I’m in Amsterdam from two month ago for my internship. So, during these two month I have explored the city from the north to the south and in details, I think. I enjoy the city by myself but also with friends who come to visit to me. This article is about discovering the city with friends and family.
The first visit was from some friends of my technological degree. They arrived just few week after my arrival, which was in the middle of February. In this case I had discovered the city center with them. Because they come early in my internship I was not able to host them so they find a youth hostel. During this week I needed to do my internship so they made different activities like many museums without me, for example, the Rijksmuseum, the Jeff Koons exposition at de Nieuwe Kerk, Stedelijk museum and some others.
To pass good nights together we decided the main activities were going to do during the nights of the week going to be really simple. The program we walk through the city, we find a nice place to drink a beer, we talk and let’s do that again and again. In this way we visit the city center in detail. With this process we live a really good week together and we discover many good place in the city. Nice experience!
More recently my parents come to visit me. They come for five days. They don’t come for the same purpose than my friends and that was really nice to help them to explore the city from another angle. First step was to fnd the hotel where they had a reservation. That was not a hard task and I take this opportunity to explain to us lot of things about the city, its functionings and some fun facts. The day after, I had my day off with them to explore the city and this time we made that by bicycle, it’s way faster than in public transportation. The morning we go to NDSM a really interesting place when you go to Amsterdam because the architecture and the environment change a lot in comparison with the rest of the city. After we ride in all of the rest of the city through the different quarter like Pijp, Jordaan, the VondelPark. Conclusion of my parents, interesting experience but with someone who know the city and in condition to be comfortable with a bike.
The day after, because I need to work they visit a little bit more the city in public transportation and made two museum, Nederlands Scheepvaartmuseum and the Verzetsmuseum, they tell me that was a good experience and interesting even without lot of knowledge in english. That is also an interesting point, the knowledge of the language. They appreciate to have someone who can help them at any moment to understand what the people say. During the different day in the city we like to try a lot of different restaurant and that an aspect who proposed the city every sort of food, indian, italian, french and many other things.
After two day in the city of Amsterdam they decide to go over and we go to Haarlem for a day and Zandvoort, that was a good idea. Haarlem is really a lovely little city. For a day it’s a good choice. We finish the day at Zandvoort on the beach to take some fresh air and change the landscape a little bit.
The last day before they leave in the afternoon we go to the sloterplas for a morning break because that was close to there hotel. After this we go to the airport for an “Au revoir”. To conclude my experience as an expat it’s nice to have some visit and become a guide a sort of guide for few day because that permite to share many discovery and a lot of unique good moment.
With Friends :
Nemo museum
walk in the city
discover pubs
seat, watch and discuss
tast local specialities
With parents :
Museumplein
tour in the city
Anne frank huis
heineken experience
Parents :
maritime museum
resistance museum