Title: CLEO - Revive with a Layover in Amsterdam
Words: 1600
Draft/Editing: Authors Draft, CLEO edited
Author: Steven Digre
Copyright: Nov. 2005

Abstract: This article first published in CLEO, an Egyptian Cosmopolitan, in November 2005 - I, the travel writer, describe a layover in Amsterdam.

Revive with a Layover in Amsterdam

Editors Note: This article underwent further editing and revisions by the staff at CLEO.

The efficient rail system connecting Amsterdam’s aeroport to the heart of this well-known European port city makes a day trip effortless – and a lively way to spend a layover. Imagine yourself deplaning after a relatively quick four-hour flight from Cairo, even more so, imagine yourself getting off the plane after a ten-hour flight from East Asia or the United States. Surely a ten hour flight leaves most passengers worn down, irritated, and depending on who your neighbours were on the plane, perhaps in the throes of serious sleep deprivation.

A quick jaunt into Amsterdam could be just what the doctor ordered. Sure you’re tired. Sure you haven’t had a decent meal in hours and sure you’re probably worn down by the sounds and smells of the airport. But these are the reasons you should take a day trip into Amsterdam. Why spend the next six hours waiting for your next flight, why not head into the city for a break from airport tedium? Lockers are secure and cheap, 1 € will store your carryon and a round-trip ticket will cost you 6 €.

When purchasing a train ticket into Amsterdam I avoid the automated teller machines, as I cannot read Dutch, and have had too many experiences where I’ve purchased the wrong ticket and ventured off, quite by mistake, into a destination unknown – like the time I watched the skyline Paris pass into, and out of view. Ops.

Here, a train ticket costs only six Euros -- I am certain to spend more than that entertaining myself in the airport café during a lay-over, where a stale sandwich and Coke goes for ten Euro. Instead, I choose to spend my six Euros on a trip to the city. Three train stops from the airport and less than fifteen minutes later, I exit Central Station and am greeted by a wonderful view: historic architecture, clear blue skies, and fresh air - the bustling heart of Amsterdam – not just any city, but the unique flavour of Amsterdam which must be experienced first hand. I’ll take this scene any day over the congestion and irritations of the airport.

The sound of the city raises my senses: rattling trains passing through the streets, street corners buzz with pedestrians, and the distance sounds of vendors selling their wares. The energy of my fellow travellers and the citizens of The Netherlands revitalizes me – restoring my worn traveller’s body, the aches of a cramped plane fade and my mind clears and focuses on the moment. Hours of sleep become irrelative. The metallic smell of the airplane is a distant memory. I am in another country and I’ve extended my vacation by one more destination. I’m in the heart of downtown Amsterdam.

Trains, powered by overhead electrical lines, pass through the streets and across passenger walkways. In the faces that surround me, I find a mixture of cultures. It seems every nationality is represented here on Amsterdam’s streets. Multi-cultural dialects intermingle and float along the cities light breezes as they intertwine amongst the city’s buildings. The fresh breezes alone are reason enough for my escape from the airport. And the cities architecture, as beautiful as anything I have seen in Europe. Buildings dating hundreds of years display an attention to detail, in their carvings and facades which tell a tell of a very different time and cultural focus. Temples weathered by time rise in green copper above places of worship, cobble stone courtyards, designed for a much simpler time, encompass me and join the great people of this city into one communal group. This entire eye-opening experience has been provided by one short train ride.

It is usually at this time that I begin to feel sorry for those still holed-up at the airport: waiting in line for a stale sandwich, or trying to find comfort as they contort and scrunch their carry-on luggage into a less than suitable bed and pillow. Not for me, it’s the city; I so enjoy the canals, culture and food. And speaking of the food, this alone is reason to visit Amsterdam.

Amsterdam is home to a multitude of culinary delights. I typically opt for an Irish Breakfast served at any of the sidewalk bistro’s that line the streets. An Irish breakfast typically consists of more food than any one person needs; four eggs, sausages, bread, fruit, vegetables, and some fluffy breaded concoction. The serving plate is about the size of a car’s steering wheel and the breakfast covers every available square centimetre of it. If an Irish breakfast is not what you are looking for, there are many other options sure to satisfy your palette – French, Italian, and Dutch, they’re all here.

