Best Dressed and Beers

I’ve traveled a lot around Europe, but I have never felt as frumpy as I did in Amsterdam! My goodness, is everyone in that city a wealthy model?! The women of Amsterdam are, for the most part, thin, toned, tall, fair, gorgeous. If we go by the status-quo of what is Western beauty defined, they’ve got it going on in spades in the Netherlands.

Plaza Near Zeezicht

While there were attractive people everywhere, during my visit there seemed to be a ridiculous amount of these cover girls and boys at Restaurant Villa Zeezicht, a bar and restaurant facing a large plaza on a canal. Perfect hair went with perfect shoes at Zeezicht, where locals clinked glasses of white wine and threw back their blond heads in laughter. I hate them, I thought. I want to be them, I thought.

Seriously though, Zeezicht is a fab place to grab a beer or a coffee. It’s great people watching and very lively. I went there twice and both times barely got a table. There were so many people at Zeezicht and the other bars facing it, that they flowed out onto the streets, drinks in hand.

More:

Torensteeg 7

1012 TH Amsterdam

tel- 020-626-7433

Post and Photos by Regina Winkle-Bryan. See more of her travel tips at : THE SPAIN SCOOP

La Cabana's Pata Pata Bar

I spent last week in Aruba (man, that was a rough week), and if you go, I highly recommend staying at La Cabana Beach & Racquet Club in the Low-Rise area on Eagle Beach. Why? The Happy Hours! Ok, that makes me sound like a lush. But seriously, what else are you supposed to do on a beach vacation besides sit on the beach and drink pina coladas?

Anyway, the resort has a fabulous poolside bar called Pata Pata, and there’s another bar on the beach called Oasis. Here’s the deal: Happy Hour (which is 2-for-1 drinks) is from 2-4 at Oasis, and from 4-6 at Pata Pata. Yes! And the prices were great – 2-for-1 meant $3 pina coladas, beers and my very favorite — Miami Vices. Had one before? They are deeeelicious! Here’s what’s in a Miami Vice:

Miami Vice

Half pina colada, half strawberry dauiri. Rum. Mix. Enjoy with a smile.

It’s pretty, it’s potent and it’s yummy. I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time ordering anything but frozen drinks at a pool.

I do realize that Happy Hours aren’t generally at night, per se — but who’s counting when you’re on vacation? And actually, Pata Pata has another Happy Hour from 10-11pm, too, so there’s your actual nightlife.

Gotta love vacation.

La Cabana's pool, where you can slurp up your Happy Hour drinks!

Photos: Jenny Bengen-Albert