Field Trip to Amsterdam

(10/31/22) Part of the deal Bob and I had made with each other with regard to the Paris apartment was to not only visit Paris, but to mix things up by adding side trips throughout Europe. This was a win-win for me, since it meant we would keep the apartment, at least for now. And of course, I’m delighted at the prospect of visiting other places. To travel, widely and often, has always been one of my greatest goals in life.

On Monday, Halloween morning, we head out on the Métro to Gare du Nord, the very large train station that connects Paris with London and other points north, including Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The reasons for visiting the Netherlands are many. For centuries, this tiny kingdom has been a heavy hitter in the worlds of, among others, finance, textiles, fishing, and international trade. Its size belies its impact in the world. Moreover, its people are well-educated and progressive, with a reputation for being direct and open-minded. As for Amsterdam, its architecture, its art museums, its parks, its vibrant population of close to a million people squeezed into an area of just over 64 square miles, all combine to create a unique and fascinating destination for visitors from all over the world.

For many, the desire to visit Amsterdam stems largely from a fascination with a society open-minded enough to create its notorious coffee shop culture. Small-scale, recreational marijuana use has been legal since 1976 in the Netherlands. The so-called coffee shops offer an array of scientifically controlled quantities of cannabis that the customer chooses from a menu. The logic behind the government’s decision of nearly a half-century to make recreational marijuana legal is, like the people themselves, straightforward and honest, including an acknowledgement that some drug usage in any society will be inevitable, and a belief that it’s sensible to allow it in small quantities and in a largely controlled, safe environment.

The arguments for and against the legalization of recreational marijuana usage continue in many places throughout the world, but what seems undeniable is that Amsterdam coffee culture acts as a draw for curious visitors to Amsterdam, which must positively affect their bottom line.

The ride on the high-speed train à grande vitesse is comfortable and remarkably smooth. At speeds of up to 180 mph, we have whizzed through northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands, making stops only in Brussels and Antwerp in Belgium and Rotterdam and Schiphol Airport just outside of Amsterdam. In just over three hours, we are pulling into Amsterdam’s Centraal Station.

Stepping out onto the large plaza in front of the 19th century train station, we are greeted by a lively picture of modern urban transportation efficiency as sleek and silent trams glide by. I head for the tram ticket office across the plaza, where the friendly attendant acknowledges my awkward attempts to greet him in Dutch and patiently launches into a thorough explanation in fluent English of the tram ticketing system. We buy two 4-day passes for about $50. Although this is more expensive than the week-long Navigo pass in Paris, it’s still not bad for unlimited rides on the city-wide tram and bus system for four days.

A quick search on Google Maps tells us which tram to board in order to get to our hotel across town. The ride is not long and affords us a great preview of the neighborhoods we will be perusing more closely in the days to come.

Our hotel, the Pestana Amsterdam Riverside is beautiful, housed in 19th century buildings facing the Amstel River. The rooms are clean, modern and nicely appointed. We quickly unpack and change clothes, excited to get out and start exploring the city. Unlike our trans-Atlantic, red-eye flight, we have arrived in Amsterdam rested, relaxed and ready for adventure.