Too much of a good thing?

Amsterdam is probably one of the most interesting cities in Europe, if not the world. A wide variety of worlds and cultures, modern and traditional architecture as well as liberalism and austerity in everyday life come together in such a small space that sometimes it’s just too much of a good thing for me. Or is it more of a bad thing? So it’s no wonder that the supposed contrasts in every respect have a tremendous appeal and visitors flood Amsterdam in droves. Although … crowds is more like it – and on dreary, wet November days.

Suddenly it’s quiet

It seems grotesque how lively and dead the city centre can be in the space of a few hours. During the day and into the evening hours, there is pure life on every corner. It’s not always nice, but that’s just the way big cities are. I’ve never been bothered by the less attractive, rougher corners, on the contrary, they attract me … But the fact that a number of pavements are raised before or at the witching hour is rather unusual for a city of this size. At least, I’ve never seen it so obviously anywhere else to this extent.

How liberal! How strict!

The explanation for this is quite simple and understandable. Amsterdam has been struggling for many years with too many tourists – especially those who indulge in excessive (craving) addictions. It doesn’t go down particularly well, especially not with residents and tradespeople, who don’t want to and can’t deal with any clientele en masse and ultimately only damage the image. This is no different in Amsterdam than elsewhere, but the resulting consequences are clear to see: a ban on alcohol sales after 4pm in the city centre from Thursdays to Sundays and a ban on the consumption of alcohol and drugs in public spaces. The latter, on the other hand, is not absolutely consistent in terms of joints, spliffs etc. Their controlled sale in coffee shops has long been tolerated in the Netherlands, as has their consumption step by step. Not everywhere, of course – schools, churches and public institutions are absolute no-go zones. Otherwise, the ‘smell of weed’ is somehow part of everyday life. How liberal!

The opposite is true of alcohol consumption in public. Neither on a bench in the magnificent Herengracht canal, nor on the way to a football match in the metro do you see people drinking – and I really don’t mean boozing, bawling! You won’t find any late-night shops or neighbourhood shops here. Crazy, but the result of a restrictive policy over the years. How strict!

What remains? Lots and lots of variety!

Four days are hardly enough to explore the whole wealth of possibilities. So first of all, there are the classics that I think you simply have to do. First and foremost, a visit to the city centre of Amsterdam within the canal belt, the Joordan district with probably the most beautiful guild houses along the Herengracht and a canal cruise through the canals. All doable in one day.

Beer and football, after all!

For beer and football lovers like me, it’s a real treat. Various tours are available at the historic site of the Heineken brewery. I recommend the VIP tour with a tasting session – after all, you don’t want to die of thirst. A weekend at the Johan Cruijff Arena, the home ground of the glorious Amsterdam football club Ajax, is the perfect way to round off a sporting weekend. As a regular stadium visitor, however, you will be bitterly disappointed unless it is a top match against Rotterdam or Eindhoven or one of the European competitions. The atmosphere is extremely poor and the crowd is probably so spoilt that many spectators leave the stadium well before the end of the game, even though their own team is in the process of winning at home. For me, this is an absolute no-go and incomprehensible.

Is this art or can it go?

Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Vermeer and all the others can be marvelled at in the impressive Rijksmuseum, the Netherlands’ great art treasure trove. As an art layman like me, I only linger longer over a few paintings and works of art, including Rembrandt’s Night Watch and Vermeer’s Street of Delft. Van Gogh …. well … it’s not really my cup of tea. The rather ‘washed-out’ quality of his motifs doesn’t appeal to me at all and bores me. But I’m also an art philistine!