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From Reporter Issue 94
SHORT BREAKS
With the RTT and the ever increasing offers of low-cost flights,
now more than ever is the time to get away for a few days. But where to
go? Nancy Wilson suggests Amsterdam.... and Dublin.
Amsterdam: more than canals and cannabis
With a false preconception that Amsterdam equates to drugs and
prostitution, I was surprisingly captivated by this intimate,
cosmopolitan city. The charm of Amsterdam has something for everyone
and is less than two hours away by plane.
They say that the canals in Amsterdam are one part water, one
part soil and one part bicycle. Not too difficult to believe when you
consider that there are 736,000 habitants and 750,000 bikes. I wasn’t
brave enough to rent one myself—in truth, avoiding being run over by
one proved enough of a challenge—but it would be the ideal mode of
transportation. Fortunately, the infrastructure provides easy access
for the pedestrian and of course there are the many canal bikes and
buses. I favoured Canal Bus’ Jazz Cruise and would recommend it to
anyone with a taste for nocturnal adventure. A wonderful way to start
the evening and with any luck, you’ll have hosts like Ilsa and Sabina
to ensure glasses are full and the live music is enjoyed while you take
in the city lights. A good warm-up before venturing to the Holland
Casino—which, by the way, has a great brasserie—or blending into the
red-light district—just for a peek, of course. Whatever your interests,
your best transportation bet is to pick up an Amsterdam Pass, valid for
up to three days maximum, it offers unlimited access to buses and trams
plus reductions for attractions and family activities, bus canals,
museum entries and restaurants.
Now, for the cultural diehards: if the 40 concert and
theatrical performances offered daily don’t strike a chord, there are
no less than 42 museums, including the Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum of
Modern Art and  the Netherlands Maritime Museums, and 141 art galleries
to discover. I opted for the Letters of Van Gogh exhibition at the Van
Gogh Museum and was quite taken with his original script and sketches.
Reaching my dose of culture rather quickly, I made my way towards to
the Stoeltie diamond factory, one of dozens in Amsterdam. Perhaps not
the most compelling of tours but a woman can never know enough about
diamonds and at the end, there is a sampling to try your newly acquired
“Carat-Colour-Clarity-Cost” knowledge on your finger.
If shopping for diamonds isn’t your thing, there are some
10,334 other shops in the city ranging from department stores to the
super trendy. The vibrancy of the squares, Rembrandtplein &
Leidseplein for example, and cobblestone alleys offer an endless choice
of cafés and restaurants to entice you to take a deserved break. The
diversity of cultures overflow into the restaurants and the variety
will appease even the most particular palate. Prices vary of course,
but overall I found two could eat for the price of one living on the
Riviera; this ratio extends to taxis, coffee and daily commodities. I
never found myself hungry enough for take-away in the red-light
district, although one Dutchman told me that the best way to spend a
Sunday morning is drinking coffee in the red-light and watching the
dregs of the previous night face the light of day.
A European journey in less than one minute
From a historical perspective, Amsterdam is a continuous journey
into the past. Again, the tour guide option can provide interesting
insight: there is a row of homes known as “A European journey in less
than one minute” where no less than seven architectural styles
representing Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and England
can be seen. The countryside is also worth exploring, like the
fortified village of Naarden and the “Gooi” region. Rome, our guide,
spoke seven languages and provided rather entertaining anecdotes and
stories. As most of the seventeenth and eighteenth century castles had
small gazebos by the river, he explained that often tea was taken in
the small structures in order to avoid the sun as only field workers
were suntanned. As a result of their paleness, the upper class were
often referred to as blue-blooded. Now you know.
The Dutch are welcoming and friendly, and their command of the
English language lives up to their reputation. Having to study English
and French at school, it’s not uncommon to come across many that speak
four or five languages. As Els Wamsteeker of the Amsterdam Tourist
Board says, “Amsterdam has been one of the most tolerant and accepting
countries in the world since the early sixteenth century. As a major
gateway to Europe for intercontinental air traffic, it is currently 4th
in the world for congresses.” Indeed this is reflected statistically:
Amsterdam sees 17,568,000 day visitors and 6,851,000 over night
visitors every year. Even so, they remain a convivial lot.
