The Many Faces Of Amsterdam!
Written: Sep 09 '03 (Updated Sep 11 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Water, water, everywhere! Interesting architecture, so much to do and see, great food!
Cons: Could be cleaner, just about everyone smokes (something!).
The Bottom Line: A lively city with a remarkable history. Shocking and delightful all at once!
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| whalewatcher's Full Review: Amsterdam |
Europe called once again! This time, we were to attend a wedding in northern Germany and, on a whim, decided to fly to Amsterdam first, to spend a few days in a city which had, up to now, eluded us.
Amsterdam has managed to garner quite a reputation and is perhaps best known for its promiscuous lifestyle and the famous or, shall we say, "infamous" Red Light District, where just about anything is considered 'legal'. But more on that later.
Arriving at Schiphol Airport is relatively easy. Whoever designed this modern facility had convenience in mind, not something that springs to mind when thinking of many other major airports around the world, including some in the U.S.! Europe's infrastructure never ceases to amaze us, and Amsterdam is no exception. If you don't want to pay the $20 cab fare (one way, of course) to get to the city, don't worry. The train station is a short escalator ride away, just one level below the arrival area, from where sleek double decker trains depart every 10 minutes and whisk you right into the heart of Amsterdam. And a round-trip ticket costs only about $6.00 (5.50 Euro)!
The main train station is a marvel in architecture and just one example of Amsterdam's fascinating history. It is one of the city's most imposing buildings and dates back to the 1880's. It was built on a small man-made island and the huge structure rests on nearly 9000 wooden support columns, not visible, of course. Behind it is Amsterdam's harbor, once the biggest and most important in all of Europe. Today, it plays second fiddle to the harbor in nearby Rotterdam, which has taken over most of the ship traffic. Amsterdam's harbor is what is considered a 'closed' harbor, has fresh water and is connected to the North Sea by a channel with a series of 16 locks which control the tide and any potential flooding.
Amsterdam, often referred to as the 'Venice of the North', has an amazing number of canals, about 100 of them, and over 1000 bridges, this in addition to the Amstel River which flows through the heart of the city. Needless to say, all these waterways create a very special ambiance, and the buildings lining these canals only add to the charm. Most were built in the 17th century, during Amsterdam's 'Golden Years', when trade was flourishing and wealthy businessmen built their homes along the busy canals. Tall and skinny, most of these brick buildings have 4 stories, some are as narrow as 15 ft. (5 meters), and all are connected to one another. But the gables are the real attention getters, each unique in design and decoration. And only in Amsterdam will you see the famous hoisting beams directly built into the front of the gables. Pulleys can be attached for transporting furniture to the upper floors, since interior stairways are far too narrow for such a task. For the same reason, the facade of many buildings tilts slightly forward, making it look top heavy. This prevents the furniture from bumping into the wall while being hoisted up.
Almost everyone in Amsterdam owns a bicycle. Not a nice bicycle, mind you, but the older and rustier, the better. Bicycle theft is a huge problem, so the worse it looks, the less likely it is to get stolen. Only in Amsterdam can you find a 4 story parking garage (just outside the train station) for only bicycles, thousands of them! It's quite a sight. In fact, there are about 600,000 bicycles in all of Amsterdam. And you are sure to hear the local joke about the canals, which are said to be 3 meters deep, of which 1 meter is water, 1 meter is mud, and the remaining meter consists of stolen bicycles!
I highly recommend taking one of the city sight seeing tours by bus and canal boat ($35 per person). These can be booked at your hotel, any travel office, even at the train station, and they are well worth the money. The city bus tour only takes about 2 hours, is very well narrated (in several languages), and gives you all the necessary information about the many historical buildings, museums (there are 68 of them!), churches, parks and, yes, even the Red Light District. Once you are finished with the bus tour, you can board one of the canal boats and get on and off whenever and wherever you please, for the remainder of the day. They stop close to most of the major attractions, so sightseeing in Amsterdam is a breeze. Walking is the other option, of course. The city is very compact and you can get to almost anywhere on foot. Since all of the streets and side walks are brick or cobble stone, comfortable footwear is an absolute must!
