Amsterdam, Again

Hello! Sorry I've been gone a while, I think when I was last here I was drinking elderflower cordial and just about to jaunt off for a few days. Since then life just got kind of Life-y and I've been fully enjoying these glorious days of midsummer and not spending very much time online. So now it's time for a catch-up - I've been taking photos most days to document as many happy June moments as I can, and I'll be sharing those snippets with you during the next few days. Today though, we're going to sail over the North Sea and enjoy a slow day in Amsterdam.

Ahh yes, Amsterdam......agaaaaain....I know, I know, it's a city which J and I both love and I think I told you back in October (here and here) how we really like to travel to this part of Europe by sea. It's the most delightful kind of slow travel and I've lost count of how many times we've done this trip, almost a dozen I should think, since the days before children when it was just J and I back then. We used to be able to sail to Zeebrugge too (for a day trip to beautiful Bruges) but sadly that crossing no longer happens so Rotterdam/Amsterdam are the cities of choice now.

The ship sails at 8.30pm when it's still beautifully, deliciously light at this time of year, and we enjoyed the sunset with a few beers up on the sundeck as we slowly made our way out to sea. It was sunny, warm and calm which made for a very smooth crossing.....

....and the next morning we woke up to allllll the blue skies and sunny sea views. What a beautiful way to start the day, with a cup of coffee up on the top deck and the anticipation of a whole day pootling about in beautiful Amsterdam.

Once the ferry docks, foot passengers (that's us) disembark and there is a coach waiting to whisk us right into the heart of Amsterdam city. We arrive in the city around 10.30am, and after a short stroll along the river IJ we come to the very busy Centraal Station area and the iconic row of old houses which line the Damrak canal. This part of Amsterdam city is very, very, very busy (people, bikes, cars, buses, trams) and not for the faint hearted, it's Hectic with a capital H. But Amsterdam is a pretty compact and very walkable city, and it doesn't take long to ease away from the crowds and find a little breathing space.

Ahhhh, that's much better!

Every time we come to Amsterdam we have a slightly different idea of how to spend our time, and for this trip we decided that it would be mostly a leisurely and relaxed jaunt around some of the city's oldest brown café bars. So basically, a historic pub crawl (!), taking us through the old heart of the city and around all the picturesque canals and small streets that we enjoy so much.

I had made a short list of potential places we could visit, and appointed J as our official map reader and route planner.

We strolled through an art and book market which was very atmospheric....

...on our way to the first place on our list, and there it is look, overlooking the pretty Spui square. This is Café Hoppe, a very traditional and old brown cafe dating back to 1670.

I took this photo inside to show you what a traditional "brown cafe" looks like - they really are incredibly brown!!

On this Friday in mid June it was hot and sunny, and so we opted to sit outside at a small round table overlooking the square. I often find myself really craving this sort of European outdoor café lifestyle (I think I mentioned it to you a little while ago?) I know I mention it often to J, haha, poor man, I have many, many obsessions, and sunny European travel is just the tip of the iceberg of my wants and desires.

Actually, this particular trip was his idea so I know he does listen to me and takes note, bless him. He most likely heard me saying how much I love leafy squares and sunny pavement tables, and decided Amsterdam could very well deliver that in spades.

Anyhow, yes, it did deliver in fine European style, and Café Hoppe was a delight. It was around 11.30ish and so I ordered the French Breakfast which was a coffee, a freshly squeezed orange juice and a croissant. It was perfect.

After our late breakfast stop, we made our way slowly into the heart of historic Amsterdam to the Jordaan area. I don't think I'll ever tire of taking in the beautiful architecture and tranquil ambience of the canals in Amsterdam, they are impossibly, utterly charming.

Everywhere you look there are beautiful little vistas to enjoy....

....and I fall just a bit more in love with it all each time I visit.

We are now in a very old part of the city, in the heart of Jordaan. Our second stop of the day was at Café Chris which is known to be the oldest brown bar in Amsterdam, dating back to 1624. We found it on the corner of a quiet little street just down from the imposing tower of the Oude Kerk (old church) which you can see in the above photo. We took a seat on a wooden bench outside and ordered up a couple of beers, ready to relax and watch the world go by for a little while.

The café owner was very friendly and spent a lot of time talking to us, telling us stories about the history of the area and the houses and buildings that made up the immediate neighbourhood.

A lovely thing happened while we sat there in the sunshine - we heard the carillon bells of Oude Kerk play, which is the most beautiful sound. Apparently this particular carillon in the tower has a whopping 47 bells and the tune they play is beautifully old fashioned and surprisingly melodic. You can hear/see what it sounds like on YouTube if you're curious!