- Amsterdam Tourist Board +31 (0)20 551 25 35
- Amsterdam Tourist Board fax +31 (0)20 625 28 69
- Canal Bus +31 (0)20 623 98 86
- Canal Bus fax +31 (0)20 624 10 33
- Hotel Estheréa +31 (0)20 624 51 46
- Hotel Estheréa fax +31 (0)20 623 90 01
Drunk with Dublin
Not quite as far as Amsterdam, flight time to the Irish capital is
about 21/2 hours and Aer Lingus flies direct from Nice. From the moment
I boarded the plane, I sensed something was different and almost
immediately pinpointed it: the smiles. The Irish are amazingly
hospitable and their friendliness is inescapable: when walking into a
store, they offer help; upon leaving, it’s “have a good day”; at a café
or restaurant, they initiate conversation (and don’t whinge). Coming
from the Coast, it was a social shock. Really.
Dublin emits that “big city” feel without being overbearing.
There is a sense of chic without pretentiousness here; you can let your
hair down and enjoy what the city has to offer. A faster clip certainly
than Amsterdam—people move with a purpose—but its an easy city to find
your bearings. Dublin mixes modern trendiness with historical roots and
there’s lots to look at, visit and take pictures of. The colourful
Georgian doors are enchanting and makes the journey between
destinations enjoyable. There are many public parks including St.
Stephen’s Green, where you can find the Joyce statue and the artists’
market and Merrion Square, with none other than Oscar Wilde waiting for
you. In fact you won’t walk far in Dublin without being reminded of its
literary past.
Founded in 1592, Trinity College (Patrick Middleton’s Alma
Mater) sits on a 40 acre site with buildings dating back to the
seventeenth century. It’s famed for the Book of Kells, and, most
haunting, the Long Room. It’s 65 metre length, contains 200,000 of the
college’s oldest volumes and even if you are not passionate about
literature, it will leave you speechless. A few steps away, you’ll find
the National Museum with pieces from 2000 B.C. to the 20th century, as
well as Ireland’s Gold exhibition featuring the finest gold artifacts
in Europe.
After being in close proximity to gold, the inspiration to
shop surfaced so I headed over to the infamous Grafton Street. Even if
you’re not an avid spender, there’s lots happening along the
cobblestone streets with its flower markets and buskers, and the cafés
are well situated for people watching.
Long live the pub
One can’t go to Dublin without visiting the Guinness Storehouse.
Arthur Guinness began brewing the world renowned stout in the late
1700s, and today over 10 million glasses each day are produced. The
Storehouse is impressive: from footage of original brewing to
advertising gimmicks of yester-years to the panoramic Gravity Bar on
the building’s seventh storey. Here you can sample a fresh Guinness,
cold or “extra” cold. Hoping the “extra” cold would numb out the taste,
I all too quickly discovered that a Guinness is a Guinness and I could
never pass for Irish.
There are more than 700 pubs in Dublin plenty of which are
located in Temple Bar, the Bohemian quarter of Dublin, not far from the
River Liffey. Pubs, bars and restaurants thrive with boisterous crowds
and music explodes onto the streets. It’s more than lively and this is
the way it is every night of the week. If you prefer a scene slightly
more subdued (by Irish standards of course) slip into of the local pub
where chances are you will find a few musicians—on their permanent
stools, I’m sure—in a corner playing to the gaggle of crooners. This is
a “must have” experience because, as they say, “that’s the Irish.”
If you’re looking for some great “craic,” try a night at the
Shelbourne Park Greyhound Stadium. Although I was a little apprehensive
at first, the ambience is lively and if nothing else, the descriptions
of the racers will provide hours of entertainment: “veteran bitch in
fine form at present,” “encountered traffic problems” (sounds like life
at the Reporter). Not for everyone but with a group, it can be lots of
laughs. And like everywhere in Dublin, it would be difficult to not
have a good time amongst the Irish. n
During my stay in Amsterdam, I was a guest of Hotel Esthérea, a
charming hotel ideally located in the city centre. Both easyJet and
Basiq Air have special rates but you need to book in advance. In
Dublin, I stayed at the Conrad Hotel Dublin and flew courtesy of Aer
Lingus.
- Aer Lingus 01 55 38 38 53
- Conrad International +353 (0)1 676 5555
- Conrad International fax +353 (0)1 676 5424
- Guinness Storehouse +353 (0)1 408 4800
- Guinness Storehouse fax +353 (0)1 408 4965
- Ireland Tourism Board, France 01 53 43 12 35
- Ireland Tourism Board fax 01 47 42 01 64
© Nancy Wilson
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