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  • Writer's pictureMary Farley

Amsterdam



This past week I had the treat of visiting one of my best friends from University of Denver, Elsa, in Amsterdam where she is studying abroad. Taking full advantage of University of Glasgow's reading week I arrived in the city of canals and bikes on Wednesday. It was fun to explore her accommodations and get to know the people in her program better. Diving right into Amsterdam culture, we hopped on a bike and headed for city centre or "central" as they say. I began the trip will a true bird's eye view as we spent the night on top of the tallest building in Amsterdam. Atop this building, we went on swings that swung over the edge offering both an adrenaline rush and a great view of the city. After the swings, we enjoyed the views of Amsterdam from the 360-degree skyscraper bar.


 

Thursday was Halloween! Just another day in Amsterdam, the abroad students were very excited for this holiday we take more seriously than the rest of Europe. Our day was filled with more biking (something I could definitely get used to), this time the destination was Amsterdam's thrift shops. After stopping at a local cafe for breakfast, we headed around the outskirts of the city to search for a Halloween costume. Finding a warehouse of second-hand items on a back street of Amsterdam with next to a canal and a rack of bikes seemed very fitting for the city. While Elsa was in class (silly me, some people actually have to do school abroad) I continued around the city on bike. I explored Vondelpark and the 1928 Olympic stadium. That night I got to put my party planning skills that my mother embedded in me to the test as I helped decorate for Elsa's accommodation's Halloween party. I was very excited as I found a way to carve a pumpkin (even if it was just a baby one). The accommodations put on a very nice Halloween party for the study abroad students with bowls of candy and cotton ball cobwebs galore!



 

In addition to having plentiful bikes and canals, Amsterdam has many museums. Friday afternoon was spent learning at the NEMO Interactive Science Museum. From putting ourselves inside of a bubble to watching a live Rube Golberg exhibit, the museum had lots to offer and many gasps of "this is so cool!" to be exclaimed. After the museum, we wandered the streets of Central. Every corner I turned offered beautiful views of delicate brick houses lined up in rows alongside canals. The people of the Netherlands aren't very showy so no house is particularly flashy but rather as small bricks are most expensive the homeowners with the most money have houses made from the smallest bricks (fun fact). While exploring I enjoyed a stroopwafel and I think I will be dreaming about it for the rest of my life-- it was SO good. The day ended with a canal cruise around the city. The cruise was a great way to see more of the city and learn its history. Some of my favorite fun facts I gathered include the city wants to get rid of the oldest boathouse because it is deemed "too ugly" but it is too tall to fit under any canals and it is a historical building (dating back to the 1800s) so it can not be disassembled and will never be leaving its spot on the canal also, the houses in Amsterdam and tilted forward and have a beam will a pully system on top as bringing large items such as couches is only possible to do through pulling the item up through the window as the staircases are too small.


 

Saturday brought forth many facets of Amsterdam. We began the day with a tour of Heineken. The old Heineken factory has been turned into the "Heineken Experience" filled with history, a peek at their horse stables, interactive games, and of course, beer. The day continued as we wandered around the many different sections of the city: Museum District, Old Jewish Quarter, Red Light, and Dam Square. The city itself is very small and everything is within a few minutes walk. There are also no tall or large buildings within central which I found very interesting. At night our Amsterdam experience continued at Museum Night. This night was the reason for my trip to Amsterdam in the first place. One night a year all of the museums open up until 2 am and put on events ranging from tutorials to dance floors. We began our night at an Aquarium then headed to the Van Gogh Museum. The Van Gogh Museum was amazing to me to see all of the paintings I learned about in middle school in real life. Our night concluded at the Maritime Museum where the museum itself turned into a club. The whole night was a great way to get to take in so much of Amsterdam's culture, be surrounded by so many local adults, and also experience the unique combination of partying at a museum.


 

My trip concluded with one final bike ride. This time our destination was Food Hallond. A food hall set up with over 15 different restaurant options all from the most popular spots in town. The atmosphere was very cool and the food was absolutely delicious. Getting lots of items to share I was able to eat some Mexican food (which I have found to be non-existent in Scotland) and bitterballen (a Dutch deep-fried beef mashed potato-like food).


 

I have learned that every trip is easier with someone who has become a local. Elsa made Amsterdam a flawless trip; I leave Amsterdam with fond memories of bikes, canals, and museums. The city itself was beautifully kept-- so clean (even the canal water was clear when scooped into a plastic cup). I found it very interesting that the city is trying to move away from tourism and many things could only be purchased if you had a Dutch bank account so I was very lucky to have my local friend with me. Also, interesting to learn more about the culture in Amsterdam. The city is like a "cool parent" it doesn't have many rules but the ones it does have you better make sure you follow them. With lots more to take in (that being culture and stroopwafels), I hope to return for another bike ride along the canal sometime soon!

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