We’ll write more in the coming weeks about the ins and outs of Amsterdam (prostitution! canal tours! tulips! weed!), but for now all you get is this sneak peak (stay tuned via RSS or facebook for more of the nitty gritty details!).
Want to live on a houseboat in Amsterdam? Unfortunately you’ll need to be super wealthy to afford that pleasure. It’s not so much the houseboats that are expensive, though – it’s the moorings, which are strictly limited by the city.
Ah, the Red Light District, where you can find things like condoms in the shape of Homer Simpson.
Amsterdammers have a thing for hanging out in their windows to enjoy the views and mild weather. Even on the top floors they didn’t seem too concerned about falling out; in fact, we saw one person washing the outside of their 3rd-story windows with no harness or anything. Daredevil!
FUN FACT:
The front walls of most buildings in Amsterdam are built at a slant, with the roof leaning slightly further out than the bottom wall. This is because cargo was traditionally off-loaded from the canal boats and brought up into buildings via pulley systems on the roof (which are still in use today for things like moving couches into top-floor apartments). The slant of the building allows things to be drawn up without banging into the wall and breaking windows. Brilliant, huh?
Amsterdam doesn’t have a lot of street art (especially not compared to Berlin!), but there are still a few fun pieces around the city.
We arrived in Amsterdam on 4/20, a popular stoner’s holiday. The streets were… pungent, to say the least. But if smoking ain’t your thang, you can easily munch on a “space cake” or coconut cannabis cookie instead.
Amsterdam is teeming with coffeeshops, which are places where you can somewhat legally imbibe marijuana. CAUTION: these are not to be confused with cafes! Cafes = coffee, coffeeshops = drugs (but also with a side of coffee, if you’d like). Confusing, I know.
Some coffeeshops in the central districts are sketchy tourist traps, but others have a more relaxed vibe. Just to give you a sense of the nicer variety, here’s the upstairs lounge of DampKring in central Amsterdam.
Holland might be best known for its tulips and tolerant policies on sex and drugs, but did you know they also make some delectable cheeses? You can sample a few varieties at the local outdoor market, or just take the plunge and buy an entire wheel.
You may think pedestrians should have the right of way when crossing a street, but that’s silly talk. It’s bikes. BIKES own the roads in Amsterdam, and it’ll take a few instances of almost-getting-run-over to truly appreciate just how quickly you’ll need to MOVE THE F**K OUT OF THE WAY in order to avoid getting furiously cursed at in Dutch.
Believe me, I speak from experience.
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THE HEINEKEN EXPERIENCE.
Also, if you’re still there, go to Utrecht! It’s about half an hour from Amsterdam by train, and it’s where I was living when I met Scott =)
Camels & Chocolate recently posted: A Complete Guide to Drinking Your Way Through Bourbon Country
Awwww, I wish I had known this when we were in Amsterdam! And I had no idea you lived in the Netherlands; that’s so cool. How long were you there?
oh, there’s nothing like starting your day with a ‘GET THE F*CK OUT THE WAY”…..such a welcoming experience. haha. I was so young when I visited Amsterdam that I was not able to partake in any of the cities more delectable offerings. I am excited to read through your journey – Do you end up living happily ever after in a houseboat?
Chrystal McKay recently posted: Duomo Duomo Duom-OH!
No.
We LOVE houseboats so we checked into the option, but we were in Amsterdam around Queen’s Day (I think that’s the holiday?) so everything was overbooked and super expensive. Next time, though!
Now you made me miss Amsterdam again!
Lovely photo essay.
Laura @Travelocafe recently posted: Hotel Corral del Rey, Seville. A Warm Welcome in A 17th Century Palace
Oops, my bad.
Nice overview! I haven’t been to Amsterdam, but would certainly like to visit someday.
And let me just say…. those condoms are freaking amazing. Haha.
Amanda recently posted: Lots of Lighthouses
Aren’t they, though?? Not very practical, but fun.
