Written by: David Press
12/8/2010 3:06 AM 

Having travelled through some of Germany's most beautiful regions, we hopped on an Intercity Express train to Amsterdam which was made all the more pleasant by the company on board. We met a young German musician who travels the world playing the trombone and studies in Rotterdam. He was a real gentlemen and the conversations made the time fly past. Before we knew it we were in Amsterdam with a myriad of expectations running through our heads. For what is often touted as a seedy city, the greeting was pretty pleasant. Maybe it's the canals or the buildings, I'm not sure to be honest, but the city is quite beautiful and definitely worth adding to any Euro Trip itinerary.

After much persuasion I convinced Jess to stay on board a boat rather than a traditional hostel. Threats were abundant on the walk to our accommodation, but thankfully the boat was brilliant so I didn't have to pay for us to stay in an expensive hotel as threatened. The boat owner was away, but our hosts, a crew of Polish workers, a toddler and a pet dog, were great. We were treated to special scrambled eggs (I say special because for some reason they think scrambled is fried eggs) and a free six pack of quality Belgian beers. At first they were quiet and left us to ourselves, but once they realised we were keen to chat and get to know them more, we couldn't stop them. Advice was flowing thick on what we should do when we visit Poland and discussions ranged from cycling in Belgium to the changes Poland are experiencing since moving to capitalism.

Amsterdam, as most know, has a red light district different to almost any other. Cafe's selling joints, hash cookies, brownies and muffins are everywhere due to the relaxed rules regarding the possession and consumption of marijuana. The second commonly known aspect is the sex trade and red light district. Often considered a blight on the city, I didn't find it as big a deal as others. The girls, although public in their intentions, are dressed no less than a girl at the beach and the alleys in which the majority work are pretty well hidden. Regardless, it's all a bit of a novelty for the majority of tourists and your over it pretty quickly.

Much more interesting are the beautiful buildings along the seemingly endless canals. I'm pretty good at getting Jess and I lost as it is, but Amsterdam did me no favours and even with maps it can be difficult to find some sites. The Anne Frank house which is now a museum was one such destination that had me chasing my tail. Thankfully we found it and paid the small fee to go inside. I had a very light understanding of the story but to go inside and see the house how it was and read and listen to the first hand quotes of her and others inside was really quite moving. Her intelligence and ability to express herself at such a young age was amazing. The atrocities on the other hand were not. It seems that almost any city we visit in Europe has similar stories of atrocities at the hands of the Nazi's and the SS. At least the memorials and museums ensure we won't forget and hopefully won't allow it to happen ever again (wishful thinking perhaps).

There are a number of much larger museums in the aptly named Museum District, but we decided to visit just one. We chose the Vincent Van Gogh museum and were treated to one of the best art exhibitions we've seen yet. The layout is clever as your given a timeline of his life and a showcase of how his artworks changed over time. The works alone are amazing as are those of his peers which are also on display. It is more than worth the entry fee and could easily account for the best part of a day if you wanted to take in and really appreciate the works.

We spent about 4 or 5 days in Amsterdam which was about right for us. Having covered so many km's and quite a number of cities already, it was great to relax for a few days. Staying on a boat made that much easier (Galdorf was the boat for anyone heading that way) and is something I strongly recommend if you want some piece and quite in Amsterdam. Belgium is only a hop skip and jump from Amsterdam, yet somehow that trip managed to turn into an eventful train hopping experience. I'll have to leave that for the next blog. Stay classy people.

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Tags: travel , Amsterdam , Netherlands , boat , canals , arts , cafes

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Location: Blogs David Press Netherlands

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