Surprisingly enough, although English is widely spoken and understood in Amsterdam, there was very little English signage at the airport. We had some trouble figuring out the train into the city but finally decided we were too tired and hungry to waste any more time, so we got on the next best one. We got off at a random stop which was meant to be near our hotel, and then wandered aimlessly a little wondering whether to walk or not. In the end, the idea of walking through a park at night time in a city known for its crime was not tempting and we opted for a taxi. A Scottish bloke checked us in, asked Toby about the rugby and the weather and told us there was a reduced room service menu this late at night (11pm). Our room was a smoking one but Toby, being the bloodhound he is, went around sniffing everything and declared it to be tolerable. We had to request a room service menu and a fourth pillow (3 pillows for 2 people?) and by the time they didn't arrive I was too tired to think about food, and cranky about the strange Dutch method of putting sheets on a bed (two overlapping sheets which you're supposed to lie on). So it wasn't a great start to the holiday but the bed was comfy and we'd made it in one piece.
Having missed a proper dinner the night before, on Saturday we woke up hungry and ready to explore. Our first mission was to get a map, and then some breakfast. A girl behind the counter gave us a map and some directions which were to later prove very unhelpful. She told us to get the tram into the city which is where we'd find all the breakfast we needed. But we didn't have the patience or the energy to tackle public transport before food and thought we were certain to find something edible within walking distance. It took some time and some wrong turns and a fair bit of oohing and aahing at the canals surrounding the hotel, but we found a good-looking bakery not far away and feasted on ham and cheese croissants and cinnamon donuts. A nutritious start to a long day.
Our first stop was the Van Gogh museum, one of two we'd agreed on beforehand. The walk there was lovely, along canals and peering down the gorgeous tree-lined streets, always having to keep an eye out for the locals on their bikes. They were everywhere. There was a line outside the Museum, but it was moving quickly and we got inside which was lucky as it was starting to drizzle. (It didn't stop until the next morning, so from now on, assume we are always damp.)
Inside the museum was really crowded, but it was still a really good way to start our trip. Since reading the chapter in 'The Art of Travel' about Van Gogh I have been intrigued, so this fit the bill perfectly. I don't know if Van Gogh's art appears sad because you know he himself was sad, or because it really does have that quality about it. My favourite painting was probably the Potato Eaters, which he worked really hard on and no one liked. But something about the ugly peasants sitting around their ugly starchy food just hit me. I really liked the idea too that someone could just wake up one day, as Van Gogh did, and decided he could be an artist from now on, with no training and no natural ability that he was aware of. He just wanted to help people through art. The other thing that was surprising about the museum was its claim that it didn't often get to add to its collection because Van Gogh articles are so expensive. And yet the museum was full of proof that its staff are spending thousands of hours figuring out things that in the grand scheme of things don't seem so important (like was this painting completed in 1882 or 1883? Was this done using that kind of ink, or this?). I couldn't help but think that maybe if the museum got rid of some of those academics they could afford to add more art to the collection which seemed to me something Van Gogh would have approved of.
After the museum we spent ages in the gift shop because I couldn't decide what souvenir I wanted to buy, and then headed into the city. The area the hotel girl had directed us to was a big square full of pubs and restaurants and nothing much of any interest so we went further afield and starting exploring the shopping district towards the Dam. For lunch we found a cafe in an alleyway and had pancakes. Considering Dutch meals are based around at least one of cheese, pancakes, bread or potatoes it was surprising that Amsterdammers did not seem the least bit tubby. We put that down to all the cycling. The pancakes were huge - the size of a dinner plate - and thicker than a crepe. They are served with a sweet or savoury topping - the ones we got, which had cheese, were grilled and ended up looking like a pizza. Delicious, artery-clogging lunch. Other odd things about Dutch meals were that everywhere served alcohol and they are still allowing smoking in restaurants. This was definitely our least favourite thing about Amsterdam.
After lunch we explored some more, ending up quite taken with the colours and canals of Amsterdam, and had a quick stroll through the red light district. It's a surprisingly pretty area in the daytime; it was full of tourists and even with all the sex shops and what-not the buildings, alleyways and canals are still lovely. Toby got his first glimpse of some ladies through the windows; it was a little strange to see near-naked women displaying their bodies like that. On the other hand, this was Amsterdam and so entirely expected. We headed back to the hotel to rest up for a night out, via a bakery of course because we were surrounded by them and needed something to have with a cup of tea to replenish.
After tea, baked goodies and a nap (on my part) it was time to doll ourselves up and head out for a night on the town, Amsterdam style. This consisted of getting super confused about Amsterdam's tram system and taking too long to find a restaurant for dinner, by which time Toby was dizzy with hunger. We ate a meal like something you'd get at the Labor club (chicken schnitzel, chips and salad) to fortify ourselves for what lay ahead. We left quickly because there was an Indian bucks night on right next to us, complete with lots of smokers and flirting with the waitresses.
After dinner we went back to the red light district and did some night-time exploring. It was absolutely packed, mostly with men but with enough women that I didn't feel out of place. Unlike the afternoon where most of the windows had been empty, now they all displayed lots of women, most young and attractive with the occasional older lady thrown in for some variety. There were also lots of drug dealers who for some reason took a shine to Toby. Of course we had to see a live show, so we chose a club and paid an exorbitant amount of money for a ticket. Inside it was a tiny room, very smoky and full of people. As this is a family blog I will say no more. Suffice to say, like other first-time experiences, it was oddly unerotic, disappointing, and came to an abrupt and unexpected finish. This was because of some audience members to whom one performer took a dislike; they were American and very loudly complaining when the lights went on and we all had to leave. After that I wasn't much in the mood for any more red light district fun, so we went to McDonald's for a McFlurry and then got a taxi home. Toby was very understanding.
And so our first day in Amsterdam came to a close. Tomorrow I'll post our second day, and some photos.
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