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Two
Weeks of Pure Cool - Autumnal Amsterdam
By Christian Franklin
If
you’re looking for a great destination to backpack around for awhile,
try Amsterdam in the late summer. September opens up the streets of
Amsterdam with less tourists and cheaper hostel rates...with sunny skies
and T-shirt temperatures during the day.
Blue
sky stuffed with puffy cotton clouds was the daily norm during my two
week cruiseathon jam session in the beautiful historic city of 731,000
inhabitants and 160 canals.
Amsterdam is a hiker’s delight, a musician’s inspiration,
and an art
lover’s dream. Jugglers and sword swallowers perform in the street.
Roving
musicians jam in front of the cafes and coffee houses. Pungent ganja
smoke swirls and mixes with the sweet smell of fresh cut flowers in
gorgeous Vondelpark. Restaurants of every ethnic taste line the streets
and lovers walk hand in hand, stopping to read menus while trying to
decide where to eat. With all the enticing aromas wafting out into the
streets, it is a difficult decision to make!
I arrived at Schiphol airport from New York City after the six hour
flight and quickly caught a cab to Dam Square, the city’s central
market
square, 18 km away. The cab fare was high, almost $30, but there are
regularly scheduled busses going from the airport to the center of the
city
for just a couple of bucks. Dam Square is a good starting point to get
oriented to the city’s layout and flow...and flow the city does.
Pedestrians and bicyclists fill the sidewalks and spill out into the
streets, giving the
city a quick, colorful pulse. One serious note for first time visitors
to
Amsterdam...the bicyclists don’t just THINK they own the road...THEY
DO OWN THE ROAD, and unwary pedestrians are frequently knocked down!
Just a few blocks from Dam Square, near the corner of Damstraat and
Voorburgwal Street, I wandered into the Greenhouse coffeehouse. Since
the crowd was few, I sat outside and played my guitar. The Greenhouse
turned out to be my favorite coffee shop in Amsterdam. The atmosphere
of this establishment is not to be passed by, and you’ll love the
hip people that run the place and the hip music they spin.
There
are, however, many coffee shops in Amsterdam, and you’ll want to
visit one of the Bulldog coffee shops. Currently there are five Bulldogs
around the city. The Bulldogs are the most popular of Amsterdam’s
coffee shops, so expect a crowd and a waiting time for a table. The
Bulldog located at Leidesplein is a great site to sit and people watch.A
more laid back, but colorfully funky, coffee shop is the M&M. Find
the M&M between Dam Square and Leidesplein.
I
had no rooms arranged for ahead of time when I left for Amsterdam
because the travel books mentioned numerous hotels and hostels throughout
the city. Since I arrived in the “off season”, I never worried
about finding a room for the night. Some hotels had no vacancies, but
I stopped in at several different hostels to compare rates, and beds
were available from $30 to $50 for one night for non-members, much cheaper
if you belong to Hosteling International.
For
those who prefer to sleep under the stars, there are four
campgrounds that are convenient to the city. All four campgrounds are
accessible by train from Centraal Station, which is the main hub only
1/2
mile away from Dam Square. The average price for camping is about $10
per person per night. A lot of backpackers I met recommend Gaaspercamping,
one of two campgrounds open from mid March through December. Camping
Zeeburg also is open from March to December. Camping Vliegenbos closes
for the season as early as September, and Camping Het Amsterdamse Bos
closes by the end of October.
There
is so much to see and do in Amsterdam. As one walks along the
canals she will notice how the architecture stands tall as reminders
from the past. Most of Amsterdam around the canal belt is filled with
houses that are 300-500 years old, and some are older than that. The
oldest standing structure
in Amsterdam is the Oude Kerk (Old Church), which survives from the
early 1300’s.
One
can not walk for long without approaching one of the many
museums that are part of Amsterdam’s heritage. “Must see”
museums include the Rijksmusuem, which is filled with artwork by Dutch
and Flemish masters, including Rembrandt’s paintings. The Van Gogh
Museum, which is filled with works by the Van Gogh brothers. The Stedelijk
Museum of modern art, and the Anne Frankhuis. On a lighter note, Amsterdam
is host to museums such as the Hash and Marihuana Museum, the Tattoo
Museum, the Erotic Museum, the Theatermuseum, the Heineken Museum and
Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum. This is just a partial listing of
the 30 (+) museums found in Amsterdam today.
After three days of walking Amsterdam, I had put quite a few miles on
my
shoes, and my legs were ready for a rest, but not to worry! This is
where the Canal-Bus enters the picture. Take advantage of all the waterways
that course through this beautiful city. A day long pass on a Canal-bus
boat is a wonderful way to experience Amsterdam. The price for the all
day pass is $12.
For more cash you can take advantage of special dinner cruises. The
dozen or so stops for the Canal-bus are located just where they need
to be. Hop off the boat at the museum district and explore Van Gogh
Museum, Rijksmuseum, the Heineken Brewery, and Stedelijk Museum of Modern
Art. Hop back on and cruise over to Leidesplein Square for easy access
to the Cinema complex, the Bulldog, Vondelpark, and some of the city’s
most excellent restaurants.
Leidesplein is really a fun area with all the street musicians and mimes,
acrobats and flower girls. For the late night “jones” head
to the Melkweg
Club (Milky Way Club) adjacent to Leidespleun Square. It’s 3 floors
of hip
jam...opens at 10:00 p.m., closes whenever.
A visit to Amsterdam is a wonderful way to spend some free time. Just
about every local resident of Amsterdam is fluent in English, so getting
around is no problem at all. The end of summer weather is just gorgous,
and side trips to see windmills and tulips are easily arranged.
Amsterdam
in summer “peak” time is crowded with tourists, and prices
are jacked up accordingly. Amsterdam in the winter and spring time is
cold and a bit rainy. Amsterdam in late summer and early fall is just
right! Who knows? You might even come back home with some wooden shoes!
Christian
Franklin
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