely French oysters, Perier Noir was my oyster of the day.
Nothing better to wash down all with a Heineken! On tap of course! It was a blur onwards, as jet-lag set on, and I stumbled back to Morgan's, had a nap, and waited for evening, where Morgan came back, and Marcus too, and we met up at Winefields for dinner! It's summer's start and it was a great trip around the Amsterdam city on the scoot of no-fear Milan!
Arriving at "Anna", an up-scale restaurant in the middle of the red-light district, it was finally happening! All of us gathered, (and previously Doris and Milan were in Singapore just two weeks earlier), and we're having dinner 'so soon'! Together with Lotta and Patricia, it was indeed a great toast to begin the evening!
Philipponnat 2003, a little flat and could be more energetic. Pinot noir content not making it elegant enough. Could be in a sleepy phase?
One of the several lovely dishes. One sees 'foam', only in high-class places?
Chave Hermitage Blanche, a little sharp.
1973 Nebbiolo from Renato Raffi, thick wasps of Soya, salt, strong body with brown rims and purplish core. Palette and body are still healthy, though finish and acidity points towards a downward slope. Drink up!
Jean Latour-Labille & Fils, Meursault - Perrierres 2008. Some buttery notes at first, clear acids and strong minerality show it's true pedigree shortly afterwards. Lovely with the fish.
Lamb cooked in three ways.
Bandol, looks like pinot, smells like one too or somewhat a feint grenaches. Definitely a single varietal. Can't tell if it's old/new world at all. Tannins smoothen out fast enough, lively after 45mins, one of the WOTN, intriguing and good.
Perfume of Frangipani, felt like Bali, sniffing through sunshine, road side lushness. Felt more like rip Kabinett than Auslese. Doesn't come across immediately as Riesling too!
What's better than a walk in the Red-Light district after a full dinner? ;)
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