After a five-year break from Amsterdam, I was very excited to return for a more civilized stay in the city. During my previous journey I had opted to fly as I wasn’t aware of the great train connections to Amsterdam from London, with the Eurostar and Thalys service. I was pleasantly surprised with the journey and was grateful that I only had to be there half an hour before checking in at St Pancras, rather than a soul destroying two-hour check in at my local airport! Having visited Amsterdam previously in my younger years, my second visit was somewhat different from my first, and I saw a completely different side to the city. On my first visit I took in many of the tourist sights to try and experience the liberal city in as little time as possible. I also spent a lot of the time indulging in the nightlife, as I was with a group of friends.
I decided not to revisit the main sights, but explore the local neighborhoods by foot. I really enjoyed wandering along the tree-lined canals, looking at the unique architecture and gazing into the large windows. The autumnal weather made the experience more enjoyable, being warm enough not to wear a coat yet bringing the colours of the city to life. The amber leaves had already started to drop along the green banks of the canals, reflecting their colour into the dark water.
I stayed in the Mercure, which was a 20-minute stroll to the city centre, just what I needed after the speedy service from London St Pancras. The Mercure is located in a residential street in the Leidesplein, which is just a short walk away from Vondelpark. The hotel was modern but at the same time felt welcoming. It benefited from recently refurbished bathrooms, which have been tastefully designed; this was very different to the hostel I had stayed in when I last visited in my teens!
The buildings throughout the city are extremely different to anywhere else I have I visited with their long thin shape. I discovered this style is due to the government originally charging taxes based on a building’s width when the city was first built. It was then that the Dutch people decided to increase the depth of their buildings, and this is what has created this signature style.
As well as enjoying the buildings from the exterior, you also manage to get a great insight into the lifestyles of the city workers as most of the Dutch choose to live in a curtain free building! They choose to share their lives with the public transforming their homes into a human aquarium. From wandering around the city you really get the impression the homeowners have nothing to hide and are obviously extremely proud of their large stylish homes.
What I learnt from my latest visit to Amsterdam, is in addition to visiting the main tourist sights it is a great place to hire a bike or spend an afternoon wandering a new area of the city. This was a fun and authentic way to absorb the culture. I really enjoyed my second helping in this creative city and will certainly be back in the future to explore another area by foot!
