David Krohn

Amsterdam, November 2009

Amsterdam must surely be along the quaintest of major cities in Europe with the beauty and romance of clustered buildings and endless canals. There is in fact, so much water they don’t seem to appreciate it. In London and other cities, waterfront properties are prized above all others yet here the space along side the canals are dedicated to roads and cycle tracks not bars and restaurants.

In some ways Amsterdam is the most contradictory city I have ever visited. There is no doubt that the Dutch are a most cultured and intelligent people  yet the undercurrent of sleaze is always just below the surface.

Coming from Paris, the lack of public smoking and the organised nature of the streets was immediately obvious. However, at night the truth is revealed with drug dealers and drunken tourists out in force and the obvious attraction of the red light district competing with the museums and galleries on the outskirts of the city centre.

That said the architecture is beautiful and there are some castles that seem to be straight out of a fairytale! The streets are well organised and easy to navigate.  From a cyclists perspective, it is one of the most pleasant cities to take a spin in as the miles of cycle tracks make it a stress free experience. On foot, it is quite a different experience as they tend to treat pedestrians as London treats cyclists, seldom given right of way and with foot paths that end in surprise.

Strangely, there was a lack of local cuisine. Beyond some exceptional chocolate and baked goods, I found the food quite boring and mostly derived from other European traditions. The Dutch seemed a little sensitive when I broached this subject and pointed to their rather bland varieties of cheese as evidence as a culinary tradition.

Another subject that seemed to upset them was the link between Dutch and Afrikaans and they tended to deride Afrikaans as being extremely simplicistic and a juvenile derivation. Perhaps it is the rascist history of the Afrikaans nation that makes them feel this way but Dutch culture is not entirely free of the racial blemish either.

All in all, Amsterdam is an exciting city with enough culture to keep traditionalists happy while providing a good night life and enough good old fashioned debauchery to keep thrill seekers coming back for more!

Tags: amsterdam, red light district, waterfront