by Mathilde | Jan 17, 2026 | Stress less stay
The experience of seeing beauty
A beautiful highlight when you visit Amsterdam, the Netherlands is visiting the Spring garden, the Keukenhof, with your own eyes. All that beauty, the spectacle of color, the essence of the tulip that no photo can really capture. But we all try, don’t we? A picture of yourself with the colorful tulips in the background is the best souvenir to take home with you. To color your memories when you are back home. The Keukenhof is the most photographed garden in the world.
See what no one else can see
However the true magic of the floral beauty lies in what happened months before. Invisible and powerful. To bloom in March and April, a tulip must spend the entire rest of the year in the dark, cold earth. Here, safely underground, for no one to see, each and every bulb is nourished by nature and the Dutch soil. Peacefully, in solitude, it is given the time and space to restore and be nourished with essential minerals and trace elements. We have to be patience from May to March and wait for beauty to show itself.
Effortless manifestation
While surrounded by millions of blooms, take a deep breath and realise: a tulip doesn’t compete with the one next to it. It just blooms when it’s ready. Every tulip is given what it needs to bloom, it has no stress, no worries and it doesn’t take more than it needs. It doesn’t need to learn anything to be better, it is already exactly good enough the way it is. It lives in abundance and therefor it can show its abundant beauty
Patience and Blooming on Your Own Terms
How different do we treat ourselves, right? In many cultures, there is a pressure to be “always on”—to be the vibrant flower every day of the year. So, I invite you to take this opportunity, while you staying at the Connect Inn B&B in Amsterdam. Pause for a moment and reflect on your own life season. In which season am I? Am I allowing myself the time and space I need to grow, Am I being nourished? or am I trying to force a bloom before my time?
Take the secret of blooming home with you
Just as the tulip needs the right conditions to grow, you deserve the tools to flourish in your daily life. Are you ready for a little more magic? To help you manage stress with ease, I invite you to a Silent Hands discovery session.
This session is a gentle, low-key way to learn a powerful technique you can carry in your pocket and use wherever you go. There is no pressure—only the opportunity to take something truly valuable home with you. Let this stay in Amsterdam be the season where you learn how to bloom, even when life gets busy.
by Mathilde | Aug 17, 2016 | Second time Guest Amsterdam |
Why you should visit Amsterdam for the second time!
So you loved Amsterdam? Great! Most guests decide immediately that they will return for a second visit.
There are so many interesting places in the world for you to discover, so why would it be even more interesting to visit Amsterdam for the second time?
Well Amsterdam somehow gets under your skin. You want to be, or actually, need to be part of the vibrant, open culture. That’s why so many students and expats make their dream: to live in Amsterdam, come true.
You know your way around
You know your way around in the area where you’ve stayed and in the center! Finding your way in Amsterdam can be difficult, especially if you’re visiting for the first time. All those small streets can be very confusing, not to mention the impossible to pronounce names. Have you tried to pronounce Keizersgracht?
There is so much more to see
The first time you were here, you’ve probably rushed to visit the main sights. Most guests stay for 2 – 3 days and that’s merely enough for the big tourist attractions. So, what to do if you are a second time visitor? Discover one of the other 60 museums that we have in Amsterdam. (the world’s highest concentration)? My favorite is the Museum of Bags and Purses: http://tassenmuseum.nl/en/. There are neighborhoods to discover, markets to visit. The most popular party day to spend in Amsterdam is, of course Kings Day, 27th of April. Be sure to book your room in time.
Relaxed atmosphere
According to most of my second time visitors, they love the friendliness of the people, the open windows, so you can take a peek at their interior design. The pubs open till late and some all night, and of course the coffee shops. But that’s not all. Amsterdam has many beautiful, green parks. The Vondelpark is undeniably the most famous park. Did you know that the largest free running course of the Netherlands is at the Sloterpark, near to Connect-Inn?
Discover Amsterdam by bike
Amsterdam is a heaven for cyclist’s, a way of life, made easier by the unbeatable network of bike paths. Feel like a local, blend in with us and rent a bike. You’ll see so much more. In a typical Amsterdam street scene you see countless cyclists either heading to or from work, transporting young children to school, or carrying anything from groceries, house pets and impressively tricky objects. So the second time you visite Amsterdam, be sure to rent a bike!
Dutch food
Forget the pancakes and Waffel shops. Who eates these foods besides children and teenagers? Be sure to eat at Moeders (traditional Dutch food) and Winkel 43 (apple pie). We are also famous for our cheese. The number of cheeses shops increased, especially in the shopping areas. They are not the places to buy your cheese. Avoid the bright coloured, flavoured cheeses, are also not the ones that I would recommend, too artificial. Visit the local cheese shops, or the local markets.
