Amsterdam and villages – bikes, yummy cheese and clogs

I wanted to visit Amsterdam for a while. I had an attempt in the spring of 2016, when I booked a flight to Brussels. After spending one day there I was supposed to connect to Amsterdam. Unfortunately just a couple days before my flight the explosions in the Brussels airport took place and I decided to cancel my travel there.

Finally this fall I could make my travel plans into reality. Once in Amsterdam I noticed that everyone I met spoke English, they were very friendly and helpful and overall I got very good vibes. I found plenty of good spots to eat, from street food to restaurants, and all food was delicious.

The city is combining the modern with the old perfectly. You can see many electric cars and charging station along the roads, and you can also buy fast food from little windows with your debit card.

Transportation in Amsterdam

I’m ashamed to admit that I might be the only tourist that hasn’t rented a bike while here. I intended to do so, but my hotel was right outside of a train/bus/tram hub station (Sloterdijk) so it was very convenient to use the public transportation and just 1 train stop from Centraal Station.

To move around I opted for purchasing an OV Chip Card, because I didn’t want to worry about having change and buying tickets for every trip I make. The OV Chip Card will cost you 7 Euro (non refundable) and you will have to add extra credit to it.  If you plan to use a lot the public transportation, your tickets will be cheaper using the card. You will need to swipe your card when entering and again when exiting the bus/tram or train station. A deposit of 4 euros will be taken off from your card every time you travel by buss or tram. And when you swipe again your card on exiting, the difference will be added back to the card, depending on the distance you traveled. The same applies for traveling by train, but the deposit will be 20 euros, which means you need to have a minimum of 20 euros on your card to travel by train. So it’s important to not forget to swipe again when you leave the train station to get the difference of your deposit back. Another choice of transportation is Uber, which I prefer to taxis when available.

Travelling by bike seems to be the norm there, with bike lanes and bike parking throughout the city. It can be challenging to cross the street at times as the bicyclists are going fast and showing up of nowhere. Having said this, driving was pretty stressful, and mainly because of the cyclists at intersections, but thankfully there were no incidents 🙂

The distances are not very big, and you could just walk everywhere. To walk from the IAmsterdam sign to the Centraal station takes approximatively 35 minutes. And of course the boat trips are not to miss, for a different perspective of seeing the city, from it’s water canals and a chance to learn about the boat houses and the tilting houses.

Coffee shops

You can find coffee shops throughout the central area of Amsterdam. One of the most popular places is The Bulldog but it was packed with people and I was looking for a laid back, relaxed spot. A few of the coffee shops are located on the Nieuwendijk Street. It’s just a short walk from the Centraal station. You can purchase marijuana from inside the coffee shop by gram or you can buy the already made blunt. You will have a menu to choose from, depending on which type of high you want, or you could ask the friendly staff to recommend you something. You can also find inside a free herb mix to prepare your blunt. In some bars/lounges you can have a smoke with the herbal mix and get a drink and relax. In the gift shops you will see lots of baked goodies that can get you where you wanna be!

The red light district

The Red Light district of Amsterdam area is packed with tourists day and night. You are not allowed to take photographs of the girls in the windows. It is considered rude and disrespectful and if seen you will most likely be approached and shouted at. An interesting stop is at the Museum of Prostitution where you will learn about the life and work of the girls. Make sure you get the audio package to hear the story form a prostitute’s perspective. At the end you can take a photo with some accessories and pay for it if you like it. In the Red Light District there are also plenty of mature-themed strip bars, sex shows and cinemas.

Ann Frank house

The Anne Franks house is a very popular spot for tourists in Amsterdam, and if you don’t book your time slot (9 Euro) well in advance, there is a chance you won’t find any tickets online.The tickets become available a couple months in advance. If you don’t have booked a time slot on a specific day, you can go after 3pm and wait a very long time in line (2-3 hours). Note: currently since October 2017 you can only purchase the tickets online for a period of time. 

Van Gogh museum and Rijksmuseum

A nice way to spend a morning or half day is to visit some of the many museums. It’s a good idea to visit the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum together, because they are right next to each other. It’s a good excuse to take a photo of the I Amsterdam sign as well 🙂 Not too far away is the Heineken Experience.

The Heineken Experience

You should also buy your tickets online (16 Euros each) if you want to avoid the longer queue. There is a shorter line for the pre-bought tickets. When entering you will get a bracelet with 2 tokens on it. Inside they will explain to you how the beer is made, you will have a toast of beer and a free Polaroid photo taken. You also get the chance to print your own customised bottle and purchase it. Then you will walk into several fun game rooms Heineken-themed. Before exiting, you can use your two tokens to get two beers in the Heineken Bar.  

Villages close by

If you are staying more than a couple days in Amsterdam, you can visit the villages close by. Unfortunately my visit was in the fall so I didn’t go to see the tulip fields. Too bad because it’s my favourite flower, but whenever I travel I like to leave a reason to go back. Volendam and Marken are 30 minutes away in the north, and you can get there by bus to Volendam and after take a 20 min ferry to Marken.  But instead of the bus I preferred to rent a car for the day to have more flexibility and stop also in Zaanse Schans to see the windmills. It was a nice short drive in the amazingly green pastures where I could see cows and sheep roaming free.

Just before entering Volendam you can stop at the  “Alida Hoeve” Cheese Farm to see how the clogs were made and have the opportunity to choose from many colourful clogs and try different sizes to see what’s s your size in clog shoes. Also here you can purchase many types of flavoured cheese. I opted for the plain cheese and it seems it’s the locals favourite as well. It has a shelf live of 6 months and no need to keep it refrigerated before opening, so it makes for a good gift.

Volendam is a small touristic fishing village. Here you can have a stroll along the main street and enter the souvenirs shops. You can eat traditional herring or eel sandwiches inside a restaurant or you can just eat it on the street. It’s here where I had the best waffles ever, fresh and super tasty!!! You will also get the opportunity to have your picture taken in the traditional costume and scenery by a professional photographer. And you can’t leave here before visiting the Cheese museum (free entrance) to see how the cheese was made. Before exiting you will have the chance to sample different flavours and purchase any if you wish.

Marken is another similar village, but quieter, where you can have a walk and look at the animals. I found a very nice restaurant/coffee shop to take a coffee break. Their apple pie and food was delicious.

Zaanse Schans is a short drive from Amsterdam or the villages of Volendam and Marken. Here you can take a leisure walk to see the windmills and stop to have a tasty hot chocolate, or visit the local museum. You can also see here a wooden shoe workshop and a cheese farm.