Dear Readers,
As you may know by now I love to observe people and my surroundings, I like to travel and I am a somewhat restless Viking. The people that really know me well will already know what type of places I tend to fall utterly in love with. It is the historical or really new and vibrant places and of course it needs to have some kind of cozy atmosphere or charm to it and if it is too busy I guess it is not really my cup of tea. Nature nearby? Hells to the yes! If I can have a bit of both worlds that is afreakingmazing!
So lets go through my favourite places in the Netherlands, one by one in a countdown order:
6.Amsterdam, it has something which I like to revisit and you are never bored if you ever go. It has historical buildings and a certain feel of openness and opportunity about it. It is very international with a lot of tourists and the tourist part is also why it comes as nr 6 on my list if I am honest. Do not get me wrong, I like tourism but it is really too much in the small brick streets of Amsterdam. The almost constant scent of marijuana is overwhelming and almost everywhere as you stroll from Leidseplein through the streets that cross the bridges that rest over the old ¨grachten¨ also know as the canals of Amsterdam. Yes there is charm here, yet the feel that you have to hunt for it somehow makes it slightly less attractive for me to live here (and this is where I live at this moment! hahaha). With that being said there are places in the Amsterdam area which I could live for sure , like Haarlem, Jordaan, certain places in Amsterdam-West (kinkerstraat etc.) and in the Southern parts where you have some nice parks nearby. Yes you have some really nice places here where you can get awesome food, fashion and lets not forget the coffee however, my taste is maybe somewhat singular when it comes to where I see myself settling?
5. Amersfoort has a lot of nature and people there are a mix of normal commoners, some crazy ones and the rich ¨brigade¨. I like Amersfoort, it is small and has a lot of fresh air and it is not too busy. People there are focused on other people I would say, extremely friendly, yet you have the good parts and the bad. For my part I quite like it and I could live there, yet it is far away from almost everything except Utrecht and the train service tends to be compromised (trains are almost always late due to the location of the station which is affected by work on the tracks). Yet I think Amersfoort has everything it needs to keep charming and fresh except a nightlife. Sure you have the small bars here and there , yet it is more an outdoorsy kind of city, where people work, walk their dogs, bike and hike and jog and meet up for ¨gezelligheid¨ (dutch for coziness). The old city centre is beautiful and peaceful with a rustic touch to it. I could recommend it for Norwegians that are used to the countryside and a less busy lifestyle like myself.
4. Maastricht is definitely a place which I fell in love with, all of it! It is rich in history and usually I go there once or twice a year. The christmas market here warms you up whilst the cold air blows the cheeks all rosy like you had a glass of wine or something. The brick roads and nice hostels is just a teaser. The views you encounter, the amazing coffee, old churches (especially the one made into a bookshop!) and the people make you want to revisit again and again. It is close to Germany and Belgium amongst other things and still not very international I would say. At least not compared to the other cities I am used to. You can sense the traditional way of thinking there, the observant people in the background watching you and maybe wondering which country you are from (just like my hometown!). Vegetarian restaurants are also present, I went to a good one there yet forgot to write down the name! (silly Viking!) I would not hesitate to move there even for a second if I got a nice job offer in that area….. oooook maybe a little (since almost all my friends and lovely people in my life is further North in the country). So lets say I would love to live there if conditions were right and I could pack all my friends in a suitcase and bring them with….;) Sitting there on a terrace with a dry white in good company and then stroll down the streets with some jazzy background music with my camera in one hand would be lovely. (ok I am getting carried away here so let’s move to the next city…)