My favorite part of Amsterdam is a really wonderful friend living there. I would also love to see the tulips. I haven’t gone yet because it would chop away at the savings for my dream trips, and especially because I have very high resistance to visiting a city that showcases prostitution as one of its main tourist attractions, when in actuality so many women in prostitution are abused physically and sexually on a regular basis. My friend has wanted me to come for years, so I’m looking forward to your future posts to see what else the city has to offer, because my friend is important to me.
Ayelet – All Colores recently posted: Jerusalem Ice Festival: Jerusalem Made of Ice
It was actually quite interesting for us to learn about prostitution in the Netherlands, Ayelet. I’m of the belief that not all sex workers are victims (some willingly choose the work and even enjoy it), though unfortunately there is a lot of trafficking and abuse taking place around the world. In the Red Light District specifically, though, the sex workers are self-employed and have a lot of autonomy.
So, what is “get the f**k out of the way” in Dutch?
I’d really like to visit Amsterdam again!
fotoeins | Henry recently posted: Hamburg, Germany in June
Hahaha, I wish I could remember – I feel like I heard it at least 50 times.
Difficult to say but I do love spending an afternoon canalside in a brown cafe.
An afternoon spent in a cafe is always a great pastime… and then even more so when it’s on a canal.
I have never been more scared for my life as a pedestrian as I was in Amsterdam! I didn’t know who had the priority between pedestrians, bikes, scooters, cars or trams. SO confusing!
Seriously! It was a mess, and all I could tell was that pedestrians were definitely at the bottom of the food chain. And those trams were scary!
I am fairly sure that if I stuck Homer Simpson on my old fella, no-one would let me do anything remotely interesting with him. And I would, frankly, be slightly disturbed if someone did
Laurence recently posted: In photos: from the Facebook Page (Edition i)
Bwahaha! Way to keep it real, Laurence.
Hehe, I look forward to the novelty picture you guys include in your posts!
My favourite part of Amsterdam were the sweet treats. Did you find the pancake shop where they have almost a hundred different combinations? Amazing!
I also love that bikes rule the road…I wish it was more like that here in England.
Ooooooh yes, we found the ginormous pancakes! And actually, we found all of the food we tried in Amsterdam to be so scrumptious. We ate VERY well.
Great photos!
Zorica recently posted: Kiev.com launches a brand new and modern travel website
Thanks!
Coconut cookies! I would definitely try them… for research purposes, of course. I love all the crazy condoms. What a fun city.
Scott – Quirky Travel Guy recently posted: Photo Teaser #33: Close-up angels
Let’s just say that we did some “research” in Amsterdam and it did not go well… We will tell you all about it when we finally meet up!
Caanan @ No Vacation Required recently posted: From Sizzling to Frigid in 24 Hours
Haha, I can’t wait to hear about it! We have quite the wild story from Amsterdam as well (that we’re NOT planning to post on the internet), so we’ll trade war stories when we get the chance.
Of course, Scott. Research.
We are heading back to Amsterdam for a day before we leave on our cruise to Norway in August, and I can’t wait to do a little exploring! Amsterdam always seems to be the kind of place that we visit while flying through to somewhere else, it being one of the world’s biggest international hubs and all. We have never really gone there just for the sake of going there (although I am sure there are lots of great things to see!)
Shanna Schultz recently posted: Fabulous Friday Foto: In the Garden of Good and Evil-Garden of the Gods, CO
Well, at least you get a little bit of time to spend in Amsterdam – that’s more than most!
The city is really fabulous, though, so you should schedule more time if you get the chance.
Hahaha, oh man, the condomerie. That was one of the first shops my friends and I found while on the way to explore the red light district. I have a condom wrapped as a lollypop, with a nurse’s face on it.
BTW, if you’ve never been to the sex museum, which is in the heart of the red light district, highly recommended. It’s full of hilarious stuff (including some incredibly graphic porn, but it’s done in kind of a kitschy way, so you can laugh at it). Only 3 euros to get in (well, when I was there 4 years ago; possibly more pricey now), and you can take as many pictures as you want.
Kaylin recently posted: What am I doing with my life?! Part 2
Dang, I wish we had known about that museum! We’re not really big fans of museums normally, but a sex museum is a whole different story. We went to one in Paris a few years ago and it was actually quite informative and historical!
