Amsterdam, Netherlands was a trip I’ll never forget—not just because of the city itself, but because I got to share it with my daughter, Rileigh. We flew out on a Saturday, with a layover in Dublin, Ireland, and finally touched down in Amsterdam on Sunday. Jet-lagged but excited, we had the whole day free to explore, and right away something hit me: the public transportation here is incredible. Trains, trams, buses, ferries—you name it, it all runs on time and makes getting around a breeze. For a city so full of canals and bikes, it somehow feels like everything just flows.

And then there was the food. Amsterdam is a competitive foodie town, no doubt about it. From the first bite of cheese, I knew I was in trouble. The Dutch take cheese seriously—creamy goudas, aged goudas, smoked goudas—and every shop seems to try to outdo the next. Rileigh and I sampled cheeses that made us rethink what cheese could even be. And it wasn’t just cheese—the city is stacked with restaurants from every culture you can imagine. We even ducked into a movie theater one night to catch the new Bob Dylan biopic, which made for a perfect little father-daughter evening in between all the eating and exploring.

Monday was one of the highlights of the trip. At 11 a.m., we joined a food tasting tour that started at Gastrovia Cheese Shop. Ten tastings across five locations with drinks included—it was a dream. We ate our way through the city, learning about the history and culture behind every bite. By the end, we were happily stuffed and had a new appreciation for just how seriously Amsterdam treats its food scene. Later that night, we tried to get into a Portuguese restaurant near our hotel. It’s always crowded and you definitely need a reservation, but since it was after nine, we got lucky and snagged a table. The food was phenomenal—rich, flavorful, and worth every bite.

The canals in Amsterdam aren’t just postcard material—they’re the heart of the city. Life is everywhere along them: cafés spilling onto the water’s edge, boats sliding past, locals zipping by like it’s nothing. There’s truly never a dull moment here.

Tuesday we left the city for a bit, heading to Keukenhof tulip farm. The tulips were at about 80% bloom, and even that was jaw-dropping. Acres of vibrant color stretching as far as the eye could see—it’s the kind of place where you just stand there trying to soak it all in. From there, we visited Zaanse Schans, a living museum village that feels like stepping back into the 18th and 19th centuries. Traditional green wooden houses, working windmills, cheese-making, clog-carving—it’s a hands-on history lesson, and seeing those giant windmills turning against the Dutch sky was something out of a painting.

Wednesday was all about culture and history. We visited the Van Gogh Museum, where I finally stood in front of the famous Sunflowers. What’s amazing is those paintings never leave the museum—they’re too precious to be loaned out. Standing there in front of them, you feel like you’re in the presence of something timeless. Later we joined a WWII walking tour, where we found, as we had in our previous trip to Bavaria, the all-too familiar “Stumbling Blocks.” These small brass plates are set into the sidewalks in front of former homes and bear the names of Jewish residents who were taken during the Holocaust. They’re part of a memorial project that began in Germany and has since spread across Europe, intended to place remembrance directly in the flow of everyday life. You don’t see them in a museum—you see them where people once lived, worked, and walked. Each one makes you pause, reminding you that history isn’t abstract; it happened right there, on those very streets.

That evening, we also toured Amsterdam’s famous Red Light District. Our guide was completely unabashed, delivering stories and facts with a mix of humor and blunt honesty that had the whole group laughing while also shaking our heads in disbelief. It was equal parts amusing, eye-opening, and unforgettable—very much Amsterdam in a nutshell.

Thursday brought us to the Anne Frank House. We couldn’t go inside—there’s a six-month waiting list for that—but even walking the grounds was moving. To stand in the place where her story unfolded felt heavy and important. Along the canals, we also learned something fascinating about the houses. Many of them lean slightly forward, and at the top there’s a hook. That’s because Amsterdam homes are narrow and tall, so furniture and goods had to be hoisted up with a pulley system instead of squeezed through staircases. Practical, but it also gives the city its iconic look.

And yes—we did the stroopwafel thing. At a traditional Dutch waffle shop, we got to make our own. Warm, gooey, sweet, and messy—it’s exactly what travel memories are made of.

But one thing you can’t miss in Amsterdam is the bicycles. They’re everywhere. Bikes are the main mode of transportation, and locals ride them like they were born on two wheels. Let me give you some advice: don’t step off the curb without looking. You’ll get flattened. I almost did a few times. They even say they’ve pulled over 200,000 bikes out of the canals over the years—which tells you just how deep the biking culture runs.

What I admired most, though, was Amsterdam’s pride in tolerance, diversity, and social responsibility. You feel it in the way people live, the way they welcome others, the way the city carries itself. It’s not perfect, but it’s open, and that openness leaves an impression.

Traveling with Rileigh made this trip even more special. Sharing meals, laughing at my near-death experiences with bicycles, standing side by side in front of Van Gogh’s masterpieces—it’s the kind of trip you carry with you forever.

Next on Mike on the Move? We’re heading east—to Estonia. Stay tuned.