Destinations - Amsterdam and Dublin

Written by Nancy Wilson

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

Amsterdam Tourist Board www.amsterdamtourist.nl

Basiq Air www.basiqair.com

Canal Bus +31 (0)20 623 98 86

Canal Bus fax +31 (0)20 624 10 33

Canal Bus www.canal.nl

easyJet 08 25 08 25 08

easyJet www.easyjet.com

Hotel Estheréa +31 (0)20 624 51 46

Hotel Estheréa fax +31 (0)20 623 90 01

Hotel Estheréa www.estherea.nl

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.