More Canals than Venice

Monday, March 21, 2016 - Amsterdam, Netherlands

We are in an awesome neighborhood. As we walked the neighborhood going to and from the tourist sites we planned to visit, it became clear that our Airbnb was perfectly chosen. The canal can be seen from a corner of our balcony and the street life and shops are at our doorstep. Everything we want to do is a 5-20 minute walk should we choose. After a good night’s rest, we started exploring Amsterdam at noon. 

The first stop was the Begijnhof Courtyard. Originally built as a sanctuary for a Catholic sisterhood it still houses single women. Since it is a 5 minute walk from our apartment, we strolled over, getting slightly lost along the way, but ultimately just getting familiar with the city. 

Throughout the day we wandered and gaped agog at the many canals, darted out of the way of the bicyclists and looked in awe at the lovely narrow homes. On our list were the usual tourist sites and they did not disappoint. It was too early in the year for the Flower Market to have flowers in bloom, but had flower bulbs of all colors, sizes and types ready for purchasing, planting and shipping.

From the flower market, we stopped so I could pick up a delicious snack of freshly prepared frites with mayonnaise (the old world condiment for fries) to go, and we continued on, meandering through the Centrum neighborhood, eventually making our way to Nieuwmarkt. 

Mom Tip -  Mayonnaise is the condiment of choice and is automatically put on fries, hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwiches and everything! All lactose intolerant folks - say “no mayonnaise please.” Interesting tidbit -  in stores and restaurants, sparkling water is called water with gas.

We, by accident, stopped for lunch at a 1960s USA diner. Laughing, as mom ate lunch to Motown! A great place for a restroom stop but oh my goodness, the stairs were very narrow and straight up! What is it with these Amsterdam stairs?

And yes, after lunch, we did visit the Red Light District. As promised, it leaves nothing to the imagination. Lots of tourists, young and old, checking out what they have read or heard. Photos are not allowed, and I’d suggest a visit during the day when the tourist crowd is G rated.

Leaving the area, we moved on to Dam Square. It is jam packed with locals and tourists and bordered by food stalls, restaurants and shops. The architecture is stunning with the premier attractions the Royal Palace, Hotel Krasnapolsky and the National Memorial statue. Looking around at the architecture and historical sites we were constantly reminded how young the USA (1776)  is compared to Amsterdam (1275).

Souvenir shopping was not big on our list of ‘to dos’ but exploring Amsterdam’s Nine Streets area (where our apartment was located) was worth the time to wind through the narrow streets and quaint shops. Three major canals (Herengracht, Keizersgracht, and Prinsengracht) divide the Central Canal district into nine little streets that are big on personality and Dutch style.

Mom Tip: Coffeeshops do not sell coffee. Coffeeshops are alcohol-free establishments where soft drugs (marijuana or cannabis) are sold and consumed. Shipping is permitted.

After a short rest break at the apartment we moved on to the Anne Frank House to check out the line. Earlier in the morning it stretched around the block and was now even longer. We decided to try again tomorrow. Our day ended with a search for an open restaurant in the neighborhood. Since most stores, and apparently restaurants, shut down by 5 or 6pm it was nice to find a restaurant in our neighborhood that was open after 7pm.

Mom Tip: Dinner in restaurants is a leisurely affair. Food is cooked to order and there’s no rush by the server. Take your time to review the day, plan tomorrow’s activities and relax, relax, relax.

A very busy day in Amsterdam ended.