Better late than never. Well, that's how this post should be justified. In the springs of 2019, we visited a versatile city, a city that can be described in several ways- the city of bikes, the city of dykes, the city of canals, the city with stuck together houses, the absolutely free-spirited city, so on and so forth. Some even call it the city of sins because it is so free-spirited. I am sure that by now you would have guessed its name, isn't it? Yes, Amsterdam is the city I've been describing with all those taglines. I have a few more interesting descriptions for this charming multi-cultural European city, the capital city of the Netherlands. Amsterdam is not just pretty but it has a wonderful tolerant attitude towards its people and sends out such welcoming vibes to its visitors. So much so that this city is not just ever-crowded but over-crowded, all through the year. There are innumerable photographs of Amsterdam and multiple posts, too, by many bloggers. What I shall be documenting is my personal experiences, some of the places we visited, some touristy spots and some absolutely local-like activities we did while in the city. Spring is one of the seasons when it isn't too crowded. The vibes are wonderful, the weather perfect, colours all around as it's also the season of the famed tulips. Most of us know of the world famous Keukenhof gardens, don't we? The tulip gardens close to Amsterdam where about 7 million bulbs are planted by a team of gardeners between the months of October and December, open for the visitors around spring time for just 8 weeks! And believe me, they are a sight not to be missed. Keukenhof might be a touristy spot but it is worth visiting. The gardens are beautifully planned, each year with a different theme and are so colourful that they make us spellbound. Not just tulips, there are quite a few varieties of flowers and orchids, too. What I loved about these gardens was the happy vibe all around; people seemed just so happy and relaxed. Maybe colours have a magical relaxing effect on people! I feel I should do a separate post on these stunning gardens of Keukenhof 😀⚘⚘⚘.....
And there was some riot of colours! Leaving the gardens of Keukenhof behind, let's come back to the city once again. A canal cruise is mandatory in this city. At least, that's what I felt. But doing it a little differently was the trick for maximum enjoyment. We had opted for Captain Dave's cruise. It was listed as an Airbnb activity that we had added to our itinerary. The cruise was for a small group of 13/14 people. It was a lovely experience, sipping steaming coffee, nibbling on cakes and cookies and making ourselves comfortable on warm seats on the boat. Captain Theo was at the helm and he guided the boat with expertise while narrating his stories about Amsterdam. We passed by pretty neighbourhoods, tree-lined with those iconic stuck-up houses that define the city. We crossed quite a few bridges, the Amsterdam university on one side, a zoo on another side of the canals, churches and museums, boat houses and finally reached the point when we were on Amstel river. I was at my energetic best, trying to freeze every corner of the city with my new cellphone camera! And with such interesting places dotting the city, what can be expected of visitors! After the canal cruise we walked through the lanes lined with cafés and houses. The buildings looked straight out of the glossies, quaint and unique at the same time. There are a lot of stories about these slim and trim, stuck together beauties.By the way, did you know that the four canals of Amsterdam are included in the list of UNESCO World heritage site? We visited a very interesting place, the floating flower market. It was a crazy sight with bouquets of colourful tulips and orchids and violets and hyacinths, to name a few, apart from tulip bulbs displayed all around. I literally wanted to buy everything and regretted not living in this beautiful city. Have you read the story of Alibaba and the forty thieves? Well, if you haven't, then you should give it a read. I felt as if I had entered a cave full of treasure and really didn't know how to react. Never had I seen so many colours together and such variety of tulips! No wonder at one point of time, tulip bulbs would cost more than boat houses! This flower market dates back to 1862. The flower stores are actually barges. Earlier flower sellers would sell their flowers in barges on the canals and river. Now the barges are docked and flowers are sold on these boats. Doesn't that sound interesting?
The Rijks Museum was on our must visit list, too. It's a beautiful building exhibiting some beautiful paintings and other exhibits; a good way to spend a morning exploring history, art and culture and then ending off with some good coffee at the in-house café.
So much to say about this beautiful city; the post is getting longer and I have been deferring the publishing. Much happened in the meantime, a pandemic swept the world and brought life to a grinding halt. Travelling came to a standstill and we do not know when again we can travel. In such circumstances, the only way to travel is through photographs and memories. This post is my way of travelling in a pandemic-stricken world. Travel through Amsterdam with me through this post and let me know if you enjoyed this virtual travel.
Signing out..... Take care and stay safe.
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