I booked a ticket to be spiteful. After Scott promised me at the beginning of the summer that he wouldn't go off travelling without me as I was going to be skint and working, he decided to sod off anyway, and I was furious. I was jealous, travelling, after all, is my thing. I honestly felt, at the time, like he'd just forgotten about me. This was exacerbated by the fact that my parents were away, and as I am currently back in the family home, I was actually going to spend my week alone with my socially and empathetically inept younger brother. When Scott returned, I was still beyond angry. I felt like he'd gone back on his promise and had left me to pretty much talk to no one for an entire week. So when I finally got paid from the casting agency, I booked the cheapest flight I could find, booked up a cheap hostel, both of which lead me to Amsterdam, praying he might miss me in some shape or form.
When I arrived in The Netherlands, to my delight, there was not a single bong in sight. Huzzah! In fact, I was greeted with the friendliest, most helpful people in the world. I have to say, I bought a phrasebook at the airport, but sadly I didn't get to pull it out of my beautiful camo rucksack once, as every single person I met spoke English at me first, and that was then my warrant to be lazy. Ah, one day I'll learn Dutch. It was strange to be in a place that as new and not in the very least know how to say "Hello" "Thank you" and "Sorry" (how English of me!), or even need to. Last summer, translations of those words in various languages saved our lives several times (that and Scott's self-proclaimed Scott-Nav), and when I moved to Valencia for all of 5 minutes, it was all I could say to my neighbours who would scream at each other all the time. However, this upfront English meant that this geographically challenged lady had no problem finding her hostel, which is a miracle.
I stayed at the lovely Hotel Van Gogh hostel, just off of Museumplein. For a hostel, it's pretty swanky, and far enough out to not have to deal with the noise of Amsterdam nightlife, but a short enough walk or tram ride in to the centre of the city. I shared with some pretty awesome ladies, we were a real international bunch. A Russian, an American, an Aussie, a Finn and a Brazilian, as well as moi. It was great to spend time drinking cheap wine and discussing life with these lovely ladies, as well as being totally girly and unlike me, sharing clothes and makeup and the like.
On my first day, I decided to just take in the city, figuring out where things were for future reference. I ended up, half starved as I'd got up at 3.30am for my flight and hadn't eaten, at the amazing TerraZen Cafe. Here I was greeted by the sweetest family, as well as the most amazing coconut soya milkshake and tofu & noodles. This vegetarian was thrilled to find a vegan cafe so early in the trip, and I chowed down hardcore.
My trip was filled with just so many things, and in 4 days I fit so much in, I don't even know how I managed it. My highlights were definitely the floating flower market (that I may or may not have smuggled black tulip bulbs back from), the Tattoo Museum*, the Handbag and Purse Museum (which was far less mind-numbing than I thought it might be!) and of course, the sad Anne Frank Haus. I'd wanted to visit the house ever since I first read Anne's diary when I was about 7 or 8, so getting to finally be there was pretty emotional. I think I tend to unintentionally distance myself from my Jewish heritage as it doesn't really feature in my life at all, but to see how some of my ancestors would have been treated was heartbreaking.
The city was buzzing with creativity and there were some really awesome things going on whilst I was there. The Netherlands Theatre Festival, as well as the Amsterdam Fringe Festival, and there was a really fascinating Stanley Kubrick Exhibition at the Eye Film Institute. On very few occasions did I ever really even remotely come into contact with the drug culture in Amsterdam, there were far too many other great things to see. The only negatives, sadly, were the awful British tourists out in Amsterdam to get messed up and act like idiots. I felt really embarrassed, and it totally gave weight to the whole "Brit's are obnoxious tourists" label that we have to wear in Europe. As a result, after a near fight after a drunk middle-aged English guy called me an "ungrateful b*tch"for refusing his offer of a seat next to him on a tram, I elected to stay in the hostel of an evening and drink wine and absorb what I had taken in each day. Much better.
I'm pretty sure that in 4 days I didn't really get to see much of what Amsterdam has to offer, but I hope that I'll get to visit sometime soon. And hopefully that time, Scott might miss me (sigh).
IAmsterdam Letters - Museumplein
Nooooooodles - TerraZen Cafe
This place was freaking awesome.
Prettyful.
Full Metal Jacket. My favourite film.
So many wonderful things.
A video from the 1920s in the Handbag and Purse Museum :)
Who wouldn't want all of these in their collection?
Amsterdam Tattoo Museum.
...
Amazing mint tea with honey at the Tattoo Museum cafe.
Tulips.
Cacti.
Humbling.
Sad to be leaving.
Much love,
Kel xo
*Please note, that had I gone to the Tattoo Museum the day I got to Amsterdam, I would very possibly have met Lady Gaga, as she was there getting tattooed!
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