On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Captain C
A few weeks ago I left New York State for the first time since before the pandemic. I chose to go to Amsterdam for a long week (leave Friday on the redeye, arrive Saturday, depart the following Sunday) ,it’s my favorite city to visit. There are a number of reasons for this: I love the city’s vibe and rhythm, there’s lots of good culture and sights and suchlike to choose from, and I have numerous relatives there (I saw a Tante [aunt], Uncle [The Oom of his name in our family was larger than life both physically and character-wise, so…], and seven cousins of assorted flavor. This first set of 8 covers my first few days.
We start with the Tilted House, which has been there every time I’ve been in Amsterdam. It’s located near Waterlooplein and the Stopera, and houses a cafe.
A statue of Baruch Spinoza, with the full quote reading ”Het doel van de staat is de vrijheid‘ (‘The purpose of the State is freedom’)”
The rear of the Flower Market, taken right by Muntplein.
Tulip bulbs of various varieties.
A big shaggy doggo I saw. I went up to offer my hand, but they had some Very Important Doggo Business to attend to.
Heading into the Rijksmuseum.
I started on the third floor, which has the modern art and design collections. We leave off here, and next time we’ll see some of the the Rijksmuseum’s Dutch Masters collection.
Tony Jay
Love Amsterdam. It has that small-city vibe while still having tons to do. Even in winter (when the city motto might as well be ‘We Bring The North Atlantic To Your Doorstep’) it’s beautiful and welcoming and has so much great food and drink in between the cultural sights and just plain old walking around beauty.
Last time we were there was a brief stop-off while waiting to connect with the night-train to Zurich, but we still found time for a lovely beer outside a corner bar and some truly fantastic savoury pancakes in the justly famous Pancake House. We were both reminded of how much we like Amsterdam and now I’m reminded of what a tragedy it is that so many Dutch voters want to destroy what makes the city and its culture so special.
HeartlandLiberal
We for fortunate to visit Amsterdam for two nights and one day in 2015. We spent the morning in the Van Gogh museum (register weeks ahead online so you skip the long line) and we ate at the Rijksmuseum’s restaurant, and spent the afternoon with the Dutch Master (got a photo of us standing before The Night Watch), and saw my wife’s favorite, The Milkmaid by Vermeer. We then had time to walk the streets of Amsterdam around our hotel, which was just a couple of blocks from the Van Gogh Museum, and we bought a cheese for one our friends in cheese shop.
Great pictures. Thanks for posting.
teezyskeezy
Is the ‘C’ for “CAAAAAAVEMAAAAN!!!!” ?
OzarkHillbilly
I have very little desire to go to Paris. Or London. Or Barcelona. But Amsterdam, I would love to spend a week there.
randy khan
We went to Amsterdam for the first time in April, having lucked into tickets for the Vermeer show. Because we stuck it into the middle of another trip, we were there for only 24 hours, which was enough to make us want to come back another time to see more. (We didn’t even get to see anything in the Rijksmuseum besides the Vermeers.) So it’s nice to see these photos.
KSinMA
Beautiful!
Ramalama
Amsterdam is my favorite city. I worked there briefly at a temp job in the US Consulate in Amsterdam, the former Nazi headquarters. I also met my Dutch pen pal who had the exact same sense of humor as me, though you’d never be able to tell it from our incredibly dull formulaic letters as kids.
MelissaM
My BIL is in The Hague, so we’ve been to Amsterdam on day trips. In 2001 we ended up in a pub for dinner on the day the queen was announcing the engagement of the crown prince to Maxima. The whole pub went silent and the TV was turned up so everyone could hear. Unique experience.
And these are great pictures. Looking forward to more!
J.
Sounds like a great trip!
Xavier
The ultimate goal of the US Constitution is securing the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, but the Founders were hardheaded enough to know that the goal would never be achieved without a government strong enough to effectively establish justice, provide for the common defense, ensure domestic tranquility, and promote the general welfare.
RU
Beautiful: Makes me envious. We’ve visited Amsterdam several times.
The most memorable and enjoyable were the times when we stayed in houseboats – once on the Herengracht, and once on the Keizersgracht . Both were within walking distance of the central train station.
And both were total immersion experiences.
Totally recommended!
Mokum
Amsterdam is great, but avoid going there on a spring holiday weekend(Easter, Pentecost) or over the summer, there are too many tourists. Many English coming to get drunk and or visit the coffeeshops on cheap tours. If you want to see Rembrandt or Vermeer you can also go to the Maurits huis in The Hague, if you want to see canals and 17th century inner cities go to smaller town like Dordrecht, Delft Haarlem or Leiden, all much quieter. Inside Amsterdam to avoid the crowds you could visit Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder (secret 17th catholic church hidden in a canal house) or the Portugese synagogue that banned Spinoza for eternity as an heretic. And try to visit the Concertgebouw or the Opera ( might be hard to get tickets).
