As we approached Amsterdam, we made our way to our campsite, Camping Zeeburg, on the city's east side and were soon settled on our pitches adjacent to a canal. Once set up, the four of us walked the ten-minute walk to the nearest tram stop, where we had the choice of two trams, one which went to Dam Square and the other to the museum quarter. Very handy, and at 7-minute intervals, what more could we ask for?!!
Nadia and I had booked tickets on our first night for the four of us to see a 50th-anniversary tribute concert to Gram Parsons in the Concertgebouw, a fantastic venue built in 1881 and which has superb acoustics. The show also turned out to be a real treat, and I enjoyed every song, but unfortunately, the performers could not include one of my favourite Gram songs, Streets of Baltimore, due to time constraints. However, despite the heavy and constant rain and wind, it was a delightful evening!
50th Anniversary Tribute Concert to Gram Parsons
Over the next four days, we found some interesting coffee shops, a few cosy 'brown bars', and some tasty places to eat. We particularly enjoyed two brown bars, Cafe Chris and Cafe Alto, where we enjoyed some live jazz. All the while, we racked up 'hunners' of steps and wandered through some lovely parts of old Amsterdam, the Jordaan quarter being perhaps our favourite, although Rembrandt Plein was also a pleasant area with a great vibe. However, there was so much more we could not take in, although the combined bus and canal tours helped fill in some of the gaps!
Rembrandt’s Night Watch
One disappointment was that, on the day Nadia and I chose to visit the Van Gogh Museum, it turned out to be fully booked, However, all was not lost, as we went to the Rijks Museum instead and saw some wonderful Rembrandts and a couple of Van Gogh paintings. Also, I was disappointed to discover that a bar I had frequented during my last visit to Amsterdam, a "boys' long weekend trip" called Louis' Bar, was no more, as it is now a burger bar called Nude Burger!
However, all in all, we had a fabulous visit, and Amsterdam did not disappoint. The weather could have been better, but it did not dampen our spirits or prevent us from doing what we wanted. And with so much more to see, we may well be back in the not-too-distant future!
Follow our route here: