Hello from Amsterdam!

Raise your hand if you’ve done this: you’re in the Caribbean, or somewhere where diving is popular, the person you are with is certified and wants to go diving, so you acquiesce and take the quickie swimming-pool dive course. How hard can it be, you figure. Next thing you know you are underwater freaking out and fervently wishing you had paid more attention to the dude in the pool.

Anyone? No?

Well imagine it anyway for me, then.

This is what taking a city bike tour in Amsterdam is like. In the best way – clearly, I survived it – but bike culture and road rules here are really something else. Just knowing how to ride a bike doesn’t cut it. There’s even a “bell language”. As explained by our guide:

One ring: hello, I’m here, excuse me

Two rings: get out of my way

Three rings: die and burn in hell, you idiot tourist

His words.

The Dutch, I have found, are not subtle. They will tell you very quickly what they think. About pretty much everything. They are also hysterically funny, friendly, and cheerful. Except for the octogenarian carrying groceries on her bike that gave me a crash course in cursing in Dutch while ringing her bell furiously at me when I cut her off. What do you imagine eight rings means? Oh, and no one wears helmets.

Cocktail trivia for you: the Dutch are now officially the tallest people in the world, there are a staggering number of Teslas here, bikes nearly outnumber people, and I haven’t smelled pot nearly as much as I do on an average day in Denver.

The city is gorgeous, and the weather this week is unusually beautiful – 80 and sunny every day I’m here. Add in the outstanding wine list at the little cafe at which I am currently sitting having a glass of wine and oysters (Brut de Mer in the Pipe) …. I just might not come home.

To catch you up, I arrived yesterday to my hotel around noon, a fabulous recommendation from a very well-traveled friend. It’s called The Conservatorium, and is an old bank-turned-music school-turned-hotel. The lobby is gorgeous, the rooms are lovely, and the breakfast is delicious, but my favorite thing might be the violin chandelier:

My room wasn’t ready, which was probably good…kept me from napping…so I walked to have lunch at Ron Gastrobar. I love the story of this place – the chef GAVE BACK his two Michelin stars in order to turn his restaurant into a more casual place where his friends would come eat with him. The food was outstanding – I had barbecued sea bass, roasted cauliflower with brown butter, and truffle fries. And a glass of wine, of course… (or maybe two)

After a late and long lunch, I wasn’t super hungry for dinner, so I had oysters (oysters here are fabulous) at the brasserie in the hotel.

A side note on food: given that I’m in a city that for hundreds of years has thrived on bread and cheese, and I generally don’t eat either one, I was a little concerned about enjoying the restaurants. Was I ever wrong. Chefs from all over the world have descended on Amsterdam, so while Dutch cuisine might not be super exciting, the food scene in the city is – I’ve absolutely loved every meal so far.

After my little snack, I headed to Boom Chicago, a comedy club that has been in Amsterdam for 25 years and launched the likes of Seth Myers and Jordan Peel, among others. They do a “Sunday Night Live” improv show that is hilarious. I sat next to their intern, an American, a sophomore at DePaul, and she helped me drink a bottle of cheap Hungarian Pinot Blanc (surprisingly tasty) while we laughed….one of those awesome times when you’re afraid to take a sip because you might spit it out laughing in the next second.

Now I’m off to dinner at Cafe Caron, which promises to be fabulous…I’ll let you know. Tomorrow I’m planning to run in Vondelpark in the morning, and then I have…wait for it…. another bike tour. This one’s out into the countryside, though. A girl’s gotta see some windmills and wooden shoes, after all…

Cheers!

Traveling Girl