Amsterdam must be one of the coolest cities in the world, at least by reputation - which is generally fueled by the smell of weed that hangs in the air, just about everywhere. I have been in Amsterdam twice and haven't partaken in any smokey activities - and definitely not what is a short walk on the other side of these buildings, the red light district. I take the approach of, "if I have to pay for sex - I shouldn't be having sex." I am yet to hear a compelling justification for prostitution.
The buildings that line the Damrak are iconic for a reason - they are bloody excellent. The reason the houses in the city are so narrow, is that the properties were taxed on their frontage to the water, which meant people were incentivized to build narrow homes with height and depth instead. It is interesting how rules dictate design decisions, as people will generally find ways to "bend them" if they can. Bending rules is a part of the creative process - color outside the lines.
As said, I have been in Amsterdam twice, once in 2013 with my wife, once at the end of 2019 on a work trip, where I stayed in the city overnight only - which was nowhere long enough for my liking - but better than nothing. I also got to meet and have dinner with @soyrosa, which was awesome.
The first time however was great up to a point. Amsterdam was the second leg after Copenhagen and before Brussels, before heading on to a romantic week in Paris. We had a great time walking the canals and drinking plenty of mint tea, visiting the Van Gogh museum and a sobering walk through the Anne Frank house - but on the last day, we were robbed. My wife's pink suitcase was stolen from the hotel security room, where staff literally held the door open for someone to walk in off the street and walk away with it. All on camera.
The problem was not only were we on a budget and couldn't really afford to buy new clothes - my wife is very petite and her "adult" shoes have to be tailor made for her, as she wears kid sizes. Bummer. But, we didn't let it ruin the rest of our holiday, although it did cause some changes to plans and budget considerations, since my wife insisted she needed to wear clothes - while I was less concerned about it.
But, as far as Amsterdam was as a city holiday destination, it was cool and the people we did get to interact with were pretty cool also. As said, we did go to the Anne Frank house and for anyone who likes history, I do recommend it. It is incredible to think that a child could do what she and her family did for so long, and I am sure that they weren't the only ones doing similar for survival. History should warn us against certain behaviors, yet we never seem to learn a lesson for long.
We bought a couple books from the bookstore which were stamped as gifts, but they were stolen in the robbery. One of the reasons I wanted to have a night in Amsterdam was so I could go back to the house and buy them again and surprise my wife, as she was upset at losing the books, it was like another nail in the coffin at the time. The problem was, they moved the bookstore inside completely so it required lining up, but the reason I couldn't was due to a rule that there could be no bags - and I had my carry-on luggage in-tow. I tried my best to convince the security, to no avail.
While I don't think this is the point of travel, the shopping in Amsterdam is pretty good with a few long streets lined with shops. "Good shopping" is a relative term, as I live in Finland where not only is the range poor, the prices are exorbitant - but Amsterdam is unlikely to be the cheapest place around. It is kind of weird to have the shops selling weed though, another thing that in Finland is very much illegal - they banned CBD oil here too...
But I think that the highlight of Amsterdam is definitely NOT the insane people on bikes - but just walking through the canals hand-in-hand, eating great pastries and drinking mint tea. For a busy city during the day, most of it is strangely quiet at night, which I think is probably the best time (or early morning before the shops open) to walk around and get photos, even when it is a bit cool, although it is good to note that the lights at Damrak (and the inner city) go off at around midnight.
I love travelling with my wife, miss travelling for work and we are yet to travel with our daughter - but spending some time looking back at where I have been, I count myself very lucky to have seen some of the world, even if it is far less than I would like. While I don't know when or where I will travel next, every place has its pros and cons and even the negative experiences bring value.
Taraz
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