Spring Bike Ride Down the Amstel

Tags

Amsterdam Blogs, bikes, Day Trip, Netherlands

The weather is a bit fitful, but in between the showers we are seeing lots of sunshine lately. Last week we took advantage of that to get out on our bikes! I bike a lot through town, but the trips are so short that I can hardly count it as exercise. So we’ve vowed to try to take a longer bike ride out of town every week.

Last week, with no destination in mind, we followed the Amstel River south. Within a few kilometers we were out of the city, in fields and farms dotted with horses, goats, and sheep. We found the most adorable lambs in all shades of white, black and brown, and a hilariously large-and-woolly mama sheep.

There were rowers out on the river, and joggers out on the road. People were sitting outside in their gardens chatting, or weeding their daffodils and tulips. We even passed a few windmills.

We made it all the way to Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, a tiny little town hugging the river. The cafe terraces were so tempting! Next time we’ll have to stop for a warm drink or frothy brew.

I definitely need to keep going, because those 22 km completely wore me out! The next sunny day, I’ll be back on my bike, looking for more woolly sheepies.

The Amstelkring: A Hidden Museum

Tags

Amsterdam Blogs, art, Museums, Netherlands

It took me over seven months to get to this museum, but I’m so glad I did. It’s mentioned in a lot of guidebooks, but the confusing names and tiny location let me glaze over it for so long. (It’s variously called The Amstelkring or Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder, Our Lord in the Attic). Luckily our friends’ visit back in early March was the perfect catalyst.

In the middle of the Red Light District, just down the street from some bawdy bars and clubs, in an unassuming canal house, is a hidden Catholic church. In the 1660s Amsterdam was going through some religious turbulence, and all the Catholic churches were being transformed into austere Protestant ones. If you were a Catholic, no one wanted to know about it. So the churches went into hiding, into people’s homes and ‘secret’ locations around the city.

Confessionals

A few centuries later the furor had died down, and the Church of St. Nicholas opened nearby. With the clandestine church not needed anymore, the congregation decided to turn it into a museum in 1888. I love that it’s been a museum longer than many American houses have existed!

Today it’s under renovation, scheduled to finish by 2014, but it’s still worth visiting. Not only is the church at the top fascinating, but the house itself is a beautifully preserved example of 17th and 18th century life. With a great audio tour and a big house to explore, it’s well worth your time!

Located at Oudezijds Voorburgwal 40

Museum website

The Zaanse Schans Windmills

Tags

Day Trip, Netherlands

Zaanse Schans is one of those places in the Netherlands that you feel like you have to go, as a good tourist. It’s the perfect distance from Amsterdam, it’s out of the city, and it has the requisite Dutch traditions: windmills, clogs, and cheese. One trip there and you can get your fill of all the pictures you need wearing giant clogs. Perfect.

Luckily we went pretty early in March so there were only a few buses of tourists–I can only imagine the place in summer! That said, it was a fun place, and worth a visit.

The area is a sort of open air museum with a collection of historical buildings, farms, and of course, the windmills. A few are even open to visitors (we went in the Spice Mill). Walking through the fields and by the mills lets you get a little taste of Dutch history.

And of course you have to visit the clog factory! Inside is a dazzling number of clogs, some intricately carved, some painted, and many for sale. We caught the end of an explanation of clogmaking. Pretty neat process.

The best part of the day was when I made a new friend. A goat was waiting for us behind the cheese factory (so many samples!), and he promptly jumped on the fence to say hello, even posing for a picture with me. If I look slightly nervous, it’s because I was. That goat was a little too confident…

Hello.

Goats, cheese, clogs, and windmills. How much more Dutch can you get? Even better, the skies were cloudy, gray and perfectly dramatic, just like an old Dutch painting. With a bit of oil and canvas I could believe that the scene below was from the 16th century.

Avoid the crowds, but go. Even better, by bike! Perfectly Dutch.

Cycling to the Amsterdamse Bos

Tags

Amsterdam Blogs, bikes, Netherlands

In honor of Spring being so near (is it today, the 20th? Or officially tomorrow, the 21st? I never know), here’s a few snapshots of a bike ride we took some weeks ago, where I saw the first hints of the coming season. It never ceases to frustrate me at how long spring takes to arrive anywhere (I should probably move to Florida), but I do love the teases nature offers.

