Saved the best for last: roundup on Amsterdam trip

My trip to Amsterdam would not have been complete had it not been for this:

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My biggest obsession, as you should be able to tell by now, is pastry and sweets hence it goes without saying that in all my travels, I will always be on the lookout for interesting delectable desserts.  You know how a place, a meal,  things you see or a single fabulous experience can just make your entire vacation?  Fortunately, I discovered this gem of a place on my very last day in Amsterdam, just hours before my train was scheduled to depart for Paris.  I was on my way to the Pijp neighborhood to have lunch and stumbled upon this pastry-teahouse that has such stunning window displays

warm and inviting ambience - it started to drizzle and I wanted to just curl up on this cozy sofa

....where I had the best Swedish Princess cake ever (nevermind that I've only had it twice before in Stockholm)

....and I also had a wonderfully light chocolate cake; I know this should never come from a pastry school student but I really needed a break from the insane amounts of butter we've been using in class!

Vacations are supposed to be invigorating; travels are meant to open our eyes to new things, awaken our senses and stimulate our creative abilities. This short, impromptu trip to Amsterdam has been such a blessing in so many ways that I could have even imagined. I have a brand new perspective coming back to Paris - yes, it does feel good to be back in Paris where the weather has cooled down significantly, most Parisians are starting to leave the city for summer vacation and the city seems to have slipped into a casual, less intense mode than before. When the cab snaked through the streets of Paris during peak-hour traffic, I couldn't help thinking to myself what a beautiful city Paris really is and as the car pulled up to the front of the building, I felt, for the very first time, a strange, unexplainable familiarity, almost as though I was home, except that Paris is not home. It just feels good to be back in Paris again.

Thank you Amsterdam!