Quirky Amsterdam – Part Two

It could be said that one of the most quirky aspects of Amsterdam is the bikes. It must be one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world, and the majority of its inhabitants have spent their lives on two wheels since they were children. There are up to 400 kilometres of bicycle paths to explore if you chose to rent a bike. There are also many guided bike tours available.

However, we didn’t cycle on this trip but we certainly walked – everywhere! The only time we took public transport was the tram to and from the hotel. As we had our cases, this was the practical option but for all our other excursions we walked. Having a young Border Collie we are used to walking – a lot! The other advantage to walking in Amsterdam, is that it is flat.

On one of our many walks, we spotted this houseboat named after our dog. Or maybe it was the other way round…

I’m always on the lookout for quirky and unusual doors. I spotted this ‘hobbit’ door leading down to a basement flat, presumably.

I like the image below, although I didn’t take it, because it is so Amsterdam. Wherever you walk, you see different types of bikes parked outside properties. I like the colour of the bike which contrasts with the the dark door.

We didn’t do much shopping in Amsterdam, only window shopping! I imagine that if you want to do some serious shopping, you would be spoilt for choice. From department stores to boutiques, antiques, and markets and that’s for starters. We were in the city, just before Easter, and were very impressed with some of the beautiful window displays.

There is a wide range of cuisine to be found in Amsterdam, no surprise in such a cosmopolitan city. Although we are neither vegetarians nor vegans, we enjoy this style of food and were impressed by how many restaurants and cafés offer this possibility.

One of our most enjoyable meals was in the ‘Vegan Junk Food Bar’. The image below doesn’t really do justice to the delicious food but I can assure you it was very good especially the sweet potato fries!

We also tried Dutch Pancakes on our last day in Amsterdam. I am a fan of pancakes, especially French crêpes and I like to think my homemade ones aren’t too bad! I’m always happy to try a pancake that I haven’t sampled before.

The pancake place we chose is at the back of Central Station and has wonderful views, next to the free ferry to Amsterdam North. I selected a traditional Dutch ham and cheese pancake and Mr. FF had bacon and cheese. Sadly, we were both disappointed but that might be more to do with our expectations than the pancakes themselves.

To visit the Noord area, take one of the free GVB ferries at the waterfront exit of Central Station. They leave every few minutes and carry pedestrians, bicycles, and mopeds. We even spotted a small, electric ‘city’ car on another ferry.

There is plenty to see and do in this area but we were pushed for time and weren’t able to see as much as would have liked. Another time perhaps, as Amsterdam Noord is definitely interesting and quirky!

On a more practical note, If you do visit Amsterdam, I would recommend investing in the I Amsterdam City Card. It covers the entrance fee to over seventy museums, public transport across the city, a canal cruise, and bike rental. You can choose the duration of your City Card. We went for forty-eight hours and more than recovered the cost of the card.

We fell in love with Amsterdam all over again and I would willingly return in the future.

Happy Travelling!