Amsterdam- 72 hours

For being Dutch, it might seem odd that its taken me this long to visit Amsterdam. In September I finally had the chance to spend a few days in this famous Dutch city to see if it really was that postcard perfect destination of winding cobbled streets and misty canals.

Landing in Schipol Airport early morning, it was super easy to get a train directly to Amsterdam’s Centraal Station (which as the name suggests is right in the middle of the city). It only takes about 20 minutes and is the fastest way to reach the center. We had decided to try booking with Airbnb since we were self-catering and had chosen the Jordaan area since it was supposed to be an interesting neighbourhood with a less touristy feel. The location turned out to be a good choice, but the apartment less so. We arrived to find it not yet cleaned and the owners were rude and unhelpful. It also didn’t have a dining table (seriously?), no cutting boards, a cold shower and no ventilation (which was made worse by the Indian Summer temperatures that hit the city).

Still, we didn’t have to spend much time there. The next morning we were up with the birds, and got to witness a phonemenon unique to Dutch cities: thousands of bicycles! Everyone was off to work and school and the streets were literally crawling with bikes- kids, mums, dads, guys in suits, women in high heels, grannies biking faster than anyone else. We carefully walked among them trying to stay out of their way (bikes have priority above all other forms of transport in Holland, woe betide you if you cause it to have to change direction, never mind crash into it). We wandered through Vondel Park, also teeming with cyclists on the morning commute, before arriving in Museum Plein. 

We made sure we bought tickets to all the museums the day before, so we didn’t have to queue and could waltz straight into the revamped Van Gogh Museum. It was amazing to see the famous Dutch artist’s work up close and learn more about his personal story. I especially liked seeing his famous ‘Sunflowers’ and all his work in general, all painted in the familiar style that has inspired so many after him.

It was a busy day, wandering through the Bloemenmarkt, the Albert Kuyp markt, and past those picturesque canals and skinny houses. We popped into the Heineken Brewery (to pick up an obligatory souvenir), only stopping for a picnic lunch in the shade. We also ticked off the Stedelijk museum, full of modern art, to escape the afternoon heat. I do like modern art, its so quirky. You always think, hey, I could have made that (and then remember you didn’t).

Day 2. It was time for the big one- The Rijksmuseum. We were of course here to see Rembrandt’s Nacht Wacht, but there was so much else to the museum. Each room brimmed with art from all historic periods. The art nerd (Maya) was in heaven, but I was enjoying myself too. Needless to say Rembrandt’s famous piece blew us away, its such a huge painting it takes over most of one wall, and there’s so much going on in it you really do need a while to take it all in. We even managed to squeeze in another museum- one doing a temporary exhibition on Banksy and Warhol. Since I’ve studied them in school it was super interesting to actually see their work in the flesh.

I was suffering museum fatigue by then so we stopped in Hema and Albert Heijn- the best Dutch stores to muck around in, for funky stationary and yummy food respectively. I love Dutch food, especially the yoghurt. I’ll move to Holland for that alone.

Day 3, and our last few hours. We’d had enough of Amsterdam (well, not quite, I loved the city, but we had another plan). We decided to explore Rotterdam on the way back to the airport and our night flight home. I was curious to revisit my ‘Hometown’ and since it was easy to take trains, why not?

So we found ourselves on a comfy train, enjoying views of the pretty Dutch countryside, full of windmills and oreo-patterned cows grazing languidly. Its not scenery that stops you in your tracks or takes your breath away as such, but there is something peaceful and romantic about it, its no wonder all the Dutch masters had plenty of inspiration on their door-step. Rotterdam, in contrast to A’dam, is modern, gritty and young, being mostly rebuilt after World War Two. We walked across one of the incredible bridges to get a good view of the River Mass below. Rotterdam has so much history for our family, I was born there, like dad. I missed him more than ever standing there on that bridge, watching barges pass beneath us, each laden with containers. I thought of him, in another port city on the other side of the world, and how he started here. I wonder what he would have thought, back when he was 20, if he knew all the places he would see along the way.

We also squeezed in one last museum- the Van Beuningen (dad’s old high school’s neighbour- he would pop in to its café), another beauty stuffed full of art and with some fun interactive exhibitions. Being in Rotterdam brought back memories of living there when I was young. They came back strongly, as if a gate had been opened in my mind somewhere, and I could remember things like driving with mum to go shopping, visiting the Euromast nearby, wishing I did’t have to go to school so I could play at home. I wasn’t expecting to feel such strong emotions. I guess I’ll have to come back to revisit, maybe with dad next time.

One more train ride and we were back at the airport, aching feet and all.

Practical stuff:

Getting here- Its easiest to fly to Schipol Airport and then take a train to the city centre- its easy to buy tickets at the airport and jump straight on a direct train.

Getting around- Make use of the good public transport system; buses, trams and trains are all easy to use and are fast and efficient.

Accommodation- By all means use Airbnb at your own risk. If you want to self-cater, you can also try Owners Direct. Hotels are expensive, especially in the Museum Plein Area, but will save you a bit of a walk. If you want a real Amsterdam Experience, stay in a converted house boat on a canal!

Things to do- You can buy an Amsterdam Card which gives you free entrance to many museums and other attractions, but since we could get student discounts at most of the places we wanted to go, we didn’t bother. Another popular activity is a canal tour, which we didn’t have time for. If you want to explore another Dutch city, like Rotterdam, its easy to take the train for a day trip. This website has info on everything about A’dam, its quite helpful.

Overall- I really loved Amsterdam, it had a relaxed feel for a city but was still buzzy and the people friendly. It was super hot when we visited which made it tiring at times, but hey, I’ll take it over rain any day! I’m happy we also chose to see Rotterdam, even thought it was a fleeting visit. Visiting two cities for the price of one is never a bad idea…

Thanks to Maya for the amazing pictures and art expertise (you don’t need a guide with her around)! And keep a look-out for more 72 hour guides on the blog.