We took advantage of a sunny day some time ago to get some exercise. We ride our bikes all the time, but it’s usually only across town so this longer ride was definitely tough!

The Amsterdamse Bos (‘Amsterdam Wood’), is about 7km south of us, near the city of Amstelveen. It’s a big park with 51km of winding paths, open spaces for picnics and games, a petting zoo, fountains and children’s pools in the warm months, and lots of empty spaces for wandering.

We cycled around aimlessly, finding a polder to eat our lunch in while we watched geese. The area is so close to Schipol Airport that we could count how many planes come in for landing (I lost count quickly.)

It was a chilly enough day that it still felt like winter, but then I saw them.  Hints of spring. I screeched my brakes to a halt to better admire them.

Any idea what these flowers are? I’m terrible at identifying that stuff. (Update: Consensus says they’re snowdrops! Thanks!) I’m looking forward to warmer days and many more bike expeditions in the coming weeks!

A Rainy Stop in Delft

Tags

art, Day Trip, Delft, Netherlands

The train from Rotterdam-Amsterdam passes right through Delft, among other towns, so we thought it was a perfect opportunity to jump off and explore a bit. Delft is famous for being the birthplace of Vermeer, and for the eponymous blue-and-white painted pottery that’s so typically Dutch.

It was a good plan. Unfortunately the weather disagreed, and sent buckets of rain along with umbrella-inverting wind. We ate lunch, saw some cute shops, visited a city museum where William of Orange was murdered, and stood in the wet, windy square, then gave up and got back on the train.

I was cursed to have closed eyes in at least 4 pictures this trip. This one is still cute, though!

The city is full of Delftware shops, and a factory (which was closed), selling the famous porcelain. A lot of them are tacky souvenir shops with mass-produced wares, but many are real antique stores, charging real euros for each piece. These things are an investment! You could spend a whole week researching the history of Delftware, and what makes it antique/real, and how much it’s worth. I haven’t, so all I can say is, it’s pretty. And expensive. And I’m kind of lusting after some of it.

The obvious and easiest thing to get is a Delft tile. Dutch kitchens used to be covered in these, all hand-painted with different scenes, dating from the 1600s. I’m in love with these, but I’m trying to be smart. What would I do with it? Would it survive traveling without breaking? Would I need a set to really make it worthwhile? Such hard questions! In the meantime, I took some pictures I can admire.

The (steep) price tag also dates this tile: 1630. Whew!

When the weather is kinder I’m hoping we can head back to Delft and enjoy it a bit more. Soak up some sunshine instead of rain. Maybe by then I will have come to a decision on the tiles…

The Maeslant Storm Barrier, or, Holland’s Fight With the Sea

Tags

Day Trip, Museums, Netherlands

The Netherlands is a fascinating little country: a huge swath of it is below sea level. The name itself even means “lowlands.” The people that settled here historically faced a hard battle with the sea and were constantly threatened by floods and broken dykes. The last catastrophe was in 1953 when a storm on the North Sea caused huge surges and floods in South Holland (and in UK and Belgium, too). The old dykes and dams weren’t enough to hold back the water: thousands were killed and even more lost their homes.

{Click through for source}

After the disaster, the Dutch put their collective foot down and said, “no more.” An ambitious 50-year plan to strengthen flood defenses was conceived and named the Delta Works, involving sluices, dams and barriers. In 1998 the final piece was completed, the Maeslant Storm Barrier.

Located on the waterway between Rotterdam and the North Sea, just outside the town of Hoek van Holland, the storm barrier is a deceptively simple piece of engineering. Because Rotterdam is such busy port the waterway has to be kept open. So two giant “gates” were constructed that, in the event of a surge, could be moved together to protect the river.

Overlooking the barrier, Jesse sweeps his hand for dramatic effect.

Not only is the barrier itself fascinating, but the visitor’s center is decently interesting and informative, and on a sunny day was a pleasure to get to. Their website recommends taking the train to Hoek van Holland and renting bikes or a taxi–we still had our trusty 3 bikes, and rode the entire 9km on those, with plenty of stops for pictures.

Rachel and Alan on their bikes.