3. Utrecht has ancient history and buildings dating back to the middle ages. It is an old and fast-growing city in the middle of the Netherlands. It has the largest station as well and it is a busy one. The city was the most important one up until the Dutch golden age which is when Amsterdam took over that title. I have lived in Utrecht and I was good with that, I call it the city of smart-ass people because most of the population stayed after they finished their university study there (of course not everyone but a fair share of the population has higher education ¨op zak¨). People there care a lot about keeping fit, if you live there you will notice a lot of joggers, gyms and people biking (but the biking is generally everywhere in the NL). Girls cycling to their hockey practice with their stick in one hand while talking to their friends. Oh lets not forget the football and rowing clubs that you see a lot as well. The impressive Dom-tower which is the remains of a big church that got bombed in the 2nd world war. Some of the old architecture still bears the scars of that war. The people who live here remember and pay tributes to the fallen ones every year and once that is done they have a peace celebration which I quite enjoy. Utrecht actually has a lot of different festivals, one being the ¨Gouden Kalf¨ film festival (http://www.filmfestival.nl/publiek/over-nff/filmprijzen/gouden-kalf/) which is a rather big event here. Utrecht is fast paced yet not as impatient as Amsterdam. It has everything you need to settle and will charm you to stay and to be inspired. It felt safe most times yet you have some troubled teens there that take a little away from the charm by harassing local women at best. People can be brutally honest there but then again you learn to like it after a few years. You have a mix of many different cultures there and good restaurants and places to eat. Blauw is a restaurant that makes the most delicious indonesian food ( a bit pricy but worth it). Service there is very good and personal as well. A lot of old intimate streets that take you back to the old canal (Oudegracht) which is situated in the old centre and runs to the edges of what is referred to as the ¨binnenstad¨ (the fortified city). If you ever decided to come to Utrecht one day I could show you all the nice places (anything from the old architecture to the shopping street). Of course the 4th largest city of the Netherlands has areas with a lot of green as well. On the very edges of it as well as along the old moat that fortified Utrecht in the past. I walked there more than once with my dog Darwin and it is a view for sore eyes. I would recommend it to anyone.
2. Rotterdam used to be my favourite city to visit. Yet it now comes into second place because I am not sure if it is a city I would like to settle in in the long term. This town is my treasure chest. I open it time after time, just to find a new jewel of moments, food, architecture and places to see. As I said in an earlier post, it has the largest port in not only the Netherland but in Europe which from the Euromast is one astonishing view and experience. People here are very proud and hard working. Very international yet not packed with tourists (just how I like it baby!). Kindly feeding me with new impressions on a sunny day, this city has carved its way into my mind and tickles my imagination every time I go. The station is modern and new, made of steel and glass reflecting the at first glance cold and professional people. There I see myself in them, rough and strong on the outside yet warm and vulnerable on the inside. This is the ultimate trade city, where dreams , entrepreneurship and new thinking gave birth to one heck of a place.
1.Leiden is a city I have visited many times the last few months and I must say it keeps growing on me. People here are fairly outspoken and likes to be grounded it seems. A lot of old architecture, history and markets to be found here. Charming in the sun and mysterious in the pouring rain that follows the mist. Like any city with a university you will encounter more than one intellectual person and conversation in the friendly cafes with great coffees. On Saturdays there is a huge market which stretches through the old streets next to the canal. When the first rays of spring light hits the city it creates this amazing light that is just makes you appreciate it even more. You are in a big city yet it feels small, friendly and safe. I notice that people seem to relax more here and smile big smiles which just makes it (if even possible..) more of an experience all together. It is close to cities such as den Hague, Rotterdam and Zoetermeer. Trains go regularly and it is 20 min train ride from Schiphol airport. There are some really old houses here and it has some areas where you will find old farm houses and meet beardy biologists fishing for life in the ditches next to the fields where sheep feast on their green dinner. The first time I visited Leiden I felt the same way about it , I loved it because it has everything I would need to feel at home. It is not too busy, it is cosy, has a lot of history as well, small-town feel about it, yet has work-possibilities, green spaces, friendly people, etc. At this moment in time it is a definite favourite of mine. In fact I will take a stroll in it today and let the sunrays dance on my hair while I soak up some much needed D-vitamins.
Copyright AmsterdamTrips (2015) : Leiden
Despite having certain favourites, I am always curious to find a new place that stimulates me to just want to learn more about it. Where that is and with whom depends on what the future holds. I leave that page open to be filled when the timing is right and for when I feel like painting a new story from within.
What is your favorite place in the country where you are staying and why?
I am curious!
X Viking
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