Door de ogen van een Amsterdammer (“Through the eyes of an Amsterdamer”): Day 5

Martha and I started our day (really, really late) with coffee at—where else?—Two for Joy. We then got our shopping on at Noordermarkt, a big, outdoors market held every Monday morning on the Noordermarkt square and the Westerstraat street in the Jordaan area. From textiles to curiosa, this local market had it all. While there, we also snuck in a visit to the seventeenth century Noorderkerk church, which was enveloped by the market stalls.

Martha and I then met Tijs near the Peskens’ old house on the Brouwersgracht (which dates back to 1696!), and hopped on the family boat for an outing along the canals. Despite the temperamental weather, this private canal cruise was the highlight of my stay in Amsterdam, for the city was truly built to be seen from this perspective.

Martha, Tijs, and I headed to Da Portare Via for supper, where we grabbed two thin crust pizzas: the “Don Floert,” topped with tomato, parma ham, rucola, ricotta, and parm, and the “Sofia,” with tomato, mozzarella, ricotta, pancetta, spinach, nutmeg, garlic oil, pepper, and sea salt. Between the homemade lasagna from the night before and tonight’s take-away pizza, Amsterdam set the bar pretty high for Italy. I haven’t had an Italian pizza yet (!), but I do hope Gera Lario can deliver!

Door de ogen van een Amsterdammer (“Through the eyes of an Amsterdamer”): Day 4

Martha and I hit up Two for Joy before heading to the Stedelijk Museum, dedicated to modern and contemporary art and design. Reopened in September 2012 following extensive renovations, the museum’s original red brick building (dating from 1895) was internally modernized, but also faced the addition of a futuristic-looking construction, which has been nicknamed “the bathtub” by locals. Much like Toronto’s ROM with its Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, the “stararchitecture” of the Stedelijk has been met with much controversy. Regardless, the museum features key works in the careers of Marc Chagall, Wassily Kadinsky, Henri Matisse, Piet Mondrian, and Jackson Pollock, as well as posters, ceramics, glass, furniture, and textiles from 1900 to the present.

Afterwards, we headed to Westerpark with a couple of picnic baskets in tow. Much like Vondelpark, Westerpark is a huge city park, but it serves a more local population. We people-watched and lazed about in the grass, before making a move to Martha’s parents’ place for dinner and drinks.

There, I met and chatted with Martha’s father Jan Joost, her mother Anetty, and her brother Tijs. Not only did I get to take in a spectacular view (and history lesson!), I got to experience and enjoy the company of a real Dutch family and a delicious dinner to boot.

Door de ogen van een Amsterdammer (“Through the eyes of an Amsterdamer”): Day 3

After a morning dose of Two for Joy, Martha and I made a beeline for the Lindengracht, a neighborhood market in the Jordaan district known for its fresh fish, flowers, and fruits and veggies. Here, we feasted on a giant stroopwafel and then, Hollandse haring (Dutch herring), which is served raw, with onions and a sliced pickle. Heerlijk!

Afterwards, we biked to and walked around de Negen Straatjes. Named after the nine side streets connecting the main canals between Leidsestraat and Raadhuisstraat, and with over 200 independent, specialty shops, this quaint little ’hood is widely regarded by locals as the “Soho of Amsterdam.”

We then took the free ferry across the IJ to Overhoeks and grabbed lunch at the EYE Film Institute Netherlands, where Martha works. She suggested that we each have a kroket, a breaded, deep-fried cylinder filled with veal ragout that is typical Dutch grub. It was delightful.

Though not the biggest fan of Heineken, I was itching to get back on the tourist trail for the rest of the afternoon. Martha and I decided to check out the Heineken Experience, an interactive attraction on the site of the company’s old brewery. Apart from the free suds (dismissed by locals as “old man’s beer”), the highlight was the 4-D exhibit, where we “became” brewed and bottled beer.

We topped off the evening with homemade pancakes, which are, of course, another Dutch delicacy.

