AMSTERDAM IN WINTER

There are many enticing images of Amsterdam in the warmer months: tulips bursting forth in the city's many lovely parks, lively cafes with their tables spilling onto the narrow streets lining the famous canals, and long sunsets - which reflect in the waters and over the gabled roofs of the city's narrow houses - that stretch far into the evening at these coordinates in Northern Europe.  But, a visit over the recent Christmas-New Year's break to this most charming and easy-to-navigate of European cities confirmed for me that the Netherlands' largest metropolis - and one of its two capitals - is enjoyable and fun at any time of the year, but especially during the winter months.  Sure, you'll miss some of the color and warm-weather activities, and the weather may be far less predictable, but you'll also gain smaller crowds and queues at world-famous attractions.  You also will have more of an opportunity to interact with the citizens of Amsterdam, who are simultaneously gracious, polite, worldly, sophisticated, friendly and welcoming.  Oh, and no matter when you plan your visit, you will be greeted by a nation of flawless English speakers.

SETTLING IN - LOCALLY:  I first visited Amsterdam nearly 15 years ago, traveling solo.  I stayed in a canal-side hotel with no air-conditioning in the Jordaan neighborhood, the most famous residence of which is the Anne Frank House.  I had arrived during an unusual May heat wave with black turtlenecks in my luggage, planning to sit in a cafe and look (hopefully) like a hip European.  Instead, I had to ditch the Bohemian duds for some cargo shorts and t-shirts bought at H&M, which had not yet crossed the Atlantic.

Returning to Amsterdam this time, I was traveling with my boyfriend and this was our first trip together outside the United States.  It also was his first visit to the city.  Hoping to both relax while on break and explore the city, we wanted to find a home base away from some of the commotion of the central city.  But, we also wanted quick access via public transport to the center of Amsterdam and all of its major attractions.  And, we were looking to not spend hundreds of Euros a night on a hotel.   I turned to www.airbnb.com, which matches private rooms with travelers across the globe.  Having had good success renting flats in Barcelona, Avignon and San Francisco, I contacted several property owners in Amsterdam and settled on a studio apartment in the Watergraafsmeer, a close-in suburb just outside the city limits.  The area was developed on reclaimed land in the 18th Century as wealthy Amsterdammers looked for space to build country retreats.  Today, only one of those estates remains, but the neighborhood retains an elegant feel. 

The owner of our apartment had fashioned a cozy and very comfortable studio in the basement of his home that was quiet and removed, but also incredibly convenient to both the local businesses of the neighborhood and to all that Amsterdam offers visitors.  Located on a charming square with two restaurants literally next door, we also were just one block from Middenweg, a major street with restaurants, clothing shops, a great grocery store, a wine store and a bakery. Importantly, the number 9 tram stopped just a block away from our apartment and took us directly to Centraal Station in about 15 minutes, with stops in between at Rembrandtplein and Dam Square. You also could easily transfer to the number 3 tram, which, in turn, takes you to the Museum-Kwartier and the amazing trifecta of the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum.  Importantly for me, the apartment was one block away from Park Frankendael, which surrounds the last remaining country estate of the same name, and another short distance to the larger Oosterpark, both of which gave me several pleasant options for my morning runs.

PICKING THE THING: Visiting a city like Amsterdam, which is stuffed with world-class museums, historic sights, great shopping, excellent dining and drinking options, and all manner of cultural offerings, it's tempting - for me at least - to push forward in a death-march procession from one highlight to the next.  But, because my boyfriend and I wanted to recharge during this trip while still getting to know each other (we had met just three months earlier), we tried to identify one major "thing" for each of the 7 days of our visit, and agreed that everything else would be left to serendipity and our need to just chill.  We also purposefully did not set our alarms and started each day when we awoke.  Most days, we managed to strike the right balance.

