A day in Amsterdam with me!

With exams over with and the weekend coming to a close, I thought it was a perfect time to explore even more of the city! I took the metro to the De Pijp station near the city center and wandered in an effort to take some pictures and hopefully run into a lovely cafe. Considering the events that followed, I truly believe that my Bosnian roots served as a magnet for me because the last place I expected to run into was any Bosnian shop (there isn’t an abundance of Bosnian diaspora in Amsterdam that I have noticed), and of all places for my body to lead me to, I ended up at the most adorable Balkan cafe. As I was strolling past, the sign they had up caught my eye, and the ‘Zlatna Dzezva’ coffee outside of the door lured me in where I was able to speak to the employees there in Bosnian, order my food, and enjoy my afternoon in a place that felt like home.

Having my coffee and ajvar sandwich was one of the best parts of my stay in the Netherlands so far. Having a space that is so welcoming definitely has helped with the culture shock I have experienced since moving here. A lot of the foods in the Netherlands are different from those in the states, mostly because everything is in Dutch 🤣, but because the flavors are more bold than I’m used to or there are just not the same kinds of snacks I usually eat. I have found this to be exciting because I now have several new favorite snacks, but also because I’ve branched out in regard to my cooking skills and have learned to cook meals more independently while I have been here. Some of my new favorite recipes to make are crepes and a chicken arrabbiata pasta.