A bit of a quirky stop, the barrier shows a different side of the Netherlands: brilliant engineering, and a constant battle with the sea. More information here.

Biking in Rotterdam

Tags

bikes, Netherlands, Rotterdam

Rotterdam is a pretty spread-out city, with no discernible center. Luckily our bed and breakfast was actually a “Bed and Bike,” and came with some bikes to use. Equally lucky is how bike-able the city is: wide separated lanes, different signals, clear signs. What a joy!

A (blurry) while-riding picture showing the wide lanes.

We went to a good 5 or 6 museums while we were there, and instead of walking everywhere or waiting for trams, we just hopped on our bikes and sped off. So easy! I’m not sure I’ve really explored a new city by bike before, but I think it’s my new favorite way. Especially in the Netherlands.

We did have some small mechanical difficulties involving a fallen-off chain, a bent wheel, and some broken spokes. Dutch bikes are never coddled much.

Jesse and Alan hard at work. (Photo by Rachel Orrison)

We soon gave up on that bike altogether, and went the Dutch way: one person pedaling, one person riding on the back. I see it all the time in Amsterdam, and Jesse and I have tried it a few times, but never for so long. We went all over the city! Luckily we traded off who rode and who pedaled, so no one was stuck with extra weight for too long. (And luckily, I was always the extra weight…)

Rachel, riding in style

I have to say, this is the way to ride. Not only are you whizzing through the city on a (semi) comfy seat, you don’t have to look where you’re going, and can enjoy the scenery. Maybe even throw in a wave here and there, to various passersby.

(Photo by Rachel Orrison)

Biking really helped get the feel of the city. Rotterdam is known as a no-nonsense, working-class metropolis, as the saying goes: “Money is earned in Rotterdam, divided in The Hague and spent in Amsterdam.” It reminded me of some Pacific Northwest cities, with the grittiness of Seattle and the international diversity of Vancouver. It felt alive and livable, like a fun place to be on a Friday night. Next time!

{*You may have noticed the byline on some of these photos belong to my friend Rachel Orrison, who, along with her husband, is a fantastic photographer. Check out his portfolio (look for his Netherlands travel pics soon!) here.*}

Rotterdam Days

Tags

Museums, Netherlands, Rotterdam

We said goodbye to our guests today, after taking them on a whirlwind tour of the Netherlands. I think we made it to 4 cities in one week, and about four times as many museums! I’m a bit exhausted.

The Erasmusbrug, Rotterdam's most recognizable symbol (Photo by Rachel Orrison)

We spent about two days in Rotterdam, which is a mere 1 1/2 hour train ride away from Amsterdam, but an entirely different city. Where Amsterdam has stately canal houses and an old center, Rotterdam is packed with modern buildings, experimental architecture, and lots of neighborhoods. During WWII the city was heavily bombed by Hitler, forcing the country to surrender. The historical center was destroyed, and the past 50 years have been spent rebuilding in interesting and sometimes crazy styles. I’ve become convinced that if you like architecture, Dutch cities are some of the best places to visit!

One of the most experimental are the Cube Houses, a crazy clump of buildings that seem to “grow” like trees. The “forest” consists of 39 hexagonal houses designed in the 1970s by Piet Blom. We peeked into the “show cube,” where we could see what it’s like to live in a tilted, cubed house. The answer? Very 70s. Psychedelic, even.

We also took a harbor tour, which was perfect on a chilly day! Rotterdam is the world’s 3rd biggest port (behind Shanghai and Hong Kong), and Europe’s largest. Hundreds of tons of cargo go in and out every day–it was a little overwhelming. I never think about how the stuff I use gets places…

There are a few places that the bombs missed, and those retain that old brick 16th-century character I’m so used to in Amsterdam. The harbor of Delfshaven is one of the oldest and best-preserved. It’s a bit funny stepping from glass office buildings to a cobbled, canal-side street again.

A snippet of history for you: the above church is known as the Pilgrim Father’s Church. The Pilgrims had lived in Holland for awhile, but didn’t want to become Dutch so they decided to strike out for the new world. This harbor was where they left from, heading to England to then board the Mayflower and start their new life. History. Right here. Bam.

