Amsterdam
Friday, May 10, 2013 at 7:22PM April 17 to April 22, 2013
Feeling very fortunate indeed—-another trip to the Netherlands, and this time with my 22-year old daughter, Hanna. Hanna had never been to Amsterdam before this, and she was quite excited to be back in Europe, and especially to be seeing a new city. I’ve come to know and love the city over the past 6 years, having been introduced by an US citizen friend of mine who had moved there to open a retail shop several years ago. Through Charles, I was introduced to a city that suits me almost to a T. Amsterdam is an orderly, not too big city, with great people, lots to see in a small space, and an open, sensible social gestalt. Smaller scale than London and Boston, with a great mix of folks from all over the globe mixing in with long-time residents of all ages. Laid back but sensible, it’s a city that is easy to wander. Our room had a great view of the Amstel the Muzik Theater across the canal, with lots of activity to keep things interesting. Tour boats, house boats, beer wagons, bikes….all in a hurry!
The weather was windy and wet our first day there, but it warmed up over the next four days, and we were able to wander around easily with light sweaters most of the time. It was crowded, but not yet high season. We spent a lot of time outdoors, walking, walking. Visited street markets, parks, museums and had some fine meals. Our Agenda was simple—to see a lot, walk a lot, and to spend time with a few friends and aquaintances. We are not frantic travelers looking to tick off a “to-do” list, not do we enjoy spending huge amounts of cash on fancy entertainment. Being with and amongst the people of the city is the best of all activities for us. We kept our meals simple and covered a lot of ground on foot. We went to bed good and tired each eve, and awoke happily each morn knowing that there was nothing that we HAD to do.
We had our favorite local hangouts, of course. First and foremost was our local coffee shop, where we stopped each morn for lattes, just a block from our hotel in Rembrandtplein. Second is my favorite shop on the planet, a Tibetan shop co-owned by Ton and Ais, called Kashba, just moments from our hotel. It’s the sort of place where I am amongst friends, and can hang out, talk about all sorts and look at beautful items while sipping tea. Locals stop by for a chat, and folks from all over stop in to look at luscious display cases filled with treasures.
It went by all too soon, and after five days of fun and adventure, it was time to head back to London for the next phase of the trip. London City Airport makes it a breeze to get here and back. DLR to the Overground, Hampstead Heath Station, quick and easy. Once back in London, we were all about packing and preparing for the BIG vcaravan journey to Somerset. Hoping to spend some time in Amsterdam again next spring.