I’m not sure if we’re going to have any more swimmable hot days in Amsterdam. Unfortunately, it seems like the warmest days of summer have passed. In case there is another hot day, I’ll let you know about a nice beach biking distance from the city center!
I discovered the Blijburg Beach last week when biking through my new neighborhood in the oost. The beach is really nice, not nearly as crowded as Zaandvoort, and super close to Amsterdam.
You can get there really quickly by hopping on Tram 26 from central station in the direction of ijburg or you can ride your bike. From central station go behind the station and head east for about 30-40 minutes on the same road, the road will start as De Ruyterkade, then turn into Piet Hienkade, and then eventually into ijburglaan. You will start to see beachy areas and there are plenty of bike signs that lead you straight to the beach!
NDSM provides a really cool (mini) escape from the hustle of Amsterdam. It’s only a 5 minute (free!!!) ferry ride from Tasmanstraat or Central Central and is perfect for a little lounge in the sun. It’s basically a haven for artists, creative types and and people choosing to live below the borders of society.
According to the NDSM website:A former shipyard on the northern banks of the IJ and larger than 10 football fields, the NDSM wharf is now a center for underground culture in Amsterdam. This huge area contains the NDSM hall, a hangar-like structure 20,000 sq. meters in area and 20 meters in height, and two historic ship slipways (Hellingen) housing workshops and artists’ studios.
If you wander around the surrounding area, you’ll notice that bohemians and anarchists alike have taken to alternative living quarters from broken down buses, to abandoned buildings and manholes. Make sure to check out Noorderlicht, which is a really cozy cafe with delicious snacks housed in an old greenhouse.
My lovely friend Andre has been hosting SLAVE at the Supper club every sunday for the past couple of months and they have been ALOT fun. If you love art, good food, dancing, and listening to great Djs, you will have a good time!
The evening program on May the 9th is Guest Curated by Heido Lobato, director of the Africa in the Picture Film Festival. She will be screening one of her favorite African shorts and provide you with a little preview of the upcoming 2010 Africa in the Picture festival.
Live performances by Lake Montgomery (singer songwriter); Born and raised in Paris Texas. Influenced and inspired by Nina Simone, Billy Holiday and Miriam Makeba and the countless old blues mammas that have kicked vocal ass in the past 100 years.
Spoken Word performance by Dutch MC Blaxtar; Blaxtar is a dutch rapper from Zwolle. He has been active in the dutch hiphop scene for 10 years already. In 2006 he released his first album “Ozmoses”. Followed by his second album “Chronozbaäl” in 2008 and most recently with his latest album OZMO6:2
Afterwards the Boogieman Crew will kick mad funk flavor and takes you on a ride across multiple genres, woven by Soulful vocals, lush piano chords, warm bass lines and boom-bap drum patterns.
Wow, didn’t realize a holiday celebrating the birthday of your old queen while selling junk on the streets and wearing orange could be so fun! Far surpassed my expectations! I highly recommend partaking in Queens day if you ever get a chance.
I know I haven’t really posted much in the past month but I have been physically and mentally checked out of Amsterdam. I’ve been in Texas, New York, and locked up in a self-induced prison for my master’s program. But I’m back now and ready to start posting again! Thanks for coming back to the blog and I will start posting about events happening in this city asap.
Here’s a little recap of what I’ve been up to the last month:
I went back home to Texas after 9 months of being abroad and was reminded of how fabulous it is to be from the south. Here’s a little video I made of my night out in the ATX.
also ate a ton of tex-mex
and met a new family member!
then I went to Brooklyn and had a lovely reunion.
and this past week I’ve been physically in Amsterdam but mentally immersed in the cubinator project. Possibly the worst 24 hours of our lives.
If you want to let out some aggression this Saturday, head to the Dam Square at 5pm for a giant pillow fight! I did this in Austin, Texas a few years back and it was a lot of fun. Below is the description from the facebook invite.
Every year World Pillow Fight Day is celebrated in many cities around the world. It is a free event that is all about fun. Last year Amsterdam participated for the first time and we all had a feathery blast
Our world is increasingly obsessed with regulations, security and commercialism. This threatens our freedom and creativity. That’s why we must reclaim the streets as a place where everybody can simply have fun – without meddling authorities or corporate sponsors. So grab your pillow and join the massive pillow fight on the Dam Square!
There are usually free after parties happening after the pillow fight that last deep into the night. Keep your eyes and ears open for some serious pyjama partying
This is an event that is even more fun if you bring your friends. So invite them through the menu on the right. Everyone can join!
How to join the pillow fight in 5 easy steps:
0. Invite all your fluffy friends
If you hadn’t done so already
1. Dress for press and mess
Wear something photogenic and feather-proof.
2. Bring your own pillow
Soft pillows with feathers are the best!
3. Get there in time
Be there before 5pm and wait for the signal.
4. Fight fluffy
Swing subtly and don’t hit anyone without a pillow.
5. Clean up after yourself
Use public space responsibly. It is not ours only.
Amstersam specializes in beautiful photographs of reflections in Amsterdam. Many of the photographs are taken of puddles with people, buildings, and bicycles in the reflection. This is such an interesting way to incorporate all of the water in this city. Even though I’m constantly splashing my legs with water on my bike, I’ve never really thought of Amsterdam as a city of puddles until I came across this. Check out his flickr profile for more Amsterdam reflections.
