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.
We’re giving Albatrossity a well-deserved day off today; he’ll be back next week. He’s on a trip and I’m sure we’ll have some new sets of photos after he returns!
(click the image to see a larger non-blurry version of the schedule for this week.)
Captain C
This set is mostly from Wednesday, the halfway point of the trip. That day I mainly walked around a bit, taking it a little easier than the first several more high-powered touristing.
This is from my Tuesday night visit to Abraxas, one of the better coffeeshops in Amsterdam. Yes, the kind that sells cannabis products in addition to caffeinated beverages. What did you think the C in ‘Captain C’ stands for?
Broodje Haring! That is, a herring sandwich made with pickled or salted herring, and onions and pickles if (IMHO) done right. These are from Herring Stall Jonk (Volendammer Haringhandel Jonk) near Spui, considered by many one of the best in Amsterdam.
The Royal Palace from Dam Square. Nominally the home of the Royal Family and formerly the Stadhuis of Amsterdam (City Hall). As the plumbing and comforts are said to be not very modern, the Royals tend to spend only as much time as necessary there.
Another of Amsterdam’s finer coffeeshops. Or so I’ve heard.
A row of old (probably 300-400 years) buildings in central Amsterdam. The reason they are so narrow (with oft-perilous stairs) is that the owners were taxed on the street/canal frontage.
A swan and a boat in a canal.
No, I did not try.
Looking down a narrow alleyway.
laura
Thank you Cap’n C for this lovely collection of photos. Amsterdam is a wonderful destination especially if you enjoy all the sensual and gustatory pleasures of the table.
cope
I would at least try a pickled herring sandwich. Your pictures do a nice job of giving me a sense of the culture of a place I am unlikely to visit so thanks.
Are those cylindrical containers in the shoe pic for doing shots or are they somehow related to the cannabis products? Asking for a friend…
WaterGirl
This didn’t post at 5 am as it should have. Posted now.
Old School
Coffee?
Captain C
@cope: The cylindrical containers are used for pre-rolled joints, which many coffeeshops sell in addition to flower (buds), hash and other concentrates, and edibles. You have to specify if you want them ‘pure’ (weed only) or with tobacco (or now, often a herbal tobacco substitute).
Captain C
@Old School: Well, that is my favorite ice cream flavor.
Captain C
@laura: You’re welcome, and I thoroughly agree!
swiftfox
When I was in seventh grade history class, I perused copies of Arthur Frommer’s “Europe on $5 a Day”. Amsterdam was the first chapter. Wondering if they still have the Indonesian restaurants that were highly recommended.
brendancalling
Back in 2002 or 2003, I wound up in Amsterdam for a few with some bandmates, playing bluegrass in the streets. It was a pretty lucrative trip for buskers. I rented an upright bass from a local shop, sat on the back of my pal’s bike with the bass on my back as wen went from neighborhood to neighborhood. We played a bunch of gigs out of that trip, and the weed was amazing.
Barbara
I only visited Amsterdam for a few days and felt like it had the best overall food of any city including Paris, at least for the person casually strolling around. We rented bikes and rode all over. Just loved, loved the city and your pictures capture it really well.
UncleEbeneezer
@Captain C: Lovely pix. There’s a wonderful Atlanta episode titled “New Jazz” that involves two characters (Darius and Paperboi) exploring the coffeehouses in Amsterdam and going on one hell of a long, strange trip, as a result. It’s pretty much a stand-alone episode that can be enjoyed even if you haven’t watched the rest of the series and has a nice surprise cameo by a very famous actor. It’s one of those episodes that is dark, funny, provocative and moving. Probably my fave episode of the entire series.
A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)
On my (pre COVID) trip to Amsterdam, I discovered it is not a good city for anyone who cannot navigate stairs easily. In any but the most modern buildings we visited, especially restaurants, the bathroom was invariably up or down (narrow) stairs.
But a beautiful city with lots to see, and everyone spoke English. It almost felt like cheating, it was so easy to communicate.
Mike in NC
Haven’t been to Amsterdam yet but we have visited Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, Liverpool, Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh and some other major European cities. That was all in the pre-COVID days.
Captain C
@Barbara: Thanks!
@UncleEbeneezer: Thanks, and thanks for the tip! I may try to track down that episode.
Captain C
@brendancalling: That sounds like an amazingly fun time :^)
Wag
@swiftfox: My family and I were in Amsterdam this Fall, and the Indonesian food was out of this world.
this series has been a great introduction. Thanks for each update. You’ve done a great job of capturing the city!
Captain C
@Wag: Thanks! And, I agree about the Indonesian food; I found a good spot on Spuistraat this time around thanks to my cousin; IIRC it was called Kantjil & De Tijger.
ETA: When were you there? I wonder if our trips overlapped (I was there the second week of October).
Wag
@Captain C: We were there the 11th-15th after a few days in Brussels.