Amsterdam

A break in updating the blog. So much to see and do in Amsterdam. The weather has been impeccably behaved-it has been a wet summer so far. Beautiful days and nights. The trip from Hong Kong to Amsterdam was uneventful except for the transit at Heathrow. It will be quite something to see how they manage the Olympics when they had so much trouble with a couple of flights. Everything interminably slow and tedious. By contrast, getting through passport control in Amsterdam was efficient, polite and humane. It was a long day of travel.

The first impression of our apartment was relief. It is beautifully appointed and in a superb location on Prinsengracht canal in the west of the city. We overlook the canal from the 3^rd floor and across to the market square, bars and bell tower. The streets teem with people-we are in an area rich in life. Bars and restaurants are all in close proximity.

First morning awoke at 3am suffering from the time difference. The market square across from the apartment was a hive of activity as the Saturday Biological Markets at Noordermarket were being set up. I guess we would call it an organic market. It was a great opportunity to supply ourselves and to see the produce. The stalls were an extravaganza of plump berries, plums, vegetables, cheeses, meats, grains and flowers. Luckily we were able to show admirable restraint. Everyone speaks Dutch to you and on realizing you are from elsewhere effortlessly slip into perfect English. The market is 50 metres from our apartment. It certainly beats the drive to the growers market at home.

The next stage of the day was to circumnavigate the city to get an idea of how it all works together. After the vertical city of Hong Kong and the hot days and nights the ground level street life and mild weather are welcome. The first safety issues we address is surviving the onslaught of cyclists. Everyone rides here. And they have right of way over everyone else. A lot of tsk tsking if anyone impedes the flow of cyclists. All this cycling must do something for the people are all impossibly good looking and healthy. Bikes are casually stacked everywhere. Apparently Holland has the highest amount of bicycles and bike thieves so most have massive chains and locks. Our meanderings took us through 5 of the major districts-Jordan, Westerdok, Nieuwe Zijde De Pijp and Oude Zijde. The streetscapes are almost unbearably picturesque and well cared for. We kept seeing the sign Hopjes-these are internal gardens and are spread throughout the Jordan district. There is no sign they exist from the street and only by opening the door and peering in do you realize they are there. It all feels like trespassing but you are welcome to look. They are paradises of quiet and green in a densely populated city. Everywhere you go you see signs for Coffeehouses, Coffeeshops and Cafes. They cater for quite a different audience. A coffee house or Koffie Huise sells coffee. A coffeeshop sells different varieties of grass and a café is like a bistro. 7 hours on the cobbles is good for the legs after the confines of modern travel.

 

We investigated dining possibilities and decided on Vlaming-a charming and highly recommended restaurant on Lindengracht. The signage is particularly engaging-eten and drinken. Which is what we did. The food was delicious and as happens so much here the staff were courteous, multilingual, funny and attractive.

Day two found us getting our gear together for a boat tour of the canals. Our hosts have a boat and have kindly offered to take us around. Many of the bridges can only be seen from the water. And you get to see into all the beautiful apartments. We tried to work out whether the Dutch are innately stylish or there is just no ugly stuff available to buy so you don’t have to make a bad decision. On Prinsengracht the houses were originally warehouses. They generally have enormous windows on the ground floor. We spent 4 hours in and out of the canals and over to the newer reclaimed areas. The old areas where the squatters used to be located have all been redeveloped. There is a mix of old and new. The amount of houseboats has increased significantly and these range from fairly functional abodes to beautiful turn of the century vessels rescued from oblivion. The further from the centre you go the bigger they get. Some were the equivalent of two to three stories. I cannot imagine Sydney council allowing you to drag an old boat into the harbour and setting it up to live in in perpetuity. We finished the day at one of the original windmills resplendent with thatch that is now a micro brewery.

Turning south from our apartment we headed to the Jordaan. This area is filled with small shops, galleries, pubs and restaurants. It makes shopping invariably interesting. And you are never far from sustenance and more eten and drinken. We ate at a little place called La Perla that sells beautifully presented woodfired pizzas. Sitting and watching the bikes and the mixture of boho, urban professionals wander or ride by. We ventured to De Reiger to inquire about a booking for dinner later in the week. No bookings taken but a great place to drink beer and sit on the pavement.

Day three and we decided on the Nine little streets for an exploration and some much needed coffee. The nine little streets are full of small shops ranging from interiors, antiques, coffee houses, coffeeshops, fashion, and bookstores. One in particular shone out-Architectura and Natura- a bookseller and publisher. The books were off course mainly on architecture and gardening and included the photographers who make the work memorable. There were so many to look at-an abundance and unfortunately no room to take any home. Everything here is so convenient. Our market is 100 metres away and is full of the freshest produce.

In the evening we went to Restaurant De Belhamel, an institution in an Art Nouveou Building on Brouwersgracht, a canal running perpendicular to Prisengracht. The food was Belgian, vast and rich. After consuming such a feast we went for a late evening stroll peering into the homes, bars and shops.