Robin's Great Adventure: Amsterdam; bikes, canals and of course coffee shops

Famous Amsterdam art sign with Rijksmuseum in the background

BUT...Amsterdam is so much more. With over 900 years of rich, vibrant, artistic history, Amsterdam has something for everyone. The city is actually the juxtaposition of the past and future. The architecture is quite unique, both modern and ancient. Here is a city literally built on piles driven deep under the water to anchor buildings, woven around over 100 canals leading the water safely out of the city. What a design marvel it is.

You can see how the houses are leaning

Most of the city's houses are naturally built around the canals. Piles are used to "hold up" the houses and are fortified deep below the water.

Many of the elegant ones were built in the 17th century.

The hoists atop each house are still visible. Even today they are used to lift furniture up and into the houses because the stairways are extremely narrow.

Warehouses have now been turned into flats (apartments), many retaining their unique gables. A maze of pipes inside carried water from rooftop cisterns for use in the event of fire, what we now call a sprinkler system.

In the 1880's the main harbor was filled in to build Centraal (Central) Station (a grand piece of architecture too) ending the profitable relationship the city had with sea merchants.

Centraal Station is a great place to start your journey of the city. It is quite easy to walk around Amsterdam or you can take the trams. Be sure to buy a three day pass, if time allows, because it will save you quite a bit. The pass is 16 Euro and if you take the tram often each ride is 2 Euro so it can add up quickly.

Centraal (Central) Station in background

Make sure your first stop is Dam Square. The locals call it "The Dam" and it marks the original site of the dam on the Amstel River. The various architectural masterpieces span six centuries and include the Nieuwe Kerk and the Koniklijke Paleis. The Koniklijke Paleis (Palace) was the town hall in the 17th century and is still used for special occasions.

Atop the Paleis (Palace) at the Dam

Amsterdam was first settled in 1125 by fisherman, ruled by Louis Napoleon (Bonaparte's brother) in 1778 and final established as a Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1806. The History Museum is close to Dam Square and provides a detailed account of the many successes and failures throughout the centuries.

National Monument

Koninklijk Paleis (Palace)

Afterwards walk a few blocks to the Jordaan area and take a tour of the Anne Frank Huis (house). Besides the deeply reflecting and quiet courage of this young girl, the story of Anne Frank will bring to you, the Jordaan is one of the most beautiful areas of the city.

The tree in this pic is the one Anne Frank speaks of in her book

Make sure any tour and museum visits are done early in the morning as the lines will be long. I visited over Christmas and the waiting period wasn't too bad early in the day. The Anne Frank Huis (house) tour is one of the least expensive tours I took and quite worth it.

Right outside the Anne Frank haus you can catch a canal tour boat that will take you through some of the most famous views of the canals in the city. Many of the house boats you see are quite "pricey", many selling for as much as 500,000 Euros.

Bikes, bikes, bikes...don't even think of hitting one

Yes, there are hundreds of thousands of bikes in Amsterdam...and don't even think of hitting one. They are completely protected by law and have the right away before cars! Lock them up if you decided to rent one, because if you don't you may find it in the canal.

Museums

Amsterdam is known for its vast and exquisite museums. I really wanted to see the Van Gogh museum but unfortunately it is closed until summer 2013. However, many of his famous painting are on display at the Hermitage Museum on the Amstel River. You will be able to see some of his most famous works; Self Portrait of an Artist, Sunflowers and my personal favorite, Almond Blossom, Van Gogh specifically painted for his nephew. If I could have figured out a way to take a print with me I would have. I absolutely love this painting!

There is a "Dream Exhibition" in Dam Square of his artworks you might want to see as well.

Not far walking distance is the Rembrandt House. Museums, galleries and tours are quite expensive so I suggest working with your hotel or visiting the tourist center in Dam Square for attraction coupons.

Rijksmuseum

I chose to visit the Rijksmuseum to see Rembrandt originals and I'm very happy I did. Rembrandt's Self Portrait as St. Paul and the famous The Night Watch are particularly spectacular. Johannes Verspronck's Portrait of a Girl Dressed in Blue is an example of his signature style. Many of seen this painting as a print and will recognize it immediately.

Coffee Shops & Red Light District

What would any article on Amsterdam be without the mention of Coffee Shops and the Red Light District? Actually, it is true the coffee shops are everywhere. But as a friend of mine (who now lives in Amsterdam) pointed out, "Most Dutch don't frequent them. They are only visited by Brits and Americans." I have to say I didn't visit one myself but I did walk by and found the atmosphere rather tame and the aroma rather pleasant. This was also true for the Red Light District. Granted, I was alone on this trip so partying wasn't exactly "in the cards" for me, so to speak, but Amsterdam has so much to offer that night life is really only one element.

If you do want to find out more about Coffee Shops or the Red Light District, be sure to take the tours that are offered describing how coffee shops were established, what the rules are, etc. It costs about 12 Euro for those "enquiring minds".

Food and Language

The food in Amsterdam was truly wonderful and I enjoyed every meal. The food can be expensive in restaurants so you need to walk the streets to find the best prices. There are street markets everywhere and you can find some good deals. No need to worry about the language. Although Dutch is obviously the official language, English is spoken everywhere.

This photo is just an example of the fresh food that can be purchased in the outside markets. I didn't realize it until after I took this photo there was a sign that said, "No pictures". Oops!

Can you believe all this cheese?

There is also a dutch treat I tried, Bitterballen. It's a tapas-like deep-fried meatball that is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside and served with mustard. Its great with a Pils or Witbier, or for that matter, any beer will do. Speaking of beer...you might want to take the Heineken Experience near the Rijksmuseum. The outside of the building is completely surfaced with Heineken bottles.

I was only in Amsterdam for four days and I feel as if I didn't even scratch the surface for seeing all the city has to offer. I've heard Spring is beautiful there so I'll have to go back and experience the tulip festivals and music extravaganzas.