Amsterdam is the capital and, with 820,000 inhabitants, the most populous city in the Netherlands. Amsterdam is known for its countless canals, called Grachten. Founded in the 13th century, it takes its name from a dam in the Amstel River and is famous (among other things) for its openness, liberal nature, red-light district and legalization of marijuana.
We spent three weeks house-sitting in the Hoofddorppleinbuurt district, close to Vondelpark. While the locals travel a lot by bike, we walked almost all our routes. It took us about 45 minutes to get to the city center and the red-light district. We spent a lot of time in Vondelpark and on the large lawn in front of the Rijksmuseum, although the weather can quickly change from sun to showers and back again due to the city’s location close to the sea. On average, there are 13-16 rainy days a month. London has 11-15 rainy days in comparison.
Amsterdam offers a great number of attractions, some of which I have already visited during a previous stay. Among the most famous sights are the Anne Frank House, the Van Gogh Museum, the Heineken Experience and the Rjiksmuseum. You should also visit the red-light district, the main square Dam and the Bloemenmarkt as well as take a boat trip on the canals.
With children, I would visit the Nemo Museum. There you can learn physics, biology, chemistry and technology playfully on four floors. The museum looks like a big ship and is located near the Openbare library, which is also very chic!
Stay positive!
I like stickers like that: “How are you, really”
Tes
The main station with countless bicycles. I would search for my bike often and a lot in this city
One of the two cats of our housesitting …
… and the other
Brouwerij ‘t – in the windmill is a bar, next to it is a brewery
The Rijksmuseum
No idea what the sticker means, but I like it
The Moco Museum is a small museum for contemporary art not far from the Rijksmuseum. There is currently an exhibition of the street artist Banksy, who I think is very inspiring. There was also an area dedicated to the digital artist Irma, which alone was worth the entrance fee of (August 2020) €19.50. However, I’ll just let the photos speak for themselves here. First, some exhibits by Banksy:
The exhibition by Irma
Tes and I – I took this picture, distorted by mirrors
The Tropical Museum was founded in 1864 and opened to the public in 1871. Its purpose was to inform the Dutch population about life in the colonies of Indonesia, Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles. In the meantime, it shows cultures from all over the world: Africa, India, Latin America, Southeast Asia. The collection comprises about 175,000 exhibits, including textiles, cultural objects, musical instruments, historical photographs and paintings, drawings and documents. Here are some impressions from the Tropical Museum:
An old canoe
Not part of the exhibits – my girlfriend Tes
Here are a few more photos taken on the extended walks through Amsterdam.
Bees getting some Coke
Coots build their nest in the canals
In the Vondelpark
The Nemo Museum
The Rijksmuseum again
I
We were in Amsterdam in August 2020, when the pandemic briefly allowed it. Amsterdam is one of the few big cities where I feel comfortable for a longer period of time. The atmosphere is very open-minded, there is plenty to do and the Dutch are a very pleasant people, I think.
C-L