The inside of Cafe Chris is beautiful and incredibly atmospheric, and we really enjoyed it there.

Our third stop was a bar called De Tuin, but to be honest I wasn't so keen on it there. It was on a busy street, so sitting outside on the pavement was a bit too full of traffic for my liking.

Our next stop was an old favourite of ours - Café t-Smalle. I don't think we've ever visited Amsterdam and not called in here for some ambient refreshment! Like all the other brown cafés, it's incredibly old (and brown) and atmospheric inside, and in the past we've really enjoyed cosying into the little upstairs bar area which entails a very steep climb up some very, very steep narrow stairs.

But on a hot, sunny June afternoon the higgledy piggeldy chairs and beer barrel tables right on the edge of the canal were perfect. We ate a fantastic ham and cheese toasted sandwich here (highly recommend) and enjoyed our cold beers while watching the city do its thing. Beautiful people gliding by on bicycles, boats passing by on the canal, locals and tourists coming and going and enjoying an afternoon drink and a chat.

It was wonderful, all of it, and really topped up my "European sunny outdoor afternoon" pleasure cup.

It's late afternoon now, 3pm ish, and we have a few hours before our pick up to go back to the ship. J doesn't like to rush anywhere at all, for any reason, so we slowly begin to wend our way along the canals back towards the train station.

It is sooooo beautiful, everywhere. So many pots of flowers....

.....and picturesque little bridges overflowing with colourful summer blooms.

Did I mention how hot is was? By 3pm it had reached 31 degrees, and I was very glad to be wearing a strappy cotton sundress and sandals. One of the lovely things about visiting Amsterdam on a day trip is the total lack of luggage needed. On the ship you keep the same cabin for outward and return crossings, so you can leave luggage safely on board and just travel with a small bag, it felt very liberating I have to say.

The last hour of our day was spent sitting on the banks of the IJ river drinking ice cold water and eating a very good apple pastry. This part of the river is huge and very busy with boaty traffic (see here for an idea of it), so it's a great place to just sit for a while and take it all in. The coach pick up point is about a twenty minute stroll along the riverbank and it's a lovely way to round out the day, especially knowing that the ship will be waiting for our arrival and it feels a little bit like coming "home" when we get back to our familiar little cabin up on deck ten. I didn't take any photos on the ship, but if you're curious, you can see what a cabin bedroom looks like (here). They are simple and basic but really cosy and I tell you what, I always sleep really well when travelling by sea.

Sailing out in the light evening was a joy, it was still really warm with a light breeze and many passengers were up on deck enjoying a drink or two while watching the passing views as we made our way slowly out to sea.

There is something very relaxing about slow sea travel - we were away for two nights, arriving back home on Saturday morning and it felt like we'd been away for ages. If you hadn't already guessed, we LOVE these mini holidays (they are very affordable too) and are already planning our next one as we'll be taking Little B with us next time and visiting Rotterdam for a change.

Thank you as always for coming along with me on my trips and jaunts, it's always a pleasure to share my words and visuals with you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

edit ::  thank you so much for your suggestions about visiting Haarlem in the future, apparently it's only 16minutes by train from Amsterdam? It looks gorgeous! Definitely going to think about that xx

 

 

Comments

[Penny]

Lovely, thanks for sharing.

[Peggy R]

I love small trips . We are taking a small one next week . Amsterdam looks so beautiful and somehow peaceful. Thank you for sharing. Have a wonderful day. We are going into a long weekend. We have a big holiday next week, it is Canada Day .

[Tineke]

Born and raised in both Amsterdam and Haarlem, I can advise you to go to Haarlem, you'll love it. Café Hoppe has special memories just like the Jordaan, the birthplace of my mother and father-in-law and my late husband. The luxury of a one-day trip I took to the UK, every year at Christmas, with my kids. London was the place to be, isn't it hilarious we did it visa versa?

[Hanneke]

Amsterdam is lovely but beginning to suffer from over tourism -I love Delft, Leiden, Haarlem, (small walkable town centres with great historic charm and museum/art galleries) all easy to access from the ferry. Even closer we have spent a weekend in Rotterdam and that is different but also plenty to see (more modern art and architecture). Your blog is a joy to read!

