BagBible

I must say that one of the most exciting parts of visiting other countries is tasting the different foods. A couple of days ago, we were treated for a pancake dinner by a generous family friend.  We went to a pancake house in Noordwijk with the whole family.  Like the name implies, the restaurant serves almost a hundred different kinds of pancakes.   The pancakes menu is so overwhelming, that you can have pretty much anything on your pancake.  There are two different kinds of pancakes; sweet pancakes and savory pancakes. BTW, the Dutch call pancake “pannekoek”.

The sweet pancakes are not as unusual as the savory pancakes since in the States we also eat our pancakes with syrup.  However, the savory pancakes are a little bit unexpected.  I’m always adventurous with food, hence I ordered the savory kind.  My pancake was topped with smoked salmon, capers, cabbage and red onions.  It also came with sauce that tasted a little bit like ranch but had a lighter taste.  The pancakes were not small and fluffy like the pancakes in the US.  They were flatter and bigger.

I also tasted the sweet pancake. It was topped with ice cream, fruits, whipped cream and powdered sugar.  I must say that I like them both; savory or sweet.  I’m just hoping I won’t gain too much vacation weight while I’m here.

On Sunday, we finaly made it to Amsterdam after all the travel drama.  The first thing we did was take a nap.  After we woke up from our nap in the afternoon, we went to The Amstel Hotel for a Royal High Tea. The Amstel Hotel is the finest hotel in Amsterdam, and the choice of public figures such as The Rolling Stones, Madonna, and Nelson Mandela. It is also where the Dutch Royal Family hosts many events, and accommodates visiting dignitaries and royalty from around the world. When Princess Maxima entered the Royal Family in 2002, guests of the wedding were housed here.

This is my first High Tea experience.  It’s pretty much like the tea party that you played when you were little; only a lot fancier.  We were served six different kinds of world’s finest tea, accompanied by exquisite delicacies from Amstel’s chef. I don’t remember all the tea names but I do remember the Darjeeling tea which is supposed to be the champagne of teas.

As much as I enjoy the experienced, I must say that Royal High Tea is not for kids.  My 3 year old daughter seemed to enjoyed it and thought that she was a princess.  However, my 5 year old son was very restless. If you would like to experience and actually enjoy the Royal High Tea, I would strongly recommend to leave your kids at home with a sitter. Click for more pictures! More »

Image from Take to tour world

For the next two weeks, I will be vacationing in Amsterdam with my family.  This means that my posts will deviate from my usual postings and that my posting frequency will be a little less. However, while I’m there, I will definitely try to blog about bag shopping and other (PG rated) stuff related to Amsterdam. Let me know if you have any request. Happy Summer!