Day Twelve - Amsterdam

A new day. You have to have a police report to get a new passport, you have to have passport photos to get a passport, and you have to go to the Embassy when it's open to get a passport. The Embassy is only open for a few hours a day and, due to a holiday, I only had a one day window to get that passport. And that window was today.

First, passport photos. Check. Second, police report. We had an appointment. We waited. The youngest policeman ever took the report, slowly. Very slowly. Ran to the Embassy. Passport is being made. Deep sigh of relief.

During the few hours we had until the passport would be finished, we ate lunch at Gartine, the cutest hole-in-the-wall restaurant ever. The place is run with much love by one man and woman. I had a liverwurst on a brown roll. I mean, look at the presentation with the dijon in the egg holder:

And the liverwurst was delicious. Definitely not the stuff you by in a tube at the grocery store. Hubs had a sausage on a brown roll. Also very good.

We shared a lemon tart for dessert which was like a lemon cheesecake. Yum. I overheard another table say they'd had a fair share of cheesecakes and Gartine's was one of the best ever. If Gartine had been open for dinner, we would have gone back. Highly recommended. And affordable!

2 sandwiches + lemon tart + water + 1 coffee = 21 Euros.

Walked around for awhile, then back to the Embassy. Yea! I now have a passport!

Wandered around for a long time looking for a place to eat dinner. A lot of places are only open for lunch, so it was more of a challenge than we wanted. We ended up settling on de vergulde Gaper, Prinsenstraat 30, which turned out to be a good choice. It was right on the canal, which was relaxing:

Hubs had steak with fries, and they were the best fries of the trip other than the Bruges belfry fries. Total surprise.

I had a salad with phyllo-wrapped goat cheese. So good. I had been craving a salad and this satisfied.

steak and fries + small goat cheese salad + 3 beers = 36 Euros

Time for dessert. Went to Winkel, which we had tried to go for dinner, but it was packed and we didn't feel like waiting for an outside table. But I was fine eating dessert indoors, so we went back for apple cake. I'd read multiple times that Winkel has the best apple cake and it was delicious.

More walking around the canals. The city is so romantic at night, away from all the tourists, the light reflecting on the water. This is what vacation is all about.