DAY ONE: We arrived the day after Christmas, which also is a national holiday in the Netherlands, so most of the city's major attractions and many businesses remained closed.  But, we thought we could at least find a meal at one of the hotels.  After meeting the owner of our apartment who graciously allowed us to check in well before Noon, we grabbed a quick nap and shower then took a tram toward Centraal Station, hopping off at Rembrandtplein, a major tourist square since the 19th Century.  There are several hotels and lots of nightlife options located on and near this square, which features a statute of Holland's most famous Golden Age painter.  From here, we walked somewhat aimlessly north along the canal-lined streets of the central city, generally toward Centraal Station.  The streets were filled with holiday shoppers and tourists out for a walk, even if many shops were closed.  During this time of the year - at least during our visit - most tourists seemed to be from other parts of Europe and we met very few fellow Americans. 

Amsterdam's Centraal Station is the transportation nerve center of the city, sitting at the heart of its medieval core.  More than 250,000 passengers a day pass through this imposing, Gothic redbrick structure that opened in 1889 along the bustling city waterfront.  From Centraal Station, Dutch railway trains depart every few minutes to Schiphol Airport and all other points within the Netherlands, while other, high-speed trains carry travelers to Brussels, Paris and Germany.  In addition, the city's extensive tram, bus and expanding subway network converge at Centraal Station.  A real bargain for visitors staying at least a week is the 7-day transit pass, which allows unlimited on and off access to the city's trams, metro, buses and ferries for about $40. 

Ferries depart from Centraal Station to Amsterdam Noord, an area of recent development on reclaimed land across the Het IJ, or River IJ.  Owing to Dutch engineering's mastery over water, the IJ today is freshwater, but it once was a saltwater bay of the North Sea.  Thanks to damns and reclamation projects, Amsterdam no longer is directly linked to the open sea, but it remains a major port. 

That first afternoon in Amsterdam, the faint winter sun shone as we emerged from Centraal Station and made our way east along the waterfront.  From here, we could see several modern additions to the city's low-slung skyline.  Seeming to rise out of the waters of the IJ is the glass-encased Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam's home for contemporary classical music.  Nearby is NEMO, the excellent science museum that appears like the hull of a ship sitting atop a motorway tunnel connecting central Amsterdam and the north of Holland.  Our stop for the day was the Openbare Bibliotheek, the gorgeous, atrium-centered headquarters of Amsterdam's public library.  My boyfriend and I found a cafe next door to the library, where we enjoyed the setting sun from a second-floor perch with a pot of tea.  After taking the number 9 tram back to our neighborhood for evening, we made the first of many visits to the well-stocked neighborhood grocery store, where we put together a dinner of cheese, bread, fruit, chocolate and wine.

FEELING LIKE A LOCAL: For day two, our "thing" was something I had researched, but which is not necessarily on one's obvious Amsterdam itinerary: a visit to a hammam, or Turkish bath.  Like most of Europe's major cities, Amsterdam has a large Muslim population, many of whom are Turkish.  As in other Muslim countries, bathing often is a cultural experience and frequently shared among generations.  In many cases, a bath or hammam is open to only one sex, or offers separate opening times for the sexes.  I was just looking for a unique experience that would help cure our jet lag while jump-starting the relaxation.  What I found was Gentlemen's Barbershop, a salon for men that offers haircuts and shaves along with offers hammam and spa treatments.  After exchanging emails with Ian, the friendly manager-owner, I arranged for two, one-hour hammam treatments, as well as a head-shave (the Kojak) for me.   The experience of laying naked on a slab of granite in a sauna-like room while being scrubbed from head to toe and being doused with bowl after bowl of hot water was amazing and unique.  Probably not for everyone, much like a massage, but I felt super relaxed (not to mention super clean) afterward.  The experience definitely reset the button on my energy.

As we left our hammam treatments, the rainy skies were clearing so we walked a short distance into the Jordaan and grabbed lunch at one of the many cafes before backtracking along the Singel Canal to catch our canal boat tour.  Sure, it's touristy, but a canal boat tour is a great way to avoid inclement weather for 90 minutes while getting a great overview of Amsterdam and orienting yourself to the layout of the city.  Plus, the tour completes a circle by crossing the IJ in front of Centraal Station, which gives you a waterborne perspective not otherwise available.  In addition, we were able to catch a glimpse at two impressive structures on the north shore, the city's striking Palace of Justice and EYE, the dramatic home of the Netherlands Film Institute.