Amsterdam with its 750,000 residents has a severe housing shortage and many people live on houseboats which are tied to the side of the canals. Probably not the type of houseboat you are thinking of, but mostly very old barges converted into living quarters, or boxy looking contraptions sitting on some sort of floating device. Some even have little patios with plants, there was one with a plastic baby pool on top, while others used this lofty space for outdoor furniture, often surrounded by small privacy fences. They each have their own personality. Some are well maintained while others look to be on their last leg, ready to sink to the bottom at any moment! All in all, there are about 2500 of these houseboats in the canals. All are hooked up to electricity and gas, but not to the public sewage system. And yes, you guessed it, whatever is flushed down the toilets goes into the canals!! The water flow in the canals is controlled by the many locks, and every night a different lock is opened to let in fresh water. This causes the dirty water to flow into the harbor from where it is ultimately channeled out into the sea. Not exactly a sanitary system in my mind, but strangely enough, we never detected even the slightest offensive odor, which gives this rather strange system at least some merit. It's probably best not to think about it!!
There is so much to see in Amsterdam, it takes far longer than the few days we spent there. I won't elaborate about the museums since there are so many, but places such as the Van Gogh Museum (fabulous, with hundreds of paintings and drawings), the Ann Frank House (giving a haunting portrayal of her time in hiding), the Rembrandt House (Rembrandt lived and worked here from 1639 to 1658), and the Rijksmuseum (National Museum), are not to be missed. Another must see and one of our favorites is the Scheepvaart Museum, with one of the largest Maritime collections in the world, which includes over 200 model ships. Better yet, a replica of the 1748 sailing ship 'Amsterdam' is moored just outside, complete with live sailors providing constant entertainment, acting out life at sea as it was way back when.
Especially if you are traveling with children, the new science center NEMO should be on your agenda. Located in the harbor, it is built to resemble a sinking ship. There are lots of hands-on things to do here and on a nice day, you can check out the beach on the slanted roof-top.
Amsterdam offers an almost endless supply of very good restaurants, many with outdoor seating. They are especially dense in numbers on Damrak, a wide street leading from the train station to the Dam Square, the very heart of the city. But unless you have a fetish for people watching, there are much nicer sections of town to get a great meal. Damrak (Street) is overrun by a high concentration of tourists and, at least here, the charm of the city is lost among the masses.
It is much more peaceful in the Jordaan section of Amsterdam, where quaint little restaurants and cafes offer seating right next to the canals and where you are much more likely to strike up a conversation with the local people. Most everyone in the Netherlands speaks some English, frequently even very good English. Try one of the delicious "Pannekoeken", plate sized pancakes made of mostly eggs with little flour, with your choice of filling. One of the best places for one of these is right next to the Anne Frank House at Prinsengracht.
Few know that for more than 400 years, Amsterdam has been called the 'Diamond City'. Be prepared to be dazzled! You can visit Diamond polishing factories and watch how these magnificent stones are polished with Diamond dust and olive oil. The selection of stones is mind boggling! And, prices are good! Many who have purchased Diamonds here in the past return from year to year to exchange them for bigger and better ones. Sort of like trading in your car for a better model!
Amsterdam has many wonderful parks, most notably the Vondelpark which is the largest. It has a pretty lake, even an outdoor Theater and is a great place to get away from the maddening crowd. The local people are proud of their 'green city', and flower pots and window boxes on the fronts of many of the houses add a dash of color.
Then there are the markets. Huge markets, 21 in all, which offer everything imaginable, from produce, clothing, antiques, second-hand merchandise, etc. Some span the length of several blocks and there is even a floating flower market.
Amsterdam is a big city and you choices of accommodations are widespread. I found such a good deal at the Dorint Hotel near the airport ($90 with a fabulous breakfast buffet), that I didn't look much further. Staying downtown would have been a little more convenient, but taking the 15 minute train trip into the city was easy and cheap enough, not to mention a highlight each day for my train-loving significant other! An interesting choice of accommodations might be the 'Botel', a retired cruise ship which has been converted into a 170 room hotel. It sits in the harbor, right alongside a rather spectacular looking floating Chinese Restaurant.
