I love long holiday weekends. They give me the opportunity to take a quick trip out of the city and go somewhere for a few days to chill, get lost and get inspired. Last Thanksgiving I decided to treat myself and go Dutch. I hopped on a plane and flew to the Venice of the North,
Amsterdam.
The city’s name means dam of the Amstel River or Aemstelledamme as it was called back in 1204. The origins of the city go back as early as the thirteenth century when fishermen who lived along the banks of the River Amstel built a bridge across the waterway. The wooden doors on the bridge served as a dam, which protected the town from being flooded. The mouth of the river Amstel formed a harbor, which was key to Amsterdam’s prosperity because of all the trading that went through it. It is now the largest city of the Netherlands.

It is also often referred to as the Venice of the North because of all the canals that divide the city into ninety small islands, linked together by more than a thousand bridges. These bridges, the tree-lined canals and the mansions that line these canals make Amsterdam one of the most photogenic and charming cities in Europe. Almost seven thousand of these mansions are protected as historical monuments and as you walk along them at any time of the day, they give you that ‘time stood still’ feeling.
I stayed in the Nine Streets area because it is the most picturesque and charming location in the city. I checked in at
Hotel Pulitzer and got a well-appointed room with a canal view. Robin Van Kooten, the hotel’s charismatic concierge gave me some great tips on where to dine, what to see and all sorts of insider tips.
The hotel also has a fabulous grill restaurant,
Keizersgracht 238 with stunning views of the canal. I enjoyed having breakfast and lunch there while watching the Dutch go about their daily life.
Now let me warn you, you are most likely to get hit by a bicycle than a car so walk the streets careful and always look at bike traffic because there are more cyclists than drivers in Amsterdam. There are even parking garages for bikes. Even at the height of winter, you see people pedaling about braving the icy wind. It’s incredible.
Now let’s talk shop. De Negen Straatjes or The Nine Streets is my favorite shopping destination in Amsterdam. It’s named after the nine side streets connecting the main canals between Leidsestraat and Raadhuisstraat. This area has a diverse selection of small boutiques, cafés and bars. I loved ambling through the streets and going from store to store, stopping for a coffee at Harry’s Koffiehuis de Hoek to mingle with the locals.
If you didn’t already know this, I’m slightly addicted to vintage clothing and accessories. Fortunately, this neighborhood has a handful of unique shops that stock amazing pieces from the 50’s to the 80’s. I got a taupe shearling jacket for 40 Euro and silk cravattes for 10 Euro each! Absolutely insanely fabulous!
All that shopping can be exhausting. Conveniently at the end of the Nine Streets area there’s a small square called the Spui where I walked into the famous
Café Luxembourg for some hot chocolate. On a cold winter day it is the perfect remedy for cold hands. If you happen to be here on a Friday there is a book market and on Sundays a modern art market.
I’ve always been a fan of Marcel Wander’s sense of whimsy, irony and larger-than-life aesthetic. Walking into
Moooi Gallery over in the Jordaan neighborhood was like walking into a wonderland of curiosities. The enormous high-ceilinged former warehouse is packed with his classics like “Animal Thing”, the “Egg Vase” and the “Crochet Table” along with other life-size horses, pigs and rabbits posing as lamps or tables.
Believe it or not but the life-sized black horse with a lamp on it’s head is one of the store’s best sellers. One of my friends has this same horse lamp in the middle of his office and it really puts a smile on people’s faces upon entering.
The Rijks museum is worth a visit just to see the Rembrandts and Vermeers. The museum is still undergoing renovation so they’ve put the masters in a smaller space, which I managed to do in one hour giving me enough time to head over the Van Gogh museum. The museum has over 800 works of the artist. Seeing his paintings made we want to go to Provence. That’s on my checklist for this year.
Amsterdam is a city for foodies, full of fine dining choices from Dutch, Italian, French and Indonesian. My favorite was
De Kas. Located about twenty minutes outside the city center in Frankendael Park, the restaurant grows their own vegetables, herbs and edible flowers which they grow in an old greenhouse that used to belong to the Municipal Nursery. The main dining room designed by Piet Boon is gorgeous! Be warned, it’s a prix fix menu but worth every Euro. Imagine my surprise when Chef Gert Jan Hageman stopped by my table, introduced himself and asked how I was enjoying myself. Fortunately I didn’t have to lie because I enjoyed every delectable bite of my dinner.
A hop and skip from the hotel is a fantastic wine bar called
Vyne. It’s a dark, cozy, sexy spot emulating the atmosphere of a ‘brown café’. It’s packed with chic locals tasting wines from their impressive wine library. This is the sister spot of Envy, a stylish ‘delicatessen’ with a long communal bar serving up small and shareable portions much like a tapas bar.
Another good alternative is a small Indonesian restaurant called
Sampurna right in the middle of the Flower market. Netherlands has a long history with Indonesia and as a result Indonesian food has become a popular component in Dutch cuisine. The restaurant offered reasonably priced Indonesian classics like Sate Ayam, Krupuk Udam, Nasi Goreng and Gado Gado. Eating here satisfied my craving for Asian food which I always have whenever I’m in Europe.
If you have time, take a day trip outside the city center to see the village of Marken and the windmills at
Zaanse Schans.
A trip to Holland is not complete without seeing windmills. Over in Zaanse Schans, you’ll see six large working mills on the banks of the Zaan River. Imagine how the landscape must have looked like back in the nineteenth century when there were over four hundred of them by the river. I went into one of them that made artist’s pigment and observed a volunteer working the windmill dressed in overalls and traditional wooden clogs.
Meandering along the narrow alleys in
Marken will give you a feel for a traditional Dutch fishing village with it’s green painted houses. It was a separate island up until 1957 when a causeway was built connecting it to the mainland. These days’ busloads of tourists come to see a picturesque view of old Holland.
I’m considering coming back for Queen’s Day in April, the biggest holiday in Holland and Amsterdam’s biggest party of the year. Imagine everybody wearing the color orange in celebration of her Majesty’s birthday. That must be a sight for soar eyes. I’ve seen pictures but I want to take my own, experience the revelry plus I love the color orange. Okay, I admit that I’m coming up with reasons to come back and go Dutch.
This originally appeared in Rafe's regular column in
Travelife Magazine, the Philippines' leading travel and lifestyle publication.