After the canal boat tour, we headed "home" to our apartment to change before venturing back out - technically violating the one "thing" rule - for dinner following a visit to perhaps Amsterdam's most famous museum, the Van Gogh Museum.  Amsterdam's art museums are world famous and busy at any time of the year, so the queues can be quite long, even in the winter months.  Our strategy was to try and pick the most "off" period, which mostly worked.  The Van Gogh Museum, dedicated almost entirely to the troubled Dutch Impressionist, is open until 10:00 p.m. on Fridays and cocktails are served in the atrium lobby.  Problem solved.  It still was crowded on the evening of our visit, but not excessively so.  After viewing the many outstanding works of one of my favorite artists, we grabbed a glass of wine in the lobby and then headed across the Museumplein, the grassy park at the center the obviously named Museum Kwartier, to a great little seafood restaurant I found through Trip Advisor. 

Brasserie Bark is one of those excellent, small restaurants on which you hope to stumble while exploring a city.  In this case, we found great food with excellent and friendly service in a slightly art deco setting.  My boyfriend and I made different seafood choices, both of which were delicious.  With the encouragement of our waiter, we even sampled a couple of very potent versions of jenever, the juniper-flavored, Dutch version of gin.

The next day, we awoke to bright sunshine, something I could not have planned for in Amsterdam in late December.  So, I put on my running shoes and explored Oosterpark, one of Amsterdam's earliest parks, and the surrounding neighborhood.  After a breakfast of fresh juice, croissants and jam, we set out to just explore with no particular "thing" on the agenda other than lining up our plans for New Year's Eve.  Eventually, we found our way to the Westerkerk, a Dutch Protestant church dating to 1621 that has the city's tallest tower.  Next door is the Anne Frank House and Museum, where the queues often stretch well around the block for the opportunity to hear the heroic story and witness the remarkably small space in which such courage, bravery and humanity ultimately was betrayed.  Also adjacent is the Homomonument, three pink granite triangles that honor the victims of the Nazis' persecution of LGBT persons during World War II.   This square also houses the Pink Point, a LGBT information booth, which is where we tracked down information about still-available tickets to New Year's Eve parties.  Amsterdam is a very international city, food-wise, so we didn't worry about making a bad choice for lunch along the busy streets nearby and had a delicious lunch at an Indian restaurant.

Fueled by our lunch of Indian specialties and naan, we walked to Centraal Station in time to catch a ferry across the IJ to get a closer look at EYE, which we had spotted during the canal boat tour.  EYE appears like a spaceship docked on the water.  The museum tells the story of the film industry in the Netherlands, but it also features current and classic films in four theaters.  During our visit, we could have seen Dr. Zhivago on New Year's Day.  A signature feature is EYE's waterside cafe.  With terraced seating against a wall of glass, the cafe is the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail or a meal and watch the sun setting over central Amsterdam across the river.

SUNDAY IN THE PARK: The Sunday of our visit, we awoke to more brilliant sunshine, which seemed to suggest a walk in the park and brunch.  So, we headed to Vondelpark, Amsterdam's Central Park.  Located just off the Museumplein, the park opened in 1865 and today welcomes millions of visitors annually.  Its 20 acres feature cafes, paths, ponds and grass areas, perfect for brunches, strolling, running or having a picnic.  Even in winter, the park is beautiful and not at all devoid of green.  From the park, we made our way along the adjacent streets of high-end shops to the street-level restaurant of the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam's modern art museum.  We had a delicious brunch while enjoying the people watching both outside and inside the restaurant.  Then, we made our way upstairs to view the impressive collection of paintings, sculpture and other art media in a building that dates to 1890, but which reopened in 2012 after a major renovation and expansion.  Along with likes of Picasso, Kandinsky and Rodin, the Stedelijk also showcases Dutch natives like Piet Mondrian and Willem de Kooning.

