Amsterdam is a pretty cool town. It is pretty and fun and full of laughter, especially when the sun comes out. It’s my first time in a city with canals and the water and the houseboats have totally captured my attention. Looking at the water fills me with a sense of wonder– How does this work? How could it be possible that this city is floating? (I know that the buildings aren’t floating, but the houseboats are!)
I spent my first afternoon here just walking around, I didn’t even pull out my camera or my sketchbook. Amsterdam is completely walkable. I just headed out and wandered, map tucked in my bag (mom) and water bottle full. I didn’t get lost! This is notable because I have a terrible sense of direction and get lost in my own neighborhood, so Amsterdam must be easy to figure out.
Day Two I had a little bit more of a plan for. I bought a 48 hour unlimited travel public transportation ticket when I first got here for €12.50 and I think it’s the best touring deal in the city. I rode the entirety of 5 tram lines today, Amsterdam has 15, and got to see almost all of main Amsterdam as well as some really cool suburbs. I’m going to ride 2 more lines tomorrow morning before my ticket runs out and the lunchtime concert I’m planning on attending begins. The trams run almost everywhere here, including through grassy traffic circles filled with daffodils and crocuses that can’t be accessed any other way. Just as an example, one of the lines I took went so far out of the city that even though I look like a Jewish American tourist, the conductor spoke to me in Dutch three times before registering that I am not, in fact a Dutch speaker.
That ticket also paid for my trip to my hostel, so I highly recommend it if you like looking out train windows.
Amsterdam does feel like a party city though, and I am not a party girl. I get very disappointed when the coffee house I’m looking at when I need a caffeine hit sells weed rather than a tasty hot beverage that will wake me up, and I do get the feeling that I’m missing out on something very important here. Daytime Amsterdam is full of small pleasures though, so I’ll keep avoiding the nighttime part for awhile.
Also, they do weird things to their trees. They all look like this, and I can’t help but feel they look like a dog with a too-close shave.