[Jules]

Your photographs are beautiful, Lucy. I've always enjoyed reading about your trips to Amsterdam, even looking at the ferry websites from time to time. So I'm very excited that I'll finally get to visit this year. Thank you so much for the inspiration. Xx

[Juanita]

Everything about your trip sounds perfect. Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos. How lucky you are have quick access to such places, I wish I did! Here in New Zealand it is a big and expensive undertaking going anywhere overseas. Your photos always inspire me to save for my next trip though. :)

[Kate]

Lovely to read this and see the photos. I can't wait to go back. One of my favourite places too Lucy. We really should try Cafe Chris next time.😉 xx

[witloof]

Rotterdam was absolutely flattened by the Nazis and it doesn't have the same old world charm as the rest of Holland. I don't think you'll want to spend much time there. When I was there a few summers ago, I used it as a base and went on a lot of day trips. Delft was incredibly beautiful and I would start there, along with Leiden, Gouda, and Den Haag. The trains are so frequent that you can just go to the station and hop on, and when you're ready to return there will be also plenty of trains, very little waiting. I'll be in Holland again in late August and am soooo looking forward to eating herring, poofertjes, and frites sonder!

[Karen Dodgson (Seaside Karen)]

Hi Lucy, that looks a perfect way to visit. I was in Amsterdam with my nephews earlier this month, but we’d gone to do two parkruns on Whit Weekend, so it was very busy and it rained constantly! I loved the architecture though, and took lots of photos to draw and paint now I’m home again. Your ferry sounds such a lovely way to get there, I think I might take my hubby there that way and hope for sunshine!

[Frances Anne]

I can't afford travel to anywhere from the US, so I get a tremendous amount of enjoyment from travelogs like yours. And from watching all my detective shows beautifully set in different countries. There is one I especially like set in Amsterdam.

[lisa]

I think churches are so rich in spirituality that they are always worth visiting in a new city.

[lisa]

Next time you should visit Oude Kerk,it is a really beautiful church...

[Carolyn wood]

Ooh so jealous you are so accessible to Europe. I visited Amsterdam from nz and loved it too! Hot sunny days and loved the flowers everywhere. Would love to return one day.😍

[Jeanette]

Thank you Lucy, for taking us with you on this trip. I Love Amsterdam too.

[Jane Woodall]

Haarlem is just gorgeous. 20 mins by train from Amsterdam central station with trains every 10 or 20 mins and then a 15 min stroll to the market place where there’s a huge church, lively market and loads of bars and restaurants and nice shops in the streets leading from it. It’s very good for just wandering and admiring and has canals so you can do a very good canal cruise, recommend Haarlem Canal Cruises as the owner is lovely and very knowledgeable. I liked it more than Delft but the Delft pottery factory is well worth seeing…an easy 20 min stroll from the train station.

[hemelsgroen]

That's a great idea for a minibreak! Coming from Rotterdam myself I wonder if they offer the same kind of trip in reverse? Probably so, must look into that.
Have fun in Rotterdam! If you need any insiders tips, let me know.

[kate]

I'm in Australia so it's always bewildering to me, how an overnight ferry crossing can put you in another country. can i ask how much it costs for the ferry trip?

[Tammy Marquardt]

What a lovely getaway. I am envious of your little adventure. Here in the USA, Wisconsin to be specific, the weather is steamy and toasty but I won't complain just yet.

[Marilyn.]

Hi Lucy, we are BC ack in Australia after 6 weeks in Netherlands, Cornwall, Wales & Cotswolds. Seeing the windmills brought a tear as it was our last hurrah of long haul flights. Had a perfectly lovely time with family & tours too. My family come from Gouda, another city full of Dutch charm. Thankyou for your eloquent sharing 🇳🇱🌷Marilyn.

[Kristine S]

How wonderful❣️🥰👌 A ferry journey‼️ What a great way to *bookend* a trip to a stunning city! I do believe my envy of your proximity to other cultures, cities & 'different' climes is reaching a bursting point! I may have to emigrate 😂 I've been to Amsterdam around 30 years ago, where I also visited a 'brown cafe' (but didn't know it was called that) where teabags were stuck to the ceiling! I'm so pleased for you, to have such a lovely break, with your special man❣️

[Linda Hedley]

Hi Lucy.
What a lovely description of your trip to Amsterdam. I have never been there. Makes me want to go to be honest.
Love the photos especially the flowers, of course.
It’s been quiet here in the South, rather hot. So time spent keeping potted plants watered.
We did have a long weekend in The Cotswolds. The weather was good and we went to a lot of the busy villages. Lots of photos taken. We attended a retirement party. Held on an old Jumbo Jet at a small airfield. That was some experience. Quite a venue.
Currently still making hats for the premature babies. Need to make a trip to the hospital and deliver them.
Hopefully love slept well since your return.
It’s quite hard when it’s so warm. But easier last night.
Regards Linda xxx

[Breggitta]

I'm Dutch. Amsterdam is not the only beautiful and historical city.
I highly recommend Haarlem, Leiden, Delft. Not so crowded as Amsterdam.