Two weeks to go before Amsterdam!

[By Gwen Glotin, 2019 symposium correspondent, in Amsterdam] The countdown continues! So, let’s have another walk through Amsterdam. 

I suppose most of you will arrive by plane in Schiphol, but if you come by train, you will get out at Amsterdam Centraal Station. If you take the exit leading to the IJ River, you will have a view on “Amsterdam Noord”, the neighbourhood north of Amsterdam, on the other side of the IJ. The modern building shaped like a weird bird or plane (and quite tricky to sketch!) is the EYE Film Museum, well worth a visit! Next to it, the A’DAM Lookout deck at the top of the A’DAM tower offers a great panoramic view on Amsterdam (and if you need an adrenaline shot, they also have a swing situated at 100 m above the ground). A free ferry will take you there. 

View on Amsterdam North from the tiny pancake café “Pancake Amsterdam”

If you take the other exit though, towards the city centre, one of the first things you will see is the massive St Nicholas church. And because you are sketchers, you will also notice the cute pink house next to it! 

St Nicholas Church (and cute pink house!), seen from café Loetje. I had to “finish” in a hurry as the table where I sat was booked and I was asked (very politely: “please take your time to finish your drawing!”) to leave.

Another thing which will jump out when you arrive in Amsterdam is the “sea of bicycles”, for example on the far left of the station, behind the tramway stops. Which gives me another opportunity to warn you again: watch out for the cyclists! I know, I know, I mentioned that already, but really, it’s difficult, when you come from a country with no cycling culture, to remember not to walk on the cycle paths. Moreover, it has to be said that Amsterdam cyclists lack patience… and good manners, very often! So before crossing any street or even putting one foot (or one toe!) beside the sidewalk, check out both directions – twice!   

It’s not a legend: there are more bicycles than there are people in Amsterdam. If you rent one, always always use a lock when you stop somewhere. And be aware that nowadays, using your phone while on the bike can get you a EUR 95 fine!

Let’s go further. The Nieuwmarkt square is worth a visit too – and convenient as it’s very near to the Zuiderkerk (the central location). It has countless cafés and restaurants with terraces and in the middle, the beautiful monument called De Waag, which was a city gate in the 15th and 16th century and was later used as a weighing house.  

De Waag on Nieuwmarkt square.

A little further, you’ll find the Montelbaanstoren (Montelban Tower), on the bank of a quiet canal. It used to be a defence tower. One of the things I love in Amsterdam is that you can draw by the water in many places, which is particularly relaxing (ok, sometimes it can also mean “particularly freezing” too!). The seagulls, the ducks, the swans and the very bossy coots keep you company – I just love that. And the herons are here too, of course! They are present throughout the city, but especially in parks, by the water – and also in the city markets, at closing time. You will undoubtedly have many opportunities to spot Adam, the mascot of the symposium!  

The Montelban Tower, sketched last year after the workshop of Anne Rose Oosterbaan.

Another spot which is enjoyable (but therefore also very busy!) is the small and narrow street Langebrugsteeg, extended by the Grimburgwal. Very Amsterdam! With many “ding, ding, ding” from the cyclists, as there are no separate cycle paths here. 

A spot I would enjoy sketching again! I made a mistake though, it’s Grimburgwal, the Langebrugsteeg is just behind.

I don’t know whether you will have time to visit museums too. But if you do, the Rijksmuseum is not to be missed! I regularly sketch there in the winter, it’s “my” zen place. The art is wonderful, the building is stunning (aaah, those stained-glass windows next to the Gallery of Honour!), there are countless people to be sketched, fascinating dancing lamps – and the brownies in the espresso bars inside the museum are delicious! Moreover, they strongly encourage sketching: on Saturdays, they even give out free small sketchbooks and pencils for visitors who would want to give it a try. The official policy is “pencil only”, so it’s wise to at least have a pencil and/or coloured pencils, but pen is very often tolerated too. Even watercolours, although it’s pushing it a bit. For the drawing below, done while sitting opposite to the Vermeer paintings, I had started with coloured pencils but couldn’t resist adding watercolours (with a tiny box and a water brush), wondering what the reaction of the guards would be. Well, they actually were very supportive! That being said, I was also asked a couple of times to put my fountain pen away and use a pencil, so, you never know. 

Vermeer attracts many admirers at the Rijksmuseum. If you can, go early in the morning, it’s a bit quieter!

When the weather is nice, the gardens of the Rijksmuseum are also worth a visit. Especially now: they are inhabited by the giant spiders of Louise Bourgeois, which are very fun to draw (and awesome to look at!). You can catch them there until November.

Thinking of Frodo while drawing in the Rijksmuseum gardens!

Finally, if the city life gets too hectic, don’t hesitate to look for the closest park. The Vondelpark is the most famous one, but there are many others. It’s actually another thing I love about Amsterdam, there are plenty of large parks throughout the city, so that you are never far from a green place where you can find quietness – and herons 🙂 

Flevopark, my “local” park, in Amsterdam East.

View from above in the famous Blue Tea House, in the Vondelpark