We have had a 48 hour layover in Amsterdam en route to Portugal. We have been here before and we'd come again! It is a dynamic city and there's lots to love. In true Walkamania fashion we have done a lot and still made it back to our hostel by 8pm each night. Speaking of our hostel, Europe seems to get it right! We have a small clean room with a bathroom and I am currently writing this in the garden laid back in a big hammock chair. It is a great vibe here and many ages access this not just the youngsters these days. There is a games room and library and even a little art gallery!
We have enjoyed the city by day here and it is bustling all over the place with tourists and locals enjoying the weekend. We hit the market right away in search of a Birkenstock stand I bought some sandals from last time we were here. Alas, I could not find them anywhere. But nothing like a stroop Waffle to cheer a girl up! We ate our way thru and then we were ready for a museum.
We went to visit the Rembrandt House where the artist lived and worked in a traditional Dutch home, four stories tall and narrow but long. It was so interesting to see what life was like in an old Dutch house. After a little culture we needed sustenance so we stopped in at a Brown Cafe. Essentially these are very old bars in Amsterdam that have been established long ago which are full of life and character. Ours was tiny and packed on the bar stools and tables, and every wall was covered in curiosities. It is called a brown Cafe because the walls are wood panelled but they are dark and stained from many years of smoke and candles burning. Also covered in a film of cobwebs from not being dusted....it adds to the charm. Our bartender welcomed us in and the local Dutch wanted to meet us and find out where we were from. A round of local drinks, and a plate of the local cheese (yum!) dipped in mustard alongside some pickles made for a very welcome snack!
Enough to sustain us on the canal boat cruise to end off our first night. As the jet lag kicked in we both crashed hard our first night having no sleep on the plane!
Next morning, well rested and ready for another great day we began with Dutch Panekoken, thin pancakes with Apple and bacon baked inside! We enjoyed a visit to The Vincent Van Gogh museum with his awesome collection of world renown paintings. I finally got to see my sunflowers! Then to the modern art museum across from it with a great collection of Chagall, Kandinsky, pollack, Picasso, and more. But really.... How many museums can you do in a day? So we went to visit two churches next. The Oude Kirk is a stunning old church with incredible stained glass, and at the moment it is an art exhibit where the Artist has somehow tinged the glass all red. When the sun peeked out from behind the clouds it changed the light from a dark red to a stunning bright red. So many symbolic things occurred to us about this red light...and then we realized we were in the red light district. Oh the irony! The other church we visited was a very old 16th century house that had a hidden house church in it when the Catholics were being persecuted. People would sneak in to come and worship and pray in the attic of a Dutch house. From the front it looked like any unsuspecting ordinary house but upstairs people knew they could come to church.
Amsterdam has its charm and a very open mind. We walked thru the narrow streets filled with the lingering smell of marijuana and though it is not legal here it is tolerated. One of the challenges we learned about is that once they opened this tolerance up it became like a floodgate. It makes me wonder what will happen in Canada when it becomes legal this year. Another sad reality is the red light district with many women being exploited. I wish I could understand this mentality but I can't wrap my mind or heart around it.
We are Portugal bound in the morning! And when we fly back through you can bet we'll be stoping at the cheese shop for some cheese!