Wrap up for a memorable winter visit to Amsterdam
Amsterdam’s spectacular Light Festival is a great starting point for a winter visit, where hearty food and fabulous art awaits, writes Kate Wickers
Schooz, schooz, schooz goes the sound of ice-skates on the outdoor ice rink located in front of the spectacular red-brick Rijksmuseum on Amsterdam’s Museumplein. I’m watching a Dutch skater weave expertly in and out of the less adept tourists, who are pushing wooden chairs (the classic Dutch ice-skating stabiliser) around the edge of the rink. The skater brushes past one such novice, sending up a cloud of ice particles as he makes a sharp turn, then takes a cheeky glance back to enjoy the inevitable wobble he has caused. Yet to get my skates on, I munch on an olliebollen – a deepfried yeast ball powdered in sugar and everyone’s favourite seasonal treat – and when a draiiorgel (Dutch barrel organ) strikes up, I really couldn’t feel more festive. It’s only when the canals freeze over that you’d find a more iconic Dutch scene.
I love a cosy hotel – somewhere to retreat to after a day exploring, preferably with a roaring fire, low lighting, comfy seats to squish in to, and an interesting cocktail list. The Dylan, which is ideally tucked away off the Kaisergracht in the Jordaan (one of the city’s most appealing neighbourhoods), ticks all of those boxes. My bedroom feels a far cry from a standard hotel room – for a start, it’s toblerone-shaped and located in the roof of one of three 17th century buildings that make up the hotel. Twenty-two original wooden beams soar from floor to apex, creating a striking architectural tunnel in which the bed takes centre stage. Beyond there’s a roll top bath, and in front a stylish living room. From my window I look down on to the central courtyard where a
Christmas tree twinkles with white lights.
Vinkeles, the hotel’s one Michelinstarred French restaurant, is housed in what was once a bakery (the row of antique bread ovens in the brick-work wall are a fascinating feature). The food is as original as the surroundings, and the creations of chefs Jurgen van der Zalm and Dennis Kuipers are unusual, such as the zingy amuse-bouche featuring tzatziki ice-cream; or the scallops with artichoke, apple and ice plant leaves, which had me turning to
Google to discover that their frosty appearance are actually tiny cells filled with water. With attention to the tiniest detail, the cuisine is also a visual feast. Make sure you leave room for the toffee soufflé with Earl Grey sorbet.
For a glimpse of Dutch winters past, head to the Rijksmuseum to see paintings such as Hendrick Avercamp’s Winter Landscape with Ice Skaters; and George Henrik Breitner’s The Singel Bridge at the Paleisstraat, painted in 1898 (note that pleasingly nothing much has changed of this scene today, beyond the fashion). Jan Steen’s The Feast of St Nicholas, painted in 1665, gives a hilarious warning for naughty children to be good. Check out the older boy wailing in the scene – the poor kid has received nothing but a bunch of twigs. 2019 is the 350th anniversary of Rembrandt’s death, so don’t miss his most famous work – The Night Watch – housed in the impressive Gallery of Honour.
I lived in The Netherlands for seven years and still miss the casual act of gift-wrapping that shopkeepers provide at no extra cost. For
For a glimpse of Dutch winters past, head to the Rijksmuseum
Christmas shopping, it’s a bonus. “Ein cadeautje?” (a little gift?) is the question you should always reply in the affirmative to (even if it’s not), for the joy of having your purchase expertly swathed in tissue paper and ribbons. The independent shops that run along the cobbled Negen Straatjes (nine little streets) in the Jordaan are particularly lovely – housed in tilting 17th century buildings and each unique – they’re the perfect antidote to soulless shopping malls. My favourites include Van Wonderen Stroopwafels who create artisan versions of The Netherland’s favourite biscuit; Bij Ons, for top quality vintage clothes; Catwalk Junkie for on trend wellpriced pieces from a group of young Dutch designers who established the shop in 2009; and Hester Van Eeghen – another Dutch designer of bags and shoes in a rainbow of colours.
Of the department stores in the city, De Bijenkorf (the beehive), dating from 1870, is the most stylish and the best place to pick up iconic Dutch brands such as Scotch & Soda; Vanilia; and Laundry Industry. In the homeware department I buy boxes of marzipan fruits and slabs of chocolate formed into letters that are given during Sintaerklaas – the day when Saint Nick is fabled to arrive from Spain by boat (no sleigh required) on 5 December to drop treats into Dutch children’s shoes. I buy a J, a B and an F, for each of my sons.
Year round, Amsterdam’s prettiest canal bridges are festooned with lights, but in December the city goes all out to shine. The 20-metre high Christmas tree in Dam Square shimmers with 40,000 LED lights so you’d almost be forgiven for not noticing the nearby spectacular Amsterdam Palace. Do take a peep round the branches though, as it’s the most prestigious building of the Golden Age – the 17th century period when Amsterdam was at its richest and most globally virile. For less traditional illuminations, the annual Festival of Light which runs until 19 January, is a mind-bending experience, creating illusion in the canals that run from the Amstel to the Maritime Museum. Highlights this year include Surface Tension by British light artists Tom Biddulph and Barbara Ryan (semi-submerged traffic and road signs inspired by floods caused by global warming);
Neighbourhood, which celebrates cultural diversity with illuminated laundry from around the world strung over houseboats; and Big Bang
– an ominous blue bomb, covered in feathers and lit strikingly by ultraviolet.
It’s during these cold winter months, when temperatures often plummet to zero and below, that Dutch cuisine, so often over-looked, comes into its own (think bowls of hearty pea soup thick enough to stand a spoon in). I join a tour of the Jordaan with Amsterdam Food Tours led by guide Rudolph Kempers, who, part stand-up comedian, part historian, provides an entertaining introduction to typical Dutch food. Highlights include a cheese-tasting at JWO Lekkernijen; a visit to Café Papeneiland, located in a 450-year -old building and one of the city’s most characterful bruin cafes (The Netherlands’ answer to the pub) where the apple tart is made fresh on the premises daily; and Rudolph’s jokes, which give an often selfdeprecating insight in to the Dutch psyche. “Hey,” he says, as I’m leaving. “Off the record, remember. Or my boss will fire me. Remember, don’t quote the jokes about the English, the Germans, the Canadians or…” The list goes happily on and on.
Back at The Dylan, the fires have been lit and I curl up with a hot chocolate and all is gezellig
– my favourite Dutch word that encapsulates this lovely warm feeling, so conducive to wintertime in Amsterdam.
KLM (www.klm.com) fly direct to Amsterdam from Glasgow and Edinburgh with return fares starting at £85 in December.
Double rooms at The Dylan (www. dylanamsterdam.com) start at €223 per night, based on two people sharing.
For information on Amsterdam Food Tour & Festival of Light visit: www.amsterdamfoodtours.com www.amsterdamlightfestival.com