The next day, we were up and out early to plan our attack for the third of Amsterdam's blockbuster art museums, the Rijksmuseum.  If you had visited Amsterdam during the decade before April 2013, you would have been unable to visit this vast collection of Dutch art.  Following the extensive renovation that returned the 1885 building to its original grandeur but with the latest technology to protect and preserve, the Rijksmuseum is the place to go to view the magnificent art of the Dutch Golden Age.  But, all of that pent-up demand has meant long, long queues since the museum reopened last year.  You can save time by buying and printing general admission tickets that helpfully are not restricted to a specific date and time.  Among the thousands of pieces, Rembrandt's famous 1642 painting, the "Night Watch," occupies a special place of honor in the first floor galleries.

 

THE FINAL DAY OF 2013: For New Year's Eve day, my boyfriend and I decided to venture out of Amsterdam for the day.  From among the many appealing destinations, we chose the short, 45-minute journey via train to Den Haag, or The Hague.  Although Amsterdam is the constitutional capital, Den Haag (or 's-Gravenhage, which means the Count's Hedge) is the official seat of government for the Netherlands.  Home to Parliament and the King, as well as the International Court of Justice, Den Haag is a regal, elegant city of embassies and parks with a mixture of older buildings and modern skyscrapers.  This compact city of 500,000 offers good dining and shopping opportunities, a couple of excellent museums and, in the warmer months, the North Sea beaches of the adjacent suburb of Scheveningen.

After arrival at Den Haag Centraal Station, we walked the short distance to the center of town and stopped for lunch at Cafe Dudok, a lively brasserie across the street from the impressive Dutch Parliament buildings.  Our waiter turned out to be a fashion designer who had started a clothing line and even had one his creations make an appearance on "Holland's Next Top Model."

From the restaurant, we hopped a bus headed north to one of the city's museums.  Museum renovations seem to be the thing these days in the Netherlands and this was true in Den Haag, as well.  So, we were unable to visit the Mauritshuis, Den Haag's world-class museum housing an amazing collection of Dutch and Flemish art.  But, an impressive sample of the museum's collection is on display during the renovation at our destination, the Gemeentemuseum.  Den Haag's municipal museum is a good example of the Amsterdam School from the early 20th Century, which is described as an expressionist style of architecture.  In addition to its interesting permanent collection, during our visit we lucked out with a temporary exhibit showcasing the life and collections of Coco Chanel.

RINGING IN 2014:  We returned to Amsterdam that evening to get ready for our New Year's Eve night out.  The rain was coming down and the trams had stopped running so we grabbed our first taxi of the trip and made our way to Paradiso, a former church converted into a music venue, for an evening billed as the "F*cking Pop Queers Las Vegas New Year's Eve."  With a name like that, it had to be a wild and crazy, right?  In truth, there was very little debauchery, but we did enjoy three floors of dancing and bars and fun.  A friendly crowd of gay and straight couples danced with drag queens other entertainers and counted down to 2014.  After toasting the New Year, we left Paradiso and made our way to the Leidesplein, one of Amsterdam's busiest squares, and New York Pizza, which describes its pies as "freakin fresh."  After our first meal of the year and waiting in the well-managed taxi queue, we returned home to the Watergraafsmeer, having actually been up and out and partying on New Year's Eve for the first time in many years.

In the morning, I headed out on a gloomy, gray day for a final run on our last full day in Amsterdam.  Later that evening, we decided - at last - to get a little gay on and went to two of the city's numerous gay bars, Queen's Head and Prik.  Despite the cheeky names, both really are just places to grab a drink and mingle.  Nevertheless, owing to its status as one of world's most tolerant and gay-friendly city, Amsterdam certainly does have bars and clubs where far more than drinks is available.  This brings me to two other aspects of Amsterdam city life that are often noted by those who have never visited: prostitution and marijuana.  The famous red-light district is alive and well, though the city has made attempts to clean the area up a bit.  And, the equally famous "coffee shops" still are purveying the happy weed, although there was a dust-up last year after Parliament passed a law prohibiting foreigners from entering the coffee shops.  Problem was only foreigners actually frequent these places, so the law had to be dialed back.

Truth is, the seedier aspects of Amsterdam life are but a few small pieces of the puzzle of this amazing city.  Rather, these examples of tolerance or live-and-let-live attitude show just one personality trait of this beautiful, friendly, worldly, hip, historic, fun and charming European capital.  I look forward to returning - no matter the weather - to peel back more layers of one of the world's greatest cities.