New people...

September is the time of year we see fresh faced kids going to college and living away from home, or foreigners moving over for new jobs. And you can tell them a mile away. No idea of traffic, can't cycle a bike and are dumbfounded looking at the food aisles trying to figure out what the pictures are on the tins to know what the word means.

Its a thrill to be living somewhere new. So I hope they are all enjoying it.
At the weekend, the best advice is really to walk the city. Just keep walking around the place, taking notes of bars or restaurants you might like. Some places become markers for your time here... Leidseplein and Dam square are the main places..  But walk around and enjoy getting lost and finding new things. There will be things you can find even teh lcoals wont know when you take the time to walk about!

As for the rest, please becareful on the bikes!

Be prepared

Today we may be lucky, but the weather in Amsterdam is pretty unpredictable at the best of times. Even checking Buienradar.nl religiously, you will realise it cannot be correct all the time.

Aside from the trusty old cheap poncho (thank you Xenos) I keep my the bike bag, the undesirable but very practical rain gear is going to be a must for the coming 6 months... Either feel like you have accomplished something upon arriving anywhere, or be glued into the trams and metros every morning and evening on the commutes... I know I prefer my personal space!

 

 

 

 

Restaurants...

Someone today just asked me where to go out for food, to which I replied without thinking, Voucher Deals are the reason I go to any restaurant at all. The city has more than 1,000 restuarants of over 100 nationalities feeding thousands of people every day, but where to go can sometimes be a pain.
Now i rely on the likes of coupon buying so it nearly works out buy one get one free when you dine out, so you get to try a restaurant you would never have gone to before, for a lot less the price. With new apps likes DealPage and Scoupy out there which boast local deals, ie. you turn on the app when your hungry and it tells you the nearest deals to you at that point, you never need to go back to the AH again!

The Rain in Dam...

SO maybe the summer has ended? This morning it felt like the sun has gone on its holiday and now we are left with the blanket of grey skies and the rain drops that can ruin your day.. leaving you soaked in the office with mascara pouring down your face, and as soon as you dry, leave back out again... into the pouring rain to get home and never want to leave the house again.

One way to try to tackle the times is to keep an eye on Buienradar as it shows you the map for 2/3/24 hours and the weather. Take the 24 hours with a heavy does of salt, but the 2/3 hours is more realistic...

Still, its 9am and I am not leaving yet til it stops!

Tweet Twoooo

Just so you are aware: there is a twitter account with the name @Netherlanders which is run by a Dutch person who will tweet about living here, their own lives and experiences and little bits of facts/information you might not have known! And if you wish, someone to ask a query to get an answer from the people following them (currently at 2,770 but surely to build!)

A great reason to cycle!

Things to do: Upcoming November/December time

November:
The first saturday of November, showcases the Museum night, where you get to enjoy the unusual opportunity of viewing the museums throughout the night, with Dj music and a more casual feeling that what is normally expected.

For the more serious film lover, the International Documentary Film Festival takes place from 14th - 25th, showcasing around 200 documentarys from around the world on matters some of us don't know about. A great eye and mind opener!

More into the antiques of life? The biggest antiques fair will take place from the 18th - 25th November in the RAI, where you get to check out the art, antiques and designers for all to see.

Or, if your more into the 'local' agriculture, you can check out the Cannibas Cup, from the 18th - 22nd where 'judges' from around the world get to sample and vote on their favourite smoke. People cross breed, flavour and manipulate the genes to change the taste, compound and effects for those to smoke. Now going on its 23rd year, you can buy a day pass for 50e.. Just becareful!

In traditional Dutch style, bring the kids along to the Amstel and welcome in Sinterklaas as he arrives into Amsterdam by boat with Sint Pete. This year, he arrives in on 18th November, so be sure to get up early and check out the big arrival and remember to be good for the 5th December!

December
5th December is the childrens favourite day of the year, as this is their Christmas as it were. They leave their shoes in shops, in the hope Sinterklaas will leave them an orange and some treats.

Also, check out the Ollibollens around the city.. There are fierce competitions and around mid December they will be voting on their favourite, and when the winner is announced, the queues for the winner is astronomical!! So be sure to try them all out!

Autumn falls

With our glorious weekend, reaching 27 degrees on Sunday, thousands decended the pavements towards Oudekerk aan de Amstel as their last hope for a nice sunny cycle to a beautiful village whilst enjoying scenic routes of boats, picnics, people sunbathing all along the canal bed. And this Monday morning has us wakened up with the sheets warpped around ourselves, as the rain falls, and the temperature drops below the 20 mark and ascending to the 16's for the week.

 

Be prepared, make sure you own a poncho, a good umbrella, loaded up your OV chipkaart for any metro/trams you will choose to take instead of your bike. For autumn is calling, and with hopes of sunshine this autumn with a cool breeze, let's just be prepared this year!

 

Tourist Season...

Much like the locals, us expats also get a little miffed with the unaware tourists cycling around, unaware of accident prone machine they are on as they cycle in 2's, 3's and 4's on cycle lanes. Today i bared witness to some tourists on macbikes cycling on the wrong side of the road in 3's and not getting out of the way for the locals on the correct side, to the extend one local just pulled infront of them not letting them pass and shouted at them to cross the road.
Tourists be ware. The locals DO NOT tolerate tourists on their bikes who do not cycle properly and have NO problem telling you about it, hairdryer effect!

Water of life....

Having enjoyed a couple of restaurant week's offerings this last week, one thing has really stood out. Annoyingly. Some restaurants choose not to serve tap water, thus making money on the bottle of water you order. With the Netherlands declaring they have the best tap water, it annoys what is a basic human right: the right to clean water.
I believe it is under law in some countries that should you ask in any establishment for a glass of water, they are obliged by law. Yet the counter that that houses the Hague, with the international tribunal courts for human rights, don't see the option of tap water in a restaurant a free choice.
So €10 charge extra on our bill, each time, just makes me want to drink wine more!