“Breakfast?” I asked the waiter after taking a seat at O’Neill’s, being that it was four in the afternoon, I didn’t expect breakfast to be available, but thought I would inquire. Per my previous time zone, it is the hour of breakfast.

“I have an Irish breakfast, a #$%^chman, or Duetches?” the waiter responds in a thick Irish accent. His accent so thick I had a difficult time discerning his last two offerings, thus I selected my standard Irish Breakfast. There have been times I have contemplated ordering a local breakfast, for the sheer experience of it, but I’m always concerned that they may slip some pickled fish or fish-cheese mixture into the fold. I’m not in the mood for too many surprises today, so as always, it’s Irish.

I smile.

I love Amsterdam: breakfast at four in the afternoon. The businesses just outside of Central Station have it right. Cater to the day traveller. Where else in the world can you find service so accommodating? I reflect once again on the poor travellers stuck at the airport; eating greasy-stale food from less than stellar restaurant selections. Here I can have virtually anything I want. I give one last thought to those at the airport and dig into a breakfast large enough to serve five men.

Forty minutes later, well-fed and re-energized, I head off onto the many walkways and corridors which are lined with small stores. These shopping alleys are narrow, and thankfully do not allow vehicle traffic, and this adds to the casual, browsing atmosphere of Amsterdam. These shops were located and designed with the tourist in mind, and here, there are enough varieties to appeal to everyone; classic tourist offerings such as “I’ve been to Amsterdam” t-shirts, local watercolours and acrylics, and haute couture clothing shops fill every available space along these shop-ways. Simply stroll through the narrow corridors and you’ll be sure to find something of interest.

If shopping’s not your thing, you have the option of venturing into a town square, just follow the crowds, and you will be greeted by street musicians, artisans displaying their wares, and street performers who love to entertain children – perfect for those travelling with young ones. Clowns, Disney cartoon characters, mimes, and men on stilts fill the public areas; all of this welcomes you as you gaze the circus-scene surrounded by five-hundred year old architecture. Many families lay a jacket down, set up camp, and sit comfortably as they watch the entertainment roll on by.

My journey thus far has taken little over an hour, and I still have four hours before I need to be back at the airport. Today, I pass on the town square and instead take a left toward the inner city canals that run through the heart of Amsterdam.

Here you have two options. Climb into a water taxi, available at every street corner, and view the city from the waterways as you slowly float along the well maintained concrete canal system. Here, you will find incredible views of the cities landscape, architecture, and multi-cultural scenes.

Today I opt for a casual stroll, as my plane trip has consisted of sitting and I know that stretching my legs will be a welcome break. As I stroll off the beaten pathways, I find hidden places of interest, an elderly women practicing black magic offers me a personal fortune reading, a man offers to repair the torn strap of my backpack, and from the look of his store, he’s been making similar offers for nearly a century; I accept neither offer, and instead enjoy the conversation with these real locals, further expanding my taste of Amsterdam.

Two corners and one mistaken corner later, though in the end a surreptitious direction, I find myself in a residential area. Here, I am able to absorb the construct of the daily life of those living in Amsterdam. The slow pace at which they tend to their flower pots located outside of their buildings, the friendly nods as I pass, and my favourite aspect, watching as they would stop, set their bags down on the sidewalk and take a moment to speak with a neighbour. Slow, casual, and if I were to describe the locals in one word, welcoming.

Four hours later I am back at the airport with my ticket to Cairo in hand; I nod at the traveller standing next to me and notice that she looks wiped out. “I’ve been here forever,” she mumbles. I nod, quirk a smile, and am glad that I for one, spent a few Euros, used up a little bit of my depleted energy, and spent the afternoon in Amsterdam. A few hours is all that is required to reenergizing a weary traveller’s soul and extend your vacation by one more destination.

Contact:
E-mail steve@stevedigre.com

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