My nym is the name Amsterdam Jews used for their hometown.
ETtheLibrarian
I went to Amsterdam (with a side trip to Volendam) a few years ago. It is such a cool place. The Begijnhof was really interesting (though I assume the people who lived there had to make peace with the tourists) and the flower market is so colorful.
SkyBluePink
Great photos and commentary!
Captain C
@Tony Jay:
One of my relatives (who has just retired from politics) is worried about this as well. From what I heer, bad hair Geert and his party won a plurality because people are worried about housing and immigration, and sent a message to the current (more respectable) parties. Hopefully, that’s all it is, and whatever coalition eventually assembles addresses these issues to the point where the Party for (not-)Freedom gets stomped in the next election for their public fuckery and general drama.
Captain C
@HeartlandLiberal: Thanks! I missed the Van Gogh this time around due to tickets not being available until November (at the time); luckily there’s plenty to do otherwise.
Captain C
@teezyskeezy: Ha! No, but that’s a good guess. That question is (sort of) answered in a later photo set from this trip.
Captain C
@KSinMA: Thanks!
Captain C
@randy khan: Thanks! I hope you make it back for longer sometime.
Captain C
@MelissaM: Thanks! That sounds like a very interesting time to be in the Netherlands.
Captain C
@Mokum: The central area did seem a bit more tourist-packed, especially on the weekends. Those are all good suggestions for potential travelers; I did make it to the Hague this time around to see relatives. I’m also hoping to go to Groningen someday.
Captain C
@J.: It was! More to come.
Captain C
@SkyBluePink: Thanks!
RaflW
I’ve done several 1-3 night layover/visits to Amsterdam in the last decade or so. It is such an easy city that even 23 hours between flights can be relaxing and fun. A brief train hop from the airport to a station that will be a short walk to one’s hotel. Then hop a tram for a meal, a museum, or just to see the canals glide by.
My first stop there since a longer 1991 visit was in December of 2011. It snowed lightly, and of course the sunset was early, but the city felt very cheerful and, for a big city, remarkably cozy. I tried to engineer one of my 23h layovers w/in a KLM trip to Africa this coming February, but alas the old days of >24h but greater than 6h not counting as a ‘stop’ and thus an airfare bump seem to be unavailable. :(
Ruckus
Been to Amsterdam a number of times but not in the last 50 yrs. I’m sure there are changes but I’d also bet that overall it looks pretty much the same. One of my favorite cities in the world.
I really would like to see it again, along with a few other places in that part of the world.
way2blue
Ah. Amsterdam. I visited on an inter-rail train pass when I was 19, and hadn’t thought about a return visit till now. I mostly remember accidentally wandering into the ‘red light district’ in the evening and slowly figuring out where I was… I’m not much for cities, but your photos remind of what an enchanting city Amsterdam is. Love the photo of the flower market. More please.
J. Arthur Crank
I love Amsterdam. I hope to get back there the next summer.
Mart
Nothing like a morning space cake and a fresh cup o joe.
RaflW
@Mokum: Yes. A friend and I had a lovely short break in the Hague some years ago. I highly recommend it! We also spent a couple day sin Rotterdam, which is quite different than either Amsterdam or the Hague, but also enjoyable and interesting for us.
Mokum
@RaflW: yeah, Rotterdam is great, too, but not what Americans expect from a Dutch city. It was bombed by the Nazis in May 1940, and now Rotterdam is the center of modernist architecture. There is an amazing museum in Rotterdam, the Boijmans van Beuningen, but that is indefinitely closed for renovations. Dutch public work projects sometimes get out of hand, I think after four years of renovations they are still not sure about the budget and the architect. When they finish it should be beautiful. Collection from Gothic paintings, van Eijck, Bosch, Breugel, Rembrandt to Monet, Mondriaan, Kandinsky.
bjacques
Whoah! I know that doggo. He’s a big floofy pupper, but his owner is a jerk who once let him run wild on the terraces along the Noordermarkt, knocking people’s beers over.
Captain C
@Ruckus: In particular I would think the city center would look very similar; I first went in 1986 as a teen (with Oma and Opa and my sister and cousin) and it seems to have changed (outwardly) very little. I think as you go further out, it may look more modern. I hope you make it back.
Captain C
@Mart: Breakfast of champions!
Captain C
@bjacques: That would not surprise me; he (the dog) seemed rambunctious.