Amsterdam trip recap
Posted by creining | Filed under Travel
My trip to Amsterdam was awesome! I found the city busy yet laid back, overrun by bicycles which I enjoyed to see, dense yet sustainable and absolutely beautiful. The fact that it was fall with the leaves on the trees falling added to the experience. Walking around the city felt like being in a fantasy land as the streets are lined with charming, tasteful and gorgeous canal houses. It felt like I was walking in a city where time had stopped decades ago. One thing I notice the more I travel abroad is how much we in the states are all about over-consumption and consumerism which are things I don’t associate with yet live with on a daily basis. Anyways, as this was supposed to be a relaxing vacation for me I didn’t have an aggressive itinerary.
My hotel was right by Dam Square so the first day (after finding my hotel and checking in) I started to explore the area nearby, walked through the Red Light District and ended up going on a canal boat tour at dusk which was peaceful with the lights from the canal streets reflecting off the water.
The next day, Thursday, I was planning on going to the Anne Frank Haus but when I got there there was a note posted on the door that said it was closed that day. So instead I walked down to the museum area and went to the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh museum. They were both excellent museums but the Van Gogh was truly great. I spent some more time in that area, relaxing in the Museumplein (museum square) before taking the tram back to centrum.
On Friday I headed to the Heineken brewery only to find that it was closed until October 20th. So instead I walked through the Albert Cuypstraat Market which is a very large market, apparently the largest day market in Europe. There was everything from fresh fish to vegetables to clothes to watches to luggage for sale, with more shops and cafes behind the street market vendors. I spent some more time exploring the area, the De Pijp.
Saturday I went to the Anne Frank Haus which I found really moving and would recommend as a must see to everyone visiting A’dam. I walked around the 9 streets area in Jordan, went to a flea market at Elandsgracht 109, walked up and down Nieuwe Spiegelstraat popping into some of the pricey art galleries and hung out in the Leinsplein area.
On Sunday I took the train to a nearby city called Haarlem. It was a lot smaller and therefore quieter than A’dam and I was fortunate to wander a lot of the city centrum streets without seeing anyone as it was Sunday and all the shops were closed. It was a relaxing time in an amazing old city and a perfect day trip. After getting off on the train in Haarlem I got a “Freebie Map to Haarlem” which had a suggested walking tour of the city which I did.
Monday, my last full day in A’dam, I went out looking to buy a painting (my tradition) after not finding one the previous days. I found a shop on Spuistraat that, peering through the window, looked like it may have something for me but alas the shop was closed. I was just standing outside this place when a van pulled up and a guy got out and opened up the shop! He was the owner and was just dropping some stuff off. He let me look around and I ended up finding a painting that I liked and after negotiating a price for it I payed and had a great new painting. I spent most of my day in this area, Spuistraat and along Singel, which I hadn’t explored before but found it to be quite enjoyable. And that, was my trip.