A friend of mine Antti was visiting me this weekend. He rented a bike which made is supereasy to get around. The weekend was a cultural and culinary delight.
I have now been living in Amsterdam for nine months but I still have the feeling of being a newcomer. I totally love exploring new things. It is getting trickier for my guests every time because as time goes by I have more and more things to show. It was so much easier in February when I had ten things to show. Well, I have now decided to adopt a mentality of surrendering to the notion that this city is too multifaceted in order to be experienced totally in an extended weekend.
Antti had taken a course in architecture where they praised the new islands of Amsterdam. I am grateful for this because without that encouragement we would not have explored Zeeburg with such depth and passion. And I must say, I would not mind living there. Especially Scheepstimmermanstraat is amazing. The narrow buildings are all done by top of the class architects in a variety of styles (see picture). Most of them have roof balconies and a possibility to have your own boat in the front. The interior designs are combinations of good taste and signs of life. In most houses you can see children and we could witness families having dinner or children drawing on the street with chalk. Definitely worth going.
But that was not all. We enjoyed excellent Ethiopian-Eritrean, Western, Indonesian, Turkish and Japanese delicacies, went clubbing, did some shopping saw superb press photography. My favourite guests are people like Antti: they are willing to just hang out but they also take an active role in deciding what to do (i.e. not like a sheep following the shepard)
I love Amsterdam. I really do. It is a lively village with a kind face.
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I completely see your point. I believe that sometimes the best people to give you sightseeing tips are the ones who recently moved in. Some months ago I was amazed to see an American taking another American around town. He knew more about Belgrade then I ever did! Whenever I went to Amsterdam I always hung out with people who have been there forever and they never really took me to any place even remotely original. I hope you can change that once I come back in November!
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