Door de ogen van een Amsterdammer (“Through the eyes of an Amsterdamer”): Day 2

The following morning, Martha and I grabbed brekkie at Small World Catering, a small, Australian-owned joint frequented by ex-pats and Amsterdammers alike.

Afterwards, Martha suggested I rent a bicycle for the duration of my stay, to get around Amsterdam like the locals do. With special bike lanes and traffic lights, it’s the fastest and cheapest way to travel in and around the city. It also puts the Toronto system to shame.

Before we grabbed my MacBike at Central Station, we checked out the rooftop view from the SkyLounge on the eleventh floor of the Hilton Hotel.

While Amsterdam has enough attractions to keep tourists busy for days on end, I decided to take a pass at the Anne Frank House, Van Gogh Museum, and Rijksmuseum. Having visited the city twice before, I was hoping for a more authentic (and outdoors) experience.

In 2013, it has been 400 years since Amsterdam began digging its ring of canals. In celebration of this feat, the city put on an “Open Garden” event, where 30—mostly private—canal houses opened their spectacular gardens to the public. Martha and I biked into and around the canal district, lined with wonky, gabled buildings and houseboats, and visited over 15 gardens along the Herengracht, Keizergracht, and Prinsengracht.

By the Numbers:

* 165 canals

* 14 kilometres of canals

* 2,000 canalside buildings (1,600 of which are historic monuments)

* 800 houseboats

* 80 bridges

* 600+ bikes “disappear” into the canals every year

We took a break at the Spui, a small square in the middle of town that was busy hosting a bustling book market, where vendors gather each week to sell their collections of old, rare, second-hand, and out-of-print books, as well as old prints, pamphlets, posters, and maps. After a bit of browsing, we popped into the Begijnhof, one of the oldest inner courts in Amsterdam. As the name suggests, this medieval courtyard was originally a Beguinage, and now serves private, and—true to its history—female residents. It is also home to Het Houten Huys, the oldest house in Amsterdam, dating back to 1528.

After a long day out and about in the ‘Stam, Martha and I headed back to hers for dinner, and took in her stunning canalside view.

Door de ogen van een Amsterdammer (“Through the eyes of an Amsterdamer”): Day 1

After a mad dash to Pearson, a healthy dose of Travacalm, and a whole lot of vino, Seba and I were on our Red Eye way to Europa, much more comfortably than Rachel McAdams circa 2005. We arrived at Schiphol Airport bright and early last Thursday morn, ready to get our “Original Cool” on.

Martha met us at Amsterdam Central Station, and walked us back to her fab apartment in the Haarlemmerdijk area. Located on the outskirts of the Jordaan district, and with indie boutiques and specialty stores, trendy restaurants and bars, and the oldest cinema in Amsterdam, this is the city's West Queen West. After dropping off our bags and checking out Martha’s digs (which face onto a canal, obviously), we headed in to her favourite local haunt: Two for Joy Coffee Roasters. The three of us caught up over warm bevvies (cappuccinos for the Euros and a latte for me, which was, naturally, out-of-this-world).

While Martha ran a couple of errands, I got my bearings and ended up giving Seba a free, one-on-one walking tour of Amsterdam, based on my memories of the city from 2008 and 2010. We explored the Jordaan, the Dam, and the Red Light District, and I provided factoids when I could: “Anne Frank lived here.” “Prostitutes work there.”

Before Seba hopped on a train back to Schiphol and on to Milan, Martha and I decided his Dutch day-date wouldn’t be complete without some Vlaamse Frieten. On our way to the Central Station, we stopped by the pigeon-infested Damrak for some Mannekin Pis frites. Named after Brussels’ famed peeing-boy statue, this snack bar serves up freshly sliced French Fries with over twenty sauces. While I just wanted the traditional mayo slather, Martha insisted we try the patat oorlog. These so-called war chips come with a unique condi-combo: mayo, raw onions, and Indonesian sate sauce. Sounds gross, right? So does poutine. And we all know how that turned out.