Bike jAMSTERDAM

6fartsinacart
Aug 31, 2017
7 min read

13 August 2017, Sunday: With Amsterdam being one of our last big cities, we are up at the crack of dawn and on the road by 9am, covering the 17km to our parking in Amsterdam in no time. As we are parked on the northern side of the IJ River or Het IJ (pronounced ‘hat eye’) as the locals refer to it, we head towards the ferry crossing, walking past A’dam Lookout which has an observation deck with an unrivalled panoramic 360 degree view of Amsterdam. A’dam Lookout has joined the Eiffel Tower, the Berliner Fernsehturm and the London Eye as an iconic viewing point in Holland. The ferry crossing, a free service, takes us to the Central Station. This is the shortest crossing and 5 minutes later we set foot on the other side. The IJ is known for being Amsterdam's waterfront. We exit the Central Station to start our stroll through Amsterdam and are greeted by bicycles… rephrase, hundreds and thousands of bicycles. The bicycle ‘flat’ at Amsterdam Central Station is a ‘6000 bike’ multi-storey bike park. Whoa, it's huge! Amsterdam is a city of bicycles. During rush hour you get stuck in bike jams, not traffic jams. People don't just cycle everywhere, they also park their bikes everywhere. Cycling is something the capital has become world famous for over the past 40 years and a whole generation of Amsterdammers have grown up so used to cycling that they have learned the skills necessary to effortlessly go with the flow – to be hyper-aware of their surroundings yet appear natural.

We decide to do an anti-clockwise route, with our first point of interest being Anne Frank’s House. To the right of Anne Frank’s House/Museum is the Westerkerk (West Church). Afterwards we head towards the Koninklijk Paleis (Royal Palace) and the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) which are adjacent to each other. As we round these two buildings we enter the Dam Square. The National Monument, a white stone pillar erected in 1956 to memorialize the victims of World War II, dominates the opposite side of the square. Various other attractions surround the Dam Square such as Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky and the upscale department store De Bijenkorf. These various attractions have turned the Dam into a tourist zone.

Since our farm has sent flowers to Holland, we decide that we have to visit the Bloemenmarkt (Flower Market). We pass the Amsterdam Museum and Torture Museum before reaching the Bloemenmarkt which is located along the Singel Canal. It turns out to be a hot-spot for souvenirs. The Market is exceedingly crowded. The various ways of displaying the flowers, also using wood and silk as a medium, as well as other crafts are excellent and very eye-catching. There are a variety of flowers, bulbs, seeds, plants and very colourful flowering succulents.

We exit the Bloemenmarkt at Muntplein where the Munttoren (Coin Tower) stands. The name of the tower refers to the fact that it was used to mint coins in the 17th Century. The present guard house is not the original medieval structure, but a 19th-century replica. Munttoren is one of the five towers in Amsterdam that hold carillons made by the brothers Francois and Pieter Hemony. The other bells can be found at the Oudekerk, Zuiderkerk, the Westerkerk and the dome of the Koninklijk Paleis. The current carillon in Munttoren consists of 38 bells. A mechanism causes the bells to chime every quarter of an hour. Muntplein square is situated where the Amstel River and the Singel Canal meet. We stroll along the Amstel River heading towards our next attraction. Amstel beer has been named after this river. The Amstel brewery, as many other breweries, was situated close to the Amstel River, because river water was used to produce the beer. Very interesting.

Cyclists are approaching from all directions – bells tinging (no one here wears a helmet). The crisscross of bikes almost looks synchronised, as if local riders navigating the narrow, winding streets of the historic centre have an innate understanding of their complex flows and patterns. On our way to the Stadhuis (City Hall) and Muziektheater (Music Theatre) we pass through Rembrandtplein named after the famous painter Rembrandt van Rijn who owned a house nearby. A statue of him made of cast iron by sculptor Louis Royer in 1852, occupies a space in the centre of the square. It was cast in one piece and it is Amsterdam's oldest surviving statue in a public space. The statue is on a grey granite base bearing a replica of his signature. In front of it a bronze-cast representation of his most famous painting, The Night Watch, is displayed. This was done as part of the artist's 400th birthday celebration in 2006.

