An Amsterdam Virgin

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It’s true that I’m a pretty well traveled person but I still haven’t been MANY places. Amsterdam was one of them, with the exception of flying through its airport to connect to somewhere else in Europe probably twice a year. It has been on my short list for some time and I decided I really wanted to make it there in 2013. Fortunately, I had some traveling companions in my friends, Ana, Mary Anne and Ashley, all frequent travelers and travel writers. Mary Anne was also an Amsterdam virgin and we were both super excited to see what all the hubbub was about with this city.

Ana, an Amsterdam veteran, suggested we take a private walking tour to better understand an overview of the capital city of the Netherlands. Tim, with Context Travel, was beyond brilliant. I tell you what, I’m a fan of walking tours and I really love the concept behind Context Travel arranging scholars & experts to lead “walking seminars”. In fact, they offer them in over 23 cultural capitals around the world! Tim explained various historical moments and social changes that have occurred over time that have shaped Amsterdam into what it is today. Some of the details he explained many Amsterdam virgins would be most curious about, like legal marijuana use and legal prostitution. I found it all very fascinating. Amsterdam is a stunning city. I bet is sparkles in the summertime because it was so colorful in the fall, even with the slight hint of occasional rain. As we traveled through the city, crossing bridges over beautiful canals, Tim shared photos and stories about Amsterdam that I would not have otherwise known. Ashley, also a veteran of Amsterdam, relayed funny tales from her previous visits. We walked through the Red Light District, the gay district, past hash coffeehouses and through Saturday markets. Although, I was nearly taken out by a bicyclist or two, it was all just as I hoped and it was fantastic.

As four ladies do on a Saturday, next we were off for a “High Wine” experience at The Dylan Amsterdam hotel. Because, you know, you don’t have tea in Amsterdam in the afternoon, you have wine! The Dylan is known for its classic meets contemporary simple design and the High Wine experience fit right in with this concept. The pairing of 4 wines with 4 small bites was a truly lovely experience and one I’ve certainly not had before. I was a fan of this luxury boutique hotel, BIG TIME.

All poshness aside, and don’t get me wrong, you can stay, eat and drink like a queen in this proper city, what I wanted to see and enjoy most of all was the grittier side of Amsterdam. NO, I didn’t go into any coffeehouses but they weren’t too hard to sniff out with the scent of ganja wafting through the streets. I wanted to go hang out in the Red Light District. We learned on the train to Amsterdam, that it’s a popular destination for stag parties or what some call “SDF” weekends. (I’ll let you guess what that means) So, once in the Red Light District, I was kind of surprised it wasn’t shadier in the evening. There were bars where you can grab a drink next to a string of windows where girls were offering up their various services next to pubs with some of the most delicious beers on draft.

My favorite ironies of the bar scene in the Red Light District were they close at 2am – WHAT?! and that you can smoke pot inside but you cannot smoke cigarettes. This all tickled me so! I also quite enjoyed the laid back spirit of the people on the streets. I’m not sure if it was the residual effects of the reefer scent carrying out on to the street or what but as we made our way through the Red Light District we were quite giddy and decided to pretend like we were riding an invisible bicycle. No one, I mean NO ONE, found this behavior odd at all. They did, however, find it odd that I went up to one of the windows in the Red Light District to ask a question to one of the ladies. That practically stopped traffic in the street! No, I wasn’t soliciting any business. I wanted to know what the rent rates were for the windows is all. She referred me to the phone number on an ad and said to call. I took a pass. I just wanted to jump in the window for a minute and get my photo snapped with a mustache on. Are you really surprised? My takeaway…this Amsterdam virgin loved the city and definitely plans to return again.

I was the lucky guest of Context Travel and The Dylan Amsterdam. 2 hour long tours with Context Travel start at $300 and the High Wine experience at The Dylan is €39.50. Both a tremendous value.