Side Quest · Spring 2026
Blaine's
Europe Trip
Itinerary
The Trip
Outbound · Saturday, March 28
Los Angeles → Amsterdam
KLM KL602 · Boeing 787-10 · Economy
Departs LAX 2:45 PM → Arrives AMS 10:10 AM +1
Flight duration: 10h 25m
Departs LAX 2:45 PM → Arrives AMS 10:10 AM +1
Flight duration: 10h 25m
Return · Sunday, May 10
London → Amsterdam → LA
KLM KL1002 · Airbus A321NEO · Economy
LHR 8:40 AM → AMS 11:00 AM (layover 1h 45m)
KLM KL603 · Boeing 787-10
AMS 12:45 PM → LAX 2:45 PM · 11h 00m
LHR 8:40 AM → AMS 11:00 AM (layover 1h 45m)
KLM KL603 · Boeing 787-10
AMS 12:45 PM → LAX 2:45 PM · 11h 00m
Stop 01
Amsterdam
Netherlands
March 29 – April 17, 2026
Kloveniersburgwal 127
1011 KD Amsterdam
1011 KD Amsterdam
Stop 02
Bruges
Belgium
April 17 – 19, 2026
Freren Fonteinstraat
8000 Bruges
8000 Bruges
Stop 03
London
United Kingdom
April 19 – May 10, 2026
Flat 4, 20A Hanbury Street
London E1 6QR (Shoreditch)
London E1 6QR (Shoreditch)
Activities
What to Do
Amsterdam
March 29 – April 17
Food & Drink
All-day brunch. Famous for shakshuka. Canal views. Oudezijds Voorburgwal 96a
Iconic Dutch snack wall — coins in, hot beef croquette out. Since 1941.
Korean fried chicken, bibimbap, gimbap. Centrum: Molensteeg 13H / Oost: Linnaeusstraat 35F
Italian pasta and pizza right near the apartment. Kloveniersburgwal 14A
Definitive bitterballen. Seven flavours. Bellamyplein 51
Herring & Pickles
Raw Dutch haring with onion and pickles from a street stall near Rijksmuseum.
Amsterdam's biggest outdoor market. Stroopwafels, herring, Dutch cheese. De Pijp.
Jordaan walking food tour. Bitterballen, herring, Dutch apple pie, cheese, genever.
Bitterballen are non-negotiable — deep-fried Dutch ragout balls, crispy outside, molten inside. Order with mustard and a local beer at any brown café.
Bars
Intimate cocktail bar. Biggest genever selection in the Netherlands. Kloveniersburgwal 20 — short walk from the apartment. Open from 6pm.
Legendary craft brewery inside a working windmill. Tours Fri–Sun 3:30 PM (€5.50). Funenkade 7
11th floor, DoubleTree. Panoramic 360° views over Amsterdam. Oosterdoksstraat 4
Brown cafés (bruine kroegen) are the soul of Amsterdam drinking. Café 't Smalle (Egelantiersgracht 12) and Café Hoppe (Spuistraat 18) are two of the best.
Canal & Water
Small-group, unscripted 90-min canal tour. BYOB encouraged. The anti-tourist boat tour.
Boutique fully electric canal cruise. Wine, craft beer, and cheese on board.
Museums & Culture
World's largest street art museum — 180+ works in an 8,000m² former shipyard. Free ferry from Centraal.
Dutch Resistance Museum. Immersive walk through Amsterdam under Nazi occupation.
Real human anatomy using plastinated specimens. Visceral, fascinating.
Interactive science museum with the highest free public square in Amsterdam. Spectacular views.
World-class film museum on the IJ waterfront. Free ferry from Centraal Station.
Time Out's most beautiful cinema in the world. Art Deco, 1921. Tours daily 9:30–11:30 AM. Reguliersbreestraat 26
Day Trips
Tiny charming village 8km north. Green wooden houses, total quiet. Perfect half-day escape.
20 minutes by train. Medieval market square, Frans Hals Museum, great café culture.
45 minutes by train. Cube Houses, Markthal, Erasmusbrug. Worth at least a full day.
Amsterdam Bike Pirates — guided tours into Noord. Flat polder landscape, windmills, waterways.
Theatre & Community
Oldest English-language theatre company. Workshops, play readings, and events. [email protected]
English-speaking acting and improv classes. Drop-in friendly, all levels.
English improv comedy — Sunday Night Live every week. Alumni: Seth Meyers, Jordan Peele. Rozengracht 117
Rebecca Frecknall production runs during your stay. English surtitles every Thursday.
Bruges
April 17 – 19
Essential Experiences
Medieval tower dominating Market Square. Climb 366 steps for the full view.
Family brewery since 1856. Rooftop tour with views across the city. Famous for Bruges Zot.
Canal Boat Tour
Short boat ride through medieval canals. Multiple departures near Burg and Rozenhoedkaai.
Rozenhoedkaai
The most photographed canal view in Bruges. Go at golden hour and at night.
Flemish Primitive paintings — Van Eyck, Memling, Bosch. Where European visual storytelling begins.
Stadhuis (City Hall)
Gothic city hall on the Burg. The ceiling of the Gothic Hall is extraordinary.
Wander Without a Plan
Early mornings before day-trippers arrive from Brussels. Head toward the Begijnhof.
The Halve Maan brewery built a 3.2km underground beer pipeline to move product under the medieval city streets to their bottling plant.
Two Nights Only
A two-night stopover en route to London.
Compact & Walkable
Small enough to get productively lost. Avoid Markt and the main drag.
Best Time to Explore
Early mornings before day-trippers arrive from Brussels. Own the city before they do.
London
April 19 – May 10
Shows to See
Aaron Pierre, Giles Terera. Directed by Clint Dyer. April 1 – May 23. From £13.
Gary Oldman stars in and directs Beckett. May 8–30. Short run, sell-out likely.
Sondheim. First major London revival in years. Book early.
Robert Icke directs. Sadie Sink as Juliet.
Blanche Improv, Earls Court. May 22–24. Right at the end of the stay.
Theatre & Community
Thursdays 5:30–7:30 PM, Keeley Street, Covent Garden. Starts April 23. Tutor: Sarah Hesketh. Course HW114. £259.
UK's biggest improv school. Drop-in workshops, all levels. Instant creative community.
Monthly indie filmmakers networking. Zoo Bar, Haymarket. £5. Good for Home Front pitch.
Underground bar near Covent Garden. Musical theatre open mic nights. West End professionals. 1 Phoenix St.
London's premier poetry and performance night. Check schedule for live nights during the stay.
Neighbourhoods & Culture
Shoreditch Street Art Circuit
You're staying in the middle of it. Brick Lane, Redchurch Street, Rivington Street. Best Sunday morning before markets open.
Brutalist arts complex. Cinema, theatre, galleries, one of Europe's best concert halls. 10 min from Shoreditch.
One of the best food markets in the world. Go Saturday for peak chaos.
Sunday mornings only. Right in the neighbourhood. Packed, loud, completely worth it. Over by noon.
The British Film Institute's main cinema. Art house, retrospectives, Q&As with filmmakers.
Spend a Rainy Afternoon in a Proper Pub
Order a pint. Bring Red Rising. Sit for two hours. No agenda. The most London thing you can do.