I first came across the word “Amsterdam” when I was a child, in a book called “Magic Shoes” by Yalvaç Ural. The main character of the story, Abdullah, went to that city in pursuit of a diamond tulip and found it with the help of his magic shoes, in the garden of a house situated amongst windmills.
Seeing Amsterdam, I added “bicycle” to the other images in my mind. “The Netherlands”, meaning “Lowlands”, and “Holland” in Turkish is made of mostly of plains. This geographical advantage, alongside attentive, law-abiding drivers, decent bike roads and traffic lights, allows efficient cycling, a pursuit that many of us haven’t enjoyed since childhood. In this country many people, dressed up even in suits, go to work on their bikes.
I don’t know it’s just because biking is so common, but bicycle theft is very common. Locks are never an effective solution. Bicycles are usually insured. Those that you rent as a tourist will also be insured.
Dutch people are generally exceptionally kind. They like to greet people they don’t know, smile when you catch their eyes, help foreigners and never shy away from giving way in traffic or holding doors. They are by no means impatient and hasty. Almost everyone speaks English. When you ask for help in English, you easily find someone to help you.
Once you check into your hotel and rent your bicycle, start your day with the Rijksmuseum, the biggest history and art museum in Holland. If you someone who likes museums, make sure to spare more than one day for it. I recommend you join one of the tours accompanied with guides to explore different faces of the museum.
Another must-see museum in Amsterdam is the Anne Frank House. You get to find out a real life story, set up in Nazi-occupied Holland. When returning back home, you can read the Diary of Anne Frank. This way your impressions of the whole thing intensify. This museum-house is one of the most popular museums of Holland and gets visited by 1 million people each year.
If you are an art-lover, you should also see Van Gogh Museum. Afterwards, if it’s not raining, go and sit in a park and enjoy the beautiful scenery afforded by the plains which are present in everywhere.
Spare one afternoon for the Jordaan district, walk through the streets and take lot of pictures. Or shop and take a seat in one of the cafés, tables of which scatter into the street.
Take a discreet look at houses’ curtainless windows, fall in love with ornamentations. Get inspired by the gardens.
Greet an old couple, they love to chat. You’ll possibly hear the most interesting details about the city and Holland from them.
Breathe in history and culture in the museums of Amsterdam, hang out in its cafés, wander about along its canals, have a nice stretch in parks and breath in oxygen. Have fun!
P.S.: Don’t forget to take precautions against rain.
