The Ham Nomads

22 Sep 2015. <NL> Amsterdam —

Today there was little to do but get ourselves moving and into Amsterdam.

On the way in, we drove beneath Schiphol Airport — which itself is 3.3 metres below sea level! It's rather weird to have the planes taxiing above our heads!

We found our campsite — Amsterdam City Camp. Not a person in sight to check in with — it's all handled via an automated check-in booth. The Nederlanders really have a penchant for efficiency! And it comes with electricity and really effective WiFi — luxury!

We got into the campsite — situated in the NDSM area on the northern side of Het Ij — settled in, and then decided to take a reconnaissance trip into the city. It couldn't have been easier! About 10 minutes' walk from the campsite there's a free ferry that, in 14 minutes, takes you straight to Centraal Station (no, I didn't spell it wrong! Dutch is very close to English and German, but it does have its quirks when it comes to spelling).  On the way we passed some interesting graffiti — NDSM was settled by squatters when the shipbuilding ceased in about 1980, and the Amsterdam City Council saw value in them, and are currently financing their endeavours. And as soon as we reached the station  —in fact, even while on the ferry —we were made very aware of the number of bikes that cone into the city every day. One figure we have heard is over 6,000 each day, but we think that is a very conservative estimate! Why, the bike racks around Centraal Station alone must hold at least 1,500.

Right outside the station is the Amsterdam Visitor Centre. The Amsterdamers are one people who have got the tourist thing RIGHT! For a start, they pride themselves in picking accents, and immediately greeting you in your own language. There is what they call the I amsterdam City Card. This is a card that gives you transport throughout Amsterdam, and free entry into a heap of worth-while attractions, and discounts at others. This is one card that is worth getting! You can choose 24 hours, 48 hours, or 72. That time count works independently for the transport and for the attractions, so if you use the card carefully, you can maximise its worth. We went in, checked the value-for-money, and immediately bought one each — for €69 each. We had worked out that, even without the transport part of it, the first three or four attractions we visited would pay for it! (And so it proved, but you'll have to wait a couple of days before you find out how we used it!)

The Visitor Centre and the canal behind it

One of the famed "Coffee Shops"
(for "Coffee" read "Cannabis")
the heady smell wafts in the air!

We went out and down to Dam Square. This is where the dam on the river Amstel used to be  — hence 'Amsterdam'  — and is where the original Town Hall was built. The current building — which we have discovered rests on 13,659 piles — is currently called the 'Royal Palace', because when Napoleon incorporated the Netherlands into the French Empire, he proclaimed it so. Currently the square is the haunt of street entertainers and barrel organs. We spent a little time watching a street magician who had a great time taking the mickey out of passers-by. To two tourists walking past with heavy backpacks, for example, he called out "You can take your parachutes off — you've landed!"

In the Ijpassage under the station, passing from Het Ij, where our ferry pulls in, to Stationsplein, the square in front of the station, there's a bookshop that sells the English papers, so Warren can get his fix of The Times while we are here!

While we were walking about, the heavens cut loose! We decided to make our way back to the campsite and the van to dry out and settle in. When we got there, we had another surprise — one of the most magnificent sunsets we have seen in all of our travels! Amsterdam, you've given us the most wonderful welcome!

Distance driven — today, nil; to date, 28,995 miles ( 46,663 km )