A photographer in the Netherlands: get to know my favourite spots from this trip!
Let me start this blog post with an apology, because this is a little bit late. Those who follow me on Instagram already know that in early April I went on a trip to the Netherlands. But life has been pretty busy – in a really good way – so I had to postpone this content until now. Better late than never, right?
About this trip: business or pleasure, you may ask? A mix of both, as usual! I went to the Netherlands with Helder, my husband, and my sister, Mariana. This was our first trip together outside of Portugal, so it ended up being quite special – and it’s definitely an experience to repeat!
But even though I went with them, while I was in the Netherlands I ended up taking the opportunity to do some work. During this little getaway I did a few maternity sessions and a photoshoot for a brand that I really love and with which I had worked before. But I’ll tell you more about it later in this blog post.
Right now, let me focus on the leisure part of this trip and give you some insights about what I loved and what I didn’t like so much. Let’s start with my tour guide as a photographer and someone who loves to travel and meet new cities!
A Photographer in the Netherlands: My Favourite Picks
During this trip I had the chance to visit and get to know new cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague and Leiden. Making a review of the trip, one of the things I definitely recommend is the visit to the windmills and the tulip fields. Unfortunately when I went there were very few tulips yet, since the ideal time is between the end of April and the beginning of May, but it’s really something not to be missed!
On the other hand, I got a little disappointed with the museums. Whenever I travel I love to visit museums and for me it is always a very important part. Unfortunately, we couldn’t go to the Van Gogh museum as it was already full on the dates we were there. On the other hand, at the Rijksmuseum we didn’t get to see almost nothing. Besides the fact that the museum is huge and closes very early, Vermeer’s works – the most famous of this place – were in a special temporary exhibition and I only realised that after I had already bought the ticket. However, Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, in Rotterdam, was a pleasant surprise.
But let’s get down to business! Here are my favourite picks from this visit to the Netherlands.
As a photographer, this museum in Amsterdam was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. The Foam is a reference in this area and, despite being small, this museum always has good exhibitions, and it’s a great stopping point for those who love photography. Besides that, it’s also worth visiting the café, which is very pleasant.
Of course, a coffee shop could not be missing from this list. If you want to visit these typical Amsterdam places, this is my recommendation. The space has a retro vibe that gives it a lot of personality. And if you’re thinking you’ve seen this coffee shop somewhere before, it’s true, it appears in the film Ocean’s Twelve!
Visiting Amsterdam and not eating french fries is like going to Rome and not seeing the Pope, right? (Just kidding!) This place was suggested to me by a lovely couple I photographed last year – Dil and Angel – and it’s one of my favourites for anyone visiting the city!
As I mentioned before, Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen was a pleasant surprise. This space calls itself “the first art storage facility in the world that offers access to a museum’s complete collection”. In my opinion, the concept is really well thought out! Here you can see what you don’t normally see in a museum – where the artworks are stored, where they are repaired and you can even watch the repair process!
As I mentioned before, Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen was a pleasant surprise. This space calls itself “the first art storage facility in the world that offers access to a museum’s complete collection”. In my opinion, the concept is really well thought out! Here you can see what you don’t normally see in a museum – where the artworks are stored, where they are repaired and you can even watch the repair process!
And finally, a restaurant! Since my sister is vegan, we decided to try this burger restaurant that only serves 100% plant-based meals. I became a fan of the restaurant and I truly recommend it to anyone visiting Amsterdam and who is looking for places where you can eat meals without animal products (or for those who simply want to try it).
As I said at the beginning of this blog post, although I went with my sister and my husband, this trip also had a professional side to it. If you want to know more about the work I did while I was in the Netherlands, check out the second part of this travelog: A Photographer in Amsterdam – A little bit of work.
If you want to follow my adventures – both travelling and professional – first hand, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram!
