Located just outside the Amsterdam centrum, but on the completely opposite side compared to Westerpark, is the lovely Oosterpark.  This shouldn’t be surprising; WESTerpark is up in the northwest.  OOSTerpark (“oost” means “east”) is in the southeast.  It’s a big park, with lots of benches, a big lake, lots of birds, and a bunch of nice footbridges.  

Just as with Westerpark, I have my favorite bench.  I know I’m in the right area when I spot the statue of the guy with the goat.  

The bench I like is shrouded by trees and overlooks the lake.  You can see it behind the goat statue, on the left.  

As you can see, I like to park my bike here and sit.  

I have intentions to read, but I get distracted by the natural beauty of the place and I end up just sitting and observing the world. 

Other people like this part of the park as well.  More times than not, I find my bench occupied by someone, like that guy with the dog.  He knows a good spot when he sees it.  

The bike paths are nice, and the footbridges are great, but for me, the lake is the star attraction. 

Last time I was there, I saw a ton of birds. 

The pathways are usually pretty lush and in the summer, the wildflowers are in bloom, making the place especially pretty.  

It’s a longer bike ride for me to get here, compared to Westerpark, but that’s okay.  When I come here, I usually bring a sandwich and a drink and make a day of it.