SMALL-TOWN GIRLS, MIDNIGHT TRAINS

— travel inspiration for small budgets and big dreams —

travel inspiration for small budgets and big dreams

Windmills, Wild Tulips and Wall Poems

SGMT | Leiden | Windmill | Molen de Valk

Leiden may seem like Amsterdam Lite but it possesses an identity all its own. It’s the birthplace of Rembrandt. Einstein walked its streets. Wild tulips grow between the road and the water and poems fill the walls.

The Train to Leiden

Before we knew it, tulip fields in all their blazing glory were parading outside like a color punch in the eye.

Watch a Movie at Pathé Tuschinski (Thank Me Later)

SGMT | Amsterdam Pathe Tuschinski

Those were the words someone posted on a forum somewhere — I can’t find it anymore — while I was researching free/cheap things to do in Amsterdam. “Watch a movie at the Pathé Tuschinski. You can thank me later.” As it happened, I was looking for a cinema in which to watch Avengers: Infinity War.

Stayokay Amsterdam Vondelpark

Stayokay Amsterdam Vondelpark is hands down one of the best hostels I’ve ever stayed in. Our room was spacious; the atmosphere was cheerful without being chaotic or noisy; gorgeous Vondelpark had an entrance just outside the front door; so many other attractions were close by; and the breakfast was great.

Spring in Amsterdam with the Whole Family (At Last!)

Thirty years ago, my father was sent by Philippine Airlines to Amsterdam to learn how to maintain the Fokker 50. It was his first trip outside of Asia and his first time away from the family for longer than a week. Long-distance calls cost an arm and a leg in those days and even dial-up […]