In my previous blog entry, Tour de Amsterdam, I mentioned rules learned the hard way while riding a bike in downtown Amsterdam. Recall that biking is a mode of transportation and not the competitive leisure sport as viewed by most Seattlites. The topography of Amsterdam is wonderfully flat!
Riding for hours is possible with perhaps the only side-effect of returning to your hotel a bit sore in the saddle. So don’t shy away from renting a bike because you don’t have the outfit, helmet or shoes; it’s a common sight to see business men dressed in suits chatting on their cell phones and farmers in overalls wearing clogs on the bike paths. Also, don’t worry about getting lost; along with designated bike paths signs (fietspaden), there are arrow street signs directing you to areas within the city and back to Central Station. Just remember the canals run around the city in a horseshoe pattern.
Now, my favorite bike ride starting from Central Station, the focal point of the city located on the major waterway canal, Het Ij. Vondelpark is Amsterdam’s central and most popular public park. It is home to joggers, family picnics, cyclists, strollers, casual soccer players, dogs chasing tennis balls, and tender young lovers embracing while lying on the manicured lawns. In the summer, evening concerts are performed by local musicians.
With your back to the station, stay to right toward the Jordaan neighborhood, take a left but stay on the right side of Prinsegracht (gracht=canal) , heading south. This ride will keep you away from the central and hectic “walking street” where pedestrians crowd to shop arm and arm and sample the popular fries served with garlic-lemon mayonnaise. You’ll be riding along side canals, over cobblestones and over small bridges; bikes will be everywhere, some of which have been locked on the railings in pantomime positions for years. Stop for a cup of coffee, a fabulous pastry or glass of Dutch beer in one of the many cafes.
This scenic route will take you past the Anne Frankhuis (huis=house) which will on the opposite side of the canal; you can stop there on your return ride. About a mile a half on Prinsegracht, take a right on Leidsegracht and where it runs into the main canal, Singelgracht, ride left onto Leisekade (kade=quay) bringing you to a bridge where to the north the street is Leidestraat 
(straat=street) and to the south, it’s Vondelstraat. Within a matter of minutes, Vondelpark will be in sight. The main entrance is on the north side on Huygenstraat but there are smaller accesses to the neighborhood around the park.
Once inside Vondelpark, ride the bike path which is shared with pedestrians; get a feel for the park. Like Central Park in New York, it’s an oasis in a fast-paced metropolitan city – an oasis where instantly you can feel tension drop from your shoulders. It’s a sight filled with visual and auditory pleasure. Do like me: park your bike, sit on a bench and open up that book from your backpack. Or people watch. It’s a favorite pastime in Europe and the Dutch are a visual delight; they are friendly, intelligent and extremely clever. I never tire of the Dutch or of my favorite oasis in downtown Amsterdam, Vondelpark.
Prepare for your tour d’Amsterdam:
- Amsterdam City Guide (DVD)
- Dutch Art and Architecture, 1600-1800, by Jakob Rosenberg
- Inside Anne Frank’s House, by Hans Westra
- Pimsleur’s Dutch: the short course
- The Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam, a mystery by Chris Ewan
- The Amsterdam Cops: collected stories, by Janwillem Van de Wetering
~ Edna B
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