The Pink Diary

Amsterdam is just one of those place that you need to go back to. Luckily, I came at just the right time when the leaves were starting to change colors. Amsterdam is just so gorgeous and I don't know why I didn't come sooner. The two places on my bucket list was Anne Frank House and Van Gogh Museum, but I waited last minute to get tickets for Anne Frank that I missed out. The highlight of my trip would probably have to be Van Gogh Museum. I've seen most of his work in various museums, but it was a surreal moment to be there. I've always admired his work from the moment I laid my eyes on Starry Night when I was a child.

I think Amsterdam may just be in my top five places I visited, and I was pleasantly surprised that everyone spoke English. It's just so picturesque and it truly is the bike city, everyone got around with their bikes. One thing I appreciated was that there were so many allergy friendly restaurants to choose from. Snapshots above are from my film camera that I brought along with me! Next time if I'm in Amsterdam I'm hoping I can go on a canal tour and bike around, two things I skipped on due to the rainy weather during my stay.


Here are a list of places that I recommend you visit when in Amsterdam!

Eats & Cafes
-Bam Boa (highly recommend! so many options for those with food allergies)
-Toki (wish I had a chance to go here!)
-Mr. Stacks (vegan pancakes & bubble tea)
-Scandinavian Embassy (adorable rustic coffee shop that serves breakfast and coffee)
-Naked Espresso (in the Red Light District and voted espresso bar in Amsterdam!)
-Koffie & Koeck (all vegan cafe)
-Monks Coffee Roasters
-Puccini (famous for bonbons)
-Selmas Amsterdam
-REE7
-Coffee and Coconuts (loved this place! really good coffee and food)
-Vegan Junk Food Bar (everything's vegan and it tastes amazing!)
-Deer Mama Vegan Mylk & Burger Bar (everything's vegan and I went twice because it's that good)
-Bakers & Roasters (popular brunch spot)
-Petit By Sam (adorable pastry and coffee shop)
-Bocca Coffee Roasters
-Pluk
-Benjis (three locations, a beautiful cafe inspired by Bali)

Sights
-Anne Frank House
-Van Gogh Museum
-Vondelpark (Amsterdam's most famous park)
-Dam Square
-Joordan Canals (beautiful area with boutique shops and cafes)
-Rembrandtplein
-Red Light District (now a hipster place with many shops, restaurants, and cafes that many people flock to during the day)
-Albert Cuyptmarkt (came here about three times! popular street market with a variety of vendors and also a great place to buy souvenirs)
-Rijksmuseum (national art museum)
-Bloemenmarkt (floating flower market)

I made last minute travel plans to spend one day in London while I was in Europe last month. I took the Eurostar from Gare du Nord to St Pancras and spent about 6 hours in London. Short, but sweet. I revisited my favorite places and captured them on film, which I luckily was able to get developed in Amsterdam before heading back home. One thing I was able to do was take the tube which was on my bucket list since I uber'd around last time. I hope next time I'm in UK I'll be able to explore Shoreditch and hopefully the countryside. Here's a short itinerary of my suggestions (and favorite places) if you have only couple of hours or a day in London!


First stop...
Covent Garden
- brunch and coffee at Grind (a must when in London)
- walk around the shops and watch street performances
- stop by The Shop at Bluebird
Neals Yard
- head over to Jacob the Angel or Monmouth Coffee (which is right outside of Neals Yard) if you haven't had coffee yet or want another cup of coffee
-adorable area to just sit and take snaps of this colorful place. The entrance has a mural of Princess Diana with William and Harry.
Mayfair & Soho
- Carnaby Street, a shopping street in Soho, walking distance to Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus. stop by Fortnum & Mason for tea and biscuits (a must!)
- stop by Burlington Arcade, which was in a scene in Parent Trap.
- head to Mayfair, a posh area that makes you wonder how wealthy you have to be to live here. Very beautiful and one of my favorite areas to stroll around! My friend Bekah took me to Roka for my birthday, an amazing Japanese restaurant!
- if you want a bite, go to Dishoom in Carnaby Street for Indian food tapas style
- stop by Liberty London for a snap of the pretty blooms sitting outside waiting to be picked
- head to Sketch for high tea and let your feet rest before heading to your next destination. The bathroom is something worth going for, they're individual egg pods. The staircase is also lined with diptyque candles.
Selfridges
-one stop shop to get all your shopping in one place, my favorite department store! Their stationary and card selection is amazing. I always stock up when I stop by Selfridges.
- nearby is a donut place called Crosstown Doughnuts
Notting Hill 
- stroll Portobello Market and you can find something to snack on and take back home! Click here for times.
- head to Biscuiteers for their iconic biscuits to take back as souvenirs or take bites of on the train back
- Notting Hill Bookshop, but first you need to watch the movie Notting Hill (which is a classic).
- stop by Juice Baby if you want to recharge with a smoothie, acai bowl, or snack on something healthy. granola here is amazing!
- Granger & Co, my favorite aussie cafe to dine at.
- stop by Sezane, one of my favorite brands - their jack sneakers, claude bag, and victor bag are my go-tos.
- go to the Love Actually (another classic) movie location at St Luke Mews
- take snaps of the pretty blooms at Wild At Heart.
- wander around and you can stumble across cute shops and colorful homes

If you have extra time...
- stop by The Tower Bridge
- Monocle Cafe in Marylebone.
- Chalcot Crescent, a colorful residential area

Endless shopping when in Korea! Korea is truly the shopping mecca, if you love shopping you need to come to Korea. I would have to say my favorite area to shop was in Hongdae, Ewha University shopping street, Dongdaemun, underground subway shopping, and Myeongdong for night shopping. Most clothes are one size fits all and a lot of times shops don't offer fitting rooms unless you're at a department store, so I would suggest only buy things you know will fit you. For me, Hongdae had it all. I bought my Gentle Monsters from the Hongdae flagship store, but I would purchase it from Lotte Duty Free or at the airport since tax is already taken out. I would buy prescription glasses in Korea since they're known for their affordable and quick service, you can even get an exam there for free (depending on which shop). I got two pair of glasses for $110, some are even as cheap as $25 depending on the frame.


