At the moment, I’m very busy restyling my house completely. A newly constructed wooden floor and hip colors painted on the walls. To have dinner at home now is impossible. For a quick snack and to prevent me from being homesick for my mother’s hotchpotch, I will go to
the Lloyd Hotel at the Oostelijke Handelskade. They always use good and fresh ingredients and have a unique way of using them. The kitchen obtains their products from farmers who keep their pigs with love and care, and vegetable growers who love to grow a beautiful round lettuce. The lettuce needs to go from the nursery to their kitchen as fast as possible, to retain its full freshness. The hotel is also very special. Renowned Dutch architects, designers and artists have transformed this monument dating from 1921 into a hotel where many inhabitants of Amsterdam, internationals artists, tourists and business people feel at home. In this hotel, I sometimes have a meeting with my partners from Like-a-local, Esther and Mandy.
Keywords: amsterdam
During the weekend I like to go to the
Albert Cuyp market, which has been around for over a hundred years. Here I purchase fresh fish, vegetables, fruit and of course some of that tasty Dutch cheese. A cup of fresh mint tea at
the Bazar café and restaurant in the Albert Cuypstraat (no.182) is a must. It has a multicultural atmosphere surrounded by a beautiful colored interior and a pleasant environment.
At the end of the day, you can find me often at one of my favorite pubs.
The Green Elephant is a neighborhood pub in the East of Amsterdam with a lovely terrace and excellent finger snacks from the little kitchen. The relaxing and open atmosphere makes me not want to leave. In nice weather,
the Kanis & Meiland café is good place to be. You have a great view of the water and you will have the feeling that you are a real island local!
Keywords: amsterdam
I have my breakfast at home while reading my newspaper, and drinking a homemade cappuccino. I love to have the typical fresh Dutch bread from Hartog’s bakery (Ruyschstraat 56, Amsterdam). Nowhere else in the whole world will you find such bread. Going to this bakery is also a good idea for early birds because they open the shop at 6.30 in the morning. On Saturday mornings, at the corner of the Ruyschstraat and the Wibautstraat — not far from where I live — a breadline outside of Hartog’s Volkorenbakkerij (Hartog’s Wholegrain Bakery) is a happy sight representing an attractive recreational activity bringing in the weekend with style. There’s no grim-faced despondence or weary grumbling in the line that can wrap itself around the corner, with dozens of expectant Amsterdammers. In fact, locals smile and nod at each other as they wait their turn to step into the bustling golden alcove of fresh breads and baked goods, where customers gladly pay €2,65 for a single loaf of bread. And they do it day after day, week after week. It’s something desirable, high-quality, and maybe even a bit fashionable.
Keywords: amsterdam
My favourite day is Saturday: I will start with a jog along the quays of the
East harbour district. The neighborhood has a creative and innovative atmosphere. Many small businesses, mainly in the professions and the arts, have settled here. There are many art & design shops and the neighborhood has a fair amount of restaurants, cafes and clubs. Some of them are among Amsterdam’s most trendy; others are among the most original in town. The combination of the beautiful architecture and the water gives me a lot of energy! I begin at the Java Island where I live and proceed via the imagination Bridge Jan Schaeferburg. I work up a sweat further along the “Oostelijke Handelskade” and come to the cosmopolitan island KNSM. After a half an hour I will be back and feeling very fit. This is a good start for my day.
Keywords: amsterdam
Sunday morning, 6am, the alarm clock reminds me of the 25 kilometers (15 miles) that I have to run today in preparation for the marathon. Sounds very hard and exhausting, but fortunately, I will do it for fun! So I put on my running shoes, bring my radio and run! A marathon is a challenge, but the most important part is the period before the marathon. You have to make it very comfortable, which I do by running in the most beautiful neighborhood. My favorite route is in the
Amsterdam Woods; located at 5 metres below sea level. The woods were developed in 1928, before it was a Dutch polder and now it is a unique forest close to the city. The running routes are clearly marked and follow a lake, playing areas for kids and hills. It is also a perfect place for walking and cycling. But before I start, first I drink a cafe latte in cafe de “Bosbaan”. Not only nice because of the coffee, the terrace has beautiful romantic views during hot summer evenings….
Keywords: amsterdam
I am an avid runner, doing lots of marathons. Since I really like having some support in the period prior to the marathon, I train at the athletic court every week to practice special techniques to improve my speed (or to hear the latest news about food). And every time, it is a unique experience to join this training in
the Olympic Stadium of Amsterdam. The stadium was built for the Olympic Games in Amsterdam in 1928. You feel like a real athlete when you are running around the court. That’s why I invite runners from all over the world to this training at the stadium with
Esther, an expert marathon trainer.
I actually have to eat very healthily, but after a hard training, nothing tastes better than a real “kroket” (a Dutch snack with thick meat ragout which is available in every snack bar in Holland). I always go to the
Febo, the best snack bar in the country. The Febo was founded in the 40’s in the Ferdinand Bolstraat (and this why the name is Febo) and now has snack bars in more than 30 cities in the Netherlands. One of the unique characteristics of the Febo is that they have snacks in little heated compartments in the wall. After throwing in a couple coins, you can open the glass door and get your snack out. Pretty cool.
Keywords: amsterdam
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The wind blows through the Netherlands, but we are waiting when it will will be freezing cold, so we can take our skates to go outside. Ice-skating is quite popular in the Netherlands, for the active people as well as for the passive people. During the weekends we are watching television to see our skate idols, like last weekend when Ireen Wust won the silver medal at the
World Championship Sprint Skating. This makes me want to skate myself. And there are possibilities enough in
Amsterdam when there is no natural ice. I love to go to these ice-skating rinks where I meet my friends and drink hot chocolate. This winter, there is a new hype in the Netherlands: Skating with Celebrities like they have in other countries. Very popular with adults and children and the conversation subject for Monday mornings!
Keywords: amsterdam
Every day, on my way to the office, I pass one of the most famous and infamous neighborhoods of Amsterdam: De Wallen. De Wallen are a group of streets located in the old center of Amsterdam where prostitution is a part of daily life. Last week all newspapers wrote about the commotion in this neighborhood: one third of all the prostitutes must turn off their red lights. The permission of some brothel owners has been withdrawn, and all the locals are wondering if the unique character of this area will continue. This area also has one of the best Chinese restaurants of Amsterdam:
Hoi Tin, and real brown cafes. You can actually experience what daily life is like in this area, by having
dinner at the house of a local who prepares food for the prostitutes.