Where are the windmills? Only 5 of the beautiful old windmills are still left in Amsterdam. The most famous one, the Rembrandt Mill, is located along the Amstel River. It is still fully operational, but has been converted into a rather unique residence. About 1000 of these old mills are scattered throughout Holland. Today, gigantic, modern looking windmills can be seen everywhere, turning the steady wind blowing in from the North Sea into much needed energy.
And what about the Red Light District? Needless to say, we felt compelled to check it out! Located in the oldest part of town, the Red Light District is probably not exactly how you envision it. We really didn't know what to expect and were surprised that people actually live there, normal families, going on about their daily business. There are restaurants, businesses, shops, just like in any other part of town. What is different is that pornography is everywhere, shops openly display an endless array of sex toys, some of which look like they must surely come with an instruction manual! There are live sex shows in just about every other building ($2 gets you into some - no thank you, for us!), but most people come here to 'window shop'!! Not just for gadgets, but for girls, of course. Prostitution is legal in Amsterdam and the oldest profession seems to be alive and well. All of the 'ladies' are self-employed and pay taxes. The only requirements are that they must be 18 years of age and that they must have a European passport. They rent (some may even own) their 'working space', which usually consists of a large window, sort of a showcase, with another room behind it for 'entertaining'. Dressed, or shall we say, barely dressed in a variety of skimpy outfits, it is here where they present themselves to the public. The windows, and there are 550 of them, are framed by red lights which are turned on when the occupant is ready for business.
This is not a place to visit if you don't have an open mind. If you are curious but feel that it might not be safe to go there, you can join a guided evening walking tour. We had no problems at all, but I don't suggest lingering there past 11 p.m., when the crowd can get rowdy. The best time to go is just after dark, before most of the action starts, and most of the people milling around are just curious tourists. I must say that some of the girls (not all are really girls, of course) were stunningly beautiful and one must wonder what possesses them to choose such a career. By the way, the oldest 'gal' still working is a mere 77 years old!
People in Amsterdam will tell you that drugs are NOT considered LEGAL, that they are merely TOLERATED. I'm not sure what the difference is?! You can go to any of the many coffee shops and buy 5 grams of a so called 'soft drug' for personal use. There are 280 of these coffee shops in Amsterdam! Quality and price are controlled by the government and selling drugs is not allowed, although you could have fooled me. There were plenty of people openly selling drugs and no one seemed to care. Remember, if you have a hankering for a good cup of coffee in Amsterdam, don't go to a coffee shop, choose a cafe instead, unless you don't mind sitting in clouds of marijuana smoke.
Needless to say, such tolerance attracts a predominantly, but certainly not exclusively, young crowd and behavior can often get out of hand. Amsterdam is dirtier than most European cities, at least in some sections. I guess those preoccupied with drugs, alcohol and sex could care less, which often includes the dirty habit of urinating in public which, by the way, is subject to a fine, if one is caught in the act. But laws are only good if enforced, and I suspect that enforcing this one is not on the priority list.
Last, but not least, beware of pickpockets in the Red Light District. Men should keep their wallets in a front pocket, women should keep their hands on their purses at all times or, better yet, avoid bringing one. Tourists seem to be especially vulnerable here considering the many distractions, especially in some of the narrow alleys, barely wide enough for two people to pass.
As you can see, Amsterdam will satisfy the appetite for just about everything. Apart from the obvious, it very much considers itself a city of culture. Music and theater lovers have plenty to choose from (65 theaters and concert halls!), and just visiting all the museums could take weeks! It's unlike any other city we have visited and has a character all of its own. Would we go back? Absolutely, only next time we'll schedule a longer stay.
Recommended:
Yes
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whalewatcher
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Member: Claudia Testa
Location: Charles Town, West Virginia
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Travel fever is chronic. I hope no one finds a cure!
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