Stylenanda has two flagship stores, one in Hongdae and one in Myeongdong. If you're looking for the one with the pool and pink cafe, go to the Hongdae one. The Myeongdong location has a hotel theme and carries 3ce products as well. 3ce is Stylenanda's popular cosmetic line that is carried at Olive Young and other shops as well, but Stylenanda carries everything while third party shops have a limited collection. Stylenanda is definitely worth a stop, I personally would go to the Hongdae location if you had to pick between the two.

HISTORICAL





Gwangjang Market is probably my favorite place to get cheap street food such as mayak kimbap (it's so addictive its called drug kimbap), ddukbokki (spicy stir fried rice cake), mandoo (dumplings), and noodles. If you're looking for authentic Korean food I would stop by here and go from stall to stall and take bites of different dishes. If you watched Netflix's Asian Street Food, you can find the woman's restaurant inside the market! Make sure you make room for dessert since there are plenty of options such as hotteok and bungeoppang.
Also, when you're in Korea you need to go get Korean barbecue! You can easily find one anywhere, make sure to put the meat inside the lettuce with kimchi, marinated onion, green onions, and ssamjang.
I would recommend downloading the app Mango Plate, which is like Korea's version of Yelp. To see what I ate, here's my food instagram account.

Places I recommend to eat:
Rose Dining // one of my most memorable eats while in Korea (near Raw Coffee Stand)
Hoho Sikdang // I went to the one in Ikseon-dong and loved it! They're known for their salmon don.
Jungdon // Oh my! The best donkatsu I've ever had
Tosokchon Samgyetang // Pricey for chicken ginseng soup, but definitely worth stopping by when you're in Jongno
Palette Hannam // Stumbled upon this place while cafe hopping in Hannam, loved the fusion dishes. There's always a line so try to get there early!
No Name Pasta // located in Ewha University shopping street I found this gem after looking for something to eat after shopping. Affordable, delicious pasta!

There are so many cafes sprawled in Korea that it's almost impossible to choose and just have one cup of coffee. I love how unique and beautifully designed each coffee shop was, they each had their own vibe and were meticulously curated. One thing I noticed was that a lot of cafe's open late (expect for franchised cafes), around 10:30-11am, but they close late. I will say that Korea doesn't have that many plant based alternatives, but iced americanos are usually the staple drink in Korea.

Below are a list of cafes I would recommend going when you're in Seoul!

LOW COFFEE HANNAM


WET COFFEE

I stumbled into this coffee shop when I was walking around Hannam and loved the simple, but cool branding. I got an iced americano and was surprised at how strong, but smooth the coffee was. Plenty of seating inside and outside seating as well! I loved how there were pops of color in contrast to the brown benches and tiles inside. It is located in a quiet street next to homes, but I would stop by if you're in Hannam! Check their instagram here. RAW COFFEE STAND

Love love love this coffee shop. Probably my favorite coffee shop in Korea because coffee was amazing and cheap! Definitely where a lot of the locals go and it's right next to the metro. Perfect place to people watch or grab a coffee to go. I loved that it was in a quiet alley and people of all ages came to drink coffee with loved ones or friends. It's also perfect place to take a snap! Check their instagram here and tag here.MOMENT COFFEE
This is the smaller Japanese cafe called Moment Coffee in Hongdae. They're known for their bread which is available at their bigger store in Yeonnam-dong. It's located next to the street shopping in Hongdae so if you can't find seating at first, I would suggest checking back in after you do some shopping. It's a tiny coffee shop with limited seating so I would try to come early to grab a seat. Check their instagram here. THEIR COFFEE

A homey cafe in Hongdae's residential area called Their Coffee by a couple who had a passion for coffee. They sell adorable totes and home goods that you can browse while sipping on coffee. A perfect place to stop by if you want a break from the hustle and bustle from shopping in Hongdae. Check their instagram here. SEOUL COFFEE

I saw this coffee shop on Instagram and was fascinated by the design, it was a mix of traditional with a modern twist. I ordered drinks and a green tea tiramisu without any expectations, but it was amazing! On the pricier side, but I loved the concept and traditional drinks they offered. I would definitely go back! I got iced misugaru and my sister got pumpkin sikhye, which she couldn't stop raving about. Check their instagram here. PEER COFFEE

Another beautiful cafe in Hannam with outside seating as well. I love how welcoming the people were and seemed like they really knew their coffee. The first time I passed by this coffee shop I already had coffee at Low Coffee (literally a two minute walk away), so I came back in a couple of days to check this coffee shop out. I had their iced latte with almond milk, so good! They roast their own beans, you can check their instagram here.OTHER SUGGESTIONS
I wasn't able to go inside Coffee Nap Roasters or Thanks, Oat because it opened too late but I was able to stop by outside and take a snap for future reference. Both popular places and they're only 3 minutes from each other! Paik's Coffee is everywhere and I had it at least twice when I was in Seoul. It's owned by a popular chef named Baek Jong Won, and he started it hoping that everyone would be able to have drinks that are affordable and delicious. Stop by inside and you won't regret it!Any other cafes you'd recommend? I can't wait until my next visit to Korea so I can go cafe hopping! I hope you'll be able to stop by one of these coffee shops when you're in Korea! You can also check my instagram here and see my Korea highlights.