I recently returned from a 10-day trip to Amsterdam. What a lovely city! I mainly went there for work – to check out the design influences, understand their impressive city rebranding campaign, talk to a robotics company and a variety of other business-related pursuits. I saw Banksy and Icy & Sot at Moco, their modern art museum, and Fukase at Foam, their main photography museum. And I saw the big “I Amsterdam” sign (more on that later) in front of the famous Rijksmuseum.
My parents are from the Netherlands (but live in Seattle now) and I had not been back for 30 years. I was fortunate to have a gorgeous place to stay in the upscale Jordaan area of the city. The private apartment of my long-time friend and his family looked over a typical beautiful canal and the big windows in front opened wide so I could sit there with a cup of coffee and take it all in.
The upscale Jordaan area of Amsterdam.
The Crazy World of Cycling in Amsterdam
Most people who know even the slightest bit about the Netherlands know that bicycles are the primary mode of transportation, including to and from work. They have an impressive array of bike paths throughout the city (and beyond), major parking areas for the bicycles at train stations and people rode rain or shine. One sopping-wet, pouring-rain day, I saw a woman on her bike with a child up front, one on the back and she was holding an umbrella to keep them all dry.
The first evening I was there, I sat at a local “brown café,” or pub, and watched throngs of people riding home from work and coming straight at me over a canal bridge. It was quite entertaining and I wish I had made a video of it.
These tips for cycling Amsterdam end with: “Don’t imitate the Dutch: Amsterdammers are notorious for breaking the rules: cycling through red lights or biking at night without lights. Do not follow their example!”
For a hearty laugh, look at this super funny video by a local about riding around Amsterdam. I cycled a few times while I was there and even sat sidesaddle on the back of my cousin’s bike one evening on the way to a pub. You have to stay alert when you cycle there, people are coming at you from all sides, but it is wildly fun.
Learning About Robotics in Europe
I had wanted to go to Amsterdam to shake the trees a bit for tech business as I had heard about their “Silicon Canal.” One of the people I met with was Roeland van Oers. He is a director at WELBO, a company that is using the Pepper robot to provide social robot solutions for a variety of companies. He is also active with euRobotics a Brussels-based international non-profit association for all stakeholders in European robotics. Roeland and I had an interesting and enjoyable conversation about the robotics space in Europe and he shared his passion for social robots.
The Amsterdam Rebranding Campaign is Working
The “I Amsterdam” sign in front of the Rijksmuseum.
As I was researching Amsterdam prior to my trip, I came across their “I Amsterdam” campaign, It is a play on “I am-sterdam.” Their website boasts it is “Your guide to visit, enjoy, live, work and invest in Amsterdam.” Perhaps a bit too close to the Apple “i” branding for their devices, the Amsterdam campaign seems to be serving the city well based on the hordes of people taking photos of themselves in front of the huge “I Amsterdam” sign in front of the Rijksmuseum. According to Smithsonian Magazine, the rebranding campaign was started in 2004. The city is vibrant and, despite Seattle-like construction projects everywhere, felt very livable. It also had moody skies similar to Seattle which created a gorgeous background for some of the photos I took.
Irresistible Windmills of Zaanse Schans
Two of the windmills at Zaanse Schans.
This blog wouldn’t be complete without a mention of Zaanse Schans. It took me about an hour, between the tram and the train, to get to this adorable little town and its famous windmills. What a delightful and picturesque place. I can imagine that during the height of the tourist season, this place is a madhouse. But in late September, the crowds had died down a bit and I spent several hours strolling over the bridge, through the pastures and past several traditional windmills. I stopped at a bakery, then later for hot cocoa. I pet a few darling goats with soulful eyes and went to the clog-making museum and factory. All of it was immensely enjoyable. It was also nice to get out of the city for a day.
Mesmerizing Canal Systems
One of the larger canals in Amsterdam.
One last thing, the mezmerizing canals of Amsterdam. They enchanted me and I wanted to better understand the history behind the remarkable engineering feat. I finally found some answers at the Museum of the Canals. Make sure you eat a big plate of “poffertjes” (like little baby pancakes) at the nearby Pancakes Amsterdam on your way there.
Amsterdam has more than 100 kilometers of canals, 90 islands and about 1500 bridges. Some call it the “Venice of the North.” The canal ring in Amsterdam was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2010. More information on the history of the canals can be found here. And, yes, a canal boat trip is so touristy, but oh so fun. Do it if you go there.
Poffertjes.
I could write so much more. A few close relatives (including a cousin and a niece with her new husband) provided wonderful company for a few days. And a dear long-time friend, who now lives in Luxembourg, drove 4 hours each way to hang with me for day. I had a great time with each one of them and am grateful for the many enjoyable times they added to the trip.
Suffice it to say, Amsterdam is a delightful city. It is well worth exploring, and make sure you hop on a bike when you do so.
