Amsterdam was, probably thanks to a combination of the time of year and the weather, not as crowded or full of tourists as I'd been informed or feared it might be.
I flew out from Bristol on Saturday morning after a fantastic gig at The Fleece by my good friends Kikamora. Slightly bleary eyed, but a lovely slice of cake and some orange juice soon perked me up on the flight and I started to get excited. The views from the window were rather lovely as we left the Westcountry:
An easy minibus transfer to the hotel and I was all set. Quick shower, then I walked to the Museum Quarter and queued for the Van Gogh Museum. Once inside I was delighted to see that there was a special exhibition of Impressionist Landscape art including Monet (a personal favourite) and Daubigny (unknown to me, but his use of light in the sky won me over immediately).
The Van Gogh part of the exhibition was breathtaking, particularly the self portrait section which showed the range of emotions and indeed hats, that he was capable of depicting. It was slightly eerie being stared at by several pairs of eyes staring out of the same face. My favourite of the self portraits was this:
Irises, was particularly wonderful, in my opinion a far better and more delicious painting than the more famous Sunflowers. His range, particularly in terms of sketching, and painting after other artists is astounding and I got a print of the Japanese style Flowering Plum Orchard as it's wonderfully different.
So, from the museum I wandered on towards the centre of the city taking photos as I went and soaking up the relaxed atmosphere, narrowly avoiding being run over by motor scooters which are strangely allowed to use the cycle lanes. Crossing roads and walking on the wrong bit of the pavement is a risky business, but once used to it I was fine. I then stumbled upon one of the Coffee Shops that had been recommended to me - The Bulldog. It was busy and the heady scent was overpowering just outside. I looked in, then decided to wander for a while longer before entering into Amsterdam's tolerant culture. I saw a couple more coffee shops, bars and lots and lots of restaurants. Strikingly there were a lot of Argentinian Steakhouses which I was sorely tempted by.
I retraced my steps and this time walked straight in, looked at what was on offer and decided that the words "Space Cake" were both appealing and suitably gentle. I'm not a smoker, never have been, so the thought of smoking just because it's not tobacco didn't appeal. I got a cappuccino and my cake, took a photo while it was still boxed and there was still a paw print on my coffee:
I ate the cake slowly in nibbles, and sipped my coffee. The atmosphere was noisy and convivial and smoke-filled. There were all kinds of people, from seasoned smokers to first timers and everything in between. I wandered slightly aimlessly for a while afterwards, taking in the fresh cold air and the lights of the city. Then I was struck by how hungry I was. I found a great little place doing Dutch Pancakes and had Dutch Cheese, Dutch Old Cheese and Ham. It was delicious and filling and exactly what I needed.
I then went in search of the Melkweg which a few people had recommended for live music. Unfortuately it was closed and wouldn't open until later in the evening, and I was starting to feel tired after the late night/early morning combo, and the flight and all the walking.
I took a casual stroll back towards the hotel, making a few wrong turnings, but eventually finding myself back on Beethoven Street and standing opposite the marvelous Citizen M hotel which was very funky indeed:
I relaxed, watched telly then had a wonderful night's sleep. I got up early next day, aware I only had until the early evening to fit more fun in. I went back to the Museum Quarter and spotted that Moco had an exhibition of Warhol and Bristol's famous son Banksy. It was funny to come that far from Bristol to be confronted with art the style of which you could see for free on many a street in the city :) Still, it was a good exhibition with some lovely touches and quotes from the artists too. Here are my highlights:
Then I decided more culture was needed, so off to the Rijks Museum. A fantastic and impressive old building filled with diverse treasures from all over the world. It would be tricky to show you all the wonders that I enjoyed, especially as I didn't photograph them all. However, here's a dog, a monkey cuddling a kitten, and some wonderful marquetry for you:
After a quick stop off in the gift shop to browse but not buy, and collecting my bag from the cloakroom I was back onto the street and decided to head back to the hotel to check out (I'd booked a late check in for 4pm to give me a bit more time not carrying everything). On the way back I stopped for lunch and a beer. Pancakes again, this time bacon, and topped off with delicious Shenkstroop and a nice dark beer with a Jester on the glass. Then the most amazing apple tart I've ever tasted, loaded with cinnamon and gorgeous pastry and washed down with a second beer.
Once back at the hotel I quickly packed, made sure I had everything and left the room behind and set off once again towards the city to while away the time before I needed to be back at the airport. I wandered slowly, took photos and mooched about. I stopped off in The Amsterdam Cheese Company to get a present for a cheese loving friend and the assistant noticed my camera, told me the camera she had and proceeded to write on the back of my receipt the name of a lens shop she recommends I visit next time I'm in town. She was very sweet and friendly and served me with a smile. I then stopped off at a souvenir shop to grab a few things for friends and a t-shirt for myself.
More wandering/getting lost later, and getting to see more of the canals and the city, I then decided to grab a cab to the Airport and start the journey home. A moment of slight panic when one of my trays came through fine for me to take but the other got diverted for the second check. However, they handled it brilliantly and I wasn't forced to empty anything or feel like a criminal.
Another quick beer before boarding which I didn't realise until I had almost finish it was a 7% IPA, no wonder it was tasty! A fairly smooth flight, easy bus journey, then disaster struck! I'd missed the last train home. However, the wonderful lady I'd bought the cheese related presents and other things for was willing to come and get me and get me home despite it being a) A school night and b) Late at night. Wednesday is an absolute star and deserves all the praise for not allowing my holiday to end in an expensive holiday stay and having to phone in to work to let them know I wouldn't be in until late.
So, that's another item off the list, now to get excited for Italy :)
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