Amsterdam and Germany Diary , Europe Trip

NEXT STOP: A M S T E R D A M

The evening we arrived in Amsterdam with our Contiki crew, we quickly changed and hopped on a boat that gave us a tour around the city. It was so fun! During this mini tour, we discovered the “love bridge.” The tour guide said if you and your lover kiss while passing through it for the first time, you’ll be together forever. Since it was our first time in Amsterdam (and I'm a cheesy person) we totally went in for it. We're newly married so it was totally appropriate. ;) It was a cool little moment experiencing that with all the other couples on board.

Cheers to arriving in Amsterdam! First stop: Enjoying a relaxing boat ride that tours through the canals. So pretty here! Can't wait to explore more.❤️ #sazantravels #marriedlife #noregrets #amsterdam w/ @contiki

A photo posted by SAZAN (@sazanbarzani) on May 28, 2015 at 5:08pm PDT

After the boat ride, we had some free-time so we decided to walk through the famous Red-light District to see what it's all about. Everyone kept saying that when you're in Amsterdam you've got to check out the Red-light District. I honestly didn’t know what it was until we got there. LOL The only highlight I took from that experience was getting to meet some of my followers who came up to me and Steve to say hi. We probably lasted about 10 minutes until Steve and I looked at each other and decided to turn around and call it a night (after we tried Vlaamse fries of course!) #WereSoFun

Comfy and cozy in Amsterdam.❤️ (I found a pretty on the ground) #ootd #amsterdam #sazantravels #comfy #sweaterweather #ponytail

A photo posted by SAZAN (@sazanbarzani) on May 29, 2015 at 10:39am PDT

The next day we had some free time in the morning before heading back to the coach. We decided to try and visit the Anne Frank house but it was raining and their was a 2 hour wait. Unfortunately we couldn't make it but when I stood in front of the house and looked at it I got really choked up. I could from the window the spiral staircase and small room. I kept thinking wow, I can't imagine what life was like for Anne and her family in there.

Amsterdam at night. #onfleek #sazantravels #amsterdam #prettycity #contikikristy

A photo posted by SAZAN (@sazanbarzani) on May 29, 2015 at 1:09pm PDT

We really enjoyed seeing Amsterdam (even though it was only for 1 day). There's so much history and bicycles there! ;)

Bye bye Amsterdam! After visiting this city, I realized I need to learn how to ride a bike. Because...I don't know how!!! If I lived here, I wouldn't fit in with Amsterdam locals because most of the population use bikes for transportation and I'm totally jelly. (They even have a 4 story parking garage just for bikes!) The city is covered and I love it. Off to our next stop! Can you guess?! #sazantravels #amsterdam #noregrets #pinkbike

A photo posted by SAZAN (@sazanbarzani) on May 29, 2015 at 10:29pm PDT

G E R M A N Y

Now we're off to Rhine Valley, a small hidden gem in Germany. We checked into a mom-and-pop hotel that was super cozy. The first night we arrived, they made us a home-cooked german meal that was super intimate with a gorgeous view overlooking the city. I spotted a Birkenstocks store and learned that the in-again shoes originated in Germany. (and they’re way cheaper!)

Quick stop in #RhineValley to attend a wine tasting in a 600 yr old underground cellar! This town is a hidden gem in Germany. Super small and cozy - known for their big river and beautiful ancient castles that date back to 1300's!) #justlearnedallthis #castlesnotpictured #sazantravels #germany #winevalley #obsazzed #contikikristy

A photo posted by SAZAN (@sazanbarzani) on May 30, 2015 at 6:41am PDT

After dinner, we joined several travelers from our Contiki group for wine tasting in a 600 year old underground cellar! I just recently became a wine person (it totally relaxes my crazy self) so I was excited we participated in this activity. I think the most unique taste was trying their famous ‘Ice Wine’ which was sooooooo sweet like honey. We were going to buy a bottle to bring back home with us, but we both decided it was way too sweet to sip on. (They served it to us in a shot glass because a normal glass is unbearable..and I usually prefer the sweeter wines!) We wrapped up our time in Rhine Valley with a walking tour the next morning and a little shopping. I made it my mission to find the perfect post-card everywhere we went to add to our trip collection.

After Rhine Valley, we drove up to Munich! We didn’t stay longer than 1 day (so we didn't take too many pics!) but after getting an appetizer taste of the city I definitely want to go back. The night-life in Munich was a blast! The culture is so diverse and everyone knows how to live in the moment and have a good time. If you’re a beer lover (I’m not but Stevie enjoys it), you’ll definitely need to visit their Hoffbrau (spellng?) Beer House and Beer Gardens - super fun. After learning that the pretzel originated in Germany - I just had to try one while we were in Munich! (This one had a light/creamy butter spread in the middle)

Pretzels originally came from Germany so obviously I had to try one! Mmm #munich #sazantravels #germany #pretzelwithbutterfilling

A photo posted by SAZAN (@sazanbarzani) on May 30, 2015 at 10:19pm PDT

Bye Germany! It was such a short visit but I loved getting a taste of Rhine Valley and experiencing the night life in Munich. I need to come back! Off to the next stop. Can you guess where in the world I'm heading next w/ @contiki?! ❤️ #germany #sazantravels #noregrets #munich #ootd #contikikristy #contiki

A photo posted by SAZAN (@sazanbarzani) on May 31, 2015 at 3:06am PDT

Tomorrow I'll be sharing experiences from our time spent in Austria and Switzerland. Stay tuned + Have a great weekend guys. xoxox