Amsterdam: Yes or No? (Spoiler: It’s a Yes.)

In this episode, We're diving into our beginning time in Amsterdam. The canals, the chaos, the charm and answering the big question: is it actually worth visiting? (Spoiler alert: yes. Always yes.)

We’ll share what we loved, what surprised us, how it felt visiting with a teen and a few places that didn’t quite live up to the hype. Plus, fair warning: my Dutch pronunciation is truly tragic but I powered through for the love of stroopwafels.

So grab your bike (or don’t, we have thoughts) and let’s talk Amsterdam. You can read more about Amsterdam on our website here.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hello and welcome back. I'm Lisa. And I'm Aaron. And this is the Getaways Podcast. All right. We're going to shake things up again today because there are so many places where you can find a list of things to do in Amsterdam, right? Everywhere. So I think one of our problems the first time we were here is that we didn't know what we wanted to do, right? And it's hard if you have a couple days, you have to really kind of hone in on what's important to you, what you want to see, what you want to do. And you don't want to be fooled by things that are just touristy and weird.

SPEAKER_00 0:33

Yeah. And and now we've lived here for we're going on our third year here. So we've done a lot and we've done a lot of also weirder stuff that aren't even on people's radar. So I think we should just kind of go down a list, say yes or no, and a quick what we think.

SPEAKER_01 0:47

Okay. And this is though, let's stick with things that everybody knows, and then we'll do another podcast later on, like the weirdity. Yeah. Like the crazy part of Amsterdam and the Netherlands.

SPEAKER_00 0:57

Um, okay. So just yes, no, or maybe and why? Yeah. All right.

SPEAKER_01 1:00

Canal tour. Yes. Yes. I love them so much. I would recommend getting a smaller boat and maybe something that includes a little snack and a drink. Um I'll list our favorite on the website because the first one we did was fantastic. Yeah. But they'll often give you like a little cheese tasting and you know, a glass of something and a couple other local snacks that you can have. But um, but there are the big, huge ones that are less expensive, but I think the smaller ones are sort of you get to ask questions and it's a little less canned.

SPEAKER_00 1:30

And we even found a company that you can get a private one for really not much more than the smaller tours.

SPEAKER_01 1:37

And that you can bring your own food.

SPEAKER_00 1:38

Bring your own food, bring your own drink. Bring your own dog. Rex did it with us. That's why we did it. All right. Church in the Attic. Yes. It's called Onz Liev Here Op Sofer. That is exactly how you say it. It was very cool.

SPEAKER_01 1:53

So one thing that you'll notice fairly quickly after spending some time in Amsterdam is that there was a lot of hiding. And it's it's sort of all across the board. Back into the from the Reformation to World War II, to, you know, even the gardens and the canal houses. Like you have no idea that they have these beautiful gardens behind them, but everything is sort of a little bit out of view, right? And so the church in the attic is literally what it sounds like. It is a building that looks just like a canal house, but you walk in and there's all these secret passageways that take you to a church so that Christians could celebrate their religion and worship, but nobody would find them.

SPEAKER_00 2:31

And we take everybody there that comes, and like even my nephew loved it because it's just cool because it's like it's like a secret.

SPEAKER_01 2:38

Yeah. But yeah, no question.

SPEAKER_00 2:41

And it's not on the top of everybody's list, so there's usually not a line.

SPEAKER_01 2:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:44

Uh Moco Museum. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 2:48

No. I would say that it is it's a modern art. It's also something you can do very quickly. You can do it in an hour. It's right in the center of the museum area. And I enjoy it.

SPEAKER_00 3:01

And Dylan lived it. The only reason I think I say no is because most of the stuff I'd seen outside of that museum. So yeah, I it wasn't my my favorite.

SPEAKER_01 3:08

Okay. The Amsterdam Lookout and big swing.

SPEAKER_00 3:13

No for me personally, but yes for people.

SPEAKER_01 3:15

Absolutely yes for me. It is exactly what it sounds like. It is a high-rise building, and there's a big, huge swing at the top.

SPEAKER_00 3:21

It's in North Amsterdam.

SPEAKER_01 3:23

I was gonna go with Dylan and my nephew, and the we were in line, we waited, we were next, and the people in front of us got stuck. So we didn't actually get to do it, but I would do it in a heartbeat. It looks really, really cool. Great, great photo opportunities too. Yeah, totally. And great view up there.

SPEAKER_00 3:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:39

Anne Frank house? Yes, I think everybody has to do it.

SPEAKER_00 3:43

I agree. I mean, Dylan was probably what 14 when we went, and it really it meant something to him.

