of pouring rain in Amsterdam! Even though our first introduction to the city was constant rain and gloomy weather, this city has really grown on us. We did a 3+hour walking tour in the teaming rain on Monday. With this type of weather, we were shocked that there were about 20 people on our city walking tour. We both were totally decked out in rain gear from head to toe; however most people on the tour were not dressed for this type of downpour.
Amsterdam is a vibrant, colorful young-peoples city where getting high in a “coffee shop” is part of everyday life (for a few). With its famed tolerance for soft drugs and now legal prostitution, Amsterdam’s hedonistic aspects have often eclipsed its captivating charm and cultural treasures. Few cities that we have visited meld history with modern urban flair like Amsterdam. From the old merchant houses tilting at impossible angles that align the city’s winding, endless canals to the picturesque, 1500 bridges and bobbing houseboats, this city has a different charm to it like no other European city we have visited. No, it is not because of the sex and drug scene! The cyclists, trams, pedestrians and cars all dance around each other in mindboggling complexity! You have to see it to believe it. (However, it is not nearly as crazy as Hanoi.)
Two wheeling is a way of life here. There are literally thousands of bikes within this crowded city. We have never seen such a sea of bikes parked outside the Amsterdam train station. It is perplexing to us how anyone could even find their own bike. We quickly discovered that bikes absolutely rule in this city. Don’t even think of stepping in the bike lane because, nobody slows down for the walkers. We were nearly run over by at least three bicycles within our first hour of wandering the city. We were informed that Amsterdammers commute to work, shop and meet dates driving these cruiser-bikes. You won’t see any high-speed fancy bikes here.
This scenic city was originally a fishing village, but quickly became the center of international trade starting in the 17th century due to its ports and canals. It’s easy to image an era when boats unloaded spices in the waterways. The city is centered around the Canal Ring (Ho, hum. . . another UNESCO site) where three canals form a horseshoe shape around the old center. We adored the now-upscale Jordaan area, a former working-class area, which is chock full of galleries, restaurants and boutiques. It is simply the prettiest stretch of the canal. The little gathering places and narrow streets add to the Lilliputian allure of this intimate city. You can’t walk a kilometer within the city without bumping into one of the major art museums with the masterpieces of Vermeer, Rembrandt and Van Gogh inside. Our guide told us that the city has the highest museum density in the world. (We were perplexed why Vienna would win that title)!
We found Amsterdam to be fabulous for rambling around due to its compact core which is laced by atmospheric lanes and quarters. The entire city is man-made out of wooden piles that have been driven deep into the sandy soil. (You see a lot of fabulous hydrangeas here due to the sandy soil conditions.) We stopped by a local fish shack and bought a herring snack. It was absolutely delicious! We actually wandered over to the red-light district this afternoon. What a surprise! We were expecting it to look like Vegas; however, it looked like every other charming neighborhood except you had “ladies”-some quite large, others very pretty-all scantily dressed sitting in the windows.
Everyone speaks English here, in fact a lot of Dutch also speak German and French. They really put us to shame in the language arena! It is quite understandable why this city is filled with young people who want to live here; however, our tour guide told us that unless you speak both Dutch and English, you cannot get a job here.
The bottom line is that we think Amsterdam is one of those cities that everyone should see at least once in their lifetime. It is a city that we will consider coming back to for a 6 or 8 week stay; so, we can really feel like locals.
Amsterdam is a vibrant, colorful young-peoples city where getting high in a “coffee shop” is part of everyday life (for a few). With its famed tolerance for soft drugs and now legal prostitution, Amsterdam’s hedonistic aspects have often eclipsed its captivating charm and cultural treasures. Few cities that we have visited meld history with modern urban flair like Amsterdam. From the old merchant houses tilting at impossible angles that align the city’s winding, endless canals to the picturesque, 1500 bridges and bobbing houseboats, this city has a different charm to it like no other European city we have visited. No, it is not because of the sex and drug scene! The cyclists, trams, pedestrians and cars all dance around each other in mindboggling complexity! You have to see it to believe it. (However, it is not nearly as crazy as Hanoi.)
Two wheeling is a way of life here. There are literally thousands of bikes within this crowded city. We have never seen such a sea of bikes parked outside the Amsterdam train station. It is perplexing to us how anyone could even find their own bike. We quickly discovered that bikes absolutely rule in this city. Don’t even think of stepping in the bike lane because, nobody slows down for the walkers. We were nearly run over by at least three bicycles within our first hour of wandering the city. We were informed that Amsterdammers commute to work, shop and meet dates driving these cruiser-bikes. You won’t see any high-speed fancy bikes here.
This scenic city was originally a fishing village, but quickly became the center of international trade starting in the 17th century due to its ports and canals. It’s easy to image an era when boats unloaded spices in the waterways. The city is centered around the Canal Ring (Ho, hum. . . another UNESCO site) where three canals form a horseshoe shape around the old center. We adored the now-upscale Jordaan area, a former working-class area, which is chock full of galleries, restaurants and boutiques. It is simply the prettiest stretch of the canal. The little gathering places and narrow streets add to the Lilliputian allure of this intimate city. You can’t walk a kilometer within the city without bumping into one of the major art museums with the masterpieces of Vermeer, Rembrandt and Van Gogh inside. Our guide told us that the city has the highest museum density in the world. (We were perplexed why Vienna would win that title)!
We found Amsterdam to be fabulous for rambling around due to its compact core which is laced by atmospheric lanes and quarters. The entire city is man-made out of wooden piles that have been driven deep into the sandy soil. (You see a lot of fabulous hydrangeas here due to the sandy soil conditions.) We stopped by a local fish shack and bought a herring snack. It was absolutely delicious! We actually wandered over to the red-light district this afternoon. What a surprise! We were expecting it to look like Vegas; however, it looked like every other charming neighborhood except you had “ladies”-some quite large, others very pretty-all scantily dressed sitting in the windows.
Everyone speaks English here, in fact a lot of Dutch also speak German and French. They really put us to shame in the language arena! It is quite understandable why this city is filled with young people who want to live here; however, our tour guide told us that unless you speak both Dutch and English, you cannot get a job here.
The bottom line is that we think Amsterdam is one of those cities that everyone should see at least once in their lifetime. It is a city that we will consider coming back to for a 6 or 8 week stay; so, we can really feel like locals.
