Amsterdam or bust!

Queens Day weekend, my first introduction to Amsterdam!

After boarding the train Amsterdam bound from Paris, I immediately noticed travelers dressed in the national color, bright orange. About half way into the trip, I awoke from my slumber from a loud metal crashing sound under the train. Within seconds, the announcer translated in 3 languages that there is a mechanical malfunction and we will be changing trains in Brussels. I turn to Joe and express how I’m equally concerned and impressed by the quick and organized response to the problem. Joe responds by telling me more often than not, his supposed 3-hour trip to Amsterdam turns into a 5+-hours trip from train malfunctions. I was somewhat disappointed but not willing to let this dampen my excitement for my first trip to Amsterdam.

The train transfer was a bit chaotic & our train car lacked air circulation, but we made it to Amsterdam only 30 minutes late. We quickly debark the train and make our way to the tram station. The tram is a handy mix of metro meets bus. I quickly learned to beware of walking near the tracks or risk being warned by a loud, terrifying tram horn. The streets of Amsterdam are rather narrow and you see very few (and very little!) cars. The main means of transportation by locals is a bike. Imagining what this must be like in winter is daunting, but from what I’m told the people in the Netherlands are a hardy bunch, used to long, cold winters. I witnessed this first hand as the weather was mostly wet & chilly throughout the weekend, yet, bikers wore no gloves or rain gear.

From our tram stop we walked a short distance to the house. On the way, I notice the block filled with very narrow & tall colonial like homes. We enter our temporary residence and immediately climb the stairs to our lofty room on the 4^th floor. The stairs are just barely wide enough to fit the toes on my size 8 feet. I couldn’t help but wonder if humans were really that much smaller just a couple of centuries ago. As soon as we settled in, we head out to eat at a restaurant just across the street. Less than 24 hours later, this quaint Amsterdam Bistro serving all entrees with the typical local side dish, chips (a.k.a. fries) and mayo, will be transformed into a club like setting with a DJ playing Euro House music from 10am-10pm.

Everyone who visits Amsterdam tells me how much he or she loves it. Beyond the hype about the red light district (which I did NOT visit by the way!) and the cannabis friendly town, it’s been relayed that Amsterdam is a beautiful & peaceful city. With the picturesque canals running in and around the quaint, narrow streets, it’s very easy to feel a sense of tranquility. However, as soon as nighttime came the streets started filling up with visitors from all over. Joe & I decided to take an evening walk. We stopped to have drinks at one of the many bars with outside seating near the water. Sitting just next to us was a friendly Russian couple that quickly became our companions for the evening. Skena was a lively 27 y/o who was obsessed with French culture (she loved Joe!) & Eugene (don’t think that was his real name!) was a friendly, 50 something with a questionable vocation. From what we could gather, she was a pseudo housewife and he worked very little but they lived & traveled comfortably. Anyway, I’ve never really met a real Russian couple from Moscow. But, Skena & Eugene, were everything that I imagined. Animated, boisterous, obsessed with 80’s heavy metal and able to drink Joe & I under the table.

Needless to say, the following day Joe & I decided to take it easy. We got up early enough to walk around the streets before the madness began. The entire city became one big outside flea market. Children were selling & trading toys, vendors & families were selling homemade baked goods (sans cannabis!), and shops & locals were selling off clothing items & house goods for next to nothing. By mid afternoon, the streets were filling up with waves of people dressed in neon orange hats, shoes, jackets, shirts, dresses & more. Some were still drunk from the night before and most were on their way. By the early evening boats were over crowded with people dancing, drinking & blasting music. Every street corner had an outside DJ, people dancing and a guy passed out in the corner oblivious to the passersby taking pictures & blowing orange horns in his face. The party went on most of the night despite the wet weather. The next morning the picturesque streets & canals were littered with garbage & orange memorabilia. By Sunday, most of the city was cleaned up enough to enjoy walking around and see some sites. I recommend the Van Gogh Museum & kilometer long market! Just when I was finally getting used to not having to say, “Pardon” & “Oui” all the time, it was time to hop the train back to Paris.

All in all, Amsterdam is an enjoyable spot, especially for an American. Most everyone speaks English, it’s pretty easy to navigate, and compared to Paris it’s quite affordable. You can expect to meet interesting people from all over, see some cultural sites and drink cheap but good local beer (Amstel & Heineken!) but DON’T expect to find a good cup of coffee at a coffee shop! J

Until Next Time! –City Girl