SPEAKER_01 3:51

So we listened to Anne Frank's memoir when we were driving to Amsterdam, and I think that that was kind of a nice thing to be refreshed because it had been quite some time since you or I had read it. Yeah. But I just remember it being way more emotional than I was expecting. Like it's it's it's really it's really emotional. I don't know how else to describe it. It's it's something everybody should just experience, I think. Yeah. Um Heineken experience. I did not do it, so it's up to you.

SPEAKER_00 4:25

For me, for me, it's a yes, but I love a brewery, I love a vineyard, um, I like beer. So I would say if you're not a beer drinker, it's really you wouldn't really, you don't need to do it.

SPEAKER_01 4:38

But like I love the Guinness factory.

SPEAKER_00 4:41

It was it's very similar to the Guinness Factory. And at the end you get beer in the little bar. You're not looking overall at Dublin, you're in a basement, but but it it's it's cool. If you're here for less than a week, I wouldn't put my time there. Um, okay, Van Gogh Museum. Yeah. I say yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 4:58

If you're here, you you should definitely. It's a really big, nice collection that's really nicely done. I think it's totally worth it. But again, something that you 100% need to book in advance.

SPEAKER_00 5:09

And it's quick. We were in there less than an hour. It was so fast. Yeah. All right, you? Rijksmuseum. No, I don't like old paintings. I'm not I'm not a historical painting person.

SPEAKER_01 5:22

I would say yes. We did a scavenger hunt inside. So if you have kids, that's a fun way to do it. Um, I do like Dutch art. I like the Rembrandts, and I think that the darkness in a lot of them is really sort of interesting. Um, there's a lot of everything there. There's like China and uh just it's kind of overwhelming. So I would maybe look at the at the layout and figure out what you want to see and get in and get out.

SPEAKER_00 5:51

I did enjoy seeing all the Rembrandt, but I think that's, you know, because it's one of the masters you learn about when you're young. And so that was cool, I guess. But I wouldn't, I I personally wouldn't go again. All right, here's a big one. I know what your answer is gonna be. Rent bikes. Nope. I would say for all of you that aren't from here, do not rent bikes in Amsterdam.

SPEAKER_01 6:13

Yeah, it's don't do it. It's too crowded. There's people that are, you know, really on their way. They're commuting, they do this every day. They're quick, they expect you to know to be in the right place and do the right thing. And if you don't, you you got a problem.

SPEAKER_00 6:27

We ride our bikes every day here, and Amsterdam would still freak me out a little bit. But saying that, you also need to make sure you're watching which way you're like when you're walking, because they don't stop for pedestrians. Bikers have the right of way every time. And so you need to watch. I've seen so many like tourists get slammed in by bikes, and it's not and then you're the one that gets in trouble. The the pedestrian gets in trouble. So just keep that in mind.

SPEAKER_01 6:52

Well, not to mention you're the one that's gonna get hurt, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:54

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:55

Outside of Amsterdam, go crazy. But um, but Amsterdam, I would never ride a bike.

unknown 7:00

No.

SPEAKER_01 7:01

Dungeon.

SPEAKER_00 7:02

The Amsterdam dungeon. I know we talked about this on the Scotland episode. I love the dungeons. I say yes, I'll I've been. Have I been twice to the Amsterdam one? Yeah. I've been twice, I'll go again. I love them so much. I love them. It is 100% a tourist thing. You it's got historical stuff, but not really. But I go, I go every place they have one. It's it's theater.

SPEAKER_01 7:26

Yeah. I mean, it's it's very melodramatic theater. So if you're if you're in, if you like that sort of thing, go nuts.

SPEAKER_00 7:33

All right, Vonto Park. Love it. It's like the central park of Amsterdam. It's beautiful, it's right on the outside of the rings, it's huge. There's restaurants in it. I I still wouldn't ride my bike in there.

SPEAKER_01 7:44

No, never. No. I was walking Rex there one morning when we were, I think it was for my birthday, when we were staying right around the corner, and I could not walk across the street in the park because there were so many bikes. Like I literally stood there and then I just gave up and went a whole different way. All right, you ready? Yeah, red light district. I say yes. I say yes too, but I think there's a lot of people that think creepy things about the red light district and have a totally missed conception of the one street that is the red light district.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

It's um I I went my first time in 1999, so it was a lot different than it is now. Was it candles then? No, it wasn't candles, but they've moved a lot of the the people out of the red light district into a place where tourists don't know where they are. It was a little less gentrified, I guess, in the 90s.

