Spentitall Travelling

Weekend in Amsterdam

Getting to Berlin required a stop-over enroute, so a weekend in Amsterdam it is!

The Eurorail pass route required a train change in Brussels. I noticed that they had only left 15 minutes between my arrival and the next departure. As the train entered the station, I retrieved my bag from the overhead bin and was at the door, ready to run to the next train. Unfortunately, the door was broken and wouldn’t open, so I was stuck behind everyone else as we jostled to the next carriage. Somehow, I managed to find my platform and jumped onto my train a minute before it departed.

Between Brussels and Amsterdam I managed to purchase a weekend metro/bus pass online. Regardless of how much I travel, I am still amazed at how streamlined these things have become. With Google maps and a QR code for a ticket, I can get anywhere.

From Amsterdam Zuid station, my hostel was only a metro train and tram ride away.

Amsterdam is a real multicultural city. It seems everyone is from somewhere other than Amsterdam. You will hear many different languages while walking around town, but everyone I met spoke English. Cliche’s aside, the marijuana and red light district are such a small aspect of what is a very progressive, chill place. Bikes rules the streets, people seem to celebrate coffee, beer, reading, boating and lots of great food.

The highlights of the trip was a three hour bike tour around the city. Bikes definately out number the cars, but they have their own dedicated lanes and traffic rules, so I felt more comfortable on a tour first. I would have been comfortable renting a bike on my own afterwards. The tour also provided an opportunity to see parts of Amstderdam I would have missed otherwise.

Lowlight of the trip was getting my cell phone stolen from off my lap in the central train station. Days before I noticed the large number of shops selling cell phone lanyards. I had even considered buying one the day before. Wish I had! While someone distracted me, asking me for money on my right side, someone else slide the phone off my lap from the left. It was very well executed. No police in the station, When I told the train security that my phone had even stolen, she replied “this is Amsterdam, you need to be more careful”, then walked away. I had already passed through the ticket area, had no way to re-enter with-out my phone and my train was leaving in 30 min. I decided to continue to Berlin where I already had accomodation paid for and sort out a new phone there.

Some cool graffiti art that I thought would make a good cover photo.
No shortage of canals for photo ops.
Trying some Dutch food, cheese sticks and salted herring. Loved the salted herring, was like sashimi.
Went to the Rijks Museum and the Moco Museum. Both were excellent.
There was a whole market selling tulip bulbs. Made me think of my grandmother who would often smuggle bulbs and plant cuttings from Europe to Canada!
As a single guy I though this was a great idea. The grocery store sells all the ingrediants with a recipe, like HelloFresh, but available on the shelf at about $10 a meal.
I love a good Saison. Stopped by a beer house and enjoyed the OG Belgium Saison.
The narrowest bridge in Amsterdam. Legend says that if you kiss someone while passing under the bridge, you will stay in love forever. Today, boys were jumping into the canal to cool off.
Part of the bike tour, these were all originally built as warehouses. Taxes were based on the width of the lot, so they were all narrow, but tall. They were built leaning forward with cantilevered beam and hook to hoist goods to the higher floors as the doors were too narrow.
French quarter. Almost all the parking spaces were removed and replaced with gardens. These are maintained by local residents and basically eliminates car from the area.
The lady on the left arrived on a bike with a passenger/childseat infront. These were everywhere. Her partner arrived on his own bike.
spentitalltraveling

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