Amsterdam Days

Summary

The author shares a personal account of a recent visit to Amsterdam, reflecting on the city's charm, the convenience of train travel, and the vibrant atmosphere, including a mention of the Red Light District.

Abstract

The author recounts a long-awaited return to Amsterdam, having previously visited during a university trip. The journey begins with a scenic Eurostar train ride from London, culminating in the grandeur of Amsterdam Centraal Station. The first evening is spent exploring the city's enchanting streets and canals, with particular note of the outdoor seating areas overlooking the waterways. Despite an unexpected change in dining plans, the author enjoys the local adaptation of tapas. The narrative touches on the city's famous Red Light District and concludes with reflections on the environmental benefits of train travel compared to flying. The author expresses a deep appreciation for Amsterdam and plans to share further insights from the trip.

Opinions

The author has a strong appreciation for Amsterdam's historic and picturesque qualities, especially its canals and architecture.
The Red Light District is acknowledged as a tourist attraction with a hint of bemusement at its notoriety.
There is a clear preference for train travel over flying, emphasizing its comfort and lower environmental impact.
The author was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the impromptu street-side tapas experience, despite it differing from traditional Spanish tapas.
The author values the opinions and experiences of readers, inviting them to engage with the content by sharing their own stories or questions about Amsterdam.

My summer trip to the Netherlands.

Photo from my photo album.

The last time I was in Amsterdam I was on a University residential trip to the Hague and we spent just a few hours in the capital, one dark evening. Ever since, I have meant to go back and explore this historic city and now, 23 years later, I have finally returned. Taking the four-hour Eurostar train from London St Pancras, I enjoyed the countryside scenes as I sped through the tunnel and across the north of France, before arriving at the huge and impressive Amsterdam Centraal Station.

Amsterdam Central Station — from my photo album.

The first evening was spent walking around the streets and up and down canals, trying to get myself used to the layout. There are so many charming streets with bars spilling out into outdoor seating areas which overlook the waterways.

A canal — from my photo album

I love how these buildings were lit (from my photos)

Of course, Amsterdam is renowned for its Red Light District which you cannot help but stumble across. In fact, people are generally fascinated by it so it is packed with tourists (and maybe clients).

The Red Light District — from my album.

As we could not get a table at the big Chinese restaurant that we had our eyes on, we had to make do with a small street-side eatery that listed tapas as one of its meals. The food was a selection of bits and bobs and didn’t reflect the Spanish tapas I was used to. Nonetheless, I ended up loving the greasy selection that arrived.

The Sea Palace restaurant (from my photo album)

Tapas — Amsterdam style ( from my photos)

Amsterdam made a brilliant first impression on me last time around which was duplicated this time too. I loved arriving by train as it was a comfortable journey and much greener than flying. A four hour train produces 13 times less pollution than a one hour plane. Per hour, the train produces 52 times less. A plane holds 300–400 people when full whereas the train has 750 seats, which are usually full or close to full.

So there it is…

Enough of my green rant. Hopefully you enioyed my quick introduction to wonderful Amsterdam. I will return with more reflections on my visit soon. Thank you so much for reading. I hope you will consider commenting your own experiences or questions related to Amsterdam.