SPEAKER_01 8:40

Well, I think that you know, one of the things that struck me when you're walking out down there's like uh one street both sides that is the red light district, basically. And on one side there is a kindergarten. And um, and I remember thinking, oh wow, there's a kindergarten right here. And then I was like, well, of course there's a kindergarten right here, because then the women can drop their kids off and work and be able to visit them and have them close some. And it's just it's a different mentality, I think, towards people who work in the sex industry. Like they are protected here and they are, you know, they're not treated like lesser than any other job or any other career. That's why they've there's been limits recently on tourists coming into the area, especially um from the UK and America, is because people come in, get super high and super drunk and super disrespectful. And that has to be contained a bit because that's not that's not the culture here.

SPEAKER_00 9:44

Which is why I would say I probably wouldn't take my kid around there at nighttime because of the people that come into Amsterdam with not the best intentions.

SPEAKER_01 9:54

There have to be signs now near in that area that say don't pee off the bridges because people are just gross and they they come, you know, it's almost like a Vegas vibe where they think that, you know, nobody's ever gonna know the grossness that they do while they're here, but but people live here. All right. So should we talk about day trips from Amsterdam? Yeah, let's do it. All right. I'm gonna go with Harlem. Yes. Yes. Cute little town, half an hour outside of Amsterdam. Totally worth seeing, but you can do it in half a day.

SPEAKER_00 10:20

Best Christmas market in the Netherlands at Harlem, I think.

SPEAKER_01 10:24

Um Utrecht. Yes. Yes, I agree. And I'm not actually sure how far it is from Amsterdam. 45 minutes. Okay. And people call it a little Amsterdam. It's um it's a decent sized city, it's got everything. It's really cute, it's really walkable, easy to get along. There's also a castle about half an hour outside of the city center called Haar, which is um a fun little visit to.

SPEAKER_00 10:47

Yep. Uh Den Haag.

SPEAKER_01 10:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:49

Yeah. It's cute. It's got a beach, it's got the world courts, cute downtown area, great parks.

SPEAKER_01 10:56

And the beach has like a really nice um boardwalk that's got games and the Ferris wheel and cute restaurants. Definitely worth it. Yep. Votre Dam.

SPEAKER_00 11:07

I would say yes. I wouldn't say yes to Rotterdam because it is like this the most beautiful city you've ever seen. It was destroyed during the war, and so it was rebuilt just weird. Like I think they did it on purpose. They wanted to like do cutting-edge architecture. There's cube houses, there's weird shapes, but it there's just something cool and real about Rotterdam, I feel like.

SPEAKER_01 11:30

Yeah, I would say it's definitely worth seeing. I mean, the old port's really nice, the um marked hall and that and we have the biggest open air market in Europe. Um great museums here. Yeah. No, it's definitely worth it. I mean, I, you know, I wouldn't spend a week here, but um day trip.

SPEAKER_00 11:48

Don't tell our family that because we always ask them to come. Uh Delft?

SPEAKER_01 11:54

Yes. 100% yes. Delft is where the blue and white ceramic style came from. And yeah, it's it's a very quaint, very charming little town. Certainly worth a stop and lunch and a walk around. Umda. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:14

Ergouda.

SPEAKER_01 12:16

Yeah. No, I I mean, let's put it this way. I'm not gonna say no to any of these cities because they're all just really cute and charming. It's just figuring out, like doing our research and figuring out w which one has what you want to see. Um, if you're coming in cheese time, you know, you're gonna want to look at there's it's Alpmer, yeah, which is on Friday mornings, the but each one is has like a different day, so you just kind of have to plan accordingly. But all of these towns are within an hour from Amsterdam and adorable.

SPEAKER_00 12:45

Yeah, and Leiden is the other place. Yeah, which is a it's a cute college town. It's got some really cool places there. So, yes, you can't go wrong with any of them. Yeah. All right, so I'm gonna, because I love food, most food, I'm gonna just say food and you're gonna say yes or no, and then I'll say yes or no and we'll see. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 13:02

But we have to preface this by saying, I do not eat fried food.

SPEAKER_00 13:06

And I was watching this comedian that I like named Roger Ba back or something, and he was asking somebody in the audience, are she was Dutch and American and she used to live in America, but she lives here now. And he goes, Why'd you move out of America? She goes, because I didn't like all the fried food. And he goes, And you moved to the Netherlands because the Netherlands loves their fried food. Loves it. All right. Okay, you ready? Bitter ballin'. Yes, once once a decade. You have to you have to have bitter ballin when you come. It's delicious. Fried, it's just basically fried gravy. Uh pan and coconut.

SPEAKER_01 13:41

I don't need to.

SPEAKER_00 13:42

It's like a crip. Fritteralls.