I love the fact everyone has fresh flowers in their house – and that flowers are for sale on just about every corner. Also would like to see the Van Gogh Museum again. That was a real treat.
Leigh recently posted: It’s Wildflower Season in the Shuswap Region of BC
The flowers are great – and we were there during the tulips season, so tulips were everywhere!
We loved Amsterdam although it was freaking cold when we were there in February. Wrote a good post about weed in Amsterdam actually (and probably our most searched post haha) – http://www.fourjandals.com/europe/how-to-smoke-weed-in-amsterdam/
Cole @ Four Jandals recently posted: Yellow Hostel in Rome Review
I remember reading that post of yours, Cole.
Glad it’s bringing you some search traffic!
Fantastic photos as always! Wish I was heading back to Amsterdam soon, I can never get enough of it.
Andrea recently posted: Road Trip: Amsterdam to Maastricht
Thanks, Andrea!
What an amazing looking city! Other than the expense what is not to love?
Jonathan Look, Jr. recently posted: Bicycling from San Cristobal to Chiapa de Corzo
Ha, true. It is so expensive! I know we were there at the height of the tulip season, but we were blown away by the price of accommodations. Even totally run down hostels in a decent location were way more than we’ve paid elsewhere… and that was per person, rather than a hotel or apartment for two! Luckily we found an awesome studio on Airbnb, but it was a close call.
I love Amsterdam! It is such an awesome place to visit. I love the canals and cute buildings and who could forget the frites too!
Spencer recently posted: Ten Top Hotels in New Orleans
Oh man, the fries….. so much deliciousness!
I have not made it to Amsterdam yet but I will! It has so much going for it and in quite a few ways is very different than the US. Loved the condomerie! Only in Amsterdam.
Debbie Beardsley @ European Travelista recently posted: 3 Little Gems of England
That condom display cracked us up. You’re totally right – only in Amsterdam.
I went to Amsterdam with a friend for a weekend while we were studying abroad in Spain and we both absolutely loved the feel of the city. We took a free city tour with an incredibly enthusiast guide who provided so much interesting historical and cultural information — we too learned about the slanted roofs and hooks to pull furniture in through the windows. One our favorite parts of the trip was probably the fries they sell all around the city! Delicious!
Vicky recently posted: Three Months To Go!
The fries were so good! I don’t know what kind of sauce they put on them (garlicky mayo?), but it was a party for our taste buds.
I love that Cheese shop but I kinda got carried away. I would take new people from the hostel there and sample the amazing cheeses. After a while the staff got wise to my game and yelled at me “You cannot just come here like its your dinner. You were here yesterday! If you want to try you should also buy”. Pwned!
LozinTransit (Cool Amsterdam) recently posted: Guest posting on ‘Couple of Sports’ – How I won personalised sneakers in Lisbon, Portugal
Oh man, that’s classic! We’re big fans of stores that offer samples, but I don’t think we’ve ever gone back multiple days in a row.
Love the idea of living on a houseboat and the condoms are hilarious. Whoever thought that Homer Simpson would be an aphrodisiac?
Laurel recently posted: Summer Rodelbahn in the Nassfeld: Calling All Adrenalin Junkies
Haha, I certainly never thought it would come to that.
I’ve visited Amsterdam quite a few times and had all kinds of amazing experiences, but the two I enjoyed most were staying in a (moored) houseboat for a week and visiting the Aalsmeer Flower Auction in the city’s southern suburbs. It’s pretty untouristed, which is hard to find in Amasterdam!
Erik recently posted: Photo Essay- Sunrise outside Christchurch, New Zealand
Awww, two things we missed! We were there during the super busy season, so all of the affordable houseboats were already booked up. But we didn’t start looking until about two weeks before we arrived, so I’m sure that didn’t help….
What a lovely photo essay. Amsterdam seems like a beautiful paradise…
Thanks for sharing a view of the City!
Arti recently posted: My Yatra Diary Goes International!
Thanks, Arti!