Amsterdam Intrigue

Walkable, Bikeable, Boatable City

Sex, drugs and rock and roll? Is that your impression of Amsterdam?

Try this instead … a beautiful diverse city, full of affable Dutch people and visitors from around the world basking in the rich cultural experience that is Amsterdam. Arts, history, culture, unique and quirky architecture, bridges and canals. People walking, young lovelies biking in summer dresses and heels, over 50s biking in style, streetcars, traffic-free zones, all the locally-made Heineken and Grolsch you can drink, and arguably the friendliest locals in northern Europe.

Cosmopolitan culture, a rich patchwork of fine and ethnic restaurants, great hotels, all the shopping you’d want (if that turns your crank),  and the Flower Market set the scene for international travellers who enjoy a rich experience.

The city of Amsterdam is tight on space, and ancient. It was not designed for cars. While there obviously is traffic in all modern cities, Amsterdam being no exception, there are so many alternatives to get around easily and comfortably – biking, streetcars, canal boats that weave through the interconnected networks, and by foot.

Walking means you can drop into any patio in any plaza on a whim. Stay in a downtown hotel (we were at the Jolly Carlton) if you can, so you can indeed walk. It’s such a pleasure to get away from the constant roar of traffic noise, you don’t have to worry about where to park, and it makes detailed exploration a reality not a fantasy. Amsterdam people are friendly and sociable – gathering on canal boats, and at cafe seating on the canal edges. While there are too many great places to highlight them all, most enjoyed were the Ann Frank museum, the Van Gogh museum, exploring nooks and crannies on foot, dining out – the choice is huge – and the really informative canal tours that abound. The canals are one of the best ways to get around this charming city, and something every visitor must try, at least once.

About the sex and drugs … yes, the trade in both is legal. Quite openly. But surprisingly it’s all so well managed and sectioned-off that it just about avoids utter debauchery. I visited outlets for both, one inadvertently, one out of curiosity. Here’s a couple of anecdotes.

Getting off a canal boat on a damp, chilly morning, a hot coffee was in order. Hey presto! Right next to the dock there’s a “Coffee House”. Perfect. Sitting at the bar, I’m presented with a menu. Expecting to see “Latte, Capuccino, Americano …”, it took me a few seconds to clue into the fact that I was staring at a marijuana menu (I didn’t know there was such a thing.) “Er, can I just have coffee?”, I asked, sheepishly. “Of course,” responded the server full of amusement. When I looked around, innocent and naive twit that I am, I got the picture. Cannabis use is legal and open in Amsterdam. They just use some coffee houses to do so. The coffee was great, and – to my relief – free of intoxicants.

The red light district of Amsterdam is arguably frequented more by tourists who come to gawk than by patrons, although patrons there are, aplenty. In a voyeuristic way, it’s an interesting 10 minute visit to view the ‘shop windows’ where ladies of the night display their scantily clad wares.  I was so intrigued by this openness I just had to interview one of the purveyors of her services, between ‘meetings’. A young, attractive, intelligent woman in her early twenties, she was paying her way through college 10 minutes at a time, for a fee equivalent to $65. Just like any Toronto girl next door – really – this represented a logical student job for her, in a safe, controlled district of the city. She spoke of it much like a student in Toronto would talk of working restaurant  shifts between classes. Who are we to judge? It’s a different culture.

Amsterdam is a must-not-miss city.

Ojai Valley: far from the madding crowds

A world apart, minutes away from LA

Perhaps Los Angeles is too everything – too glitzy, too smoggy, too Rodeo Drive, too Hollywood – for the average over fifty traveller. Or maybe when you’ve seen it once, the gilded city loses its gloss.

Don’t get me wrong, LA is fabulous. But seasoned travellers tend to go off the beaten track, take the road less travelled … which is exactly how you might find yourself in the Ojai Valley, California, about 90 minutes north west of the City of Angels. A small town nestled in a productive viticultural and agricultural valley with the best type of Olde Mexican flavour, and a tight-knit community to go with it. But what a welcoming place.

It’s a day visit; a special one. And if you choose the slower ‘over the top’ route, you’ll be repaid by stunning views and exhilarating scenery of the Los Padres National Forest. It has a micro-climate all of its own. Feel the fresh, arid mountain valley air – a far cry from the acrid humidity and blasting heat that is LA. It’s hot, but comfortable.

The charming town of Ojai is an eclectic blend of browser shopping, art galleries, jewellers, spiritual centres, parks, spas, gift shops, wineries and theatre. If you like antiquing and gallery hopping this is the place for you to spend a relaxed day ambling and appreciating. You may well find an al fresco musical festival going on in the shady Arcade Plaza complete with its unique Matilija Poppy sculpture and a Farmers’ Market on Sundays. The art scene in Ojai is legendary, with a breathtaking annual Ojai Studio Artists Tour each October. Ojai Historical Walking Tour, Chamber Music Concerts, Artisans Fair, native plant sales, certified farmer’s market days, and concerts are all on offer on a regular basis.

Go, and have a great day out next time you visit California. You’ll fall in love with Ojai.

Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce