48 hours in Amsterdam
TRAVEL WRITER SHAUNA MCCRUDDEN TELLS US ABOUT HER WEEKEND TRIP TO THE CAPITAL OF THE NETHERLANDS. AND HOW IT OPENED HER EYES TO WHAT SHE COULD DO IN SUCH A SHORT SPACE OF TIME
Travel writer Shauna McCrudden tells us about her weekend trip to the capital of the Netherlands
Berlin, London, Paris…I have been to many capital cities in my time but somehow I missed out on one of the most intriguing, Amsterdam. Thankfully, 2018 saw me able to tick off Amsterdam from my ‘to-visit’ list. I was under the impression that 48 hours in a city isn’t enough time to really delve into a city, but I could not have been more wrong.
Myself and my three friends, Eileen, Orla and Dympna, decided to pay the ‘Venice of the North’ a visit back in November 2018. Fly in Saturday and fly back Monday, seemed the best bet as the Netherlands is barely a two-hour flight from Dublin to Schiphol Airport. Here is how I spent my 48 hours in Amsterdam:
GETTING THERE
Hour one: After we settled into our hotel, the Hotel Mercure Amsterdam, Sloterdijk Station, we immediately went out to see the city. Getting around Amsterdam is surprisingly easy for four people who don’t speak a word of Dutch. Public transportation is firstclass. You can get single, day or multi-day tickets from GVB vending machines and these tickets can be used on trams, trains and buses to take you across the city. We purchased 48-hour tickets for less than €14, which was a good thing as we travelled the length and breadth of Amsterdam in our time there.
DUTCH CULTURE
Hour three: The Van Gogh Museum was our first introduction to the arts and culture of the Netherlands. We had a pre-booked time slot at the Van Gogh Museum at the Museum Square. Tickets can be bought at www.vangoghmuseum.nl. The famous artist’s museum has three floors and takes you through the life and work of Van Gogh. Most of his work was on display, including my personal favourite, ‘Sunflowers’. It took a good hour and a half just to get around the museum without going in depth or taking an audio tour, so I would advise giving yourself enough time. It’s possible to just stand looking in awe at the paintings without realising it’s closing time. Hour 10: After our introduction to Van Gogh’s art, we explored this foreign city, and we found our way to the most infamous area in Amsterdam, the Red Light District. Prostitution is legalised in the Netherlands and there are working prostitutes in this area. We visited the Red Light Secrets Museum, which explains the history of the profession in the country. We were slightly awkward while walking through at the start, but it suddenly turned more serious as we learned of the dangers associated with this job which is so taboo in Ireland.
Amsterdam is also famous for its marijuana. While mistakenly believed to be legal, it is actually simply tolerated by the authorities and not fully legalised. But that doesn’t stop shops and cafes selling it quite openly. When we went inside one of the packed pubs along the street, everyone there appeared quite relaxed about any laws and were lighting up and eating ‘brownies’ with no regard to what anyone else thought. No wonder we were giggly on our way back to the hotel!
NEVER FORGET
Hour 21: The next day was much more sombre as we visited the Anne Frank House. According to the website, www. annefrank.org, there are 1.3 million visits to the museum every year. There was an