This delightful little book is a collection of stories, both fiction and memoir, all of which have Amsterdam as one of the characters. The stories are all penned by Dutch writers. In some stories, the presence and feel of the city is barely noted, while in others, the city is the main character. The stories are grouped by the parts…
Monday was the last full day with all four of us, and it was really a terrific day. We saved the best museum, the Van Gogh, for last. There was a fascinating temporary exhibit about his painting, The Sunflowers. First we attended a short talk about the painting. Apparently, after he painted it, Van Gogh felt that the uppermost sunflower…
On Saturdays, there’s a nice farmer’s market called Noordemarkt, on the northern part of the Prinsengracht. The plan was to check it out, and since Udi lives close to the market, pop by his place, introduce the guys to him, and show them the joys of a canal-view apartment. The market was very nice, as usual. Lots of fresh fruits,…
The bleary-eyed bunch woke up around 9:00 a.m. and began screaming for coffee. We pulled ourselves together and hit the street, on our way to Blue, a popular eatery that offers excellent brunch, with a great view of the city. Amsterdam is home to many fantastic museums, and the guys definitely wanted to see the big three: The Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk…
I woke up early, got dressed, and started walking toward Central Station. Plumeau and Rosen were due to arrive at Schipol Airport at 8:30 a.m. I grabbed the 7:30 train, got to the airport at 8:00, and looked at the arrivals board to see which arrival hall they would be coming through. I knew they had to go through passport control,…
Introduction: The Backstory In early 1978, as I was finishing up my freshman year of college at New York University (NYU), I realized that this wasn’t the collegiate experience that I was expecting or hoping for. I was still living at home, riding the subway into the city for my classes, and then coming back home to Brooklyn to try…
The last days of the trip had really beautiful weather, and I convinced Robb to do some biking. (He was obsessively keeping track of how many steps he walked daily, and he was reluctant to go biking because the pedaling didn’t register as steps. Silly, I know.) Vondelpark is a beautiful, popular park in Amsterdam, and a picnic in the…
In New York City, the big Pride parade occurs on the Sunday of Pride Weekend, traditionally the last Sunday in June. In Amsterdam, however, the parade occurs on Saturday. Rather than march down the street, the floats sail down the Prinsengracht canal. In New York, traffic is a nightmare and trying to get from one side of town to the…
Pride is a fun time of year here in Amsterdam. The city really gets into the spirit, and there’s a great feeling of Pride and activism in the air. Stores get in the spirit as well, selling all sorts of Pride related things. My apartment is on Spuistraat, in the centrum. It’s a very central location, and that is very…
On Wednesday, we decided to check out one of my favorite neighborhoods in Amsterdam: The Pijp. There are charming, quaint streets, lots of adorable cafes, and the famous Albert Cuyp market, where vendors sell clothes, food, and all sorts of other items down a stretch of several blocks. It’s the kind of market where, even if you’re really really really…
Amsterdam weather is notoriously iffy. Clouds can appear and rain can come pouring down at a moment’s notice. I was obsessively checking the weather before Robb’s arrival, and it all looked favorable, except for Tuesday, his second day. Most of the agenda I planned centered on outdoor activities, because Robb doesn’t like generally like museums. In this pouring rain, though,…
After spending a week in Amsterdam by myself, I prepared the apartment for Robb’s visit. The Anne Frank Room (i.e. the hidden little upstairs bedroom) was clean, and the bed was freshly made. I put a small fan up there, because being on the top floor, it can get a bit warm. I set my alarm for 6:00 a.m. Tuesday…
Oosterpark, Amsterdam – Photos
It’s Tuesday in Amsterdam. In two more days, four of my college buddies fly across the Atlantic to join me for five days of eating, drinking, exploring, laughing, and reminiscing about the good old days, i.e., our days together at SUNY Binghamton, back when life seemed like one continuous party. Forty-one years have passed and we’re still good friends, and…
Ah, home sweet second home. I arrived in Amsterdam, to spend the last few days of this long winter trip. The weather forecast for the second Amsterdam leg of the trip did not look promising. As is typical in Amsterdam, it was rain, rain, and more rain. I would have liked sunny weather, but I didn’t really care. In my…