Amsterdam’s Hidden Charms: A Journey of Chaos, Coffee, and Culture
Written by Kaelie Piscitello
I once took an fourteen-hour overnight Flixbus from London to Amsterdam. I was only twenty and thought with all the naivety in the world that this $11 bus ride was a steal! When I got on the bus, I took my seat next to a man lacking an understanding of personal space and reeked of cigarettes. The kind gentleman kindly fell asleep on me twice. I kicked him once to see if he would wake up and move, but he never did. As I looked around the full bus for an empty seat, I began to accept my fate.
Around one in the morning, the bus stopped at the French border, jolting everyone onboard awake to go through customs. I thought I saw Greta Thunberg, the climate activist, in the line next to me. I chalk this celebrity sighting up to sleep deprivation and the choice to leave my glasses on the bus.
Fourteen Hours Later
After several more restless hours, the sun finally broke through the clouds and woke everyone with its bright beams. After a vigorous stretch, my friends and I headed to the hotel to drop off our bags and get breakfast. After one of the most sleepless nights of my life, I desperately needed some coffee.
The rest of the first day involved taking pictures along the canal and napping in the grass of a park. My friends wanted to stop for a few minutes and then look for something else, but the next thing I knew, my friend Georgia was shaking me awake to check into our hotel.
Call 112
For dinner, my travel companions and I went to Food Hallen, a large market filled to the brim with different options, and it looked like the perfect end to a quiet first day.
But then one of the other customers had a seizure. While people who knew what to do rushed to the man’s aid, my friend and I attempted calling 112, the Dutch’s emergency number, and got placed on hold for thirty minutes. By the time I finally got through, the emergency thankfully was nearly resolved. Needless to say, no one felt very hungry to eat their bitterballen after that.
Museums and Animals Galore
The following day, my friends and I finally felt rested and ready to fully immerse ourselves in the city. Our first stop was the Rijksmuseum, a treasure trove of beautiful paintings that evoked memories of my grandparent’s house. Housed in a stunning building with magnificent stained glass windows, the museum was initially built as a ‘prestige building’ to instill a sense of patriotism throughout The Netherlands.
My favorite painting depicted children riding white horses on the beach. The colors in the portrait reminded me of my summer trips to New Hampshire as a child and evoked many happy memories. Another painting I liked featured a mischievous black cat attempting to knock a domino game to the floor. It made me laugh and miss my own kitties back hone in the United States.
After I had my fill of art, my friend Jon Kee and I stopped by the Artis Zoo to see some animals. I usually don’t love zoos, but Amsterdam’s Zoo has plenty of space for the animals to roam around in their habitats. The flamingos had a nice spot to wander around an open pond in the zoo. I really loved looking at the giraffes too. They walked around so gracefully and often poked their heads over the wires to say hello to their guests.
Drinks on Me
Our next stop was the Heineken Museum for The Heineken Experience, a unique tour that we participated in on an empty stomach because I made the reservation right before dinner. The two complimentary drinks provided by The Heineken Experience left everyone all a little tipsy, but it certainly added to the fun!
The exhibition had large, glossy bronze machines that manufactured the famous liquor to send out to countries all over the world. The factory felt like an adult version of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory because it featured so many oddly shaped, gleaming machines.
I enjoyed the simulation that “turned us into beer bottles” because it shook us around in a thrilling simulation. The “party” at the end of our tour was complete with green LED lights and a bar that served our complimentary Heinkens. This space felt empty and nothing like a real party but everyone there enjoyed their free samples!
A Look Into History
The next day, we took a tour of the Anne Frank House to learn some history and pay our respects. The museum was poignant and told the familiar historical story beautifully. The quotes taken from Anne’s diary and painted on her bedroom walls made me cry, and I appreciated looking at the photographs she pasted to her walls of family and celebrities. The museum served as a stark reminder of the atrocities of war and the resilience of the human spirit.
I thought it strange that such a solemn space has such a large selfie wall at the front that encourages people to post their smiling pictures online. It just didn’t seem like a tourist attraction you make aesthetic Instagram posts with.
We rounded out our day with a few hours in the botanical gardens. We loved walking around and seeing the green fauna and foreign flowers. The apple pie at the cafe area was one of the most delicious apple pies I have had in years, and the nuts inside gave it a unique flavor. We took some photos and then returned to the hotel to prepare for a night out.
Girls Night Out
Amsterdam is usually a top spot to visit and some of our other study abroad friends were also in town. One of the girls is originally from Amsterdam, so she gave us the nightlife tour. We visited some of the best local bars and clubs, where we experienced the vibrant and diverse social scene of Amsterdam.
Many of Amsterdam’s clubs had free entry, so we bar-hopped around for a few hours. My friends and I enjoyed dancing at the spaces that functioned as bars and clubs all at once. Towards the end of the night, I finally rode a bicycle in Amsterdam. However, I hadn’t stepped onto one in years and I think that it’s best to re-learn how to do that during the daytime.
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