Further on we cross Waterlooplein. The Flea Market (a big outdoor bazaar) at Waterlooplein is traditionally the oldest and most interesting market of Amsterdam. It is only open Monday to Saturday, so today the stalls are all closed. We spend some time to look at the many painted and decorated exteriors of the market stalls before continuing to the Zuiderkerk which is under restoration. We continue to De Waag, a 15th-century building on Nieuwmarkt Square, which is the oldest remaining non-religious building in Amsterdam. It was originally a city gate and part of the walls of Amsterdam. At Nieuwmarkt Square the real action is reserved for the weekend. This lovely square is home to the only Sunday Antique (Flea) Market in town and also has the usual flea market stuff to rummage through. Since it is Sunday, it is bursting with activity.

A short distance further we buy some food for lunch and head towards Oudekerk. Unknowingly we stumble across an ‘age-restricted’ area and to our disgust it runs right around the Oudekerk. We make our way through China Town and aim for St. Nicolaaskerk. The Schreierstoren (Weeping Tower) is a stone throw from there and has been associated with many tales and myths. It is mainly known for the fact that women wept there for their husbands, who would leave from that port, to go to war, or to fish. The Oosterdok lies to the east where the Openbare Bibliotheek, Conservatorium, Science Center and National Maritime Museum is situated. We are back at the Central Station at 4.15pm and catch the ferry back across the Het IJ. Our walk back to Merzy is soon completed. We set the SatNav for Laren approximately 28km southeast and make our way out of the centre of Amsterdam. Unfortunately there are no services (dumping and filling up) as was indicated in our book and therefore we opt for a sleeping spot at Huizen, which is situated 7km north of Laren. It is beautifully placed nearby the marina. As the camper parking is filled to the brim we stop in the car park area next to it. After supper and a good shower we use the marina’s facilities to dump and fill up with water. After a tiring day with lots of distance covered on foot, we are delighted to put our heads down on the pillow.

Ferry crossing to Amsterdam Central Station

Across the Het IJ

Ferry with A'dam Lookout to the left

Bicycle 'flat', a multi-storey bike park at Central Station

Gorgeous 'leaning' buildings

Bicycles, canals, and beautiful architecture

The plumber's level was misplaced

Anne Frank House (small building on the left) and Museum (right)

Westerkerk - the most important Protestant church and biggest church in the city

The Westertoren (Western tower) of the Westerkerk is at 87 meters the highest church tower in Amsterdam

Magna Plaza, a shopping mall - formerly the Amsterdam Main Post Office

Koninklijk Paleis

Madam Tussaud

Waxing up a bit of fun

National Monument at Dam Square - a white stone pillar erected as a memorial for the victims of World War II

Koninklijk Paleis and Nieuwe Kerk at Dam Square

Handing out a kiss

The plumber's level went missing again

Amsterdam's famous flower market, Bloemenmarkt - stunning tulips

'Blooming' many bulbs

Nikita's turn to hand out some kisses

Real wood, not real flowers

Flowering cactus, bright and cheerful

Munttoren

The carillon consists of 38 bells that chime every 15 minutes

Muntplein and Munttoren

The Amstel River - that's where the name 'Amstel' beer comes from

Rembrandtplein

Statue of Rembrandt Van Rijn with a bronze-cast representation of his famous painting, The Night Watch, displayed in front

The Spinoza Monument - It depicts 17th-century philosopher and writer, Baruch Spinoza, who was famous for his views on freedom of religion and tolerance. Written along the side of the base in Dutch is one of his most famous quotes, 'The purpose of the State is freedom'

Waterlooplein - Guess who loves books?

Who goes trigger happy with a camera? Mum of course

K-tjing, k-tjing

Time's up, lets move on

Biscuits... can I please have some more

Sending postcards to... SA

Trying to reach that high note

Oh so cute and cuddly

De Waag, a 15th-century building at Nieuwmarkt Square

Nieuwmarkt Square and leaning 'towers' of Amsterdam

Chinatown

The 800-year-old Oude Kerk (Old Church) is Amsterdam's oldest building

The Oude Kerk sits on the quaintly cobbled Oudekerksplein

The Oude Kerk has been a museum sine 2016, an active place of worship on Sundays, and throughout the year a place of pilgrimage for heritage enthusiasts as well as for lovers of contemporary art and music

Built between 1884 and 1887, St. Nicolaaskerk is the best known of the 'new' Amsterdam churches. The facade is crowned by two towers with a rose window in between