SPEAKER_01 13:44

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 13:45

Tiny little pancakes has um powdered sugar on them.

SPEAKER_01 13:48

And they make them on the street. So they're warm, delightful.

SPEAKER_00 13:51

Uh strope waffles. Every once in a while. Uh basically little waffles with a syrup in the middle of them. Delicious.

SPEAKER_01 13:58

Like caramel almost any metal.

SPEAKER_00 14:00

Dutch apple pie. Any time, anyplace. Yeah, I could I could take or leave it. All right. We've never done this, but FIBO. You know, I do it once. So FIBO's like basically a wall of like little glass lockers that has fried food in them, and you it's like a vending machine of fried food. But there's a kitchen behind it, and they're they're pumping out the fried food. It's it's very Dutch. Um, tompooch. Yes. Tompooch is like a almost like a Napoleon. Tipoleon, yeah. And it's usually has pink frosting on top, and it's impossible to eat, but it's so good.

SPEAKER_01 14:32

Yeah, you'll definitely drip on yourself and probably your neighbors, but it's so worth it.

SPEAKER_00 14:37

Okay, herring from the cart. Sure. No, it's it's raw herring, right?

SPEAKER_01 14:42

Pickled herring. Yeah. And so the the tradition of eating it is that you pick it up by the tail, uh, tip your head back and put headfirst into your mouth. You know, I don't want it every day, but I've definitely had it and I would have it again. Not, you know, not tomorrow, but I would have it again.

SPEAKER_00 14:58

All right, last but not least, fries with mayo or satay. Nope. Yep. They they serve the fries in giant cones with just like a huge slop of mayonnaise on top of it. It's so good.

SPEAKER_01 15:12

Well, there's usually a choice of like five or six different kinds of sauces that you have.

SPEAKER_00 15:15

I have like sweet chili sauce, satay sauce, which is just like peanut butter. It's so good. Um, all right. So so who's Amsterdam best for? Who's the ideal person to come to Amsterdam?

SPEAKER_01 15:26

I mean, I think anyone. I'm not sure, like, you know, little, little kids, there's all that much. There is the Science Museum, too, which is great for kids.

SPEAKER_00 15:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:34

Um But you know, I think ten and up.

SPEAKER_00 15:39

Okay. Yeah. I think it's great. Let's just run over the seasonal holidays real quick. We're about to have the big one. King's Day, yes or no? Yeah, absolutely. Yes. Just be prepared. It is crowded and stay in the city because you are not getting out. And do not come without wearing orange. Oh, yeah. It's like, it's like uh St. Patrick's Day in America, you gotta wear green. So orange it is.

SPEAKER_01 16:03

Christmas markets. Absolutely. The little towns are super cozy, super cute, worth it.

SPEAKER_00 16:09

Harlem, the entire town, is a Christmas market. It's so great. The Christmas markets in the Netherlands usually just happen over a weekend versus in Italy, Germany, and Austria, they're for a month. So you have to really plan the dates, but they're worth it.

SPEAKER_01 16:22

The Amsterdam Light Festival, which I did, which falls over the holidays. And so I would say yes, but we were expecting it to be Christmassy, and it is not Christmassy. It's just art installations. So if you're prepared for that and you like that sort of thing, totally worth it. We did a uh canal tour to see them. Um if you want Christmas lights, that's not your place.

SPEAKER_00 16:44

New Year's Eve. Uh no. Yeah, I've done it.

SPEAKER_01 16:48

It's not, it's a lot. So too many fireworks, too many, too much noise, too cold. It's a lot. Tulip season. Oh, I would I would have it all day, every day if I could.

SPEAKER_00 17:01

And then there's one other thing which we haven't done, but I I think it's gonna be a yes for us. Uh, museum night.

SPEAKER_01 17:06

Yes, I've been wanting to go.

SPEAKER_00 17:08

So it's the first Saturday in November, and 50 plus museums are open late. They have live music, they have food trucks, they have special events. It's just to try to like get people out to the museums and it's open, they're open to like midnight or something.

SPEAKER_01 17:20

So and the one thing that I'll add is that in general, in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and the Netherlands in general, music festivals are a big thing. Like every weekend you could find five in every city. So again, if you're into that kind of thing, it's not my bag, but if you're into that kind of thing, there is more than enough to keep you busy.

SPEAKER_00 17:40

So I think at the end of the day, the Netherlands is a great place to be. Amsterdam is a fantastic place to be. It should it should be on your list with Rome and Paris. It's it's just as great. Yep. Yeah, you just gotta plan accordingly. Well, thanks for listening. Check out our website www.thetaways with a z.com. And we will see you next time. Thank you. Bye.