Blog

Amsterdam is my favourite city in the world. I first went to visit as a teenager in 1980 and instantly fell in love with the place.

When Karyo and I first met back in 2004, our first trip outside the UK was to Amsterdam. Since then we have been many times. Usually for a weekend. Occasionally, if we were very lucky, a long weekend.

On each visit, we would walk the streets, take rides on the canals, drink in the bars, dance in the clubs, and visit the numerous tourist attractions. All the time wishing we could stay for a longer time.

In November 2023, the housesitting fairy sprinkled her magic dust. Our wish eventually came true!

We had managed to secure a single, four-week pet sit in Museumplein, probably the most desirable location in Amsterdam.

One Night In A Hotel

The home host was due to leave on an early flight so, to be sure we arrived on time, we decided to arrive in Amsterdam the night before the sit was due to start.

As usual, we checked Airbnb and booking.com for accommodation options but availability was scarce and really expensive.

I did another quick Google search and came across ‘Priceline‘. This is another online accommodation agent very similar to Airbnb and Booking.com.

We had never heard of Priceline before but were extremely pleased to see that it had several budget hotel rooms listed in the area we wanted, and for the night we required.

With some trepidation, we forked out £95 of our hard-earned cash for one night in the Hotel Vossius

On arrival, honestly, we were mainly pleased to see that the hotel actually did exist.

As this was half the price of anything I could find on other platforms I was concerned I’d fallen for a scam, but no, there it was. A prime-location, budget-price hotel.

Granted, it wasn’t the Ritz. Let’s say Your cat would have had to be a small one should you want to swing it. However, it is in a prime location, ensuite, warm, clean and has a comfortable bed. We’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for a weekend crash pad in this wonderful city.

The Home

For our stay, we were invited into a lovely two-bedroom, second-floor apartment. The apartment was situated on a quiet side road. Less than a five-minute walk from Museumplein!

The Location – Museumplein

I can’t emphasise enough how amazing the location of the apartment was. I don’t think we could have wished for anywhere more convenient.

The name ‘Museumplein’ translates to “Museum Square”, The square is surrounded by some of Amsterdam’s most well-known museums including The Rijksmuseum which is The National Museum of the Netherlands and contains an extensive collection of Dutch art and history.

The Van Gogh Museum, which is dedicated to the works of the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh,

and The Stedelijk Museum which is Amsterdam’s municipal museum of modern and contemporary art.

Also to be found at Museumplein is the imposing Royal Concertgebouw (concert building). Its superb acoustics place it among the finest concert halls in the world.

In 2013, the Concertgebouw celebrated its 125th anniversary. In recognition of its history and continued commitment to music, in that year It was awarded the title ‘Royal Concertgebouw’ by King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.

Museumplein is not only known for museums, art and culture but also as a popular public space. People often gather here for festivals, recreational activities, outdoor concerts, sports, and other community events, making it a vibrant and dynamic part of the city, and a very desirable location to live.

How lucky were we!

The Pet

During our stay, we had the pleasure of caring for ‘Luna’ a beautiful six-year-old Golden Retriever

On arrival, we had been warned that Luna was reactive to strangers so not to let any random people in the street come to pet her whilst we were out walking.

As strangers to Luna ourselves, this made us slightly nervous. Our level of nervousness shot up when on our first night Luna snapped at me when I went to stroke her.

Thankfully, with a mixture of our excellent dog behaviour knowledge (basically, ignore her until she comes to us) and copious amounts of doggy treats, she soon came around.

By day two she was following us around like a shadow, demanding our attention and belly rubs!

From a very shaky start, by the time we were due to leave Luna had given us so much love, laughs, and affection that she was now riding high on our top dog list!

Out and About

Although we were extremely fortunate to be selected to do this housesit, we were far less fortunate with the weather – I don’t think we had a single day when it didn’t rain!

We did however manage to get out and about most days. We were embracing living like a local in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam’s famous canal system is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Every day we took Luna for a stroll along the canal paths, crossing bridges, often getting lost whilst soaking in the unique atmosphere of this beautiful city.

We were told if we really wanted to discover Amsterdam like a local, with its extensive network of bike lanes, cycling is the only way to discover the city and its hidden gems. That may be so but as we valued our lives too much we decided to stay safe and stick to Shank’s Pony.

This didn’t however stop us from marvelling at the sheer quantity and variety of bicycles to be seen. It is said that there are approximately 900,000 bicycles in Amsterdam. That is more bicycles than people!

The bikes come in all shapes and sizes. Bikes for one, for two, for families, for deliveries. They are everywhere. Crossing the road can be a challenge. Often there are six lanes.

A lane for cars, then bikes then trams, then the same again in the opposite direction.

Crossing the road in Amsterdam can only be described as ‘a challenge’

Every year, by using a special crane on a barge, approximately 15,000 bicycles are removed from the canals of Amsterdam.

There are so many bikes in the water that ‘bicycle fishing using a rope and strong magnet, is a thing here!

The Flower Market (Bloemenmarkt)

A visit to one of the city’s most popular attractions, the flower market, is a must-do experience when visiting Amsterdam.

The flower market is open year-round. Most famous for its tulips but here you can find many different flowers and plants throughout the seasons. Spring is the best time to visit for tulip displays.

The Netherlands has a rich history with tulips, and this can definitely be seen here.

When fresh tulips are out of season there is always a vast choice of tulip bulbs to be bought.

Aswell as fresh flowers, the shops that line the flower market are jammed with souvenirs of Amsterdam to tempt the hoards of tourists to part with their euros

The Cannabis Museum

With so many world-famous museums on our doorstep, it was not easy to choose which best to visit. The queues to get into the most famous were always huge so, Philistines that we are, we chose a smaller, less popular one – The cannabis museum

It turned out to be an interesting look at cannabis and the changing opinions of its use through time. From its medicinal use to its more controversial use as a recreational drug.

The Netherlands has always had a relaxed attitude toward the use of cannabis, and, as opinions change around the world, the museum focuses largely on its therapeutic benefits. The information about current research in this area was fascinating.

All in all, it was a different and thought-provoking afternoon. I had secretly hoped we’d be offered to sample the produce and can’t deny being a little disappointed leaving the museum having only been offered a free ‘flavoured’ lollipop!

Vondel Park

Nestled in the heart of Museumplein is Amsterdam’s largest public park, Vondel Park. A perfect place for relaxation and a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of city life.

This 120-acre city park is named after the 17th-century playwright Joost van den Vondel. Its winding paths, sculptures, art installations, lakes, landscaped gardens and open-air theatre make it popular with locals and visitors alike.

Where next?

Our month-long stay in Amsterdam is one we will always remember.

The weather was awful which was such bad luck as just about everything else was perfect. We had not expected brilliant sunshine for our November visit but the rain was relentless.

We would love to do it again sometime in the future but now it’s already time for us to pack our bags again.

Next Stop, London!

We have a busy month ahead in December planned with three booked pet sits to look forward to. Plus an unexpected short hotel stay!

More on that next time….

Until then, as always, thanks for reading.

Hugs,

Colin & Karyo