Tomorrow I’ll share some pictures of how we got around Rotterdam! Hint: 4 people, 6 wheels.

Visitors and Beschuit

Tags

Amsterdam Blogs, home, Netherlands

Tomorrow we welcome some friends from the States for a full week! We’ll show them our favorite corners of Amsterdam, then escape to Rotterdam for a few days. I’ve never been, so I’m excited to explore!

In preparation for their stay we’ve been knee-deep in spring cleaning. Which is a whole lot easier when our apartment is two rooms and we don’t have much, but it’s still a big chore. We treated ourselves to a delicious breakfast this morning to prepare.

This is at Gebroeder Neimeijer, a cute French bakery on the Nieuwendijk. That’s three little rolls with jam, a brioche, coffee, and freshly-squeezed orange juice. On the right are walnut fig rolls with gruyere cheese. I seriously love breakfast.

On the way home we bought three bunches of tulips to brighten up our home, and a bevy of Dutch treats to welcome our friends. Stroopwafels, hagelslag, speculoos-paste, and beschuit, biscuit/bread type things that you butter then put anise-flavored sprinkles on. Quite a treat.

After next week I’ve have a full report on Rotterdam! Until then I’ve written up a few posts on my favorite small-town travels from the past, and have set them to  (hopefully) post throughout the week.

Goodbye for now! I’m off to eat more beschuits.

Gezellig, A Lesson in Dutch

Tags

Amsterdam Blogs, home, Netherlands

I’ve been in the Netherlands just over seven months now. Seven months! Such a long and short time, all wrapped up in one. In seven months I’ve managed to wrap my head around a lot of things, like a charge to call your bank, bicyclists using an umbrella, cell phone, and coffee cup at once, Sinterklaas and his blackface companions, and the guttural noises of the unique Dutch language.

Out of everything I’ve learned here, I think my favorite thing is one word. One silly-sounding word: gezellig. Or gezelligheid. (Listen to the pronunciation here.) It’s a Dutch person’s favorite word to teach foreigners, because a) they like to see us squirm to pronounce it, b) it’s uniquely Dutch*, and has no direct English translation, and c) it’s in every inch of the culture here. In fact, it is the culture.

{*Note: Danish hyyge and German gemütlich, have similar untranslatable meanings but ever-so-slightly different feelings and culture behind them.}

Gezelligheid can’t be summed up in a phrase, but at it’s core is a sense of coziness, or conviviality. Of being comfortable, in a friendly sort of way. It can describe a cafe, a city, or a home. A person can be gezellig, as can an act, a party, or an item.

Gezellig curtains

Some examples of gezelligheid: Putting fresh flowers in your home every week.  Offering your guests tea when they visit. A birthday party with close friends. Homemade jam. A fireplace in a cafe. Coming home to hot chocolate after ice skating on a canal. Lighting candles on a dark winter’s night, or packing a checkered blanket for a summer’s picnic. All of these have a sense being companionable, social, intimate, homey. Gezellig is the feelings of all those words put together.

A dentist’s office, McDonald’s, politics, unpaid bills, a dirty kitchen, and an angry Doberman Pinscher are all decidedly ongezellig, and should be avoided at all costs.

Maybe someone who’s Dutch can describe it better, but to me, gezelligheid is putting in that little extra touch that makes something special, and then sharing it with friends and family. It’s taking the time to appreciate moments in life, and using the things around us to highlight the people we love. It’s thoughtful and intentional, like pulling out the nice china for a meal. Or bringing flowers to someone’s house.

Flowers are always gezellig

If American culture is known for flashy excess, Dutch culture can be described as a celebration of gezelligheid. It’s everywhere here, and it’s best shown in the cafes on the canal corners. From fresh-squeezed orange juice on the menu, a little cookie that comes with each coffee, friends chatting for hours, and the cat sunning himself in the window, cafes are the pinnacle of gezelligheid.

I should point out, lest I sound euro-snobbish, that this feeling is not exclusive to Amsterdam. You can find gezellig anywhere. Seven months ago, so many of my favorite places, moments, and things in Portland were gezellig, but I never had a word to describe it.

Now I do. And I’ll take it with me everywhere, slaughtering the pronunciation gleefully as I search out every single gezellig moment I can find.

“Zo gezellig!”