LOVE BY THE DUTCH CANAL
IALMOST got engaged in Amsterdam. It was Valentine’s day weekend, the sun was glimmering off the canal waters and the corner shops were bursting red with roses. But I was a mess, having taken ill the first morning we arrived in the Netherlands. My boyfriend Kristoffer later revealed that he was afraid of what might come out of my mouth if he popped the question at the wrong time. Wisely, he stowed the ring away for another trip. I, of course, was unaware of such things at the time.
Amsterdam is an awfully romantic city and fortunately I was able to experience some of its beauty after I recovered. I’ve visited the Dutch capital a few times but its magic never wears off. It is a city charmingly trapped in time.
The best way to get a feel for the city is by canal cruise. We jump on Amsterdam’s version of a hop-onhop-off bus from the trendy Prinsengracht district for €14 per person and drift down through the various neighbourhoods. We pass by the Golden Bend, the most prestigious stretch of real estate in Amsterdam, before passing under the ‘Skinny Bridge’ the best known of the city’s 1,281 bridges. Once dubbed the ‘Venice of the North’, Amsterdam actually boasts three times the number of bridges as Venice itself.
We hop off the cruiser at Anne Frank House and queue... two hours of shivering later I reached the ticket counter where I almost hugged the ticket lady.
So was it worth the wait? Absolutely. Anne Frank House, where Anne and her family hid from the Nazis in during WW2, is one of the most moving historical places to visit. History is made by movers and shakers, leaders and warriors. Walking through the family’s hideout you can’t help but wonder what if it had been me? My family?
After Anne Frank House we stroll back to Prinsengracht to the ‘9 Streets’, a little micro neighbourhood full of trendy boutiques, vintage wares and quaint cafes. We stop outside a little eatery called Pancakes Amsterdam for pizzasized Dutch-style pancakes smothered in toppings before making our way back to our lodgings.
The Andaz Hotel, which overlooks Prinsengracht canal, is whimsical and welcoming. A former library, it is now a boutique design hotel. We arrive at the hotel just in time. It’s wine-o’clock... the hotel serves free wine to guests in their gorgeous library every day from 57pm. We oblige.
After a few glasses we head back out for Valentine’s dinner. We had scanned ‘yourlittleblackbook.me’, an excellent online resource, and settled on Venus and Adonis which specialises in charcoal grill steaks, ribs and seafood. Our meal was candlelit and cosy and the food is delightful. We then headed to the famed red light district because... what else would you want to do in Amsterdam on Valentines?! It’s not really our scene but is a fascinating place to people watch.
Joordan, arguably Amsterdam’s most fashionable neighbourhood, is first on our agenda the next day. We stop at Cafe Scrapyard. Mismatched chairs and tables are scattered throughout and artful graffiti adorns the walls. We order boozy rum-spiked milkshakes which come out with an upsidedown ice-cream Cornetto on top.
Keen to satisfy not just our stomachs but our minds, we head to the Museum District next. The Rijsmuseum, the Dutch national museum, is first on our list. Its sheer size is rather overwhelming but the exhibits are well worth dedicating proper time too. More manageable was the Van Gogh Museum nearby. His masterpieces can only be fully appreciated when they are before you, inches from your eyes.
For dinner we wander into the centre to Cafe Van Kerkwijk near Dam Square. The crowd lingering outside made us stop in our tracks. We sat at the bar where we were served nibbles and wine while waiting for a table. The waiters chatted away to us as they shook up cocktails, dressed plates of salad and rushed around in general. It was casual and charmingly chaotic. When we were seated, the menu was recited to us by the waiter (there’s no written menu). The food here is experimental but excellent. We tried one of their signature dishes, rib-eye steak with goat’s cheese and strawberry sauce, perfectly matched with a bottle of Chilean red.
A trip to Amsterdam would not be complete without sampling what they’re most famous for at one of their coffee shops. No, not that, but the holy grail of all pastry desserts, the Dutch Apple Pie. My Dutch friend recommends Villa Zeezicht for the best slice in town. This little yellow corner cafe, overlooking the canal, is a hidden gem. We sit down to a generous chunk of sticky apple encased in crumbling, golden pastry. I’m in love. Who needs a diamond ring when you have pie?