Tag Archives: The Netherlands

Utrecht and Amsterdam

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Daniel and I decided to visit his brother, Benjamin, in Utrecht. After arriving in the afternoon, Daniel left me to go to Rotterdam and I was now all alone with this Dutch stranger. Daniel would not be back until the next day… However, a beer and a chat later Benjamin and I were already getting along quite well. (I guess brothers aren’t that different by the end of the day) ;)

The next day Daniel came back and we toured the city. It did not take long before the local dudes led me to a cool bar down by one of the grachts (the river canals) for a beer. I really like the grachts. They add something very special to the Dutch cities. Back home, the river that flows through the town is the most central and popular place to be, but it has none of atmosphere and charm of the Dutch grachts. A true Dutch speciality!

Now it was time for the three dudes to check out Amsterdam. After getting used to all the tourists, my eyes were focused on the characteristic Amsterdam architecture; tall narrow houses with pointy roofs. I was wandering why this became the predominant architectural style for Amsterdam and luckily my two “local” guides were able to enlighten me: Back in the days they put a tax on how many windows your house had. Building houses this way optimized the amount of living area, while keeping costs down.

We had dinner at a cool (kind of hipster) place (Canvas) on top of an old newspaper building. The terrace had a panorama view of Amsterdam. Very nice place and not too expensive. After dinner, we still had about three hours to spend before we could to the club just opposite Canvas. This club (Trouw) was situated in another old newspaper building (the major rival of the one where Canvas is situated). We went back to the city centre and had a look at the town by night. Quite reluctantly, the guys agreed to go through the Red Light District. I had to see this place. I’m not endorsing the practices taking place in the area, but you cannot go to Amsterdam without seeing it! After a game of pool and a couple of beers, we decided to go back to Trouw. When we arrived, we realized that entering that night without a pre-booked ticket would be impossible, so we headed back to Utrecht. Quite a lot of traveling that day! We arrived in Utrecht and checked out a local club. Nice place where they play electronic music (I’m not that well-educated in the difference of these genres). I was not the typical music being played in Danish clubs, but it was cool.

The next morning Daniel left us again, but that did not stop Benjamin and I from having fun. After an awesome breakfast in the sun on the roof terrace, we went for a walk around Utrecht, which included visiting the market. I had to try the Dutch delikatesse Hollandse Nieuwe, which is a raw or lightly marinated herring with raw diced onions. It was quite an experience (nice, but filling and with a distinctive taste that lasted for a while!). We decided to rinse with a beer. Benjamin took me to a church that had been turned into bar. Absolutely amazing place! And great beer.

The next day, I decided that it was time for me to move on and I took the bus to the outskirts of town, where I hitched a ride to Antwerpen with a guy. Another IT guy. (Second ride with an IT guy on this trip! Cudos and respect to IT guys) ;)

Groningen

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I was really feeling like drinking a beer with a friend, so seeing Daniel at the train station was a much welcomed sight. After the long trip with a lot of uncertainty, I felt home and safe (especially with that cold beer in my hand). What a feeling.

Groningen is an old city. There are still many old buildings including their university in the city centre. What a beauty! Just opposite of it is the main university library. Supposedly, that’s a place for picking up girls/guys. I don’t really see how that is possible, but it sure is a place for checking out people. (Bonus fact: People actually dress up to go to the library because of this!!)

That night we decided to check out the nightlife although it was a Tuesday. Though the majority of the places were closed, the cheapest and sleaziest places were packed. It was certainly a fun sight, but I prefer the cozy jazz bars (unfortunately I missed the live performances).

When they say that Groningen is a student city, they are not exaggerating. Every fifth person is a student, the city is packed with bikes (it felt like China in the 90s!), the university campus just outside the city center in big and quite new. Further, it seems like the architects have had no restrictions. They certainly do not look anything like the new minimalistic glass and steel university buildings in my home town, Aarhus. But this is actually very nice. The facilities are good and spacious – despite the many students. A cool thing I encountered while walking around campus was a solar-powered dumpster/trash bin that compresses the trash. Preeeetty cool, huh?

Local tip: When you have been having fun in the bars and clubs in Holland and you feel hungry, go to one of the many kebab places and order a “Kapsalon“. Don’t ask what is in it – it’s basically a mix’n'match of components of your average kebab/grill bar dishes.