Of course I feel that I can speak freely of the Dutch since I'm married to one … plus they would be frank and open with me anyhow :-)
There are two things I always remember about Amsterdam. One is riding the bike everywhere. The city is meant to be experienced by bike ... which gives you ultimate mobility. Rain or shine, winter or summer, cold or foggy, happy or depressed, going to work or going to slut around ... all my memories of those years have to do with my old and battered bike. Loved it! And the second memory is biking back home in the early hours of the morning. At 5am, Amsterdam is a fairy tale! Beautiful brick buildings leaning onto each other, canals, small bridges, silence, no people, a century old street lighting, a crisp indigo sky with a million stars ... and me on my bike.
And there are a lot of things that I also somehow don't remember!
The reality is ... from an outsiders perspective ... the Dutch are very pragmatic, yes ... very, very direct ... you're often told things you don't really want to here, and tolerant ... not open, but tolerant. Understand the difference?
But you … go out there … grab a bike and discover crazy Amsterdam. As their latest branding says … I AMsterdam
HOW TO GET THERE:
> Schiphol: the international airport in Amsterdam is the 4th largest airport in Europe. It's a veritable city on its own. The anomaly at this airport is its newest runway that is miles ... and I'm not joking ... from the terminal. As you land, it takes another 20 minutes to taxi to the gate, so often taxiing is a quarter of your trip!
> NS Train System: The train network in Holland is very extensive and well run. Although the Dutch like to complain about it, and I have to say that for the most part, they're over critical about their public transport. But there are a few things that tick me off re the train system. Buying train tickets is one of them. Each station has ticket machines, but if you don't have a Dutch credit/debit card, you're shit out of luck. Moreover, hardly any machines take cash. The system is completely ignorant of tourists ... so give yourself time to stand in the long queues for the ticket counter!! But when you finally make it onboard … simply enjoy the flat landscape, livestock roaming around, flower fields that stretch into the yonder, and endless water … the country is mesmerizing.
WHAT TO DO:
> Macy Gray concert at the Paradiso: The Paradiso is a brilliant 1500 pax venue in the centre of Amsterdam, right next to Leidseplein. It's an old church I think, with fantastic acoustics. They have a lot of concerts there and it is well known on the European concert circuit. A lot of bands come to perform there to try out new material. The Rolling Stones have performed there several times, for example, prior to launching new albums. We saw Macy Gray last night and she was stupendous. Rich voice, great band, simple but effective staging, two very large black girls as back-up singers who nearly stole the show ... and Macy ... stoned as ever ... but brilliant! She put on a very good show.
And these are just the top 3 things I can think of now:
1) rent a bike
3) canal ride … preferably not with a tour boat, with a great Dutch group
RESTAURANTS
> traditional food: of course Amsterdam has great restaurants, but you've got to try the traditional Dutch food. It's all fried … and I'm still amazed till today how people manage to stay so in-shape after all the croquettes that they eat. So in Dutch … it's kroketten and bitterballen. I don't even know what the latter is made off … could be ground dog meat … but it actually tastes great! Add fries to that … and you've got a meal. You can actually get all these specialties from a 'hole in the wall' called Febo. Curious … google it and you will see what I mean.
> Starbucks: I'm writing about all the obscure places in Amsterdam! Starbucks actually has its European HQ in Amsterdam … and has had it there even when I lived in Amsterdam, in the beginning of this decade. However, for years you never saw any outlets. Well … they're starting to creep out now. Slowly but surely. Unlike in the rest of the world, where Starbucks coffee shops open at the speed of light, in Europe they've taken a very slow and gentle approach … which I totally agree with. Us Europeans are too attached to our coffee. So Starbucks … we would never go there … when you can get great coffee just around the corner, at a local cafe. But, the Starbucks at Schiphol or at Utrecht Central Station had lines out the shop … so things are a-changing :-)
> College Hotel and Restaurant: I like this concept. Set in a wonderful 19th century school building, this small luxury hotel is run by … students! Yes. When you check in, you're greeted by 20 year old students. When you go to the restaurant, the staff greeting you, cooking for you, serving you are all students. Of course it's not perfect … well the food actually is … but you know they're students and they're giving it their best and learning and somehow it's very adorable. And you're forgiving for the environment is luxurious and chic. And they're all so pleased when you give them a compliment and smile at them. And it works.
Bojan Tercon
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