Netherlands (Winter 2023) - Amsterdam (Day 5)
Bikes!
We should talk about the bikes in Amsterdam.
Bike culture here is insane. People commute on bikes at all times, even when it’s freezing out. This was December and the streets were filled with bikes. I can’t imagine what it would look like in warm weather.
They also have right of way. As far as I can tell, they can plow through cars, pedestrians, endangered species, etc. They will not yield to you (unless they are some stupid tourist on a bike). Also no one wears a helmet here to which I say good for them. They just mess up your hair and is one more thing to carry.
Everything is set up for biking. They have special lanes and bikes are strewn everywhere in the city. I heard that bike theft is pretty rampant so locking them is a must. Some people apparently rent their bikes monthly so that they don’t have to do their own maintenance. I’ve also been told that they have periodic clean up campaigns to fish old bikes out of the canals. I would also assume there are a decent amount of zombie bikes that are just sitting around the city but don’t know if they have programs to get rid of those.
The central train station has a huge cavernous underground garage that is set aside just for bike parking (shown below).
Vondelpark & small parklet
Shown above is the entrance to Vondelpark. We stayed not too far away from it and it is like a mini-Central Park. This one seemed pretty popular with the bikers. The other little parklet is covered with little statues of monitor lizards - a nod to their colonial past.
Rijksmusuem
We finally made our way over to the Rijksmuseum on the last day. All ticketing is done online and you get a timed entry. This is the main art museum of Amsterdam and they do a very good job laying out the displays. It’s big but not overwhelming and they separate the pieces by eras and themes which provides context and makes the art more meaningful. Art without the history and background is just pretty pictures.
Café Los
After the museum, it seemed fitting that we head back to Rembrandtplein for some refreshments. The square is surrounded by cafes and restaurants. This one on the corner I would classify as a dive bar. Lively place to get a drink and you can sit out front for a view of the square.
Turkish Kebab Sabba
Just off the square was this kebab shop. They made an excellent wrap and just what was needed for an afternoon snack.
Rembrandt Bar
Also located right next to the square was this bar. The front offers prime viewing of the square but it was just a little too cold to sit comfortably outside that day (not that it stopped the smokers since all the outside seats were taken up).
Instead we got front window seats to enjoy the view with some drinks instead.
Rembrandtplein
During this time of year there was a Christmas market in the square
Café Hoppe
This was another classic brown bar about a 10 minute walk west from Rembrandtplein. Very busy inside and there was no place to sit. The floors were covered with sand and it sounds like it’s a nod to the old days when people would spit tobacco on the floor and the sand made it easier to clean.
This seems like one of the classic old school places in Amsterdam. We found a little counter up front where we could stand and enjoy the drinks.